Test your knowledge of the verb GET and how to use it

Test your knowledge of the verb GET and how to use it

Test your knowledge of the verb GET and how to use it

Test your knowledge of the verb GET and how to use it – Have you noticed how frequently English speakers use the the word GET in conversation…. yes, all the time !

Have you ever looked up the verb GET in a dictionary or on-line……yes, there are “hundreds” of definitions and uses !

Take a look at this extremely brief history of the word GET to help you understand it.

It is recorded that the verb GET originates from around the year 1200 and comes from the Old Norse word of  geta meaning to obtain, to reach, to be able to, to learn, to be pleased with. So you can see that it already started life as a word with a wide variety of meanings!

In the following centuries the verb GET started to be used an auxiliary verb replacing to be and it was also linked with prepositions (these combinations being known as Phrasal Verbs) initially to indicate movement  such as get up, get down, get across, but now many of these phrasal verbs have a completely different meaning not associated with movement or possession. For example the verb to get across can also mean to communicate a message clearly. Indeed words and phrases built on GET take up 29 columns in the Oxford English Dictionary !

Take a look at this timeline:

In the 1660s; To get drunk (building on the notion of “to be” and “to become”)

From 1776; To get better as in “recover your  health” (again developing the notion of “to be” and “to become”).

From 1807; To get ahead as in to make progress (from the notion of movement).

By 1864; Get started to be used as a command (from army instructions, building on the idea of “Go and …)

From 1890; To get ready  as in “prepare oneself”. (“to be ready”)

By 1869 in American English; To get going  as in “to begin, to start doing something.

From 1904; To get busy  as in “go into action, be active” .

By 1961 in American English;  To get to someone as in to irritate someone and to be irritated.

By 1970; To get on (someone’s) nerves

So understandably this small word can seem very daunting for language learners but in this knowledge quiz we will look at the most frequent uses of the word GET and we hope to whet your appetite to GET you IN the mood for more learning.

Watch this space for information about an exciting new language learning site from the EFL Podblog team called My Learning Crush….coming soon.

My Learning Crush

Test your knowledge of the verb GET and how to use it.

The verb GET is a bit of a nightmare for English language learners because it has so many meanings and is used in many different ways.

BUT DON'T PANIC, here are 25 questions which will help you GET a handle on how to use it.

Let's GET started !

a.i, does it enhance or replace your learning  experience ?

a.i, does it enhance or replace your learning experience ?

As an English learner do you think it’s a great tool or just cheating and laziness ? 

This is the hot question at the moment.

Do you use Google translate to help you with your written English ? Do you enhance your text by putting it through an a.i software?

Are you tempted to rely on a:i  to help you produce a written text quickly?

Listen as we discuss the pros and cons of a.i and see how we think it’ll affect the learning and teaching experience.

Take a look at these options which an a.i software produced from one of our blogs about Food Hell.

This is what we wrote : What’s the worst thing you’ve ever eaten ? Snails ? Eels ? Sheep’s brains ? Listen as we discus the worst things we’ve eaten. Do you agree with our choice? Do you think our choices are cultural or universal tastes?  Why do you detest these foods? Is it the texture, the smell, the taste or just the idea? To get in the mood here are the foods we discuss. Build your vocabulary by associating tastes, and adjectives to each choice*https://english-podcasts.com/food-hell/

This is what the a.i wrote in different styles. What do you think?

Friendly: Do you agree with our choices? Do you think our choices are cultural or universal tastes? What’s the worst food you’ve ever eaten ? Snails ? Eels ? Sheep’s brains ? We discuss all this and more in this episode of the podcast.

Witty: What’s the worst thing you’ve ever eaten? Snails? Eels? Sheep’s brains?! Yeah, we thought so. In this episode of The Listening Project we ask the question: what’s the worst thing you’ve ever eaten? Listen as we discuss how old you had to be to eat some weird things, why some people can literally eat anything and where the best place is for napa cabbage

Empathetic: The worst things I’ve eaten? Snails, eels, sheep’s brains and worse. Do you agree with our choices? Do you think they are cultural or universal tastes? To get in the mood here are the foods we discuss. Build your vocabulary by associating tastes, and adjectives to each choice.

Luxury: What would constitute the worst thing you’ve ever eaten? Snails ? Eels ? Sheep’s brains ? Listen as we discuss the worst things we’ve eaten eaten. Do you agree with our choice? Do you think our choices are cultural or universal tastes? Why do you detest these foods? Is it the texture, the smell, the taste or just the idea?

Adventurous: This is a lively and fun podcast that discusses the worst things we’ve eaten. We are passionate about food, and so are you. We believe each culture has foods that they consider disgusting which we put in a list. In this podcast episode we discuss the reasons why these foods are considered some of the most unsavory in our culture. If you have suggestions for future topics please email me at suggestions@podcasts.com

Persuasive: We all have foods that we detest. When someone tells you to try something, how do you respond? You like it or not? Why do people put themselves through this ritualistic thing of eating all these things they don’t like? This is your chance to find out. Listen as we discuss some of the things most people won’t eat, but that we did.

  Listen out for these words in the podcast

Did your mum write your cover letter?

Lazy

To put your finger on it

Cheating

Enhance

There/ they’re/ their

A mindset change

A can of worms

A glaring mistake

History in the streets of Toulouse Episode 2

History in the streets of Toulouse Episode 2

This is the second in our series retracing the history of Toulouse through the names of streets.

Here we wander down some 11th and 12th century streets that tell a story of the past of Toulouse – how people earned a living and how some became very rich. We discover some fairly unknown facts about the trades of Toulouse in the past – did you know that dice were made in Toulouse?

We uncover the site of a religious site dating to the 5th century BC and the place where a famous singer lived and wrote songs about Toulouse in the 20th century. Come with us as we discover the textile trades that were thriving in Toulouse and that no longer exist as history comes alive before our very eyes.

Enjoy the city’s lively atmosphere. It’s a very hip, young area with a surprising number of bars, cafes, boutiques and galleries. The Carmes district is full of cafés, bars restaurants and speciality shops. The neighborhood is characterized by many narrow, beautiful streets and colorful houses.

One of the liveliest cities in France, Toulouse has become a popular destination for many city lovers in recent years. A weekend in Toulouse is a must if you have a passion for architecture, colorful markets, French cuisine and chic boutiques!

Discover the hidden history of Toulouse in the streets.

Enjoying Toulouse means taking time to live. Stroll the bustling streets for shopping, stroll through the markets that come in all flavors and colours, or just linger in traditional French cafes…the vibe here reflects the Southern personality: authentic, friendly and welcoming. Toulouse is also very good at welcoming tourists and offering them the opportunity to sit around a table and enjoy local specialties (foie gras, duck, sausages, Cassoulet, wine and cheese…).

Explore the city’s architecture and ancient landmarks.

It is a sprawling modern city with an ancient heart, the center of which is the Place du Capitole. It’s an eclectic mix of young and old and has more of a feeling of a group of local villages than one of the biggest cities in France – no wonder Toulouse is consistently voted as one of the best places to live in France and we just love it.

   Develop your listening skills by watching the video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MHCL4yRiM0&t=1s

   After reading the text, try this quiz to test your comprehension of the words highlighted in bold print, and learn words which often used in tourist guide books.

Streets of Toulouse (2) Build vocabulary

After reading the text, try this quiz to test your comprehension and learn new vocabulary which is often used in tourist guide books.


Christmas far from the North Pole

Christmas far from the North Pole

Is it possible to get in to the Christmas spirit thousands of miles away from Lapland ???

In this Vblog Chris and Sue take you on a fun trip around Toulouse to soak up the Christmas atmosphere in South West France. There are only blue skies, no snow in sight but a lot of French cheese, cakes, chocolate, Canadian whisky and even a Christmas flamingo !!

You’ll see how Sue tries to get Chris into the Christmas spirit in a city a far, far away from Santa’s grotto. 

What do you think, is Christmas too commercial or just an excuse to have some fun in winter?

Click here to go to Two Frogs Travel YouTube channel and see beautiful Toulouse at Christmas.

Wherever you are in the world, hot or snowy climes we wish you a very Happy Christmas!

 

 

A 1000 Shakespearian words

A 1000 Shakespearian words

Did you know that Shakespeare coined* over 1000 words, many of which we still use today and some of them we use everyday!

But WHY did he invent so many words ? This is a good question. He didn’t it simply to fit in with the rhythm of his text, he needed words with the right number of syllables to fit in with the meter rhythm of the line.

Indeed many of the words that Shakespeare coined came from adding suffixes and prefixes such as -ful, -able – fied. For example, laugh and able,  un and dress, care and less. So if you find English adjectives confusing you know who to blame !

Sometimes he put 2 words together, for example bed and room. Thank you Shakespeare for that one! Plus, birth and place, farm and house.

In this podcast, Sue asks Chris to explain 10 Shakespearian inventions and then he “turns the tables” on her… you can thank Shakespeare for that one too !!!

Listen out for these words and expressions:

It’s Greek to me

To be tongue tied

fair play / foul play

A fool’s paradise

A hard day’s night

A green eyed monster

Laughable

An eyesore

What the Dickens !

To puke

  • to coin means to invent a new word or expression
Numbers in Sport

Numbers in Sport

Numbers in Sport.

Numbers can be a difficult part of learning a new language.

New learners often confuse “hundreds” and “thousands”, “fifteen” and “fifty”, “half past six” with “six and a half hours” etc etc etc.

The only way to improve your number skills is with practice.

Start by learning important numbers for you: your age, your address, your phone number.

Then practice well known expressions such as “fifty-fifty”, “One Hundred and One Dalmatians”.

Also try this podcast in which Sue asks Chris 10 questions about numbers in sport.

You will need to listen several times; the first time you listen your main objective should be to focus on the numbers that Chris gives. Are you clear about 100s and 1000s ?  Can you recognize times ? Can you identity money quantities? What about dates ?

For the second time of listening,  focus on the questions and for the third time, just enjoy the conversation !

TRY THIS QUIZ IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE PODCAST: you will hear the same questions in the podcast as in the quiz. How many numbers can you recognize ? Practice saying all the numbers in the quiz and then listen again to the podcast. Your progress will be AMAZING !

Numbers in sport

After listening to the podcast try this quiz to consolidate your number skills. You can check your own answers with Chris' attempts.

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