The English Breakfast ☕
Hi there,
Welcome back to The English Breakfast — the newsletter for Italian professionals who want to feel more confident in English at work.
I hope you’ve had a great week. Let’s dive straight in and give your English a boost.
Fantastic Phrasal Verbs
If you want to speak English at a high level, you need to have a good knowledge of phrasal verbs.
Try this week’s quiz to see if you already know these 6 advanced level examples.
🥇 The One-Word Challenge
Did you get the word right last week? Let’s try another one. Can you think of one word that makes sense to complete all three of these sentences?
I agree with you up to a _____ but I think we still need to work out some of the details.
I’m sorry but your presentation is going on too long. It’s Friday. It’s 5:30pm. Can you get to the _____, please?
There’s no _____ in going to the cinema now. The film started 10 minutes ago.
(Check your answer after this week’s Quick Fix)
🔧 Quick Fix
Do you know the difference between occasion and opportunity in English?
Lots of English learners confuse these two words. Watch this week’s Quick Fix to make sure you don’t make the same mistake. Let’s go!
🥇 The One-Word Challenge: Answer and breakdown
Did you guess the word? The missing word is point! Now let’s look closer at how these expressions work.
Up to a point = Agreeing partially, but not completely.
Get to the point = Focus on the main idea without wasting time or going off-topic.
There’s no point = Something has no useful purpose, benefit, or reason.
Now that you've seen how versatile point is, let’s test your knowledge. Fill in the blanks in the mini-dialogues with the three phrases we’ve just learned.
👀 You can find the answers at the end of the newsletter.
A: "Should we wait for David before starting the dinner?"
B: "No, __________________________. He texted to say he's stuck in traffic for an hour."
A: "I think working from home every day is great for productivity."
B: "I agree __________________________, but team meetings are much better in person."
A: "Sorry to interrupt your story, but we only have two minutes left."
B: "Right, sorry! Let me __________________________: we need to approve the budget today."
📖 In other news
This week, we're diving into a mouth-watering article from the BBC about one of Italy's most famous—and controversial—dining rituals, which also happens to be my favourite part of a meal! 😄
Before you find out which tradition the article talks about, take a look at these 5 useful B2-level vocabulary items from the article to help boost your reading skills:
💡 Vocabulary Focus
Baffled (Adjective)
Meaning: Completely confused or unable to understand something.
From the text: "These days I'm baffled when my husband leaves good sauce on the plate."
Frown upon (Phrasal Verb)
Meaning: To disapprove of something or view it as socially unacceptable.
From the text: "So how did a habit once frowned upon in polite company become something Italians now proudly do in public?"
Nonchalance (Noun)
Meaning: A relaxed, calm, and casual manner that shows you are not worried or anxious. It’s pronounced with French pronunciation /non-shuh-LAHNS/
From the text: "He called it perfectly acceptable – even elegant – as long as it was done with the fingers with nonchalance."
Instinctive (Adjective)
Meaning: Done naturally and automatically without needing to think about it.
From the text: "Francesca Cipolla... says it is instinctive, almost a reflex."
Integral (Adjective)
Meaning: Essential or necessary to make something complete.
From the text: "Bread was a food that commanded deep respect... it was the integral part of the meal..."
Head over to the full article and read it with two quick goals in mind:
The Vocabulary Hunt: Keep an eye out for our 5 target words in context to see how they're used naturally.
The Cultural Mystery: Find out which famous Italian food ritual the article is describing!
Want to finally speak English fluently?
If you want to speak more naturally without fear of making mistakes, The English Fluency Club is for you. In small online group sessions, we practice real-life topics, learn vocabulary in context, and work on pronunciation and grammar with structured feedback.
Not sure if your level is right for the Club? Don't worry—I have groups for different levels so you'll always feel comfortable!
Simply take this quick English level test. I'll look at your result and send you an email with details on the best group and schedule options for you. No pressure, no obligation—just a quick check to see if it's a good fit!
➡ Take the test now🗒 ⬅
👀 Answers to the Mini-Dialogues
A: "Should we wait for David before starting the dinner?"
B: "No, there’s no point. He texted to say he's stuck in traffic for an hour."
A: "I think working from home every day is great for productivity."
B: "I agree up to a point, but team meetings are much better in person."
A: "Sorry to interrupt your story, but we only have two minutes left."
B: "Right, sorry! Let me get to the point: we need to approve the budget today."
OK, that’s all for this week’s edition.
Let me know if you enjoyed it, and I’ll see you next time.
Have a great week. 😎
All the best,
Dan
#englishlesson #learnenglish #learnenglishforfree #speakenglish #howtospeakenglishfluently #englishconversation #englishgrammar #fluentenglish #businessenglish #ingleseperitaliani #imparainglese #inglese #ingleseperlavoro #pronunciainglese #grammaticainglese #englishteacher #englishcoach #insegnatediinglese
All rights belong to the owners. No copyright infringement intended.
