Body Idioms and Lost inTranslation

Wednesday 4^th February, 2015

Hi Isabel,

 So, you’ve nearly mastered the use of modal verbs for probability in the past! Well done!

Last class, we practised this topic by reading a text entitled ‘The Famous Four’. The text is about three kids and their dog. The three friends and the dog were able to rescue a person who had fallen while she had been out for a walk. She must have been lying in the growth for over a day and she could have been suffering from hypothermia (excessive low body temperature). That’s why the title suggests that the lady was rescued in the nick of time (just on time).

The title seems to have been intended to remind the famous adventure books written by Enid Blyton, ‘The Famous Five’.

I used to read these books when I was a child. I used to have them as presents on my birthday and at Christmas. Then, I grew up and the books I read were by Agatha Christie!

We revised verbs followed by prepositions.

Congratulate on	thank for	invite to
She congratulated them on getting married and thanked them for inviting her to their wedding
Forgive for	shout at	accuse of
She would never forgive him for shouting at her and accusing her of stealing the money.
Complain about	remind of	inherit from
Whenever he complains about not having money, I remind him of the amount he inherited from his grandparents.

Click here for exercises Verbs + preposition   Try this test!

Wednesday 28^th January, 2015

 In this class we learnt metaphors and idioms related to the body.

·           My friend is moving house, so I’ve decided to give her a hand tomorrow. (to help)

·           Come on! That’s not possible. You’re pulling my leg! (You’re kidding)

·           She doesn’t make the slightest effort. She’ll have to face the fact that she’s going to fail the exams. (Accept the fact)

·           Although he didn’t like his boss’s instructions, he put a brave face and executed them. (Accept something which isn’t nice).

And we also revised adjectives related to physical appearance and personality.

appearance		personality
graceful	Skinny	brainy  +	narrow-minded −
bald	wrinkled	quick-thinking +	moody −
curly	well-built	affectionate +	big-headed −
		smart +	cheeky −

And we also read an article called ‘Lost in Translation’. It is a collection of examples of mistranslations into English or ambiguous sentences. Both in England and abroad. Some of the examples were very funny!

And …that was all!

See you on Wednesday!