From Twitter:
Sam: Hi Jan.
Jan: Hello, Sam.
Sam: How’ve you been?
Jan: All right. And you?
Sam: ①, not bad, but it’s getting hard.
Jan: ②, you mean social distancing?
Sam: ③, not meeting people…. ④, it’s lonely.
Yeah
Hmm
Uh
Oh
Answers
① Oh, because though Sam is thinking–this is almost a standard expression.
② Hmm, because Jan is thinking about the reason.
③ Yeah, because Sam is confirming Jan’s suspicion or guess.
④ Uh, because Sam is thinking and searching for the right effect or words.
Category: Conversation Phrases
Casual Talk 1
I’ｍ hungry; let’s grab ① ② ！
Best Answer only, not merely a “right answer:” Ｎｏｔ e: 1 question has 2 possible answers.
ⓐ grub
ⓑ meal
© the
ⓓ some
ⓔ food
Pic: #EdgarCastrejon #リラックスした英語 #会話セッション #新宿イングリッシュインスティテュート
Answers And Explanation:
① some, as we need a qualifier like an article, before the next noun, and some is the only choice.
② grub or food are the casual choices and the meal or some meal doesn’t make sense; come to class to understand why.
Asking about Someone’s Meal
From Twitter:
What’s the usual expression?
① What did you have for lunch?
② What did you chow for lunch?
③ What did you eat for lunch?
④ What did you had for lunch?
The answer and explanation is: ① ‘What did you have for lunch?‘ We don’t usually say ‘eat’ (choice ③) unless we want to focus on the physical act of consuming food or unless the listener(s) did not hear ‘have’ after several attempts to ask.
Crazy Behavior
A: What happened ① ya?
B: A guy threw a mask ② me, so I yelled ③ him and we fought.
A: What’ya say ④ him?
B: “Hey, that’s crazy!”
A: He thought you called HIM crazy.
B: No. So he got angry?
A: Yes.
B: No. I called his BEHAVIOR crazy.
A: In Japan, it’s the same.
Choices
by
to
at
with
Answers And Explanations
① with, because we refer to a situation one is involved with.
② at, because we throw things friendly-like to someone and angrily at someone.
③ at, to, because we yell at a person.
④ to, because we say something to a person.
Meditation
From Twitter:
Student: How do I meditate?
Teacher: Sit and breathe.
S: I keep＊having thoughts.
T: Yes.
S: I thought the goal was to achieve a clear mind.
T: Yes.
S: How do I do that?
T: Keep＊ trying.
S: How?
T: Let ideas disappear, like clouds, and breathe.
＊Keep means:
own
continue
have
Answer and Explanation:
The answer is ‘continue’ (in this context).
In other contexts the meaning is to have or own/take for oneself.
Homemade Masks!
From Twitter:
Yumiko: I made these masks. They ① made ② drapes. Usually surgical masks ③ made ④ cotton.
Teacher: Wow! They are beautiful.
Choose the best answers for each missing word:
from
are
were
of
What I do And What Is Done
From Twitter
I ① go shopping at the market after cleaning the house each morning. The Corona Virus situation has change our ② activities.
A. usual
B. usually
Answer And Explanation
① A. ‘usually;’ is an adverb, which is required to help (“modify”) the verb go.
② B. ‘usual’ is an adjective, which is needed to help (“modify”) the noun activities.
No Phones in Pockets!
From Twitter:
Dr. J: Don’t do that.
Bo: _①_ my phone in my chest pocket?
Dr. J: Right.
Bo: Really?
Dr. J. You’ll get tumors in your chest. Not in your pants pocket either.
Bo: And headphones?
Dr. J:_ ②_them; don’t hold a phone near your head–nor a tablet or laptop on your lap.
Choices:
have
use
put
Answer And Explanation:
① ‘Put‘ is the answer; though ‘have’ is okay, the emphasis in a “dos and don’ts” situation is usually on the beginning action, or the doing. In other words, we put something in a place before we have it in that place. So the ‘putting’ is a the “beginning” or causal action. Also, if you imagine a patient in a doctor’s office–after a physical exam– s/he probably puts the phone in his or her pocket in front of the doctor. So, the doctor’s saying “don’t do that” refers to something the person is “doing”, not “having.”
② ‘Use’ is the answer; there is no other sensible choice, here.
Working from Home
I like working from home.
From Twitter:
I like working from home, because I can save time ＿①＿ to the office.
Choices
a。from going
b。of going
c。to go
Answer and Explanations:
The answer is:
a. ‘from going to,’ because we are taking time out of, or “from” an activity.
b. If we wanted to use ‘of going’ we would need to be referring to a specific amount of time, so would need ‘the’ in front of it: ‘save the time of going.’
c. If we used ‘to go,’ the meaning changes to suggesting that we want to go to the office.
Whose Mask?
Is this mine or yours? It’s hers. Or–is it his?
Jo (a guy) and Mo (a gal) took ① masks off & left ②. Later they are confused as to who owns what, and Bo helps them sort it out.
Jo: Is this ③ mask or is it Mo’s?
Bo: It’s ④.
Jo: Where’s ⑤?
Bo: ⑥ here.
Jo: And yours?
Bo: ⑦ on me!
Mo (to Jo): Does Bo have ⑧ mask?
Jo: Yes ⑨ has it.
Choices
my
their
she
her
it’s
them
hers
mine
your
A