English Recordings

When driving a motorbike, you must always respect the highway laws and not take any
unnecessary risks. Not wearing a helmet while riding a bicycle is legal, but for riding a
motorbike it’s illegal. You should always turn your lights on and wear light-colored clothes
when darkness falls, to make yourself as visible as possible. Try to maintain a safe distance
from the traffic in front of you, don’t try to squeeze through tight spaces, and go slower at
intersections, which can be quite dangerous. Avoid an accident at all costs!
Remember to keep your tires well-pumped, for a smooth and comfortable ride. A good
idea is to get a regular inspection at a repair station, which costs about twenty-five dollars. You
can get your vehicle checked, and replace any parts that are substandard. Be sure to ask the
mechanic a lot of questions, like about the brake system or if the metal parts are too rusty.
Your motorbike might have been constructed with some Chinese equipment, which is highly
unreliable. Good maintenance is the key to dependability for any motorized vehicle.

You suggest a thought or an idea.
I can suggest some interesting apps.
I really love RhinoSpike and will suggest it to everyone.
No politician has suggested a way to improve the economy.
He suggested several different things to do after dinner.
I suggest that you call him.
I suggest that you memorize sentences instead of grammar rules!
Emily suggests we go out for dinner after the movie.
My mom suggested that I get a summer job.
Her brother suggests she study harder so she can get into a good university.
She suggests that he go to France instead of Italy this summer.
I suggested that she be Queen Elsa from Frozen for Halloween!
I suggested that he ask someone else for help.
The teacher suggests we not waste time playing video games after school.
I suggest you go to the doctor!
I suggest not waiting so long to go to the doctor.
My doctor suggests eating less and exercising more.
Her family suggested waiting a few years before she gets married.

outskirts of London
pitched battles
towns with a broad franchise
by your leave
evictions of settlements

sore mouth
assembly of divines
to set up reverberations
clover meadow
of international repute

vantage point
a treat for the eyes
with a slight tint of amber
run of reverses
glassy sheen

I was so sorry to hear your news: Expressing sympathy
By Liz Walter on July 12, 2017

It can often be difficult to know what to say to someone we know who has experienced loss, illness or another painful event, and even harder if we have to do it in another language. Today’s post looks at phrases we use to express sympathy in a sincere and empathetic way.

Choosing appropriate words will of course depend on how well we know the person concerned, and also the type of event and how upset we think that person is likely to be.

Let’s start with death. The following are common phrases, but are very formal, so may be more suitable for someone who is not a close friend:
+ I am writing to express my sincere condolences on the death of your (wife/son/grandmother, etc.).
+ Please accept our deepest sympathies.

People often try to avoid the words ‘death’ or ‘die’, and a very common way of doing that is to speak about someone’s loss or sad news:
+ I was so sorry to hear about your loss/the sad news about your sister.

When someone has died, it is usual to say something nice about the person if you knew them. We often talk about our memories of them:
+ Your dad/brother was such a lovely person/was always kind to me, etc.
+ I have so many wonderful memories of your dad.

If you didn’t know the person who has died, you might say something about the feelings of the person you are writing to:
+ I know how much Peter meant to you.
+ It’s never easy to lose a parent.
+ I can’t imagine how you must feel.

We might also talk about things that may comfort them:
+ I hope you can find solace in the fact that … (formal)
+ I’m sure you will take comfort from …

A more general way to express sympathy, for example if someone tells you they are ill or that they’ve lost their job, is simply:
+ I’m really sorry to hear that.

If you know the person very well, you might say something much more informal, such as:
+ That really sucks.

For less serious events, you might say something such as:
+ That’s a shame.
+ That’s awful/terrible.
+ What a pity!
+ Poor you!
+ Better luck next time.

And finally, when we write to someone or speak to them to offer sympathy, we often offer support of some kind:
+ I want you to know that we’re here to support you.
+ We are thinking of you at this difficult time.
+ I’m here for you if you need anything. (rather informal)
+ Do let me know if there’s anything I can do to help. (rather informal)

Can you do a handstand? Talking about ability
By Liz Walter on June 28, 2017

We often need to talk about things we can do and ask other people questions about their own abilities. This post looks in some detail at the common modal verb ‘can’ and also suggests some other ways to express the same idea.

We use ‘can’ extremely often to make statements and questions. Remember that ‘can’ is always followed by an infinitive verb without ‘to’.

+ Laura can play the piano.
+ [NOT] Laura can to play the piano.
+ Can you see the stage from here?
+ [NOT] Can you seeing the stage from here?

The negative form is ‘can’t’ or, for formal writing, ‘cannot’. Remember that ‘cannot’ is written as one word:
+ We can’t open the door.

The past form of can is ‘could’, and the negative past form is ‘couldn’t’ or, for formal writing, ‘could not’. Be careful to spell these words correctly!
+ We could hear what he was saying.
+ These people could not leave their homes.

Another very common way of saying can is the phrase ‘be able to’:
+ Is everyone able to use a computer?
+ She was able to save enough money to buy a new car.

When we are talking about the past, we usually use ‘could’ for general ability and ‘was/were able to’ when we are talking about specific events:
+ I could run much faster when I was young.
+ Our car broke down but we were able to hire another quite easily.

However, in negative sentences, ‘couldn’t’ can be used in either situation:
+ I couldn’t run very fast.
+ Our car broke down and we couldn’t hire another one.

Here are some other ways of expressing the idea of being able to do something:
+ I’m not sure if he is capable of looking after himself yet.
+ We are now in a position to buy an apartment.
+ Is Rick up to taking on this job? (informal)

We could also use one of a range of adjectives such as adept, competent, expert, masterly, proficient or skilful:
+ She’s adept at dealing with difficult customers.
+ He’s proficient in several languages.

To return to ‘can’ and ‘could’, I will finish with the way we use them to talk about the future. We use can for things we are sure are possible:
+ Don’t worry about my dinner – I can buy a sandwich later.

We use ‘could’ for things that are less certain:
+ He doesn’t have to have dinner. He could buy a sandwich later.
Interestingly, we also use ‘could’ in sentences where we are exaggerating to emphasize a point, and where the thing we say is not possible in real life:
+ I love cheese. I could eat it for every meal.

For more information about modal verbs, see my post (*) from last November.

Hard Brexit, soft Brexit, grammar schools or renationalized railways? The UK general election
By Liz Walter on June 7, 2017

UK citizens are going to the polls on June 8th to choose their next government. Again.

Yes, we had a general election in 2015, and yes, in theory, we have a five-year fixed-term parliament, so really we should have waited until 2020. However, our Prime Minister, Theresa May, decided that it would be a good idea to call a snap election (one decided suddenly). Since this is a language blog, I won’t speculate on her reasons, but instead concentrate on the language being used in the campaign.

In 2015, I posted an article about words and phrases connected to the way our electoral system functions. And I wrote a similar one about US elections last year.

So this post will look more at some of the political issues that are dominating the campaigns. Brexit (the UK’s decision to leave the European Union) is of course high on the agenda, with much debate about whether we should have a hard Brexit or a soft Brexit. The former would see us give up access to the single market (where there are no restrictions on trade between EU countries) and the customs union (in which members have free trade with one another and agree one rate of tariffs (taxes) for trade with other countries). The latter would seek to maintain these agreements as far as possible from outside the EU.

A related issue is immigration. Labour has promised that EU citizens resident (living) in this country can stay, while the Conservatives want promises for UK citizens in Europe first. Many people who voted ‘Leave’ said they want to control our borders (decide who can and can’t live in the UK), and as part of this, they want to end freedom of movement (the right of EU citizens to live and work in any EU country).

The economy is another huge area of disagreement, with the current government wanting to continue its policy of austerity (low public spending). They say we need to reduce the national debt. Labour points out that national debt has in fact risen under the Conservatives and favour increased investment, higher taxes for high earners, and a crackdown on corporate tax avoidance. All of this shows an enormous difference in the parties’ attitudes to the welfare state, or how much government should step in to look after its citizens.

One issue both main parties are agreed on is capping energy bills (putting a limit on how much companies can charge for gas and electricity). However, this is one of the very few areas of agreement. This election is notable for truly huge differences in policy between the two major parties. Issues such as bringing back grammar schools (a Conservative proposal for secondary education based on pupil ability at the age of 11) or renationalizing the railways (a Labour plan to have railways under government control again) both divide voters and give them a very real choice.

At least, this time nobody can say all the parties are the same.

--Already recorded, thanks!--

He is gigantic. He has green skin. 

She has black skin. She is bald. 

She has long white hair. She has black skin. 

He is fat and muscular. He has short blond hair.

He has shoulder-length brown hair. He is has green eyes.
He has short black hair. He has fair skin.
He has short black hair. He has black skin.
She has long black hair. She has fair skin. 

She has short ginger hair. She has yellow eyes. She has blue skin.
She has shoulder-length blond hair. She has hazel eyes.
She has short brown hair.
She has shoulder-length ginger hair. She has green eyes.

1) He is Archie’s uncle and Kate’s husband. His father is Charles and his mother is Diana. His grandparents are Elizabeth and Philip. He has 3 children. Their names are Louis, Charlotte and George. His brother is Harry.
2) He is Queen Elizabeth’s son. He has a wife. Her name is Camilla. He has two sons. Their names are William and Harry. He is Louis’s grandfather.
3) He is Archie’s uncle and Kate’s husband. Charlotte is his daughter and Elizabeth is his grandmother. His brother is Harry and he is Charles and Diana’s son. He has a stepmother. Her name is Camilla
4) She was Charles’s first wife and is Willliam and Harry’s mother. Elizabeth is her mother-in-law. She has short hair and her nose is big. She died in Paris in a car accident.
5) He is Harry and William’s father. He is Charlotte, George, Archie and Louis’s grandfather. He has 2 two brothers and one sister. Their names are Edward, Andrew and Anne. His parents are Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip
6) He is Harry’s son. His uncle is William and his aunt is Kate. He has three cousins and his grandfather’s name is Charles
7) He is Archie’s uncle and Kate’s husband. He has a brother. His name is Harry. He has two sons and one daughter. Their names are George, Louis and Charlotte. Queen Elizabeth is his grandmother. He is Diana and Charles’s son. He has a stepmother. Her name is Camilla.
8) He is Kate’s husband. His grandaprents are Elizabeth and Philip . He is Diana and Charles’s son. His nephew is Archie and his daughter is Charlotte. Camilla is his stepmother and he is harry’s brother.
9) She is Queen Elizabeth’s granddaughter. She has a brother. His name is Peter Philip. She has six cousins: William Harry, Beatrice, Louise, James and Princess Eugenie. Her mother Anne has three brothers. She is Archie, George, Charlotte and Louise’s aunt.
10) She has four children: Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward. She was born in 1926 and she lives in Buckingham Palace. She likes hats. Archie is his grandson. She is Philip’s wife.
11) Queen Elizabeth II is her great grandmother. She is William and Kate’s daughter. Her grandparents are Charles and Diana. She has two brothers. Their names are George and Louis
12) Her father is William and her mother is Kate. Her grandparents are Diana and Charles. She has 2 brothers. Their names are George and Louis. Harry is her uncle and her cousin’s name is Archie
13) He is William and Kate’s son. His grandparents are Diana and Charles. He has a brother. His name is Louis and her sister is Charlotte
14) He is William and Kate’s son. He is Charlotte and George’s brother. His grandparents are Diana and Charles
15) He is Elizabeth’s grandson. His brother is Harry. He is Louis, George and Charlotte’s father. He is Kate’s husband. He is Diana and Charles’s son. His aunt is Anne.

1) He is Archie’s uncle and Kate’s husband. George charlotte and Louis are his children. He is Charles and Diana’s son. His grandparents are Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. He has a brother. His name is Harry.
2) She is Harry’s grandmother and Philip’s wife. She is Charlotte, Louis, George and Archie’s great-grandmother
3) She is Harry’s wife and Archie’s mother
4) Kate is his mother and William is his father. He is Charlotte and George’s brother. His grandparents are Prince Charles and Diana. He is Harry's nephew.
5) His mother is Diana and his father is Charles. His wife is Meghan. He has a child whose name is Archie. His grandparents are queen Elizabeth II and Philip
6) Harry is Meghan’s husband and Archie’s father. His grandmother is queen ElizabethII. Charles is Harry’s father and Diana is Harry’s mother. Harry is William’s brother. George and Louis are his nephews and Charlotte is his niece
7) She is Prince Philip’s wife. She is William and Harry’s grandmother
8) He has brown hair. His mother is Diana and his brother is William
9) She is George and Louis’s sister. She is William and Kate’s daughter. She is Charles and Diana’s granddaughter. She is Elizabeth and Philip’s great granddaughter.
10) His parents are Diana and Prince Charles. He is Archie’s father and Meghan’s husband
11) It’s a girl. She is 38 years old. She has brown eyes and brown hair. She is married to Henry. Her parents are Doria and Thomas Markle. She is Archie’s mother.
12) He is Harry and Meghan’s son. He is William’s nephew. His grandparents are Diana and Charles. He is Charlotte’s cousin.
13) He is William and Kate’s son. His brother is Louis and his sister is Charlotte. His aunt is Meghan.
14) He has one aunt. Her name is Kate. He has an uncle. His name is William. He has 3 cousins. Their names are George, Charlotte and Louis.
15) His cousins are George, Charlotte and Louis. His great grandparents are Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. He is Meghan and Harry’s son. His aunt is Kate and his uncle is William. His grandparents are Charles and Diana