Please download these Fluency Building Exercises and practice them as much as you can. Don’t just listen. Say them out loud. This is how you will become fluent!
I’d like to show you how to do these fluency building exercises. This is not easy. You have to listen, think, and speak. It might take many times before you can do these easily. So, download them and practice them as much as you can. Don’t just listen. Say them out loud. This is how you will become fluent!
1. I go back and forth to school on ____ .
Example: my bike – I go back and forth to school on my bike.
lost my wallet
forgot my key
broke the window
can’t start the car
Here are the advanced expressions you learned in this lesson. DO NOT go to the next lesson until you remember these, and have practiced the Fluency Building Exercises many times. If you have any questions, contact your coach who can help you.
Your homework is: Tomorrow, listen to all the audio files and practice with your flashcards, until you can say all of the drills quickly.
Mark: Hi, my name is Mark. A few years ago, my wife Dasha and I took a trip from Ukraine, where we live, to the US. The first city I took her to was New York and in this video I’m going to share the pictures we took with my friend, Greg.
– – – –
Mark: So here is how I got back and forth the airport twice because Dasha and I were supposed to come in on the same day and she actually missed her flight from Kiev and so I got in. Waited for her. She was a no-show. So I had to take this train to my buddy’s apartment in Manhattan, go back the next morning and meet her. So I was very familiar with the Sky Train.
Greg: Well, there are a ton of questions in that story. None of them having to do with the sky train but—so, well my question is: How did you get the picture from this vantage point?
Mark: This was downloaded from the net just to show people the air train from Manhattan. So this picture I did not take.
Greg: Oh, I see. Okay. And therefore you don’t know who the young boy in the red shirt is?
Mark: Correct. No clue. He’s probably the conductor. (see video about sarcasm)
Greg: I see, alright. Okay, but I am curious, what happened? Why did Dasha miss her flight or how did…How does that happen when someone just doesn’t get off the plane? I’ve never had that happen.
Mark: Oh, man.
Greg: What’s next?
Mark: Yeah, that was stressful.
Step 1
Listen to Audio #1 below.
Listening before reading is very important. Please, DO NOT read the text yet. If you don’t understand the audio, that’s okay. Listen now, at least two times.
1.
step2
Click below (where it says, ‘Click to reveal #1’) and compare the sentences. See the highlighted phrases? They both have the same meaning. But the 1st one is what students of English say. (For example: “to and from”). The 2nd one is what native speakers say, (“back and forth”). Listen one more time, and then go to Step #3.
Remember, in these four groups of sentences below, a native speaker will usually use the 2nd version. So, "back and forth" is the advanced phrase we want to learn.
I go to and from school on my bike.
I go back and forth to school on my bike.
Bart goes to and from school on his skateboard.
Bart goes back and forth to school on his skateboard.
I go to and from work on the subway.
I go back and forth to work on the subway.
I to and from the airport using the Air Train.
I got back and forth to the airport using the Air Train.
step3
Make a flashcard. Write one of the example sentences on your card, and underline the new word. On the other side of the card, write the translation in your first language. Please make these flashcards now, as you go through the lesson. Then repeat Steps 1 – 3 for each word below.
Oh, man!= (an expression that a serious situation is bad) Darn!
Darn! I forgot my wallet at home! Oh, man! I forgot my wallet at home!
Darn! It’s raining and I left the windows open at home! Oh, man! It’s raining and I left the windows open at home!
Darn! I’m late for work and I have a flat tire! Oh, man! I’m late for work and I have a flat tire!
When Dasha was a no-show, I was thinking, "Darn! What happened?"
When Dasha was a no-show, I was thinking, "Oh, man! What happened?"
Step 1.
First, read the “Easy” sentence. Then, try to think of the advanced expression that we learned which has the same meaning as the highlighted expression.
1
Easy: I go to and from school on my bike.
Advanced: I ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ school on my bike.
Step 2.
Play the audio file to check your answer.
Step 3.
Play the audio again, and repeat, until you can say it from memory.
Step 4.
Repeat Steps 1 – 3 for each set below.
2
Easy: My train arrives at about 9 AM.
Advanced: My train ___ ___ at about 9 AM.
3
Easy: My plane arrived late and I missed my connecting flight.
Advanced: My plane ___ ___ late and I missed my connecting flight.
4
Easy: It was a great party. We only had one person who didn’t arrive.
Advanced: It was a great party. We only had one __-___ .
5
Easy: I bought a lot of food, so please help yourself.
Advanced: I bought ___ ___ of food, so please help yourself.
6
Easy: Darn! I forgot my wallet at home!
Advanced: ___ ___ ! I forgot my wallet at home!
Directions: Type the Advanced Expression in the blank. Click REVEAL to show the answer.
