Vocabulary

4th December 2023

harassment

everybody uses (singular)

Social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat are very important for young people nowadays. They can't live without social media - their identity is linked to this and they want to show that their lives are very beautiful.

On the positive side, social media can help to keep in touch with family who live abroad or old friends we can't see very often.

But, on the other hand, there are many dangers. For example, people become addicted to these platforms and they don't enjoy real life because they are always posting online. The things which they post are often not the reality.

Another disadvantage is that we don't meet our friends face to face because we communicate with them via social media and so we stay at home instead of going out.

to waste time on social media

to concentrate on something (not be concentrated)

I recommend that you take the train

I recommend taking the train

In my opinion

I agree/I disagree with this statement 

On the one hand/ on the other hand

The advantages and the disadvantages/ the pros and cons

Speaking English is very important (subject of sentence)

I don't have the opportunity to speak English

in the original version

dust

online advertising is very annoying and distracting. 

I'm not very interested in technology

I can do without it

11 October 2022

I have never lived anywhere else

on the outskirts of Montpellier

I went to secondary school

junior/senior high school

he is 21 (years old)

he is studying law in Montpellier

a neighbourhood/an area

I like walking very much

not anymore

I studied economics in Montpellier

to evolve

I am a financial advisor

interest rates

to convince clients

it was a long time ago

to the USA

whales

I got divorced 3 years ago

I have been divorced for 3 years/since 2019

I have my children every other week

one week out of two

I got 19 out of 20 in my maths test

I'm going to have an operation on my shoulder

bone

a pain

to be on sick leave

I don't like planning things in advance

I'm afraid of falling

a car park

to do something on purpose

on foot

27th October 2022

I prefer savoury food

fizzy drinks are not very healthy

lunch = the meal at midday

steamed vegetables

stewed meat

peas

beans

I'm try to cut down on coffee at the moment (reduce)

to get better = to improve

to get worse = to deteriorate

to pay attention to what we eat

3 November 2022

I can't manage to sleep

1. Future plan = decided before speaking - BE GOING TO (premeditated)

"I'm going to buy a new car." = I've decided

"What are you going to do for Christmas this year?"

"I'm going to stay in Montpellier."

(not planned/sure "I might go to Paris." = it's possible)

2. Future arrangement (organised plan + date, time, place) - PRESENT CONTINUOUS

"I'm meeting Veronique tomorrow at 10 o'clock."

(going to also possible)

3. Unplanned decision - spontaneous, at the moment of speaking WILL (to offer, to suggest, to respond spontaneously)

"My bag's very heavy."

"I will help you." "Shall I help you?"

"It's very hot in this room."

"I'll open the window." "Shall I open the window?"

4. Predictions

WILL - general "I think it will rain tomorrow."

GOING TO - prediction + evidence"Look at the clouds, it's going to rain."

5. Promise

WILL - "I promise I will help you to do your homework."

the same age as me

since lockdown

on 11th November 

I'm stuck at home

she runs her own business

she's the boss

a recipe

a leather jacket

(fake leather)

shoulder

shadow 

in the shade

to be shy

9th November 2022

pain

The Present Perfect

to have + past participle "I have visited the UK"

(past simple - I visited the UK in September")

Links the past and the present

1.  Unfinished situation (now I live in Montpellier but I started living here in the past)

How long have you lived in Montpellier?

I have lived in Montpellier for 52 years (duration)

I have lived in Montpellier since 1970 (a date or starting point)

2. Recent action + present result (+ just, already, yet)

I have (just) lost my keys. (now I don't have my keys)

I lost my keys yesterday. (now?????)

3. Action is finished but I'm thinking of an unfinished time period

I have visited the UK. (I understand that you have visited the UK in your life which is an unfinished time period)

I visited the UK in 1988. (1988 is finished time, so we must use past simple).

DON'T USE PRESENT PERFECT WITH A PAST TIME EXPRESSION!

I have eaten a sandwich yesterday (wrong)

unfinished time (+ pp) - in my life, ever?, today, this week, this month, this year, recently, in the last week, month, year

finished time (+ps) - a week ago, in 1989, last year, yesterday, when I was a child etc

"Have you ever......." = in your life

cheap

cheaply

to go for a walk in the countryside

to get around by car/on foot etc

14th November 2022

it was a lovely day

it was my mother's birthday

it was very sunny

crafts

Have you ever visited Spain?

Yes, I have. No, I haven't. No never.

When did you go?

I went in 2018

to put money aside

to be careful with money

I inherited some money from my father

When I was on holiday I forgot my PIN number

a wallet

a purse

I'm a bit absent-minded

before ... ing

trainers

How long/for/since

How long/for/since (a time until now) + state verb = present perfect simple

How long have you known V? (non-action verb/state verb)

I have known Véronique for 10 years.

How long/for/since (a time until now) + action verb = present perfect continuous

to have + been +vb..ing

"How long have you been working with V?" 

How long have you been doing sport?"

I've been doing sport since I was a teenager/for 25 years

!! the verbs live and work are in fact possible in both forms and both are correct

"I have lived in Mtp for a long time/I have been living ...."

("I am living in Mtp for a long time"  NO!!!)

17th November 2022

to be lost

they were lost

my oldest daughter was riding her bicycle

I was in the mountains

I went to San Fransisco

it's very cosmopolitan

I like living in Montpellier

I would like to live in Australia

He finished it in 3 and a half hours

she arrived safely

to complain

a waiter

dew (la rosée)

to be damp (humide)

I felt nervous

I was a bit stressed

Now I'm a bit tired of work

I'm fed up with my job

I've been working for too long

What I like most is meeting people

I like rock 'n roll very much

I want to speak English fluently

18th November 2022

a physiotherapist

the same as

to go on a safari

the building was in a terrible condition

to offer to do something (better than "to propose")

breast cancer

a race

filthy = very dirty

to be scared, frightened, afraid

I listen to music

we did a walk/we went on a walk

we didn't stay in the water long

to go through a red light "griller les feux"

to ban = to prohibit 

I'm terrified of bees

a hornet

a wasp

to be stung by a bee

an irrational fear/phobia

we laughed "larft"

I can't compare the two

damp

wet

humid = tropical wet heat

21 November 2022

my children came to my house

we were together

I haven't visited Lisbon yet

I have never visited Lisbon

a jar of jam

to be good at something/bad at something

once a week

otherwise

we eat healthy food

we eat healthily (adverb)

we eat a balanced diet

it's depends on the family

my short-term plans

to be able to "I will be able to" = future of can

to start..... again

I think it will rain later (prediction)

to continue = to carry on

to run out of something = there is none left

"I've run out of coffee, petrol, time, money etc"

Comparatives and Superlatives

Short adjective (1 syllable) + er , est 

old, older than, the oldest

more older NO!

2 Syllables ending in y

easy easier than, the easiest

longer adjectives

expensive, more expensive, the most expensive

adjectives which don't follow the rules (quiet - quieter- the quietest, narrow, narrower, the narrowest)

exceptions

good - better - the best

bad - worse - the worst

far - further - the furthest

aussi ....... que = as..... as

the same as

less than

the least

adverbs - slowly = more slowly than (not slowier)

It was an experiment

23 November 2022

to postpone = to put off

by bike, bus, car

on foot

there are too many people

to be close to someone

to be safe

a laptop

more accidents happen (not arrive)

to slow down

to accelerate

I don't want my mother to drive

to want someone to do something

it's terrifying

to be allowed

it should be

it's not high enough

it's too low

29 November 2022

little by little

gradually

to laugh at someone

to dream about

my childhood

to look forward to 

to pay someone for something

it reminds me of something

to spend money on

a bat

she's very demanding

to get lost

I am good at doing...

to do homework

2 December 2022

tiles (tiled floor)

a conservatory

wooden flooring

to divide = to separate

every Wednesday

to go hiking

I'm good at  .... ing

I'm bad at ..... ing

a hen

to feed (the hens)

feed, fed, fed

speed = la vitesse

it was very sudden

to stroke a cat

I'm not a superstitious person

she has a sore throat

to be annoyed with someone about something

to tidy her room

she doesn't care

it doesn't matter

to go shopping

I went shopping in town

to be successful in something

to succeed in (an exam)

7 December 2022

I use the speaker on my phone

to play a tune

to make fun of = se moquer de

Obligation

Positive sentence

must or have to "I must do my homework/I have to do my homework"

(must is a more personal obligation - I'm telling myself)

(have to is a more external obligation - my teacher told me to do it/it's a rule/a law "you have to wear a seat-belt in the car")

Negative (must or have to -there is a difference)

You mustn't do ...... = it's forbidden

You don't have to do ...= there's no obligation but you can if you want

must is a modal verb - followed by verb without "to" 

I must go. 

Have to is a normal verb - Do you have to...., I don't have to, He doesn't have to

Should/shouldn't - for advice/to say something is a good idea, or a bad idea

"You shouldn't do that." = it's not a good idea

to get in touch with someone

9 December 2022

to kiss each other

informal

to shake hands

to put up with something = supporter qqchose

cheeks

the day before yesterday

to knit

to sew

to type

to go skiing

the snow tyres

to blow

13 December 2022

to gloat

to joke with me

to have a nap

15th December 2022

I am a bit sleepy

crayfish = langouste

the tail

saucepan

stock (court-bouillon)

to throw

to sprain your ankle

to tear

a torn ligament

it was very atmospheric

3 January 2023

to go shopping

in the sales

to damage

to fall asleep

an injury

to be pregnant

2007 - two thousand and seven

a bullet

spine

a rifle

I called my husband

to shout

my rubbish bin

to get lost

a narrow track

10 January 2023

Can you hear me?

Past and present habits

Past habits/situations - USED TO

I used to smoke. = in the past I smoked and now I've stopped

I didn't use to smoke

Did you use to smoke

I smoked?? When?

I used to go to the cinema every Saturday when I was a child

(Last Saturday I went to the cinema (once - "used to" not possible))

I often went to the cinema on Saturdays when I was a child

Present Habit

Present simple + adverb

"I usually have toast for breakfast."

(!! be used to + ing = I am accustomed to something

"Now I'm used to getting up early every morning" (I have adapted to this new situation)

not the same as "I usually get up early every morning.")

at least

to read a novel

I lost touch with them

13 January 2023

I go walking with V on the beach

with another friend I go shopping

before going

well-known writers

I go to the mountains

I go skiing in the mountains

there is two months ago

to get fat/to put on weight

French fries are very fattening

to be well-behaved

to be talkative

time flies

on Facebook

we got in touch again

she's still in Brittany

I'm the youngest

to blackmail

to stroke (caresser)

to take advantage

to shout at someone

to disagree

we phone each other every two days

17th January 2023

to be in a hurry

to hurry

I bought a pair of jeans/some jeans

a shirt

there weren't many people

it belongs to

I haven't done...... for a long time

I haven't laughed a lot at a film for a long time

otherwise

19th January 2023

floor tiles

my builder

my schedule

per metre squared 

the Second World War

to participate in 

a cliff

my heart-throb

to be fed up

to give up

it was rubbish!

a thief (plural - thieves)

26 January 2023

there was a lot of traffic

his height

to have a drink

to be bald

slightly = a little bit

a beard

31 January 2023

to catch up

elbow

to owe money

ankle

to manage to do something

to give advice

to make eye contact

to cross your arms

to give someone a thumbs-up 

to stare at

2 February 2023

to lift my arm

yesterday evening

to get fit

to split up with, break up with (to separate from)

hips

chest

thigh

8th February 2023

Can you hear me?

The people were the same age as me

a worktop

cupboards

it depends on

to bully someone

10 February 2023

advice (uncountable) "some advice" "a piece of advice"

to make a mistake

to be worth .... ing

is it worth going to university?

14th February 2023

Second conditional (hypothetical present/future)

If I won the lottery, I would buy a new car

If + past .......... would + verb (I'd ....)

23 February 2023

I hope so

in the mountains

surrounded by mountains

a windmill

a cushion

to be/go on holiday

we are meeting each other

she has been in La GM since COVID

she can't cope

stubborn

to do a training course

to be in charge of

10 March 2023

he is a postman

he delivers letters

it's different to us

a parcel/a package

to get out of a van

to get back into a van

a covering letter

I am used to doing that

I used to do that (in the past)

she's still on holiday

13th March 2023

to stick on the wall

to look for something

to deliver

jewellery

there are a lot of people

17th March 2023

a vacuum cleaner

the toll

to be absent-minded

to compensate

to complain

a failure

a loss

to make a complaint

23 March 2023

she was Jewish

24th March 2023

a burglar

to sting (bee)

to swell up

accident prone

luckily

unluckily

to update someone on the latest news

to update software

28th March 2023

to notice

to phone someone (not to someone)

to be addicted to

5th April 2023

Quantifiers

a lot of + - ? (loads of - informal/slang)

I have a lot of friends, I don't have a lot of friends, Do you have a lot of friends?

much - ? UNCOUNTABLE

"I don't have much time." "Do you have much time?"

How much + uncountable "How much time do you have?"

Too much + uncountable noun "There is too much water in the bath."

(too + adjective  - too much big)

(How much does it cost? "money" is uncountable)

many - ? COUNTABLE

"I don't have many friends." "Do you have many friends?"

How many + countable

Too many + countable

A little/very little/little + uncountable "I have a little money."

A few/very few/few + countable "I have a few umbrellas."

Plenty of  - more than enough

enough time (before noun)

big enough (after adjective)

to manage to 

just in case

7th April 2023

on the corner

go straight on

it's down the road

go across

turn left

go down the street

21 April 2023

to toss the salad

a frying pan

to chop vegetables

to fry mushrooms

they look happy

3 May 2023

to be available

shutters

accommodation

a friend whose name is Véronique

she's quiet (she doesn't speak a lot)

she's very friendly/nice

15 May 2023

to pack my suitcase

heavy traffic

to swallow

to take a tablet/a pill

wrist

to be a cheat

at the beginning of the race