CLASSROOM PHRASES

IDIOMS- b1/b2

Against all odds = despite the difficulties

Be at a loss for words = be so surprised that one does not know what to say

Be broke = have no money at all

Be fed up with = be weary

Be flat out = be exhausted

Be full of beans = be lively

Be hard of hearing = be rather deaf

Be hard on sb = treat sb in a strict or unfair way

Be in a good/bad mood = feel happy/sad

Be in sb’s shoes =be in sb’s position

Be on good terms with = be friendly with

Be out of practice = lack practice

Be out of work = be unemployed

Be short of sth = not have enough

Be sound asleep = be sleeping deeply

Be thick = be stupid

Behind bars = in prison

Break a record =make a record (Olympic, world etc)

Break sb’s heart = make sb very sad

Burst into laughter /tears= start laughing /crying

By and large =mainly

Change one’s mind = decide to do sth different

Catch hold of =grasp

Cut a long story short = tell sb sth briefly

Do one’s best  = try as hard as possible

Do sb a favour  = do sth to help sb

Do sth behind sb’s back = act without sb else’s knowledge

Do sth for a living  =  have a job and earn money

Drop sb a line = send sb an informal letter

Eat like a horse = eat a lot of food

Fall in love with  = begin to feel romantic love for sb

Feel/be/look worn out = feel/be/look exhausted

Fight like cat and dog = disagree violently

Fit like a glove = (of clothes) fit very well

Get along with = be on friendly terms

Get in touch with = communicate with sb one hasn’t seen recently

Get into a mess = get into a difficult situation

Get on sb’s nerves = irritate sb

Get rid of  = remove or dispose of

Give sb a hand = help sb

Give sb a ring = telephone sb

Give sb a lift / a ride = take in car 

Give sb one’s word =make a promise

Go sightseeing = visit the sights

Have a good / bad time = enjoy/ not enjoy oneself

Have second thoughts =reconsider

Have a memory like an elephant = never forget

Have an early/ late night = go to bed early/ late

Have sth on the tip of one’s tongue = be on the point of remembering and saying sth

Have the time of one’s life = experience a period of exceptional happiness

Hit the roof = get very angry

In a flash = very quickly

In black and white = in writing

In cold blood = without any feeling of remorse

Keep an eye on sth =guard

Keep in touch with sb = maintain contact by writing,visiting  etc

Keep one’s fingers crossed = wish for good luck

Keep one’s head = remain calm

Learn sth by heart = memorize

Lose heart = become discouraged

Lose one’s head = panic; lose self-control

Lose one’s temper = become angry

Make a fortune = make a lot of money

Make a fuss = complain loudly

Make a living = earn money

Make allowances for sb = consider sb’s weaknesses

Make one’s blood boil =make sb angry

Make oneself at home = act and feel as if one were in one’s own house

Make room for sth/sb = allow enough free space

Make sure = check

Make up one’s mind = decide

Make fun of = mock, ridicule

Out of the blue = suddenly and unexpectedly

Out of date = old fashioned

Out of breath = breathless, gasping

out of sight = outside visible range / amazing 

pick sb up =collect in vehicle

Pour with rain = rain heavily

Pull sb’ s leg = make fun of sb by pretending sth is true

Put an end / a stop to sth = end sth completely

Put sth by for a rainy day = save for future times of need

Put the blame on sb = say sb is responsible for sth bad

Ring a bell = sound familiar

Sleep like a log = sleep very deeply

Spend money like water = spend money quickly or in large amounts

Swim like a fish = swim very well

Take advantage of = exploit

Take a look = look at sth quickly

Take it easy = don’t be worried or excited

Take part in = participate

Take place = occur, happen

Take sth into account = regard, consider

Tell the world = tell everybody

Throw a party = have a party

Work a miracle = make sth that seems impossible happen 

useful vocabulary

ΟΜΑΔΙΚΑ ΟΥΣΙΑΣΤΙΚΑ- GROUP NAMES

   Πολλές φορές θέλουμε να μιλήσουμε για μία ομάδα προσώπων ή πραγμάτων.  Στην περίπτωση αυτή  χρησιμοποιούμε τα παρακάτω συγκεντρωτικά ουσιαστικά.

1. Crowd of people=πλήθος ανθρώπων

2. Swarm of bees=σμήνος από μέλισσες

3. Clump of trees=συστοιχία δέντρων

 4. Fleet of ship=στόλος πλοίων

 5. Troop of soldiers=ομάδα στρατιωτών

6. Bundle of newspapers=σωρός εφημερίδων

7. Gang of thieves=ομάδα ληστών

8. Pack of Wolves=αγέλη λύκων

9. Mob (of troublemakers)=ανεξέλεγκτο πλήθος κακοποιών στοιχείων

10.Pack of cards=τράπουλα

 11.Audience of people=ακροατήριο

12.Congregation of people=εκκλησιαστική συγκέντρωση

13.Band of musicians=ομάδα μουσικών

14.Stack of books=σωρός βιβλίων

 15.Flock of sheep=κοπάδι προβάτων (το flock για μικρά ζώα)

 16.Tea set= σερβίτσιο τσαγιού

17.Shoal (school) of fish=κοπάδι  ψαριών

18.Bunch of flowers=μπουκέτο λουλουδιών

19.Herd of cows= κοπάδι  αγελάδων ( το Herd για μεγάλα ζώα)

                           ΠΡΟΣΟΧΗ!!  Λέμε :

 A piece of information=Μία πληροφορία         A piece of advice=Μία συμβουλή         An item of news=Ένα νέο    

   Α crossroads =Ένα σταυροδρόμι           A means of transportation=Ένα μέσο συγκοινωνία     

   A species of birds=Ένα είδος πουλιών

stative verbs

Stative Verbs List

Some verbs are only (or mostly) used in simple tenses, and are not used in continuous
tenses. An example of a simple tense is the present simple, or the past simple. An
example of a continuous tense is the present continuous or past continuous. These
verbs are called stative, or state verbs. A verb which isn’t stative is called a dynamic
verb, and is usually an action. Often stative verbs are about liking or disliking
something, or about a mental state, not about an action.

verb                  correct                                                    wrong
agree    She didn’t agree with us.   She wasn’t agreeing with us.
appear  It appears to be raining.    It is appearing to be raining.
believe  I don’t believe the news.   I am not believing the news.
belong  This book belonged to my  grandfather.  This book was belonging to my
grandfather.
concern  This concerns you.                  This is concerning you. 
consist  Bread consists of flour, water    and yeast. Bread is consisting of flour, water 
and yeast.
contain This box contains a cake. This box is containing a cake.
depend It depends on the weather. It’s depending on the weather.
deserve He deserves to pass the exam. He is deserving to pass the exam. 
disagree  I disagree with you. I am disagreeing with you. 
dislike  I have disliked mushrooms for  years.  I have been disliking mushrooms  for years. 
doubt  I doubt what you are saying. I am doubting what you are saying. 
feel (=have  opinion)  I don’t feel that this is a good  idea.   I am not feeling that this is a good
idea. 
fit This shirt fits me well. This shirt is fitting me well.
hate Julie’s always hated dogs. Julie’s always been hating dogs. 
hear Do you hear music? Are you hearing music?
imagine I imagine you must be tired.  I am imagining you must be tired. 
impress  He impressed me with his story. He was impressing me with his  story. 
include  This cookbook includes a recipe  for bread.
This cookbook is including a recipe for bread.
  involve  The job involves a lot of  travelling. The job is involving a lot of travelling. 
know I’ve known Julie for ten years. I’ve been knowing Julie for ten years.
like I like reading detective stories. I am liking reading detective stories.
love I love chocolate. I’m loving chocolate.*
matter It doesn’t matter. It isn’t mattering.
mean ‘Enormous’ means ‘very big’. ‘Enormous’ is meaning ‘very big’. measure (=be long)
 This window measures 150cm.  This window is measuring 150cm.
mind She doesn’t mind the noise. She isn’t minding the noise.
need At three o’clock yesterday I needed a taxi.  At three o’clock yesterday I was needing a taxi.
owe  I owe you £20. I am owing you £20. 
own She owns two cars. She is owning two cars.
prefer I prefer chocolate ice cream. I am preferring chocolate ice cream.
promise  I promise to help you tomorrow. I am promising to help you tomorrow. 
realise I didn’t realise the problem. I wasn’t realising the problem.
recognise I didn’t recognise my old friend. I wasn’t recognising my old friend.
remember He didn’t remember my name. He wasn’t remembering my name
 seem The weather seems to be improving. The weather is seeming to be improving.
sound Your idea sounds great. Your idea is sounding great. 
suppose I suppose John will be late. I’m supposing John will be late.
surprise The noise surprised me. The noise was surprising me. 
understand I don’t understand this question. I’m not understanding this question.
want I want to go to the cinema tonight. I am wanting to go to the cinema tonight.
weigh (=have weight) This cake weighs 450g.   This cake is weighing 450g. 
wish  I wish I had studied more. I am wishing I had studied more.

Some verbs can be both stative and dynamic:
be be is usually a stative verb, but when it is used in the continuous it means ‘behaving’ or ‘acting’
you are stupid = it’s part of your personality
you are being stupid = only now, not usually
have have (stative) = own
I have a car
have (dynamic) = part of an expression
I’m having a party / a picnic / a bath / a good time / a break
see see (stative) = see with your eyes / understand
I see what you mean
I see her now, she’s just coming along the road
see (dynamic) = meet / have a relationship with
I’ve been seeing my boyfriend for three years
I’m seeing Robert tomorrow
taste (also: smell, feel, look)
taste (stative) = has a certain taste
This soup tastes great
taste (dynamic) = the action of tasting
The chef is tasting the soup
think think (stative) = have an opinion
I think that coffee is great
think (dynamic) = consider, have in my head
what are you thinking about? I’m thinking about my next holiday 

FCE word distinction

FCE   word distinction

1.      If a watch /clock says 11.50 at 12 o’clock , then it is 10’ slow ; if it says 12.05, it is 5’ fast .

If it gets faster every day ,it gains (; if it gets slower every day , it loses (time) .When one puts it to the right time , one sets it .-> I set my watch by the radio

2.      To set an example -> Drink your milk and set a good example to your sister.

To give an example -> large animals ,for example , elephants

3.      Hardly /scarcely/ barely……… When,   No sooner ….than ,  Not only …but

 +  inversion

Hardly/ scarcely/ barely  ever/ any/ at all

4.      Meat : Cow->beef , pig - pork -ham, calf -veal , lamb -lamb

5.      (BRE )to hire things for short time -> let’s hire a car for the weekend,

To  rent things for a longer period -> you rent a house /flat and the owner lets it out.

To Hire/appoint people ->we are going to appoint a new history teacher.

 But in AME rent for  all the above and the owner rents them out .  Buses /ships/ aircraft are chartered.

6.      To cheat  at cards /in an exam/ on sb /sb out of sth

To deceive     an audience /the enemy

7.      Delicate  flavor /stage/ child

Slim  chance / hope/ figure/ child

8.      Rare   = uncommon and perhaps valuable things->rare species of birds

Scarce = uncommon useful things that we are short of ,perhaps only temporarily -> parking spaces are scarce on Sundays.

9.      Shape  one’s character / an object

Form   a plan/ an impression/ a habit / an idea/ the basis

10.   Clear  sky/ water / instructions/ voice

Clean water / wound / room

11.   Precious  jewelry(= loved) / metals/ stone / stone/ time

Valuable  advice / jewelry (=expensive) / time

12.   Replace  = take the place of -> I’ve replaced the old sofa with a new one

Substitute  =  put in the place -> they substituted Garry for John in the team.

13.   Imaginative = good at producing new ideas -> an imaginative child

Imaginable = that can be thought/ imagined->  Computers now allow us to do things that were hardly imaginable only a few years ago.

Imaginary  = unreal -> the story is set in an imaginary world.

14.   A flock of birds, a pack of wolves/dogs , a swarm of bees / flies/ insects / tourists, a school of whales, a fleet/a shoal  of fish , a herd of cows / cattle

15.   False smile/ promise/ teeth/ friend/ address

Artificial flowers/ limbs

Fake smile / address/ painting

16.   Earn  a living/ money/ a wage/ approval/ a reputation

Gain  weight / attention/ approval/ a reputation/ respect/ knowledge/ experience/ time/ admission to the university

Win  money/ a bet / a race / approval/ at cards/ the war/ a prize/ a cup/ $100/ a shield

Beat an opponent / an enemy/  a rival

17.   Refuse  an invitation/ an offer/ help/ sb permission

Deny  a charge / oneself sth / sb permission

---

correlative conjuctions

Adjectives easily confused

 Adjectives easily confused

Fat vs.  thin:          people/animal s->   a fat/thin man , a fat / thin girl, a fat / thin cat

Fat for a few names of things -> a fat book/dictionary

Thick vs. thin: usually apply to things -> A thick book, thin material

Thick = stupid (for people ) -> Some people are really thick.

Tall vs.  short: for people’s height -> A tall / short boy

Tall vs. small: buildings, mountains, trees etc. -> A tall / small block of flats, pine etc

High vs. low: buildings, things, sound -> A high /low building, a high / low stool, a high / low voice, a high / low note,  a high mountain ,a  low hill

Long vs. Short : length, time ,distance -> a long /short skirt / time/ walk

Loud vs. soft -> a loud /soft knock on the door

Hard vs. soft -> a hard /soft apple, a hard / soft mattress

Old vs. young: people -> an old man/a young teacher

Old vs. new: things -> an old/ new handbag, an old/ new house

New= a newcomer -> a new boss, a new secret

Large vs. big vs. great : people /things

Large/big:  for size -> a large / big man, a large / big box

Great:  for importance -> a great professor, a great idea / a great monument

Small vs. little : small opposite of big  -> a small / little boy, a small/ little  house

Little: quantifier a little sugar, or to express love, pity, etc -> your sweet little baby

Better vs. worse -> ‘How’s Liz? She’s much better / nearly well.’

‘How’s Bob?’ ‘He’s still ill- much worse.’

Elder / eldest vs. younger/ youngest: used for people in a family -> my elder brother / my youngest son.

Old-older- oldest : for people / things -> my older brother/son, my oldest child, the oldest tree in the garden etc.

HAPPY EASTER!

prepositions

PREPOSITIONS

Adjective + of

An adjective paired with the preposition of can identify causes of mental and physical states (e.g., fear, exhaustion, anxiety, etc.) or offer descriptions for actions and people.

afraid of, frightened of, scared of, terrified of

“Sam is afraid of dogs.” “Many kids are frightened of clowns.” “Are you scared of airplanes?”

“The poor baby was terrified of her crib.”

kind of, nice of, sweet of, thoughtful of

“How kind of you to come early.” “That was nice of your sister to treat us to dessert.”

“It’s very sweet of John to send a gift.” “It is thoughtful of passengers to thank their drivers.”

odd of, strange of

“How odd of that man to wear sunglasses inside.” “It’s strange of you to change your mind like that.”

proud of “Mom told me she is proud of my accomplishments.”

rude of “I thought it rude of her to interrupt me.”

smart of “That’s very smart of you.”

sick of, tired of

“I am so sick of doing laundry every week.” “Olivia confessed that she is tired of dating Mike.”

silly of , stupid of        “It was silly of me to assume I was right.”  “How stupid of that boy to drop out of high school.”

Adjective + to

When paired with an adjective, the preposition to can describe behaviors, states, or connections between things and people.

accustomed to “He quickly became accustomed to city life.”

addicted to “I think I'm addicted to action movies.”

committed to, dedicated to, devoted to

“She is committed to the art of dance.” “How dedicated to your studies are you?”

“Lucy is devoted to her family.”

friendly to, good to, kind to, nice to

“Henry is friendly to everyone.” “Was she good to you?” “You should always be kind to others.”

“Mrs. Roberts was nice to the cashier.”

Married/engaged  to “Cassie is married to Nick.”

mean to, rude to, unfriendly to

“Don’t be mean to your classmates.” “The couple was rude to the waitress.”

“A lot of cats are unfriendly to humans.”

opposed to “I am opposed to these changes.”

similar to “His idea is similar to mine.”

Adjective + about

The preposition about typically accompanies emotive adjectives in regards to specific situations or events.

angry about, furious about, mad about

“My neighbor is angry about the loud music we played last night.”

“That woman is furious about having to wait in line.”

“You’re always mad about something.”

anxious about, nervous about, stressed about, worried about

“Joe is anxious about studying abroad next semester.”

“She seemed nervous about the test.”

“Rachel is stressed about finding a job.”

excited about “I am excited about a new book that’s coming out soon.”

happy about “Aren’t you happy about the way things turned out?”

sad about, depressed about

“She might be sad about her grades.” “Bobby was depressed about his parents’ divorce.”

sorry about “I’m sorry about yesterday.”

upset about “He’s probably upset about losing the soccer match.”

Adjective + for

For can be used with adjectives to demonstrate purpose or reason.

“Texas is famous for rodeos.”

“Australia is known for its large kangaroo population.”

“Coach Brown is responsible for the football team.”

For may also be used to emphasize someone’s feelings toward a specific event, thing, or person. This combination follows the basic form feel/be + adjective + for + someone/something. For example:

“Marianne feels bad for her coworker.” “Kyle is happy for his brother.”

“The company felt hopeful for the future.”

Adjective + withprepositions

When used with an adjective, the preposition with can indicate the cause of an emotional state or a connection between things or people.

angry with, furious with

“Nicole is angry with her mother.” “I heard he’s furious with you!”

annoyed with, fed up with, bored with

“I’m annoyed with this traffic.” “She’s fed up with having to clean toilets all day.”

 “It’s hard not to be bored with long lectures.”

content with, fine with, OK with ,pleased with

“Taylor was content with moving to Chicago.” “I’m fine with having to rewrite the introduction.”

“Are you sure you’re OK with this?” “We are very pleased with the number of donations we received.”

disappointed with, displeased with

“Molly seems disappointed with her performance.” “The boy’s parents are displeased with his behavior.”

 With may also be employed in passive sentences to describe the states of people or things:

“Paris is especially crowded with tourists in the summertime.”

“The cake is filled with fresh blueberries.”

“The piñata is stuffed with hundreds of pieces of candy.”

Adjective + at/by

Most adjectives that take the preposition at can also take the preposition by. When combined with adjectives, these prepositions illustrate causes for specific reactions or emotional responses. By can be used in place of at only because these sentences require passive voice.

“The man was amazed at/by the number of people offering to help him.”

“She was astonished at/by the movie’s poor ratings.”

“I’m shocked at/by his behavior.”

“Flight attendants were surprised at/by the plane’s abrupt landing.”

At can also describe skills and abilities when paired with positive and negative adjectives, such as good/bad and wonderful/terrible. In this case, by cannot be used in place of at, as the sentences are not passive. For example:

✔ “James is good at playing the guitar.” (correct)

✖ “James is good by playing the guitar.” (incorrect)

✔ “I’m terrible at golf.” (correct)

✖ “I’m terrible by golf.” (incorrect)

Adjective + in

Some adjectives can be paired with the preposition in to show connections or relationships between people and things. “Bernard is interested in joining the school band.”

“Is she involved in politics?”

Adjective + from

Adjectives taking the preposition from can emphasize a point of opposition or the result of an action. For example:

“Turquoise is different from blue.” (point of opposition)

“We were protected from the storm.” (point of opposition)

“I became tired from studying all night.” (result of an action)

Adjectives with multiple prepositions

Many adjectives can be paired with multiple prepositions. While some prepositions may change the meaning of a sentence, others can behave interchangeably

(such as at and by). Here are some sentence pairs that use different prepositions but have identical meanings:

“She’s very sorry about the mistake.”

“She’s very sorry for the mistake.”

“Mark is disappointed with the decision.”

“Mark is disappointed in the decision.”

In some cases, however, the prepositions are not interchangeable and can only be used to describe specific nouns or gerunds. For example, when paired with  adjectives, with and for generally refer to people, whereas about usually refers to things, events, or gerunds:

“I’m so happy for them.” (people)

“I’m so happy about the wedding.” (thing/event)

“Dad is angry with Elizabeth.” (person)

“Dad is angry about Elizabeth’s sneaking out.” (gerund)