to have something in common

Idiom: to have something in common

 

Context #1:

Joe: Guess what! I found out that Cindy and I both love Jazz music. Plus, she loves to play soccer just like I do.

Fred: Wow! You guys have a lot in common.

Joe: Yeah. I wonder if we like any other of the same things.

 

Context #2:

Mario: So how come you broke up with your girlfriend?

Tim: Well, she was really nice, and pretty too. But I found out that we had almost nothing in common. We like different kinds of music, different kinds of movies, different kinds of food. We had nothing to really talk about. I love sports but she hates them.

Mario: Yeah.. it would be really hard to date someone who had so many differences.

 

Meaning: to have something in common means that two people share the same background, hobbies, likes, or experiences.

 

This idiom was taken from the LSI textbook Speaking Transitions which is used to teach Level 4 Speaking at LSI schools. For more information please visit: www.languagesystems.com

To work on

TO WORK ON

Read the following dialogue and guess the meaning of the idiom in bold:

Susan: "Hi,Sofia! How was your trip to Italy?"
Sofia: "It was really nice! I was there for 20 days!"
Susan: "Did Alfonso go with you?"
Sofia: "Yes, he did! If he weren't there, I don't know what I would have done..."
Susan: "Why?"
Sofia: "He is fluent in Italian."
Susan: "Didn't you study Italian for a long time?"
Sofia: "Yes, I did. Unfortunately, I don't practice it as much and it is really hard for me to communicate now. I really have to work on my Italian..."
Susan: "You should! Alfonso seems to really like you and if things work out well, you might be marrying and Italian!"
Sofia: " No!! We are just friends!"
Susan: "that's not what he told me..."


What do you think TO WORK ON means?

a. To stop doing something
b. To improve on something
c. To teach something
d. All of the above

The answer is B.

MEANING: To work on something means to improve, to become better at something!

This idiom was taken from our book SPEAKING TRANSITIONS!

Behind Someone’s Back

Behind Someone’s Back

Read the following sentences and guess the meaning of the idiom in bold:

Mary got mad at Tom because he was talking about her behind her back.

Jose asked his Dad if he could borrow the car but he said “no”. After that, Jose went behind his Dad’s back and asked his Mom if he could borrow the car. That was not appropriated!

What do you think “behind someone’s back” means?

a. in front of someone
b. without someone knowing
c. behind a car
d. all of the above

The answer is “b”.

Meaning: behind someone’s back means to do something secretly, without other people knowing.

This idiom was taken from our LSI book Speaking Savvy!

For more information about Language Systems International (LSI) please go to www.languagesystems.com

TO CUT CORNERS

Example 1

 

Sarah: Hey Bella, do you want to go to Starbucks after school?

 

Bella: I'd really like to  but I want to save money for a new dress for the school dance so I need to cut

corners. Lets get something to drink at my house instead.

 

Sarah: Okay. Sounds good.

 

Example 2

 

Susan: ( To co-worker ) Christine is a great friend but she's difficult to work with, because she always tries to cut corners to get things done quickly. Sometimes I have to go back and redo her work to make sure its acceptable to the boss.

 

Maria: That's terrible! You should tell her not to do that again.

 

Meaning: "To cut corners" can be used in a couple of different situations. In the first example, a person can cut corners in order to save money or to economize. In the second example,

"cutting corners" involves completing a task quickly while eliminating a few of the steps in the process. Cutting corners can be a positive or negative action depending on the situation.

cut corners: this idiom can be found in LSI 's Level 4 Reading Horizons book

To see ( someone's ) point

First example

Judy:  Hey Megan, I heard that you are selling your car, I have a friend who might be    interested.

Megan: That's great. Tell her to give me a call.

Judy: How much are you selling it for? I think she can pay about $ 3000

Megan: I'm selling it for $3500 and I really can't accept any less. It's a fairly new car and in great condition and I paid three times the price for it.

Judy: Ok. I see your point. I'll tell her to give you a call.

Second example

Sarah: Mom, I really don't want to play soccer this season.

Sarah's Mom : But honey, you're such a great player and your team won first place last season.

Sarah: I know, but I've been thinking of taking a yoga class and getting more involved in a club at school. I wish you'd see my point ( of view )

Sarah's Mom: Why don't you think about it for a few more days and we can talk about it later?

Meaning: To "see someone's point" means that you understand their reason for having a certain opinion, or for feeling a certain way. When you say " I see your point ," you are telling

them their idea is reasonable and understandable. This can be a useful phrase when you have a small difference of opinion and you want the other person to feel understood.
This idiom can be found in LSI 's Level 4 Speaking Transitions book.

to cheer up / cheer someone up

Example 1:

Emily: I just failed my driving test. I'll never get my license!
Matt: Oh no! That's ok. Don't be so sad. I can help you practice for your next test appointment.
Emily: I never want to drive again! I'm so discouraged!
Matt: Come on, Emily! Cheer up! Everything will be fine! You just need a little more practice.

Example 2:

Rita: Good morning, Betty! How are you?
Betty: Oh, hi, Rita... I didn't see you come in...
Rita: Are you ok? You look sad.
Betty: I am very sad today. My goldfish died yesterday. I only had him for two weeks!
Rita: I'm so sorry to hear that! Is there anything I can do to cheer you up?
Betty: No, that's ok. Thank you for your concern.

Meaning:

to cheer up is most often used in an imperative sentence (giving instructions, commands, or advice). When you say this to another person, you are instructing/advising/commanding them to feel better and stop feeling so sad or down.
In the first example, Emily is upset because she failed her driving test. Her friend Matt says, "cheer up" because it's not necessary to be so sad since she has another chance to take the test.

to cheer someone up is used when one person tries to make another person feel better. Remember to use object pronouns or names in place of someone.
In the second example, Betty is upset because her goldfish died. Rita asks, "is there anything i can do to cheer you up (make you feel better)?

This idiom is from LSI's book "Speaking Transitions," which is used in the level 4 Listening/Speaking class. For more information, please visit http://www.languagesystems.com

out of the blue

Read the following examples to guess the meaning for out of the blue

Example 1:
I was washing dishes after dinner last night when out of the blue, my roommate from college called me on the phone! I hadn't spoken to her in over 5 years so I was really surprised that she called.

Example 2:
Julia and Oscar were dating for more than 8 months. They went out for a nice dinner last Saturday night. Right before dessert, Julia suddenly broke up with him. There was no explanation and no warning. It was totally out of the blue. Oscar was so sad and shocked.

Meaning:
out of the blue is a common expression that signals when something unexpected happens without warning.

In the first example, the speaker and her college roommate have not had contact for a long time, so the phone call was really surprising and unexpected. She called out of the blue.

In the second example, Oscar had no idea that Julia was going to end the relationship. He thought he was just going to have a nice date with his girlfriend! When she broke up with him before dessert, of course Oscar was shocked! It was totally out of the blue!


This idiom is from LSI's book "Speaking Savvy," which is used in the level 5 Listening/Speaking class. For more information, please visit http://www.languagesystems.com