It's important to know the right math vocabulary when speaking about mathematics in class. This page provides math vocabulary for basic calculations.

Basic Math Vocabulary

+ - plus

Example:

2 + 2
Two plus two

- - minus

Example:

6 - 4
Six minus four

x OR * - times

Example:

5 x 3 OR 5 * 3
Five times three

= - equals

Example:

2 + 2 = 4
Two plus two equals four.

< - is less than

Example:

7 < 10
Seven is less than ten.

> - is greater than

Example:

12 > 8
Twelve is greater than eight.

≤ - is less than or equal to

Example:

4 + 1 ≤ 6
Four plus one is less than or equal to six.

≥ - is more than or equal to

Example:

5 + 7 ≥ 10
Five plus seven is equal to or greater than ten.

≠ - is not equal to

Example:

12 ≠ 15
Twelve is not equal to fifteen.

/ OR ÷ - divided by

Example:

4 / 2 OR 4 ÷ 2
four divided by two

1/2 - one half

Example:

1 1/2
One and one half

1/3 - one third

Example:

3 1/3
Three and one third

1/4 - one quarter

Example:

2 1/4
Two and one quarter

5/9, 2/3, 5/6 - five ninths, two thirds, five sixths

Example:

4 2/3
Four and two thirds

% - percent

Example:

98%
Ninety eight percent    

درود به دوستای گلم

راستش رشتم که میدونین انگلیسیه اما از پاییز امسال دارم فرانسه میخونم و واقعا بیزی شدم.شرمنده زیاد فرصت نمیکنم به اینجا برسم. مرسی بابت لطفتون به من و وبلاگ Misi  Hugs

چند تا نکته رو میخوام اینجا روشن کنم.

با همه وبلاگ ها و وب سایت های آموزشی تبادل لینک میکنم به جز وب سایت و وب لاگهای پولی

اگر عبارت "آموزش زبان انگلیسی" رو در گوگل سرچ کنین الان فکر میکنم شماره 3هست.تا 1سال پیش شماره 1 بود.رنک وبلاگ 3 هست و من دوست ندارم از طریق وبلاگ من که کاملن Free هست برای وب سایت های پولی تبلیغ کنم. پس دوستان عزیز فقط با وب لاگ ها و وب سایت های آموزشی که به رایگان اطلاعات در اختیار خوانندگان قرار میدن تبادل لینک میکنم.

اگه میخواین مستقیمن با من چت کنین و یا ایمیل بزنین این آی دی رو اد کنین:

lle_english

و نکته آخر

راستش جدیدن یه فکری به ذهنم اومده.نمیدونم عملی هست یا نه.

بیشتر بچه های گروه LLE از من میخوان که براشون "پارتنر" برای صحبت کردن و تقویت Speaking

بهشون معرفی کنم. از همتون میخوام نظرتون رو بگین.ایمیل بزنین.اینجا قسمت نظرات بگین.

میخوام ببینم چه تعداد از بچه ها میخوان پارتنر داشته باشن.بعد شما مشخصاتتون رو برام ایمیل بزنین:

سن

جنسیت

رشته و شغل

میزان تحصیلات

شهر

بعد من کسی رو به نظرم مناسبه بهتون معرفی کنم.شخصن فکرمیکنم باید همشهری باشین و فقط به چت اکتفا نکنین.از نزدیک همدیگه رو ببینین و انگلیسی صحبت کنین.

حتی به نظر من میتونیم ماهی یکبار تور بزاریم و همتون بیاین و بریم گردش علمی و کوه و فقط انگلیسی حرف بزنیم.

فعلن به نتیجه ی قطعی نرسیدم.منم یک زبان آموزم.ممکنه منم اشتباه کنم.

از نظرات و پیشنهادات و انتقادات شما استقبال میکنم.

منتظرتون هستم.

لطفا همه دوستانی که موافق هستن وقتی مشخصات میدن اسم شهر رو از یاد نبرن. و لطفا آی دی منو اد کنین.

There are many English phrasal verbs that use 'in'. Here is a selection of some of the more common. 

break in (1) = interrupt: "He broke in to their conversation to add that he couldn't work overtime." 

break in / into (2) = burgle / steal: "Thieves broke into the warehouse and stole 100 computers." 

bring in (1) = introduce: "She has brought in some changes to the company." 

bring in (2) = receive income: "He brings in a lot of money as a computer programmer." 

cave in = accept someone's idea or decision: "The unions finally caved in and accepted the new contracts." 

chip in = contribute: "We're all chipping in for Maria's birthday present." 

fill in (1) = complete: "You need to fill in this form." 

fill in (2) = act as a substitute: "As Robert is on holiday, you'll have to fill in for him this week." 

fill in (3) = bring someone up to date: "Can you fill me in on the new project?" 

fit in = be accepted by a group: "He doesn't really fit in at work. He's very different from us." 

give in = finally accept something: "She gave in to her children's demands for sweets." 

hand in = give something to someone: "They handed in their assignment early." 

kick in = start to have an effect: "The painkillers have finally kicked in. I feel much better." 

lead in = start with something: "In our presentation, we are going to lead in with our vision for the future." 

move in = occupy a house: "Some new neighbours have moved in next door." 

take in (1) = understand: "I still can't take in the news." 

take in (2) = deceive someone: "He really took me in with his hard-luck story." 

take in (3) = provide refuge: "She took the old couple in." 

work in = incorporate: "Is there any way of working in this paragraph? The text is a little unclear otherwise."

Advanced Vocabulary List 

anecdote
(noun) a short, interesting story 
 At the party Charles told some humorous anecdotes about his days in the military 

.

avert
(verb) turn aside, or away; as, to avert the eyes from an object; to ward off, or prevent, the occurrence or effects of 
  We did everything we could to avert the disaster, but it was not enough.

candid
(adjective) straightforward, open and sincere, honest
I had a very candid discussion with Max about his drinking problem.

dialogue
(noun) conversation between 2 or more people.
The action in the movie was very exciting, but the dialogue was incredibly bad.

drastic
(adjective) extreme, severe
The doctor had to take drastic measures to save the patient's life

erratic
(adjective) irregular, unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes
The man's erratic behavior made everybody on the flight nervous.

fortify
 

(verb)strengthen, reinforce
The government intended to fortify the levees surrounding New Orleans.

isolate
(verb) set apart or cut off from others, separate
The hospital isolated the patients with bird flu to help prevent an outbreak.

illuminate
 

(verb) shine light on something, light up something
The new street lights were not powerful enough to illuminate the street sufficiently.

urban
(adjective) related to or located in the city
People from urban areas have very different political views from people in rural areas.

arrogant
(adjective) showing too much self-importance or self-worth; overbearing pride
Many political and business leaders are very arrogant.

aspire
(verb) to hope or dream; especially to hope or work towards a profession or occupation
Pinocchio aspired to become a real boy.

compel
(verb) force, constrain or coerce; sway
The soldiers were compelled to fight in the war.

concise
(adjective) short, brief, not verbose; clear and succinct
Please write a concise essay on the meaning of life.

illusion
(noun) a false impression, something that seems to be something that it is not
The magician seems to saw his assistant in half, but it is just an illusion.

impose
 

(verb) establish or apply by authority; force something on someone; selfishly bother
The government imposes taxes on the poor to pay for social programs for the rich.

lenient
(adjective)easygoing, lax, tolerant of deviation, permissive, not strict
The teacher accused Bobby's parents of being too lenient with Bobby.

menace
(noun) a possible threat or danger
Leaders with too much power can become a menace to the world.

novice
 

(noun) a person new to an activity, a beginner
You are pretty good for a novice.

overt
 

(adjective) open and observable; not secret or concealed
The politician's disregard for the law was quite overt.

audible
(adjective) able to be heard, hearable
The child spoke so softly her voice was barely audible.

coerce
(verb) compel by unethical means, force
Max was coerced into making a donation to the Senator's campaign fund.

morale
(noun) the state of spirit of a person or group
The soldier's morale is extremely low.

prevail
(verb) win; overcome; gain advantage
We may be losing now, but in the end we will prevail.

prudent
(adjective) careful and wise
It would not be very prudent to spend your entire paycheck on lottery tickets.

retort(noun) a sharp reply, answer
Jack came back with a witty retort to the reporter's question.

scapegoat
(noun) someone to blame; someone to take the blame for others
Every office needs a scapegoat. In our office Max is the scapegoat. He's blamed for everything.

sedate
(adjective) calm; composed
The crowd at the funeral was quiet and sedate.

superstition
(noun) An irrational belief which ignores the laws of nature.
Getting seven years of bad luck for breaking a mirror is a common superstition.

supplement
(verb) add to; provide a supplement to
Max got a second job to supplement his income.

Anachronism
(noun) someone or something that belongs in another place in time
Everything seemed normal except for the anachronism of the man riding a horse down the street. One country colonizing another country is an anachronism in today's global environment.

Antecedent
(noun) something that precedes another thing, especially the cause of the second thing
Pronouns usually refer to antecedents.

Debacle
(noun) a terrible failure
By most accounts, the war in Iraq has been a tremendous debacle.

Exonerate
(verb) to absolve from blame, to prove innocent
I am confident that I will be fully exonerated if I'm given a fair trial.

Lucid
(adjective) clear, clear headed
I am the most lucid right after a cup of coffee. His style of writing was very clear and lucid.

Pernicious
(adjective) harmful, deadly
The current concentration of ownership of media has had a pernicious effect on democracy in the US.

Wily
(adjective) sly, clever, cunning (usually deceitfully).
Many politicians employ teams of wily advisors to help them skirt the law.

Fickle
(adjective) changing frequently
Kids are sometimes very fickle and may have a new favorite food every week.

Lucrative
(adjective) producing a great deal of profit
Max told me that ESL was a very lucrative field, and I believed him.

Moot
(adjective) subject to debate, unsettled.
Whether the tooth fairy is male or female is a moot point. No one knows.

Opulence
(noun) wealth and luxury
Nina would not marry Charlie, for he had no money, and she was not willing to settle for anything less than a life of opulence.

Spry
(adjective) active; lively
Max was amazingly spry for an old man.

Tentative
(adjective) not certain or fixed
Our summer plans are still tentative. I think we are going to go camping in the mountains.

Wary
(adjective) cautious; leery
The children were very wary of the stranger and would not let him into the house.

Disparity
(noun) a state of inequality, a great difference
Every year economic disparities in the world grow larger and larger.

Facilitate
(verb) to make easier
The teachers put some of their course materials on the Internet to facilitate resource sharing.

Fraudulent
(adjective) dishonest, deceptive
Richie Rich received his wealth through fraudulent means.

Ludicrous
(adjective) laughable.
The politician's attempts to cover up his crimes were ludicrous.

Opportunist
(noun) a person who pursues and exploits any kind of opportunity without being guided by principles, plans or any ethical considerations
Most politicians are opportunists who will jump at any advantage without any ethical considerations.

Shirk
(verb) avoid, ignore or neglect responsibility
Many politicians' sole purpose is to shirk their duties and make as much money as possible.

Spite
(noun) a desire to hurt, annoy, vengeance
Shortly after Max and Mary broke up, Mary scratched Max's car out of spite.

Apathy
(noun) a lack of interest or enthusiasm.
Voter turnout is quite low because of widespread apathy among the voters.

Diligent
(adjective) conscientiously hard-working.
As a result of their diligent research, the scientists were able to find a cure for the disease.

Inane
(adjective) empty and pointless.
Mary could not stand Max's inane questions any longer, so she left.

Indict
(verb) to charge with a crime.
Many politicians have been indicted recently, and many more will probably be indicted soon.

Petty
(adjective) unimportant or trivial.
Max was convicted of petty theft.

Sedentary
(adjective) inactive; spending much time seated
Fast-food and sedentary lifestyles are major factors in the obesity problem in the US.

Facetious
(adjective) in a joking manner; treating serious matters with deliberately inappropriate humor
When I said that I agreed with the President's policies, I was just being facetious.

Discord
(noun) disagreement or conflict
There was a tremendous amount of discord among the PTA officers.

Ostracize
(verb) to exclude from a group
As a child, Max was ostracized by the other kids in his school because he wore different clothes.

Pensive
(adjective) deep in thought or reflection.
Max must be in a very pensive mood today. He hasn't said anything all day.

Placid
(adjective) tranquil, peaceful, calm
My dog has a very placid temperament. She does not get upset easily.

Salient
(adjective) Most noticeable, important, prominent, or conspicuous
The most salient feature of Mary's appearance is her Purple hair.

Tacit
(adjective) understood or implied but not specifically expressed.
When Max and Mary moved in together as roommates, they had a tacit agreement that they would share expenses.

Zeal
(noun) passion, or enthusiasm (usually in pursuit of a cause or objective)
Because of her zeal for chocolate, Mary got a job at the chocolate factory as a chocolate taster.

Cryptic
(adjective) mysterious, secret, or obscure in meaning
Mary's comments were so cryptic that I had no idea what she was saying.

Dichotomy
(noun) a division into two groups or parts or two opposing viewpoints
There is a sharp dichotomy of opinion on Max's ability to lead the government.

Disdain
(noun) contempt
Max has nothing but disdain for people like Mary.

Impugn
(verb) criticize; dispute the truth; call into question
The politician was very upset as she felt that her character had been impugned.

Malice
(noun) the desire to hurt others
Max has a great amount of malice towards the government.

Staunch
(adjective) strong, loyal and committed in attitude
Mary is one of Max's staunchest supporters.

Vilify
verb) to write or speak badly or abusively about
Max was vilified in all of the newspapers.

conundrum
(noun) a confusing problem or question
For some hot dog aficionados, why there are many different varieties of mustard but relatively few varieties of ketchup is a conundrum to ponder.

exploit
(verb) to make use of, take advantage of (unfairly profit from)
The policy of some corporations is to hire employees right out of school in order to exploit their eagerness and enthusiasm.

gullible
(adjective) easily persuaded to believe something
Max is so gullible. He believed me when I told him that I was running for president of the US.

impeccable
(adjective) perfect, flawless
Max is a person of impeccable character.

penchant
(noun) a strong habitual fondness for something
Max has a penchant for coffee and doughnuts.

plausible
(adjective) believable, possible
It doesn't seem plausible that your dog actually ate your homework.

scrutinize
(verb) to look over or inspect closely
When you sign the mortgage papers, be sure to scrutinize the fine print.

concoct
(verb) to make by combining different ingredients, create or devise
The story that Max concocted as an excuse for not doing his homework was preposterous but entertaining.

credence
(noun) belief that or acceptance that something is true
I don't give much credence to Max's stories.

devise
(adjective) to plan or invent
John devised a plan for a sure victory.

disengage
(verb) to detach or separate from something
Many people are pushing for the country to disengage its military from foreign lands.

rebuke
(verb) to express sstrong criticism or disapproval of (someone)
Mary rebuked her children for not cleaning their bedrooms.

sentiment
(noun) an opinion
I agree with your sentiment regarding global warming.
unilateral
(adjective) performed by a single person, group or country (an action or decision)
There is little support globally for a particular country taking unilateral action against another country.

expedite
(verb) to make something happen sooner (usually an action or process)
Max called the cable company to see if they could expedite the installation process.

flagrant
(adjective) outrageous or conspicuously offensive
Many politicians are in flagrant violation of the law. The basketball player committed a flagrant foul.

frugal
(adjective) thrifty, economical
If I had been more frugal, I could have saved enough money to buy a new car.

gregarious
(adjective) sociable, outgoing
Max is a very gregarious person. He likes to be around people.

misanthrope
(noun) a person who dislikes people and avoids people
Mary is a misanthrope. She hates being around people.

pacifist
(noun) a person who does not believe in war or violence.
Max got out of serving in the military by claiming that he was a pacifist.

repudiate
(verb) to reject as false
Many of the staunchest supporters of neoconservatism have now repudiated neoconservatism as a complete failure. They claim that neoconservatism is dead.

astute
(adjective) shrewd, or having the ability to accurately assess situations or people for one's own advantage.
Max is a very astute businessman. He has a very keen mind for making business deals.

candor
(noun) the quality of openness and honesty in attitude and expression
In all candor, I think that Max is a complete nincompoop.

copious
(adjective) plentiful, abundant in supply
We drank copious amounts of coffee in order to stay awake during class.

effeminate
(adjective) feminine, unmanly
Because Max is so effeminate, he was often picked on in school. The other kids called him a sissy.

finagle
(verb) to get something through manipulation or dishonest means
Max finagled his way into the sold out Britney Spears concert. I don't know how he did it (or why).

prolific
(adjective) very productive
Noam Chomsky is a very prolific author. He's written many books and articles.

tangible
(adjective) touchable, perceptible by touch
Max will probably escape punishment for his crimes because there is no tangible evidence to make a case against him.

ad lib
(verb) to speak or perform without preparing previously, improvise
The teacher lost all of his teaching notes on the way to class and was forced to ad lib the lesson.
animosity
(noun) strong hostility, hatred
For some reason, Max feels a lot of animosity toward Mary.

earnest
(adjective) serious and sincere
Max made an earnest attempt to study for the exam, but it was too difficult for him.

epitome
(noun) a perfect example
Some people feel that George Bush is the epitome of arrogance.

genre
(noun) a category or kind (usually of art, literature, or music)
Max's favorite film genres are action and comedy.

permeate
(verb) to spread throughout (usually odor)
The stench of the rotten food permeated the entire building.

taciturn
(adjective) reserved, saying little
Max seems to be unusually taciturn today. Something must be bothering him.

callous
(adjective) insensitive and unfeeling toward others
The teacher was particularly callous in her treatment of the children.

emulate
(verb) to imitate or model yourself after
Children often emulate adults that they look up to.

finite
(adjective) limited
In a world of finite resources, if some people have more, other people must have less.

laud
(verb) to praise
The school's principal lauded the teacher for her ability to discipline her class.

nocturnal
(adjective) active at night
Mountain lions are primarily nocturnal and do almost all of their hunting at night.

noxious
(adjective) harmful or unpleasant
Be careful applying pesticides. Their fumes are often quite noxious to humans.

recant
(verb) to take back what one has said; to say that one no longer holds a belief or opinion
Max recanted every bad thing he said about Mary.

agony
(noun) intense suffering and pain
Max cried in agony when he broke his leg.

allege
(verb) assert or claim wrongdoing by someone (typically without proof)
The teacher alleged that Max cheated on the exam.

caricature
(noun) a picture or description of a person or thing with comically exaggerated characteristics
Max drew a caricature of his teacher.

disperse
(verb) cause to go in different directions
The crowd dispersed as soon as the concert was over.

incite
(verb) to stir up or encourage (violent or unlawful behavior)
Max incited the other students to rebel against the teacher.

polarize
(verb) to divide or cause to divide into two sharply contrasting groups
The issue polarized the public.

precipitate
(verb) to cause to happen suddenly or sooner than expected
Extremely high gas prices precipitated the demise of the SUV.

sanction
(noun) official authorization, approval or ratification of a law
Max received the official sanction of the Federal Darts Association to hold a tournament in the school.

commemorate
(verb) to remember and show respect (in a ceremony)
Veterans' Day is a day to commemorate soldiers who have honorably served their country.

devastate
(verb) to ruin or destroy
The city was devastated by the bombs.

disarmament
(noun) the reduction of military or weapons
The protestors called for a complete disarmament.

distraught
(adjective) very agitated and upset from mental conflict
Mary became distraught when she found out that her son was being sent into war.

embark
(verb) to start, begin
Max embarked on a career as a plumber.

envision
(verb) to imagine as a future possibility
Max never envisioned being a plumber.

excerpt
(noun) an extract (from film, writing, music, or other type of work)
The excerpts of the story published in the newspaper were very interesting.

forsake
(verb) to abandon
The town was forsaken by its former inhabitants because the nearby volcano threatened to erupt.

temperance
(noun) abstinence from drinking alcohol
Max has become an advocate of complete temperance.

vow
(verb) to solemnly promise
Max vowed to never drink another drop of alcohol again.

There are many phrasal verbs in English that use the word "off". Here are some of the more common. 

Break off= end: "Talks have broken off between the union and management." 

Bring off = succeed in something difficult: "The new management brought off an amazing recovery in the company's fortunes." 

Call off = cancel: "The proposed merger has been called off." 

Cut off = disconnect: "Their electricity was cut off when they didn't pay the bill." 

Lay off = make workers redundant: "The car manufacturer laid off 5000 workers." 

Live off = get money from another source: "He invested the money and lived off the interest." 

Pay off = settle your debt: "She saved money every month and finally managed to pay off her student loan." 

Put off = (1) postpone: "They put off the decision for another month."

= (2) dissuade: "Falling prices put me off investing in the English property market." 

Take off = do well: "Business has really taken off!" 

Write off = accept a loss: "We'll never get the money back – I think we should write it off."

would' in requests
Would is often used in polite requests, sometimes as an alternative to could or can:

    * Would you / Could you hold my umbrella while I put my coat on?
    * Would you / Could you post this letter for me this afternoon when you are at the post office?
    * Would you / Can you turn the music down, please? I’m trying to write an essay.

Note that would you mind is followed by -ing, rather than the bare infinitive:

    * Would you mind picking Jenny up from school for me today? I may be late getting back.
    * It’s so dark out here. Would you mind holding the torch for me while I change the wheel?

 
                
          

'would' in offers

would like, would prefer and would rather

Would you like…? is often used when making offers, as the more polite alternative to 'Do you want…?':

    * Would you like coffee, or would you prefer tea? ~ I’d love some tea – Earl Grey would be lovely, if you have it.
    * Would you rather eat now or later after the film? ~ I’d rather eat now. I’m starving!
    * I can see you’re struggling. Would you like me to help you with that?


                
          

'would' meaning refusal

Would is sometimes used in this way with the negative:

    * I advised her not to go out late at night on her own, but she wouldn’t listen. (= refused to listen)
    * I wanted him to take over my examining work on Saturday, but he wouldn’t. (= he refused)

                
            

'would' meaning intention

Would is used as a conditional auxiliary with verbs that refer to intentions, often combining with if-clauses:

    * I would help you with your homework if I could, but I can’t. I just don’t understand maths.
    * If I knew where Sarah was, I’d tell you. But I’ve no idea where she is.
    * I would never sunbathe near a nudist beach, would you? ~ No, I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t ever sunbathe topless either.


              'would' in correspondence requests

Would be grateful is often useful when making written requests and it can also be used in conversation:

    * I would be grateful if you could / would send me further information and an application form in relation to the job advertised on page 6 of your publication – reference DS 112.
    * Would you like me to pop an application form in the post to you? ~ Yes, please. I’d be most grateful.

Some common business English phrasal verbs that use "on". 

Get on = (1) have a good relationship with someone: "She gets on well with the Accounts Director" 

= (2) to progress: "How are you getting on with the launch?" 

Take on = employ people: "We aren't taking on any more staff this year." 

Go on = continue: "Please go on. I'd like to hear more about your plans for the new office." 

Sit on = to stall or delay something: "We proposed this some time ago, but the Chairman has been sitting on the plans and we're no further forward." 

Build on = use your successes to go further: "They built on their early success and soon expanded to become the biggest catering firm in the South East." 

Crack on = work fast: "I'm sorry I can't stop and talk – I need to crack on with some work." 

Work on = use your influence with someone: "Leave it with me – I'll work on the boss over the next fortnight." 

Pick on = bully: "She feels that her colleagues are picking on her because she is so popular with management." 

Decide on = choose: "What colour have you decided on for the staff canteen?" 

Hold on = wait: "Please hold on and I will see if Mr Harris is available." 

Pass on = give a message to someone: "I'll pass your message on to her when she returns." 

Try on = test someone's authority: "Don't take any notice of his behaviour – he's just trying it on with you!"

Some common business English phrasal verbs that use "down". 

Back down (or climb down) = to no longer stick to your original ideas or position: "After weeks of negotiating, she backed down and accepted their conditions." 

Break down (1) = examine the different parts of something: "The profits break down in the following way – 50% profit in European sales, a 20% profit in North American sales and a 30% profit in Asian sales." 

Break down (2) = when communication stops between two parties: "The negotiations broke down after two days." 

Bring down = destroy something: "A series of disastrous investments brought down the company." 

Cut back on = reduce something: "The government has cut back on its defence budget." 

Drive down = work hard to reduce prices or costs: "Over the last year we have driven down the distribution costs." 

Live down = when other people can forget a bad reputation: "I was two hours late for the meeting and now my colleagues will never let me live it down." 

Play down = minimise the importance of something: "She played down the fact that her father was the boss." 

Set down = put something in writing: "The conditions are set down in the contract." 

Stand down = resign: "After ten years at the head of the company, the chairman has decided to stand down." 

Take down = write notes in a meeting: "Can someone take down the minutes?" 

Wear down = argue so much that the other person abandons their position: "The unions finally wore the management down on the issue of overtime pay." 

Write down (or note down) = write something: "Could you write down your mobile phone number?"

I don't recommend it as it can get you into an embarrassing situation if you're not careful  but then I was persuaded by a good friend of mine. I am referring to the time I returned to my old school some fifteen years after I'd left. The friend had been invited to speak as the guest of honour at some function or other at the school. He had been so insistent on my going that I couldn't really get out of it. Mind you, I had got on quite well at school but I wasn't really looking forward to coming face to face again with certain of the teachers. There was one in particular who must have been getting on because he'd seemed pretty  ancient when I was there 

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His name was Harrison and he and I just didn't get on at all. There was something about the way he looked at you or me, anyhow as if he was about to say something unpleasant about your hair, your shoes or the way you walked and he always passed derogatory comments. It began to get on my nerves. I felt as I was being persecuted, being got at. Things had got to such a state that in my last few weeks at the school I'd written what I thought was a fairly satirical piece making fun of him without mentioning him by name. Nobody on the teaching staff made any mention about it before I left and so I imagined I had got away with it. The strange thing was that Harrison usually liked to have the last word and could not bear to be humiliated.
 

Apparently the function at the school was to be a formal affair and the men were supposed to wear dinner jackets, which I thought was a bit over the top. On the day of the function I was flying back from abroad and by the time I got back there was only a couple of hours to change and drive to the school. I say 'change' but I had no formal clothes to change into because the case with my dinner jacket had gone missing. But I didn't let that get me down and thought the best thing was to get down to the school as quickly as possible. I arrived therefore dressed in my holiday attire, got round the doorman by explaining my predicament and sneaked into the back of the hall and sat down.
 

The proceedings got off to a good start and my friend gave a brilliant speech. The only worrying thing was that up on the platform sat the dreaded Harrison and I had the horrible feeling that he had spotted me and he had that strange look on his face as if he was up to something. From what I had heard from people around me , some of the former students had got up a collection in order to make a presentation to Harrison as he was retiring this term. There was I thinking I had got through the evening unscathed and now I had this presentiment that somebody was about to be got at and that somebody was going to be me. The presentation was made by the headmaster saying he didn't know how the school would get on without him and other complimentary things and then handed him his leaving present. Harrison rose with an evil smile on his face and assured the Head that the school would certainly get by without him. He only hoped he would be able to get by on his pension. It all seemed to be quite harmless but I just wished he would finish his speech and get it over. Then suddenly he made a comment about how they must remember how fussy he always was about appearance and being properly dressed. He had, he said, got a special prize for the best dressed old boy. I heard my name being called out. All I wanted to do was get out but I had no choice and strolled as casually as I could to loud cheers and cat calls, in my holiday outfit, up on to the stage. As he handed me a small book entitled 'How to look smart' and shook my hand, he whispered: "I've waited fifteen years for this!" Get out of this!, I said to myself.

There are many ways to talk about physical appearance 

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Age

My grandfather is quite old. In fact, as he has a pension, he is an old age pensioner, or a senior citizen.

His daughter, my aunt, is 55, and middle-aged. She has three sons. One is a young adult, at 24 years of age, and the other two are both teenagers. They are 16 and 17. My sister also has two children – one toddler who is a two-year old, and a baby who is 6 months old. 

Build

People are built in all shapes and sizes. There are those who are fat and overweight. Some people are extremely overweight and are obese. Other people are naturally slim, but others look have absolutely no fat on them and are thin, or skinny.

Personally, I am stocky – small, but well-built. My father is tall and lean – with very little fat. My sister is short, but wiry – she is quite thin, but muscular. Both my brothers are athletic and well-proportioned. My mother looks like a 1940's film star. She is curvaceous, with an hour-glass figure.

My grandfather is fit for his age and takes plenty of exercise. He doesn't want all his muscles to get flabby. 

Colouring

My sister is an English rose – she has fair hair and fair skin. She doesn't tan easily and has to be careful in the sun. My mother is blonde, also with a fair complexion. I am a red-head – with red hair. Like many other people with a pale complexion, I get freckles from the sun – small brown dots on my face and arms. In contrast, my father has dark-brown hair and he is quite dark-skinned. You are born with a colour – white or Caucasian, black or Asian. People whose parents are of different ethnic origin are mixed-race. Southern Europeans are sometimes described as Mediterranean. 

Face 

Faces, like build, vary a lot. Some people have oval faces – their foreheads are much wider than their chins. Other people have heart-shaped, square or round faces.

Features also vary. My grandfather has bushy eyebrows (he has lots of hair!), a hooked nose and high cheekbones. His eyes are large and set quite far apart. My mother has a broad nose, which she hates, as she prefers narrow noses. But she is lucky to have even or regular teeth. My sister corrected her crooked teeth by wearing a brace which straightened them. She has rosy cheeks, small ears and a snub nose, which goes up at the end.

I have long, curly hair, though my sister is the opposite, with short, straight hair. Her hair is fine and doesn't weigh very much, but mine is thick and heavy. My mother's hair is wavy – in between straight and curly. It's cut in a bob and she also has a short fringe, where it is cut horizontally across her forehead. My father is losing his hair – in fact he is going bald, which makes him very sad. My brother looks like he is going to lose his hair too – it is receding.

....Phrasal Verbs about Money

As you know, native speakers of English tend to use a lot of phrasal verbs (sometimes called prepositional, multi-word verb, verbs) in everyday spoken English. In fact, this is quite frustrating for students who often have learned one-word verbs during their English studies and then are confronted with an English speaking world where people usually favor phrasal verbs in daily discourse. I'd like to focus on a few specific areas in which these phrasal verbs are commonly used. This page focuses on an area of great interest to all of us: MONEY. For a reference list of phrasal verbs please refer to my phrasal  reference chart.

Phrasal Verbs about Money

Spending Money -

lay out - to spend money. especially a large amount

splash out - to spend a lot of money on something you don't need, but is very pleasant

run up - to create a large debt

fork out, fork over - to pay for something, usually something you would rather not have to pay for.

shell out - to pay for something, usually something you would rather not have to pay for.

cough up - to provide money for something you do not want to

Having Just Enough Money -

get by - to have just enough money for your needs

scrape by - to manage to live on very little money

Helping Someone with Money -

bail out - to help a person or organization out of a difficult situation

tide over - to help someone with money for a period of time until they have enough

Paying Debts -

pay back - to return money owed to someone

pay off - to finish paying all money that is owed

Saving Money -

save up - to keep money for a large expense in the future

put aside - to save money for a specific purpose

Using Saved Money -

dip into - to spend part of your saved money

break into - to start to use money that you have saved

Here is a practice dialogue using some of the above vocabulary.
 

Well, last week I finally dipped into that money that I had been putting aside for the past year and a half. I decided that I should really enjoy myself so I splashed out and had a great meal at Andy's. Next, I went to Macys on Saturday and laid out $400 for that suit I'd told you about. Of course, I used a great deal of what I had saved up to pay back that bill I had run up on my Visa card. It feels great to finally have some money after all those years of scraping by. Thanks again for tiding me over during that long winter of '05. I don't think I would have got by without your bailing me out.Unfortunately, I also had to cough up about $250 in insurance costs. Oh well, I guess shelling out the cash for those things is just as  necessary as anything else...

One last tip

Make sure that when you are studying new verbs in the dictionary to read the entire entry. Don't just learn the main verb; take time to look at the phrasal verbs that are constructed using the verb. This will save you a lot of time in the long run. Believe me, if you haven't been to an English speaking country, chances are that one of the biggest difficulties for you will be understanding phrasal verb usage. If you already live in a country where English is the primary language you  certainly have already experienced this. 

A Bird In The Hand Is Worth Two In The Bush:
Having something that is certain is much better than taking a risk for more, because chances are you might lose everything.

A Blessing In Disguise:
Something good that isn't recognized at first.

Unlike many other languages, there are many verbs in English that don’t follow basic rules – making it frustrating for non-native speakers to learn. In many cases, you’re likely to find that irregular verbs are actually more common than ones that follow syntax guidelines! As a result, you may need to rely on sentence cues to determine what, if any, actions are being described. In many cases, even if a verb is irregular, you can still use these cues to arrive at the meaning the author or speaker is trying to convey.

Locating Verbs Based on Noun Position

To begin, if you can recognize a noun within a sentence, chances are you will also find a verb following it that will help you decipher the rest of the sentence. Using this method can help you improve your reading comprehension, as well as eliminate reliance on syntax rules that don’t address many situations. This method will also help you determine the timing of the sentence and the actions that were taken. In addition, once you know where nouns are in relation to verbs, you’ll also be able to decipher the subject of the sentence.

For example, if you look at the sentence “David washed the laundry”, you’ll immediately realize that David is a noun. “Washed” the next word, is a verb that is describing the action that David is taking. In this case, you can recognize that the word has an “-ed” ending, which indicates that the action – washing – has happened in the past. In another example, “David walks with his dog”, you can again find the verb immediately after the noun.

Using Syllable Structures to Isolate Verbs

In many cases, if you suspect that you are dealing with an irregular verb, you can break the word in question down to syllables. As you put the word back together, you should be able to recognize a root word that is based on some kind of action. For example, the word “skipping” breaks down into two syllables – “skip” and “ing”. As you can see, once you remove the “-ing” suffix, you are left with a word that describes a specific kind of motion.

Unfortunately, the “-ing” ending doesn’t always help you determine the time frame of the action. In order to determine this, once again you’ll need to find out who is taking the action and then look for words that offer a time frame in the sentence. In this case, skipping could be proceeded by “was”, “is”, or even “will be”. As you can see, each preceding time frame creates an entirely different meaning for the verb.

Even though English verbs are some of the most difficult aspects of the language, it’s worth your while to gain proficiency with them. That said, if you’re going to try and learn English based on exact rules, you’ll have a difficult time. As with any other language, it is important to be able to comprehend what you are hearing or reading in the context of meaning. Breaking words down into fundamental sounds will give you clues about their meaning and importance, enabling you to understand English verb tenses much more quickly.

Phrasal Verbs with GO

 

GO ALONG

(intransitive) to cooperate

To go along with the crowd is the easiest thing, but not always the wisest thing.

GO AROUND

(intransitive) to satisfy a demand or need

While there are certainly more jobs now, there are still not enough to go around.

GO AROUND

(intransitive) to circulate

There are some rumors about Mary going around.

GO AWAY

(intransitive) to leave

Max and Mary went away for the summer.

GO BY

(intransitive) to pass; elapse

As the years go by, I grow older but not wiser.

GO BY

(inseparable) to act in accordance

If you go by the rules, you shouldn’t have any trouble.

GO DOWN

(intransitive) to go under; to drop below the horizon; to sink

I hope to get to the beach before the sun goes down.

GO DOWN

(intransitive) to ingest

Water goes down especially well after a long hard soccer match.

GO OFF

(intransitive) to explode; detonate

Bombs went off all around the city.

GO OFF

(intransitive) to happen in a particular manner

Mary’s dinner party last night went off very well.

GO OVER

(intransitive) to gain approval

How did your request for a pay raise go over with your boss?

GO OVER

(inseparable) to check; examine

The mechanic went over the engine to see if there were any problems.

GO THROUGH

(inseparable) to experience; endure

Mary and Max went through a lot to make their business a success.

GO UNDER

(intransitive) to fail; to be defeated

Jack and Jill’s drinking water business went under almost right away.

 Idioms about Try 

move heaven and earth

to do everything you can to achieve something:

He'll move heaven and earth to get it done on time.

keep/put your nose to the grindstone INFORMAL

to work very hard for a long time:

She kept her nose to the grindstone all year and got the exam results she wanted.

to be firm and determined in order to get what you want:

He's a nice guy, but he can play hardball when he needs to.

make a play for sth/sb

to try to obtain something, or start a relationship with someone, sometimes by using a plan:

I wouldn't have made a play for him if I'd known he was married.

pull out all the stops

to do everything you can to make something successful:

They pulled out all the stops for their daughter's wedding.

push your luck (ALSO push it)

to try too hard to get a particular result and risk losing what you have achieved:

She's agreed to look after her on Saturday, but I think I'd be pushing my luck if I asked her to have charge of her the whole weekend.

put your back into sth

to use a lot of physical effort to try to do something:

You could dig this plot in an afternoon if you really put your back into it.

shoot the works US INFORMAL

to use all your money or make the greatest effort you can:

I emptied my bank account and shot the works on a trip to Mauritius.

shoot for the moon US

to ask for the best or the most you could hope for:You might as well shoot for the moon and ask for a promotion as well as a raise.

give sth your best shot INFORMAL

to do something as well as you can

smarten up your act MAINLY UK

to make more effort:

Why are you always so late? You'll have to smarten up your act if you want to keep your job.

square the circle

If you try to square the circle you try to do something which is very difficult or impossible.

have/make a stab at sth INFORMAL

to attempt to do something although you are not likely to be very successful:

I'd never tried snorkelling before but I had a stab at it while I was in Greece.

strain every nerve

to make the greatest possible effort:She's straining every nerve to get the work finished on time.

strain after/for effect

to try so hard to entertain that it seems false:

I find his style of writing so artificial - he always seems to be straining for effect.

stretch a point

to make a claim which is not completely true, or to do something which goes beyond what is considered to be reasonable:

They claim to be the biggest company in the world, which is stretching a point, but it's true if you include their subsidiaries.

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. SAYIN

Gsaid to encourage someone who has failed at something to try to do it again

sweat blood (ALSO sweat your guts out) INFORMAL

to make a great effort:

We sweated blood to get the work finished on time.I've been sweating blood over this report.

take the time

to make the effort to do something:

She didn't even take the time to wish me good morning.

fight tooth and nail

to try very hard to get something you want:

We fought tooth and nail to get the route of the new road changed.

try your hand at sth

to try doing something for the first time:

I might try my hand at a bit of Indian cookery.

try your luck

to try to achieve something although you know you might not succeed:

He'd always wanted to act and in 1959 came to London to try his luck on the stage.

do/try your utmost

to do something as well as you can by making a great effort:

She did her utmost to finish on time.

go out of your way

to try very hard to do something, especially for someone else:

They really went out of their way to make us feel welcome by giving us the best room in the house.

give it a whirl INFORMAL

to attempt to do something, often for the first time:

I've never danced salsa before but I'll give it a whirl.

for all you are worth INFORMAL

If you do something for all you are worth, you put a lot of effort into it:

We pushed the car for all we were worth, but we still couldn't get it started.