The English Breakfast β
Hi there,
Welcome back to The English Breakfast β the newsletter for Italian professionals who want to feel more confident in English at work.
I hope youβve had a great week. Letβs dive straight in and give your English a boost.
π₯ The One-Word Challenge
Can you think of one word that makes sense to complete all three of these sentences? Go on, I believe in you.
I heard things arenβt going so well. The companyβs a bit on the _____s at the moment.
Everythingβs going well with the new client, so donβt say anything that might _____ the boat.
We donβt need to worry about complaints because our customer service is _____ solid.
(Check your answer after this weekβs Quick Fix)
π§ Quick Fix
Itβs time for a pronunciation challenge π
Do you know how to pronounce contractions like itβd, thatβd, and itβll properly? Check out this weekβs Quick Fix to find out.
π₯ The One-Word Challenge: Answer and breakdown
Did you guess the word? The missing word is rock! (Note how in the first sentence it takes a plural "s" β rocks!)
Now letβs look closer at how these expressions work:
On the rocks = In serious difficulty or experiencing major problems.
Rock the boat = To do or say something that disrupts a stable situation or causes trouble.
Rock solid = Extremely dependable, strong, or reliable.
Now letβs test your knowledge. Fill in the blanks in the mini-dialogues with the three phrases weβve just learned.
π You can find the answers at the end of the newsletter.
A: "Should I ask the manager about changing the working hours for next month?"
B: "Everything is working smoothly right now, so I wouldn't __________________________ if I were you."
A: "Are you sure our financial numbers for the report are accurate?"
B: "Yes, completely! The data is __________________________."
A: "How is their business expansion going?"
B: "Not great, to be honest. Sales are low and the project is on __________________________."
π In other news
I hope you did something sufficiently spooky last night for Halloween. While it's a fun time for us humans, spooky costumes and loud noises can be pretty overwhelming for our four-legged friends! This week, we're looking at a BBC article about how a group of trainee guide dogs in the UK prepared for their very first Halloween. ππΆ
Before you dive in, take a look at these 5 useful B2-level vocabulary items from the text:
π‘ Vocabulary Focus
Resilient (Adjective)
Meaning: Able to quickly recover from difficult, stressful, or surprising situations.
From the text: "There's lots of things around the house that these dogs need to be confident and resilient enough to perform..."
Unaccustomed (to) (Adjective)
Meaning: Not familiar with or used to something.
From the text: "...the festivities can sometimes be a little tail-raising for young dogs unaccustomed to the sights and loud sounds."
Startle (Verb)
Meaning: To suddenly surprise or frighten a person or animal.
From the text: "Roberts described how there was an incident where a skeleton fell over in one of the rooms and startled one dog..."
Retreat (Verb)
Meaning: To move away from a place or situation to go somewhere safer or quieter.
From the text: "Create a safe space with their bed and toys where your dog can retreat to if they feel unsettled."
Toxic (Adjective)
Meaning: Poisonous, dangerous, or harmful to health.
From the text: "Chocolate, raisins and xylitol are toxic to dogs..."
π Your Quick Reading Challenge
Read the story below quickly to answer these two quick questions:
Where were the trainee guide dogs taken to build their confidence, and why?
What happened when a dog named Taylor met a skeleton?
π§ Donβt forget to practice your listening skills too. Watch the video in the article to see how many words from the vocabulary focus section you can hear.
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 worryβI 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 obligationβjust a quick check to see if it's a good fit!
β‘ Take the test now π β¬
π Answers to the Mini-Dialogues
rock the boat
rock solid
the rocks
OK, thatβs all for this weekβs edition.
Let me know if you enjoyed it, and Iβll see you next time.
Have a great week. π
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.
