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Friday, May 29, 2009

on the verge of


This phrase is similar to the one we learned yesterday: about to. However, while about to is widely used, on the verge of is a little less common, a little more formal and sounds somewhat dramatic.

Also, while you can use about to for just about anything, using on the verge of is a little tricky. For example, it's very common to say "It's about to rain," but you'll hardly ever hear, "It's on the verge of raining." On the other hand, "I'm so stressed; I'm on the verge of going insane," is pretty much comparable to "I'm so stressed; I'm about to go insane." Similarly, you can say "They're on the verge of starting a business," just as you can say "They're about to start a business."

The word verge means edge or border, so the idea of the phrase is you are at a border or edge before you let something happen or before you do something.

Because on the verge of is somewhat formal and dramatic, it's best to use it with big events such as quitting a job or losing your temper or giving up on English because it's difficult--something you will never do, right? On the other hand, on the verge of is hardly used with everyday events like washing the dishes or taking out the garbage or doing the laundry. For these activities it's better to use about to.

The best suggestion for mastering the use of on the verge of is to practice and to experiment. Be bold but careful while you are still learning to use the phrase. Ask your teachers or friends who are native speakers if you can say this phrase or that phrase. For example, can you say "on the verge of planning our wedding?" The answer is yes. What about "on the verge of going to the zoo?" Not really. It's better to say "about to go to the zoo."

Also remember that this phrase has to be followed by a noun, so use the gerund (ing or noun form of a verb) if you're following it with a verb. You can, therefore, say "Her job is so stressful, she's on the verge of a nervous breakdown," or "she's on the verge of having a nervous breakdown."

like this:

A: I just spoke to Tom. They're on the verge of buying a house.
B: Oh yeah? That's great! We should probably help them move.
A: Yeah. He said they could use our help. They're about to start packing.
B: We can also get the kids to help. They can carry the small things.
A: That's not a bad idea. Tom and Janet have a lot of stuff.
B: I know. So have you heard from Sam and Christy? I wonder how they're doing in Vegas.
A: I spoke to Sam this morning. He said they were on the verge of losing all their money.
B: Oh, that's so typical.

about to - getting ready to
somewhat - kind of, sort of
just about - almost
mastering - becoming an expert
a nervous breakdown - when someone loses emotional or psychological control

Ok. Don't worry if it's a little complicated. I will use on the verge of in future blogs so you can see more examples of it. In the meantime, do your part. Try it out. Sometimes you'll be right, and sometimes you'll be wrong. But eventually, you'll get it with a lot of practice.

Have fun and enjoy the weekend!

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

about to

We've seen this expression before on a past blog. Since it's a widely used and idiomatic phrase, we're going to focus on it today. About to + verb means getting ready to do something or something is almost going to happen. For example, you can look up to a cloudy sky and say it's about to rain. When you're stressed out you can say "I'm about to go crazy." If a mother asks her child if he has done his homework, he can reply, "I'm about to do it."

You can use about to with just about any verb.

like this:

A: Hi honey! How are the kids?
B: They're driving me insane. I'm about to scream.
A: Alright. Take deep breaths. I'll be home soon. I'm about to leave.
B: That's great. Can you stop by the store for some milk?
A: Sure. You want the organic kind right?
B: Yeah, that'd be great. I might make some milk shakes later. Alright, I'll talk to you later. I'm about to start laundry.
A: Alright. See you later.
B: Later.

just about - almost
driving me - causing me; making me

That's it for today. Use about to as much as you can today. Tomorrow, we'll learn something similar but a little more formal.

Have fun!

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Cut it out!



Cutting something out can mean removing or deleting something. For example, if you are writing an essay and you don't like one paragraph in your essay, you can cut out that section or cut that section out. People who make movies often cut some parts out when they are putting the film together.

However, there's another meaning to cutting it out that I want you to learn. It is more idiomatic; it means to stop doing something right away. We often say this to friends or family when we are upset or annoyed and we want them to stop what they are doing immediately.

When someone's teasing you about your new haircut and you're tired of it, you can say, "Cut it out!" If you're
watching your friend's kids and they are fighting instead of eating their dinner, you can sternly say, "Guys, cut it out or there will be no dessert."

We can also use cut it out in a friendly manner if it's imperative that we stop what we are doing right away.

like this:

A: We're supposed to be studying, but we've been screwing around for the past hour.
B: I know. We'd better cut it out and buckle down. This exam is 60 percent of our final grade.
C: If I don't make at least an 80 percent on this exam, I'm screwed.
B: Alright. Should we start with our notes from Chapter 10?
C: That sounds like a good idea as soon as Alice tells us why she was kissing the professor.
A: I told you that wasn't me! Why don't you tell us why you were stalking the professor.
B: Ok guys. Cut it out. Let's get serious. We have one hour left to study.

sternly - strictly and seriously
imperative - important and necessary
screwing around - playing around, not being serious
buckle down - get serious and determined to do the work
screwed - in big trouble
as soon as - right after, soon after
stalking - following without being seen

Alright. Time to practice. Talk to you tomorrow.

Have fun!