Dare to Speak English 23/3

• During the war, people were rationed to just 50 grams of meat a week.
• The region has had to ration water during times of drought.
• I’ve rationed myself to one bar of chocolate a week.
• He never drinks alcohol. He is a strict teetotaller.
• A draughty room or building has currents of cold air blowing through it, usually because the windows and doors do not fit very well.
• There’s a draught blowing under the door.
• These government policies are designed to put a curb on spending
• The only way to curb the spread of the disease is by vaccinating the entire population.
• The idea of not having to get up early every morning is rather appealing (to me)  = attractive, interesting
• The idea of having enough money to retire at fifty is very appealing.

 

• The Baltic Sea is surprisingly shallow.
• a tile stove
• the Arctic fox
• a wolverine
• a lynx
• a moose
• the European bison
• a (wild) boar
• tusks
• Cleaning the bathroom is such a mundane job.

 

Entertaining visitors

 Do you prefer being a guest or a host?

• Talk about a visitor to your home.
• Talk about an experience of being a guest
• What is the etiquette of being a visitor?
• Have you ever entertained visitors at your company?
• Have you visited other companies?
• Have you been a visitor overseas?
• Have you ever stayed at an AirBnB or similar? How does the experience compare to staying in a hotel?
• What kind of parties have you been to? What kind of parties have you held?
• Tell your about an unforgettable party or other social occasion.

 

 

I enjoy being a host.

I don’t enjoy cleaning the toilet.

We weren’t able to sleep.

My brothers were late to my wedding.

My friends and I were planning to meet at the weekend.

We were at a very good restaurant.

 

Useful expressions for social situations in English

Welcoming a visitor to your company/home

Greeting  Welcome!  Welcome to our home/company/Stockholm!

Asking about their journey   How was your journey/trip/flight?  Was the flight ok?

Offering refreshments  Would you like anything to drink? Can I offer you a drink?  Can I offer you some tea or coffee?

Explaining the arrangements  We’ll start with the meeting here, and after that….

How do you take your coffee? Do you take milk or sugar?   Have you got any sweetener?

Coat   Can I take your coat?

Suggesting what they can do in their free time

I would recommend going to/visiting Skansen.  You should go to Gröna Lund, it’s an amusement park.

Answering questions about Sweden and Stockholm

What’s the best way to get around the city?   I would recommend taking the subway.  I would recommend that you take the subway.

Saying goodbye

to a visitor    I hope you had a great time here.

for the day  Have a nice evening!

for the weekend  Have a nice weekend!

wishing someone a nice holiday    Hope you have a lovely holiday!

 

Sending your regards/greetings

 

Congratulating someone

On their birthday  Happy belated birthday!  HB for tomorrow!

On their wedding anniversary     Happy Anniversary!

On the birth of their child

On a special occasion like Christmas  Merry/Happy Christmas!

 

Offering sympathy

Bad news in general   I’m sorry to hear that.

On the death of a family member   I’m sorry for your loss.

There are a lot of job losses this year.

 

A time when the economy is weak and there are a lot of job losses = a recession

The economy is booming. It’s boom time.

There is high unemployment in the country.

What are the benefits of eating an apple a day?