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.
🥇 The One-Word Challenge
Can you think of one word that makes sense to complete all three of these sentences? Careful! You might have to change the word slightly:
When the auditor walked into the office, he __________ the accountant red-handed slipping receipts into his personal bag.
We’re in a real __________-22 here: we need experience to get new clients, but we need clients to get experience!
The sudden change in market regulations really __________ the management team off guard.
(Check your answer after this week’s Fantastic Phrasal Verbs quiz)
Fantastic Phrasal Verbs
It’s been a couple of weeks since the last quiz, so I bet you can’t wait to get started! See if you know these 6 essential phrasal verbs on the topic of crime and punishment. If you score less than 5/6, I’ll call the grammar police.
🥇 The One-Word Challenge: Answer and breakdown
Did you guess it? The missing word is catch! (Note how in sentences 1 and 3, it takes its past form: caught!)
Here’s a closer look at how these three expressions work:
Catch red-handed = To discover or catch someone in the middle of doing something wrong or illegal.
Catch-22 = A paradoxical, impossible situation where you cannot succeed because of conflicting rules or conditions.
Catch off guard = To surprise someone or affect them when they are unprepared.
📝 Mini-Dialogue Practice
Fill in the blanks with the three phrases you’ve just learned. You can find the answers at the end of the newsletter 👀:
A: "Why did the client sound so surprised on the phone?"
B: "I called them without warning about the deadline, so I definitely __________________________."
A: "Did IT manage to find out who was downloading unauthorised files?"
B: "Yeah, they __________________________ during a routine system check yesterday."
A: "Why haven't we hired a senior developer yet?"
B: "It's a complete __________________________. We can't afford a high salary until we grow, but we can't grow without top talent!"
🔧 Quick Fix
It’s time for a pronunciation challenge 🏆
Did you know that these two words are pronounced differently?
a present 🎁 - (un regalo) to present 📽 - (presentare)
In fact, there’s a whole family of words that look the same but have a slightly different pronunciation.
Watch this week’s Quick Fix to hear the difference and see if you can figure out the rule.
📖 In other news
Step aside Bonnie and Clyde, today we’re looking at some of the most unusual crime stories in England. It seems would-be thieves have set their sights on all kinds of things, from 18-carat solid gold toilets to whole wheels of Brie cheese.
Get ready to take a dive into the quirky, weird, and surprisingly costly world of unconventional theft.
Before you read the article, check out these 5 useful B2-level vocabulary items from the text:
💡 Vocabulary Focus
Mundane (Adjective)
Meaning: Ordinary, routine, or lacking excitement.
From the text: "It highlights how even seemingly mundane items can become targets for criminals."
Spate (of) (Noun phrase)
Meaning: A large number of similar events (especially unpleasant ones) happening in a short period of time.
From the text: "...a restaurant owner took matters into his own hands after a spate of burglaries by secretly placing a tracker in a wheel of Brie."
Brazen (Adjective)
Meaning: Bold, shameless, and done without hiding or caring what others think.
From the text: "Other acts have been brazen. One of the men... actually spent a penny in it the day before the robbery..."
Farcical (Adjective) - pronounced /FAR-si-kəl/
Meaning: Absurd, ridiculous, or foolish; like a comedy.
From the text: "Some thefts have been downright farcical though, including the gang that tunnelled into a secure vault..."
Nurture (Verb)
Meaning: To care for, develop, and encourage the growth or progress of something.
From the text: "The amount of work that's gone into nurturing the cows... is beyond estimation."
🧀 Your Quick Reading Challenge
Read the article below to answer these two quick questions:
How did a restaurant owner in Harrogate manage to track down a thief who stole a wheel of Brie cheese?
What makes stealing handmade cheese so devastating for a dairy farmer beyond just the financial cost?
✉ Reply to this email with your answers and I’ll get back to you.
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 practise 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
caught them off guard
caught him/them red-handed
Catch-22
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
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