執筆者 Modern English | 2014年08月23日 | Phrases
John: Would you care to dance? Marcia: I’d love to. This is a polite way to ask if someone wants to do something. It’s very similar to last week’s phrase (“Would you care for some tea?”) but it end with a verb instead of a noun. An action is being offered, not an...
執筆者 Modern English | 2014年08月22日 | TOEIC
“Before we can start repairs, we must certain how much damage was done.” Find the mistake: A. Before B. repairs C. certain D. was done 「Must」の後は動詞のはずなのに、「certain」は「確か」という意味の形容詞です。「Be」を入れて「be certain」でもいいのですが、他に似ている動詞があります。「確認する」という意味の「ascertain」ならより自然です。 Do more TOEIC...
執筆者 Modern English | 2014年08月21日 | Trivia
An inner tube is a big rubber ring used for floating in the water. It’s great for floating down a river and relaxing and looking at the scenery. Or if you have goggles and the river is clear, you can see the underwater scenery. Why is it called an inner tube? It’s...
執筆者 Modern English | 2014年08月20日 | Idioms
“You’d better start cleaning your room now. I want it spick and span by the time Grandma gets here!” “Spick and span” means very clean. Originally it may have meant “brand new” but now anything can be spick and span, so long as there is not a speck of visible dirt on...
執筆者 Modern English | 2014年08月19日 | Words
“I visited the store where I used to work and went drinking with my former colleagues.” “Former” is used with things that someone or something used to be but no longer is. For example, if you give your cat to your friend, the cat is now your former pet. If you get...
