Let's DITCH it!

You probably know that the word "ditch" as a noun means a place usually by the side of the road where excess water can flow. [His car ran off the road and ended up in the ditch.] However, do you know what it means when people tell you to ditch a place or ditch your phone?

To read more about the verb to ditch and see some examples on how to use it correctly, check out my vocabulary lesson at the small guide site. See you there!

Making the rent

Hi folks!

How well do you understand phrases such as MAKE RENT, MAKE IT TO THE FINALS, or MAKE THE TOP 10 LIST? This usage of the verb MAKE is quite common among native speakers. However, English learners may still struggle with comprehending or using it correctly.

If this is you, then check out my lesson at the small guide site. Learn the different ways we use MAKE to mean reach a destination or a goal, and begin to use it in your own speaking and writing.

I hope you MAKE IT TO the small guide site, so you can learn, practice, and continue to improve your English. Let me know if you have any questions.

Take care,
Joe, the small guide

Using the phrasal verb WORN OUT

You probably know that English speakers use phrasal verbs all the time, and so it's no surprise that we see and hear them everywhere, including in advertisements. Here's a subway ad with the phrasal verb WEAR OUT/WORN OUT. On this ad, the phrasal verb is used in the passive voice--Made to be WORN OUT (by us/by everyone).

In addition to its use as a verb, WORN OUT is also used as an adjective to describe clothes that we've been using and that are showing some wear & tear. We also use this phrasal verb to talk about exhaustion. When you are very tired, you can say, I'm so WORN OUT. I need to take a break.

• WEAR and TEAR - showing signs of multiple use

Check out this lesson at #thesmallguidesite to learn more about how to use WORN OUT. Also, look at some examples, and practice!

See you there!
Joe, the small guide

Do you have a SIDE GIG?

I saw this subway ad just this past week and decided to take a quick photo of it. (I do this now and then, and it's usually awkward when someone's sitting in front of the ad.) My wife and I keep a storage unit just one local subway stop away from our place in Brooklyn. I was just there today to get our air conditioner as the hot summer months are again upon us. I'm sure people along my route on 4th Avenue notice me carefully rolling the A/C one way when the temperatures begin to rise in the summer and the other way in the fall when temperatures start to drop. We also visit our storage unit before and after traveling to pick up and drop off luggage and bags and stuff.

• NOW AND THEN - sometimes, once in a while
• DROP - decrease

Forming negatives in English

How would you correct the sentences above that are wrong? Scroll down for the answers!

Forming negatives in English is not difficult. We just need to remember a couple of main rules.

1. We almost always use an auxiliary verb, also known as a helping verb. 
2. We form the negative by adding "NOT" to the auxiliary verb. 

There are a few other things to consider, but they are all related to the two main rules above. First, we need to realize that some affirmative sentences already have auxiliary verbs. These sentences are usually sentences with the verb "BE" or with MODALS.

1. He IS writing a letter.
2. We ARE going to the party.
3. He CAN speak Spanish.
4. They MIGHT fly to Madrid.

To form negative sentences with these verbs, simply add "NOT" after the auxiliary verb.

1. He IS NOT writing a letter.
2. We ARE NOT going to the party.
3. He CANNOT speak Spanish.
4. They MIGHT NOT fly to Madrid.

I'm back! :-)

After a year at another blogging platform, I decided to move back here to my old address. The other platform had more bells & whistles, but it also had a lot of issues. Even programmers, themselves, had to do quite a bit of troubleshooting. I thought it was such a waste of time, especially since I have no background in programming. After dealing with a few technical issues in one year, I finally got tired of being frustrated and decided to move back here so I can spend more time creating and posting useful content.

• BELLS & WHISTLES - cool features
• ISSUES - problems
• TROUBLESHOOTING - figuring out solutions

How do you TAKE A LOAD OFF?

I look forward to weekends because I get to TAKE A LOAD OFF and simply take it easy. I make it a point to take my time and move at a much slower pace. During the week, I TAKE A LOAD OFF by sitting down to a cup of tea between jobs or treating myself to a nice bowl of ramen (Japanese noodle soup), which is perfect on cold, wintry days. 

• GET TO - able to
• TAKE A LOAD OFF - take a break; relax
• TAKE IT EASY - relax; calm down
• MAKING IT A POINT - making sure
• TAKE MY TIME - not hurry; not be in a rush
• PACE - speed
• TREAT YOURSELF - give yourself something you like or enjoy

I've moved!

It seems like I've forgotten to make the announcement here at my old blog address that I've moved! I moved the small English blog to another platform, and it's now called English Lessons from thesmallguidesite. The main reason I moved was to make my blog link better with my main English-teaching webiste, the small guide site. 

I've exported all my posts here to the new address. However, if you continue to visit this address, they will still be here, but I am only posting new lessons now at the new address, so please check it out.

Thanks for making the small English blog a part of your English learning. Stop by my new English Lessons blog for more! 

Take care, and I hope to see you there!    

Joe

It's Christmas!

From my family to yours, wishing you all the best of this holiday!

Joe Yu

Being grateful and planning for the new year

It's that time of year again. In the U.S., we roast turkeys, make a few other dishes, then sit down to a nice dinner with friends and family until we're completely stuffed! Thanksgiving is so special, and despite the work that needs to be done and the stress that sometimes comes with it, we love it and look forward to it every year. 

• STUFFED - very full

We get to take a couple of days off from work (usually); we get to rest and spend time with the people who are dear to us, and be thankful for all that we have, whether we have a little or a lot. The older I get the more I realize that being thankful is a gift we give ourselves. Acknowledging what we have and being grateful for them is like receiving the gifts once again and realizing their importance in our lives. 

• DEAR - close; important

This time of year is also special because it marks the beginning of the holiday season, and as we approach the end of the year, we start thinking about our new year's resolutions. Being thankful is what Thanksgiving is all about, but we should also begin planning for the coming year, begin thinking of the goals that we want to accomplish and how we are going to accomplish them.

Americans are HEADING TO THE POLLS!

Americans are HEADING TO THE POLLS today to CAST their votes for certain local and state officials. A number of governors & members of Congress are on the ballot. Some people think it's "only" a midterm election and is therefore not as significant as a Presidential election. However, it is very important as the OUTCOME will determine whether we will have a Congress that will likely work WITH or AGAINST the President in his last two years in office.

Having A BLAST being a zombie

Catwoman and I work in the same office. She helps students with their status as international students.

It's Halloween! We had a party at work yesterday, and it was a total BLAST. This year I decided to GO OUT ON A LIMB and be a zombie, which was very brave of me as I wasn't sure I would be able to PULL IT OFF. I'm not creative at all when it comes to Halloween costumes. Luckily, a coworker helped me with the makeup, and it worked! My version was pretty LAME, as you'll see below, but he made it look much more SPOOKY and cool! I must say I had a BLAST being a zombie and acting like one!

• A BLAST - a lot of fun, #slang
• GO OUT ON A LIMB - take a chance; do something unfamiliar, #idiom
• PULL IT OFF - succeed in something difficult, #phrasal verb
• SPOOKY - scary
• LAME - weak; not effective

I hope you've had a fun, safe Halloween, everyone!

Warming up to a table-top ironing board

The cover that came with this new table-top ironing board stunk, :-| so we decided to wash it first. This is an old cover.

My wife and I live in a tiny apartment, and every time I BREAK OUT the ironing board to PRESS my shirts, it takes up most of the kitchen area, and she's had to squeeze through a small space just to get to the sink. So, she had been URGING me to SWITCH to a table-top ironing board. At first, I was RELUCTANT to GO ALONG with it; I thought I needed the space of a full-size board and a table-top one would just slow me down. 

Eventually though, I WARMED UP to the idea of using a smaller ironing board, and WHAT DO YOU KNOW! I actually like it! It needs less space for storage; it doesn't really slow down my ironing, and I don't have to block the entire kitchen! HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT! :-)

Morning after the storm

It feels like the morning after a storm. Indeed, a storm went through our area yesterday, but it turned out to be a weak one. It definitely wasn't the SOAKER that was predicted.

• SOAKER - heavy rain; a rainy, wet day

Happy first day of fall!

A pumpkin patch at the supermarket where I shop, displaying some fall colors before the leaves start to turn in our area. 

Pumpkin PATCHES are POPPING UP around town once again, especially in grocery stores and farmer's markets. It's one sign that fall is here! Well, it officially arrives tomorrow. The temperatures in NYC have been gradually going down unlike in past years when summer weather sometimes LINGERS even in October. This time the TRANSITION into autumn is smoother, which is nice. I like it. :-)

• PATCH - a small piece of land used to grow fruit or vegetables; the produce from this land
• POPPING UP - appearing
• LINGER - stay longer
• TRANSITION - change into something different

A nice time watching the U.S. Open final competition

Watching the final game of the US Open in Brooklyn, with Lower Manhattan in the background.

We THOROUGHLY enjoyed the #AmexTennis #USOpen event at Brooklyn Bridge Park early this week. It was a nice VENUE with the Manhattan SKYLINE providing a dramatic BACKDROP. I even SCORED a nice, free picnic blanket which I'm sure we'll use again. I wish I had also gotten the free picnic basket with the sandwiches that came in it; they looked really yummy, and my mouth WATERED just watching people around us eating. :-| Unfortunately, the line was too long, and we would've missed a big part of the game. Now I KNOW THE DRILL; next time, I'll be first in line. :-)

• VENUE - place for an event
• SKYLINE - outline of the buildings of a city; view of a city
• BACKDROP - view in the background
• SCORED - unexpectedly, luckily get something #slang
• MOUTH WATERED - salivated; wanted to eat
• KNOW THE DRILL - know what to do #idiom

A nice, albeit short, honeymoon

New Milford, a quaint Connecticut town we came across and enjoyed visiting on our short honeymoon getaway.

Well, after being together for 7 years, the fiancee and I finally TIED THE KNOT in a small ceremony at the NYC City Clerk's Office. Then the day after we GOT HITCHED, we headed up to Connecticut for a long weekend GETAWAY, where we relaxed a bit and did some exploring.

We had a wonderful time, and we came across a few things that made the trip special. We saw a couple of QUAINT towns with old train stations and abandoned railroad tracks. We CHECKED OUT a couple of small, family-owned wineries, and drove up and down long and winding, scenic country roads. A deer on the roadside GAVE ME QUITE A STIR and got my heart pumping a little. Thankfully, it went the other direction and into the forest. The wife was THRILLED to see some chickens pecking around in an open field around a CHICKEN COOP.

Are you a CLEAN FREAK?

I admit I'm a bit of a CLEAN FREAK. I'm often PARANOID about picking up COOTIES from JUST ABOUT everywhere--on the train, in restrooms, from public computers, et al.--so I wash my hands often, probably more so than most people. I probably should LIGHTEN UP a bit; I guess I just think it's BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY.

What do you think? Would you call yourself a CLEAN FREAK? Do you know anyone who is? 

#ESL vocabulary

• CLEAN FREAK (overly clean)
• FREAK (a weirdo; a strange person #slang)
• PARANOID (overly worried)
• COOTIES (germs; body louse; disease #slang)
• JUST ABOUT (nearly; almost #informal)
• LIGHTEN UP (take it easy; don't be so serious #phrasal verb)
• BETTER (TO BE) SAFE THAN SORRY (better to be safe than regret it later #idiom)

A bit of trivia for your Fourth of July

Happy Fourth of July to all of you celebrating, wherever you are. Here are a few trivia questions that will give you A LEG UP on your knowledge of the history surrounding this holiday. See how many of them you already know without scrolling down for the answers or looking them up.

     A LEG UP (an advantage; a boost)

1. How many stars and stripes does the U.S. flag have? Hint: The photo above does not show the answer. :-) 
2. What do the stars and stripes on the U.S. flag represent?  
3. In which year did the American colonies officially declare independence from Britain?
4. Who became the first U.S. President?
5. At which New York City landmark did this first President take the oath of office?
6. What is the title of the U.S. National Anthem?
7. What are two nicknames for the U.S. flag?

Happy 1st day of summer!

 A sweet, succulent peach for this year's summer solstice. Could it be a sign?

It's a beautiful summer day in New York City. After a few warm and sometimes hot days this past week, the temperatures have dipped slightly, and with almost no clouds in the sky, it's the perfect first day of summer. 

• DIPPED - decrease slightly

The first day of summer, of course, also marks the summer solstice and the day of the year with the most amount of daylight. I'm always fascinated by what happens in the heavens whenever the solstices and the equinoxes come around and love the fact that the amount of daylight increases and decreases throughout the year. I guess I like being reminded of the bigger picture and that larger phenomena are at work beyond what we see here on earth. 

• THE HEAVENS - outer space; stars and planets
• SOLSTICE - beginning of summer and winter; days with the least or the most amount of daylight in the year
• EQUINOX - beginning of spring and fall; days with about equal amounts of daylight and night time
• COME AROUND - arrive
• PHENOMENON - event; fact (phenomena, pl.)