Friday 31 August 2012

Daily Life Quiz No.10: "Having Fun"


Welcome to our Daily Life series of quizzes. Each quiz covers a specific aspect of being in another country, such as asking for directions, ordering a meal or booking in at a hotel.

This exercise comes from the Pro Members section of Fun English Lessons, which is now FREE to join by signing up in the box below.

You will receive:
  1. Fun activities by e-mail every week
  2. A special report: 'Top 100 English Words'
  3. Exclusive access to our Pro Members area
  4. Priority answers to your language questions
  5. 3 great Fun English Lessons
BECOME A PRO MEMBER...


Please let us know what you think and what you would like to see here at Fun English Lessons - good luck with the Daily Life: Quiz exercise!

P.S. Feedback on problems with the exercise below, technical or linguistic, are also welcome!
    

Discover our...
FUN ENGLISH LESSONS
~ PACK 1 ~


And Have Fun Learning English!
Sab


DON'T FORGET TO COMMENT!
_________________________________________________________________________________
Hotch Potch English: Fun English Lessons
Created & written by Sab Will
Copyright 2012 Sab Will / Hotch Potch English ~ The Unique English Language Website
_________________________________________________________________________________

Wednesday 29 August 2012

Quotes & Quirks No.5


Introduction
Welcome to Fun English Lessons ~ Quotes & Quirks No.5. It comes out about twice a week and consists of:

  1. Word of the Day
  2. Today's Idiom
  3. Collocation Corner
  4. Phrasal Verb Freak-Out
  5. Inspirational Quote
  6. Voice Recording of the above

I hope you find it useful. From this week I'm adding a collocation - words which commonly go together - and a phrasal verb to your Quotes & Quirks. Welcome to the wonderfully weird world of English - and enjoy.

Please leave your comments or questions below - I always love to hear from you. And tell your friends: the more the merrier!

Click here to listen

Word of the Day
"lash"
To hit somebody or something with great force.
"Hurricane Isaac is lashing the coast with winds of up to 80 mph."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today's Idiom
"come hell or high water"
You will do something, even if it is very difficult.
"I'll pass this darned exam come hell or high water."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Collocation Corner
"pull apart"
To separate into pieces by force
"Houses are being pulled apart by the strong winds"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Phrasal Verb Freak Out
"hold off"
To prevent or stop something.
"The city hopes the new floodgates will hold off the water."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Inspirational Quote
"While one person hesitates
because he feels inferior,

the other is busy making mistakes
and becoming superior."
  ~ Henry C. Link
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Discover our...
FUN ENGLISH LESSONS
PACK 1 ~
  


And Have Fun Learning English!
Sab


DON'T FORGET TO COMMENT!
_________________________________________________________________________________
Hotch Potch English: Fun English Lessons
Created & written by Sab Will
Copyright 2012 Sab Will / Hotch Potch English ~ The Unique English Language Website
_________________________________________________________________________________

Tuesday 28 August 2012

Cambridge CPE (Proficiency) Exam: 'Will' or 'Would'?


Welcome to our Exam Series of lessons. This one looks at a common problem students have with the Cambridge CPE (Proficiency) exam, with plenty more to come.

This exercise comes from the Pro Members section of Fun English Lessons, which is now FREE to join by signing up in the box below.

You will receive:
  1. Fun activities by e-mail every week
  2. A special report: 'Top 100 English Words'
  3. Exclusive access to our Pro Members area
  4. Priority answers to your language questions
  5. 3 great Fun English Lessons
BECOME A PRO MEMBER...


Please let us know what you think and what you would like to see here at Fun English Lessons - good luck with the Cambridge exam exercise!

P.S. Feedback on problems with the exercise below, technical or linguistic, are also welcome!
    

Discover our...
FUN ENGLISH LESSONS
~ PACK 1 ~


And Have Fun Learning English!
Sab


DON'T FORGET TO COMMENT!
_________________________________________________________________________________
Hotch Potch English: Fun English Lessons
Created & written by Sab Will
Copyright 2012 Sab Will / Hotch Potch English ~ The Unique English Language Website
_________________________________________________________________________________

Classic Grammar Mistakes & Errors No.16


Welcome to our Classic Grammar Mistakes exercise, No.16, here on the Fun English Lessons blog, with plenty more to come.

This exercise comes from the Pro Members section of Fun English Lessons, which is now FREE to join by signing up in the box below.

You will receive:
  1. Fun activities by e-mail every week
  2. A special report: 'Top 100 English Words'
  3. Exclusive access to our Pro Members area
  4. Priority answers to your language questions
  5. 3 great Fun English Lessons
BECOME A PRO MEMBER...

Please let us know what you think and what you would like to see here at Fun English Lessons - good luck with grammar mistakes exercise!

P.S. Feedback on problems with the exercise below, technical or linguistic, are also welcome!
    

Discover our...
FUN ENGLISH LESSONS
PACK 1 ~


Have Fun Learning English!
Sab


DON'T FORGET TO COMMENT!
_________________________________________________________________________________
Hotch Potch English: Fun English Lessons
Created & written by Sab Will
Copyright 2012 Sab Will / Hotch Potch English ~ The Unique English Language Website
_________________________________________________________________________________

Saturday 25 August 2012

Quotes & Quirks No.4


Introduction
Welcome to the 3rd Fun English Lessons ~ Quotes & Quirks. It comes out twice a week and consists of:

  1. Word of the Day
  2. Today's Idiom
  3. Collocation Corner
  4. Phrasal Verb Freak-Out
  5. Inspirational Quote
  6. Voice Recording of the above

I hope you find it useful. From today I'm adding a collocation - words which commonly go together - and a phrasal verb to your Quotes & Quirks. Welcome to the wonderfully weird world of English - and enjoy.

Please leave your comments or questions below - I always love to hear from you. And tell your friends: the more the merrier!


Click here to listen

Word of the Day
"strip"
To take away honours or titles from someone as a punishment.
"Lance Armstrong has been stripped of his seven Tour de France titles..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today's Idiom
"an uphill struggle"
Something difficult which takes effort over a long time.
"The green candidate faces an uphill struggle in this election."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Collocation Corner
"suffer from malnutrition"
"Many people in Africa suffer from malnutrition.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Phrasal Verb Freak Out
"break off"
To cancel or stop something.
"Diplomatic relations between the US and North Korea were broken off after the missile was fired."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Inspirational Quote
"I have learned more
from my mistakes
than from
my successes."
  ~ Sir Humphry Davy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 


Have Fun Learning English!
Sab


DON'T FORGET TO COMMENT!
_________________________________________________________________________________
Hotch Potch English: Fun English Lessons
Created & written by Sab Will
Copyright 2012 Sab Will / Hotch Potch English ~ The Unique English Language Website
_________________________________________________________________________________

Dasco's Diary No.3


What Dasco Did Next
(Click here to listen to Dasco's Diary)

OK, OK, I was hungry. And Master Sab did leave me to turn and turn in the house for a few hours with nothing better to do than to investigate the contents of the bin and a couple of cupboards.

It's in my nature, he's supposed to know this. I've seen him looking at wolf dog sites on the internet so he should have known better...

And I can't say I was too impressed with the contents of the bin either. Some empty biscuit packets, old eggshells and a few peapods - minus the peas, of course - pathetic.

The cupboards were more interesting but I'm still working out how to get into them. I managed to get my teeth on a large packet of crisps but they're foul things. Roast chicken and tyme, they're supposed to be. Salt, artificial flavouring and more salt more like. I gave them a miss after dipping one fang in.


Other than that not much to report. No bone yet. Jeez.

And they still haven't understood where I want my new corner to be. That's me sleeping in it in the last photo next to the table. And that is where I shall stay; I can see everything that goes on from there - perfect.

The pictures you can see on the wall are by Master Sab. He fancies himself as an abstract artist. Well, it's definitely abstract, but whether it's art or not I really don't know. I'd prefer a picture of a bone, but I quite like the colours nevertheless.

And it's by Master Sab. I must admit I'm starting to quite like the place and him too. He gives me lots of cuddles but does spend a huge amount of time in his office tapping away at his computer. I'll have to check out his desk and see if it's comfortable under there.



See you next time...

Your four-legged friend,
Dasco (Woof!)
____________________



Become a Pro Member
~ Find out more ~

Special Note to English students and their teachers
To practise your  English try these fun exercises...

  1. listen first before you read and try to understand
  2. listen and repeat aloud until your accent is perfect
  3. do a dictation: listen, write down everything then check
  4. read aloud to a friend and they write
  5. look up words you don't know in your dictionary
  6. learn by heart and tell the story to your friends
  7. read the story to someone then ask them questions
  8. get someone to ask you questions about the story
  9. print out, cut into paragraphs, then listen and put in order
  10. identify alll the nouns, verbs, adjectives, prepositions, etc.
  11. remove all the nouns, verbs, etc. then listen and fill in the gaps
  12. listen, stop recording randomly, and try to remember what comes next
  13. write a diary by your pet if you have one - if not pretend you do!

Discover our...
FUN ENGLISH LESSONS
PACK 1 ~



And Have Fun Learning English!
Sab

DON'T FORGET TO COMMENT!
_________________________________________________________________________________
Hotch Potch English: Fun English Lessons
Created & written by Sab Will
Copyright 2012 Sab Will / Hotch Potch English ~ The Unique English Language Website
_________________________________________________________________________________

Thursday 23 August 2012

Classic Vocabulary Mistakes No.1


Welcome to our first Classic False Friends (vocabulary) Mistakes exercise, here on the Fun English Lessons blog, with plenty more to come.

Lots of people are enjoying these exercises so thanks for visiting - you are in good company!

The blog is still under development so please be patient but let us know what you think and what you would like to see here at Fun English Lessons - good luck with your vocabulary mistakes exercise!

P.S. Feedback on problems with the exercise below, technical or linguistic, are also welcome in the comments section below!
    


Have Fun Learning English!
Sab


DON'T FORGET TO COMMENT!
_________________________________________________________________________________
Hotch Potch English: Fun English Lessons
Created & written by Sab Will
Copyright 2012 Sab Will / Hotch Potch English ~ The Unique English Language Website
_________________________________________________________________________________

Tuesday 21 August 2012

Quotes & Quirks No.3


Introduction
Welcome to the 3rd Fun English Lessons ~ Quotes & Quirks. It comes out twice a week and consists of:

  1. the Word of the Day
  2. the Fun Idiom
  3. Collocation Corner (coming soon)
  4. Phrasal Verb Freak-out (coming soon)
  5. the Inspirational Quote
  6. a Voice Recording of the above

I hope you find it useful. As you can see we will be extending Quotes & Quirks soon to include a collocation and a phrasal verb - watch this space!

Please leave your comments or questions below - I always love to hear from you. And tell your friends: the more the merrier!


Click here to listen

Word of the Day
"speculation"
Forming opinions about what has happened or what might happen without knowing all the facts.
"Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi dies at the age of 57, after months of speculation about his health."

Today's Idiom
"all hands on deck"
Everyone must help, especially in an emergency.
"The hotel's fully booked next week, so it's all hands on deck!"

Inspirational Quote
"The great
end of life
is not knowledge
                                                  but action."
  ~ Thomas Henry Huxley
 


Have Fun Learning English!
Sab


DON'T FORGET TO COMMENT!
_________________________________________________________________________________
Hotch Potch English: Fun English Lessons
Created & written by Sab Will
Copyright 2012 Sab Will / Hotch Potch English ~ The Unique English Language Website
_________________________________________________________________________________

Dasco's Diary No.2


Settling In Nicely
(Click here to listen to Dasco's Diary)

So this is my new home. It's quite nice. A million times better than those dreadful kennels anyway.

My mat is still in the corner I don't like. I'll really have to change that.

I have two bowls on a little stand which stops me from getting a sore neck. Nice touch from Master Sab there. I've never had bowls on a stand before.

One bowl is for food and the other is for water. I like water but I don't always like the food they give me. Sometimes I don't think it's even fit for... a dog, if you'll pardon the expression. 'Croquettes', I ask you. What ever happened to good old meat, hot off the hoof, that's what I want to know.

And still no bone. Doesn't Master Sab understand I'm a dog and dogs like, nay, adore bones? Boy oh boy, you can tell I'm his first fluffy chum, can't you?

Sometimes he puts my bowls inside the house and sometimes outside. It's a bit of a pain but I suppose I'll just have to get used to his human foibles.

We go for a walk two or three times a day, but usually two. It's very hot at the moment so I don't mind staying inside too much where it's cool.

So I'm settling in OK. Thanks for reading and good luck with your English!



See you next time...

Your four-legged friend,
Dasco (Woof!)
____________________



Become a Pro Member
~ Find out more ~

Special Note to English students and their teachers
To practise your  English try these fun exercises...

  1. listen first before you read and try to understand
  2. listen and repeat aloud until your accent is perfect
  3. do a dictation: listen, write down everything then check
  4. read aloud to a friend and they write
  5. look up words you don't know in your dictionary
  6. learn by heart and tell the story to your friends
  7. read the story to someone then ask them questions
  8. get someone to ask you questions about the story
  9. print out, cut into paragraphs, then listen and put in order
  10. identify alll the nouns, verbs, adjectives, prepositions, etc.
  11. remove all the nouns, verbs, etc. then listen and fill in the gaps
  12. listen, stop recording randomly, and try to remember what comes next
  13. write a diary by your pet if you have one - if not pretend you do!



DON'T FORGET TO COMMENT!
_________________________________________________________________________________
Hotch Potch English: Fun English Lessons
Created & written by Sab Will
Copyright 2012 Sab Will / Hotch Potch English ~ The Unique English Language Website
_________________________________________________________________________________

Monday 20 August 2012

Flags of the World Quiz 1


Here is our new Flags of the World Quiz 1 here on Fun English Lessons.

It's an easy and enjoyable multiple choice exercise to test your knowlegde of the flags of the world and... your English, of course!

Let me know what you think and what you would like to see here at  Fun English Lessons - and good luck with the Flags of the World Quiz!

P.S. Feedback on problems with the exercise below, technical or linguistic, are also welcome - just comment below!
    


Have Fun Learning English!
Sab


DON'T FORGET TO COMMENT!
_________________________________________________________________________________
Hotch Potch English: Fun English Lessons
Created & written by Sab Will
Copyright 2012 Sab Will / Hotch Potch English ~ The Unique English Language Website
_________________________________________________________________________________

Sunday 19 August 2012

Dasco's Diary No.1


Escape From The Kennels
(Click here to listen to Dasco's Diary)

Hello. My name is Dasco and I am a Czechoslovakian Wolfdog.

And this is my diary.

My new master is called Sab and he thinks this diary is a Good Idea. I'm not so sure but we will see.

My life has not been easy. Master Sab is my 5th family and I really hope it will be my last.

Become a Pro Member~ Find out more ~
I don't want to change families and masters again. It makes me very unhappy.

So my home has changed again. As has my food. It takes me about three days to get used to new food and I usually have diarrhoea too. Not nice.

No bones yet. I like bones. Master Sab did give me a biscuit which I think was supposed to be vaguely bone-shaped. Pathetic. I sniffed at it but it wasn't worth more than that.

They have put a mat for me in a corner. I don't like it because I can't see much from there. I'll have to change that.

That will do for an introduction. Typing makes my paws hurt and takes ages. The keys are definitely not the right size for dogs.

I understand this diary is supposed to help you with your English. Good luck. I learned English ages ago, I just don't speak it too well. Never mind.

See you next time...

Your four-legged friend,
Dasco (Woof!)
____________________

Special Note to English students and their teachers
To practise your  English try these fun exercises...


  1. listen first before you read and try to understand
  2. listen and repeat aloud until your accent is perfect
  3. do a dictation: listen, write down everything then check
  4. read aloud to a friend and they write
  5. look up words you don't know in your dictionary
  6. learn by heart and tell the story to your friends
  7. read the story to someone then ask them questions
  8. get someone to ask you questions about the story
  9. print out, cut into paragraphs, then listen and put in order
  10. identify alll the nouns, verbs, adjectives, prepositions, etc.
  11. remove all the nouns, verbs, etc. then listen and fill in the gaps
  12. listen, stop recording randomly, and try to remember what comes next
  13. write a diary by your pet if you have one - if not pretend you do!



DON'T FORGET TO COMMENT!
_________________________________________________________________________________
Hotch Potch English: Fun English Lessons
Created & written by Sab Will
Copyright 2012 Sab Will / Hotch Potch English ~ The Unique English Language Website
_________________________________________________________________________________

Fun English Lessons - Quotes & Quips No.2


Introduction
Welcome to the 2nd Fun English Lessons ~ Quotes & Quips. It comes out two or three times a week and consists of:

  1. the Word of the Day
  2. the Fun Idiom
  3. the Inspirational Quote
  4. a Voice Recording of the above

I hope you find it useful. Please leave your comments or questions below - I always love to hear from you. And tell your friends: the more the merrier!


Click here to listen

Word of the Day
"hooliganism"
When someone behaves in a noisy, unpleasant or violent way in public.
"Russian punk band Pussy Riot are jailed for hooliganism after performing an anti-Putin song in a cathedral."

Today's Idiom
"go through the roof"
To become very angry. Used when someone learns something very annoying.
"When my dad heard I'd crashed his car he went through the roof!"

Inspirational Quote
"Some men
see things
as they are
and say why?

I dream things
that never were
and say
'Why not?' "
  ~ R.F. Kennedy
 


Have Fun Learning English!
Sab


DON'T FORGET TO COMMENT!
_________________________________________________________________________________
Hotch Potch English: Fun English Lessons
Created & written by Sab Will
Copyright 2012 Sab Will / Hotch Potch English ~ The Unique English Language Website
_________________________________________________________________________________

Daily Life Quiz 9: "Asking for help"


Here is our latest Daily Life quiz here on Fun English Lessons.

It's an easy multiple choice exercise to test your grammar in a useful situation - asking for help.

Let me know what you think and what you would like to see here at  Fun English Lessons - good luck with the Daily Life quiz!

P.S. Feedback on problems with the exercise below, technical or linguistic, are also welcome - just comment below!
    


Have Fun Learning English!
Sab


DON'T FORGET TO COMMENT!
_________________________________________________________________________________
Hotch Potch English: Fun English Lessons
Created & written by Sab Will
Copyright 2012 Sab Will / Hotch Potch English ~ The Unique English Language Website
_________________________________________________________________________________

Saturday 18 August 2012

Fun English Lessons ~ Newsletter No.1


Introduction
Welcome to the first Fun English Lessons Newsletter. It should come out two or three times a week and will consist of:

  1. a little Introduction from me
  2. the Word of the Day
  3. the Fun Idiom
  4. the Inspirational Quote
  5. a Voice Recording of the above

I hope you find it useful. Please leave your comments or questions below - I always love to hear from you. And tell your friends: the more the merrier!


Click here to listen

Word of the Day
"serendipity"
Interesting or useful things happening by chance.
"It was pure serendipity when I lost my wallet then found some money ten minutes later."

Fun Idiom
"raining cats and dogs"
Raining a lot. Not used much today except by English language students!!!
"We can't go out in this weather - it's raining cats and dogs."

Inspirational Quote
"Anyone who lives
within his means
suffers
from a lack
of
imagination."
  ~ Lionel Stander
 


Have Fun Learning English!
Sab


DON'T FORGET TO COMMENT!
_________________________________________________________________________________
Hotch Potch English: Fun English Lessons
Created & written by Sab Will
Copyright 2012 Sab Will / Hotch Potch English ~ The Unique English Language Website
_________________________________________________________________________________

Classic Grammar Mistakes No.15


Welcome to our first Classic Grammar Mistakes exercise, here on the Fun English Lessons blog, with plenty more to come.

This is the very first post and the blog is still under development so please be patient but let us know what you think and what you would like to see here at Fun English Lessons - good luck with grammar mistakes exercise!

P.S. Feedback on problems with the exercise below, technical or linguistic, are also welcome!
    


Have Fun Learning English!
Sab


DON'T FORGET TO COMMENT!
_________________________________________________________________________________
Hotch Potch English: Fun English Lessons
Created & written by Sab Will
Copyright 2012 Sab Will / Hotch Potch English ~ The Unique English Language Website
_________________________________________________________________________________

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