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Vocabulary: Barnes to Fulham Palace Saturday 22nd March 2014

25/3/2014

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Dear all,
Here is the vocabulary from last Saturday's English conversation walk. I can't believe how lucky we were with the weather ... it stayed dry and sunny all day. Half-an-hour after I got home, it thundered and hailed!

Thank you for all your hard work doing the history research and making it such an enjoyable afternoon.
I look forward to seeing you again soon.
Best Wishes
Gail


Vocabulary:


To moan (verb): To keep saying what is wrong with something. To complain. E.g. The English always moan about the weather!

A moan (noun): E.g. She had a moan about all the work her manager expected her to do.  

Touristy (adjective) (informal): Usually used negatively. Relating to or visited by tourists. It’s often used to suggest a lack of authenticity.  E.g. A touristy shopping street.

Note: The word ‘touristic’ does not exist!

A pond (noun): An area of water that is smaller than a lake. E.g. she built a pond in her garden.

To borrow (something from somebody) (verb): To take or receive something from somebody that you intend to give back, usually after a short time. E.g. Can I borrow your pen for a minute, please? E.g. I borrowed some money from the bank to pay for my new car.

To lend (something to somebody) (verb): To allow somebody to use something for a short time. And to give somebody money that must be paid back after a certain period of time. E.g. Could you lend me £10 until Friday? E.g. He lent me his bicycle / he lent his bicycle to me.

A disease (noun): An illness of the body in humans, animals or plants. Trees and plants cannot be ‘sick’ – they can only be ‘diseased’. E.g. The trees became so diseased that they died.  E.g. When we passed Barn Elms Playing Fields, I explained that his area got its name from the number of Elm trees that used to grow there. However, in 1970s, Dutch Elm disease killed the majority of Elm trees across the UK.

April Showers (expression): The expression we use to describe the short bursts of rain in spring.  

A shower (noun): (see above) a short period of rain, often heavy.

To row (verb): To move a boat through the water using oars (= the long thin pieces of wood with flat parts at the end). E.g. There were lots of people rowing on the Thames last Saturday.

A knee-length skirt (adjective/noun): If we want to describe an item of clothing by its length, we often specify the area of the body where the clothing reaches too. E.g. The children had to wear knee-length skirts to school. E.g. She wore an ankle-length coat in winter.

Packed (adjective): Crowded tightly together. E.g. The museum was packed with tourists / packed full of tourists. (negative meaning) E.g. The train is always packed in rush hour. (negative meaning) E.g. My sandwich is packed full of cheese and salad. It’s lovely. (positive meaning)

Common (adjective): usual

E.g. It’s common for a student to feel silly/embarrassed when we make mistakes learning English.

E.g. We make common mistakes.

Note: We can’t say: ‘I have to return to my common work. We can say: ‘I have to return to my usual work.

Common (adjective / expression): ordinary, not special.

E.g. The officers had much better living conditions than the common soldiers.

E.g. We often refer to the ‘common man’ = ordinary people, not the wealthy, politicians, celebrities etc.

E.g. It’s common to meet foreign people in London (= it’s nothing unusual or strange)

To differentiate (between one thing and another) (verb): To see or show how things are different between A and B. E.g. It’s difficult to differentiate (hear the difference) between a Scottish and a Welsh accent if you are an English language student.

The ground (noun): The solid surface of the earth. E.g. We sat on the ground to eat our picnic.

The grounds (noun): The land or gardens surrounding a large house or building. E.g. The grounds of Fulham Palace are lovely in spring.

Grounds (for something or for doing something): A reason for something. E.g. She divorced her husband on grounds of cruelty. E.g. The grounds for her dismissal were dishonesty.

Rhubarb (noun): A plant with red stalks (= the long thin parts) that can be cooked and eaten as fruit. We usually call the stalks ‘sticks of rhubarb’ when buying them.

To stroll (verb): To walk slowly for pleasure. E.g. Let’s stroll along the beach before dinner.

A stroll (noun): A slow walk for pleasure. E.g. She went for a stroll through the grounds of Fulham Palace.


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Vocabulary: Barnes to Fulham Palace Saturday 22nd June 2013

26/6/2013

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Hello all
We were so lucky with the weather last Saturday, weren't we? I thought it was going to rain, but it didn't and we were able to stay dry throughout the walk.

Thank you for all your hard work - the worksheets and the research.

Below is some of the vocabulary that we went over in the cafe at the end. I hope it's useful so that when I see you again, you'll remember every word!

I look forward to seeing you all again.
Best Wishes
Gail

Vocabulary Barnes Bridge to Fulham Palace – Saturday 22nd  June 2013

To snoop (around) (on somebody) (verb): To look around secretly and without permission in order to find out information. E.g. He snooped in the office cupboard to find the information he needed.

Snooper (noun): a person who snoops.

Snooping (adjective): E.g. We had snooping neighbours. They used every opportunity to come round.

A spook (noun): An informal word for spy.

Spooky (adjective): Strange and frightening. E.g. It was spooky being in the house at night.

Nosy (adjective): When someone shows too much curiosity in another person’s business. E.g. My colleague is so nosy. She tries to read my notes all the time. E.g. We’ve got such nosy neighbours. They even peer at us over the garden wall!

A river (noun): a large expanse of water that flows to the sea (or in a lake or into another river). Rivers are usually quite wide or become wider as they continue to flow.

A stream (noun): a small and narrow river

A brook (noun): a small stream

A pond (noun): a small area of water that doesn’t have any natural movement. Some people have a pond in their garden for small fish and plants.

A lake (noun): a large area of water that is surrounded by land.

To stream (verb): We also use ‘stream’ to describe liquid, gas or light. E.g. He couldn’t stop crying. Tears streamed down his face.

We also use ‘stream’ about people or things. E.g. During rush hour, people streamed out of the tube station.

A public outcry (noun): A strong protest by a large number of people because they disagree with something.

A demonstration / a demo (British informal) (noun): A public protest for or against something. Often, a large number of people meet in a central place to demonstrate.

The embankment (noun): An embankment is usually made of earth or stone to stop a river from spreading across a road or railway. Often, there is a pathway next to a river which we call the embankment.

Wealthy (adjective): When someone has lots of money or property, we say they’re wealthy.

Rich (adjective): the same as wealthy

Note: We can say that a cake is ‘rich’ in calories. But we can’t say that a cake is ‘wealthy’ in calories.

Well-to-do (adjective): the same as wealthy

Well off (adjective): the same as wealthy. E.g. The family who live at number 72 are really well off. They have 6 cars, 3 houses, 18 horses and a swimming pool.

A zebra crossing (noun): the black and white striped crossings that pedestrians can use to cross the road. In England, cars have to stop when a pedestrian starts to cross on a zebra crossing.

A sundial (noun): A type of clock used in past times that uses the sun and a pointed piece of metal to show what the time is. E.g. We saw a sundial on the church in Barnes.

Huge (adjective): Very big. E.g. The London Wetlands Centre is huge. It’s 42 hectares.

A vehicle (noun): Something which transports people or things from place to place e.g. cars, lorries, trains, buses, bicycles.

Underneath (preposition/adverb): Situated directly below something else. E.g. She put her bag underneath the table. (You can use ‘underneath’ in place of ‘under’)

A beech tree (noun): a type of tree common in England. We saw some beech trees in Barnes.

A major problem
A major road

A mayor (note difference in spelling and pronunciation with ‘major’): A person who is elected to be the leader of a group of people who manage the affairs of a town or city.

Some corrections:

When we talk about our likes and hobbies, we use ~ing E.g. I like running; I like reading; he enjoys cooking; they love walking etc.
            
Someone said: “I try to accurate my English”. ‘Accurate is an adjective = exact and correct, without mistakes. E.g. I need to be accurate with money. E.g. The shop worker must be accurate when giving change to the customer.

Because ‘accurate’ is an adjective, we cannot say ‘I try to accurate my English’. We need another verb. E.g. I try to improve my English.

Or: I’m trying to be more accurate!!

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New vocabulary: Barnes Bridge to Fulham Palace Sunday 17 June 2012

20/6/2012

1 Comment

 
Hello all
I really enjoyed walking with you last Sunday from Barnes Bridge to Fulham Palace. We had so many laughs along the way as well as interesting discussions. And thank you for putting in so much work before the walk with the English Worksheets and the history research.

Here is the vocabulary that we went over as we sat on the grass outside Fulham Palace. It was here that we grumbled, mumbled, moaned and whined! We were so grumpy!! Read on ...

I look forward to seeing you all again.
Best Wishes
Gail

Words relating to the river:


A river (noun): a large expanse of water that flows to the sea (or in a lake or into another river). Rivers are usually quite wide or become wider as they continue to flow.

A stream (noun): a small and narrow river

A brook (noun): a small stream

A pond (noun): a small area of water that doesn’t have any natural movement. Some people have a pond in their garden for small fish and plants.

A lake (noun): a large area of water that is surrounded by land.

To row (verb): when you make a small boat move through the water by using wooden (or metal) oars (long poles with a wide end) to steer the boat.

A rowing boat (noun): a boat that must be steered by using oars (see above)

An oar (noun): a long pole with a wide, flat end that is used to steer a boat

A paddle (noun): a short pole with a wide end to move and steer a small boat or canoe through water. Similar to an oar.

Thrown in at the deep end (expression): The ‘deep end’ is like being thrown into the deep end of a swimming pool and not be able to swim. When someone is given a job or task to do which they are not experienced at, we say that they have been ‘thrown in at the deep end’. E.g. Nathalie was thrown in at the deep end because she had to give a talk about the history of Putney Pier. She’d never done this before.

The southbank (of a river) (noun): a) the land next to a river on the south side. b) The Southbank (proper noun): the name of a place on the south bank of the Thames. An area of London. Because it is the name of a place, it must have a capital letter for the ‘S’.

The northbank (of a river) (noun): the land next to a river on the north side.

The Thames: Ok, you all know what the Thames is! But how do we pronounce it?!  We say it like this: /tems/

Words relating to complaints:

To grumble (verb): Complain or protest about something in a bad-tempered way. For example, when the cafe was closing as we arrived after our walk, a lot of us grumbled! We complained among ourselves and not to the cafe. That means that we grumbled or that we were grumbling!

To mumble (verb): When we say something quietly and not clearly. Other people can’t hear us properly. Often, we are complaining but don’t want to complain directly.

To moan (about something) (verb): When we are fed up with something and want to complain but don’t do this directly to the person who has caused the problem. We go on and on about the problem to our friends or the people nearby, but don’t do anything useful about it!

To whine (verb): Similar to ‘moan’. When we whine, our words are long and drawn out so they are very annoying to other people.

To be grumpy (adjective): to be bad-tempered and sulk.

Words relating to bodies:

Blood and guts (adjective): When we see a horror film that has lots of violence in it, we say it’s a film with ‘blood and guts’.

Guts (noun): a) All the bits inside our bodies e.g. the stomach, intestines etc.

b) To have guts: When someone does something courageous, we say that they ‘have guts’. Or that ‘it takes guts’ to do something i.e. it takes courage to do it.

Gore (noun): a) When we see lots of blood, we call it ‘gore’. A horror film that has lots of blood and violence, is often called ‘blood and gore’.

b) gory (adjective): How we describe something that has lots of blood and violence. E.g. that film was really gory. If we see a person or animal after an accident, we describe it the scene as ‘gory’.

To have balls (expression): ‘Balls’ are men’s genitals. When we use this expression (for men only, of course!!) we mean that they have the courage to do something. Or that they ‘have the guts’ to do something.

Words relating to buildings:

To vacate (verb): When we leave the building where we were living, we can say that we ‘have vacated it.’ When we leave a job we use ‘vacate’. E.g. She vacated her job as a teacher. E.g. they vacated the rooms where they had been living since they arrived in London.’

Note: when we move house, we say ‘I’m moving house’. Not: ‘I’m moving my house’ (you must be very, very strong to move a house!!)

Scaffolding (noun): This is a temporary structure that is outside of a building so that workers can either paint the building or repair it. It is usually made with metal poles and wooden planks.


To scaffold
(verb): to attach the scaffolding to the building. However, this is not a verb that is current and used. Perhaps, it is used by the workers but I have never heard it. We think it might be an old word.

A scaffold (noun): This is a wooden structure that was built to hang prisoners from. The scaffold was high so each prisoner had to climb steps onto it. Then they were hanged.

Other words:

A whistle (noun): a small wooden, plastic or metal object. When you blow through one end, there is a loud high-pitched noise.

To whistle (verb): when we push our lips out into an ‘O’ shape and blow through them. A noise comes out of them.

A playing field (noun): a large area of grass where children can play sport or other games.

It’s like Picadilly Circus (expression): When there are lots of people, we often say ‘it’s like Picadilly Circus’. E.g. It’s like Picadilly Circus here today. There’s loads of cyclists and walkers on the path this morning.

How to say ...

Charles 1st: we say ‘Charles the first’. Elizabeth 2nd = ‘Elizabeth the second’ etc.

1100: we say ‘eleven hundred’. 1900 – ‘nineteen hundred’ etc.


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New Vocabulary: Barnes Bridge to Fulham Palace - Wednesday 30 May 2012

5/6/2012

1 Comment

 
Hello to you
I really enjoyed walking and talking to you last Wednesday from Barnes to Fulham Palace. It is such a pretty walk so I hope you enjoyed it too.


Here is some of the new vocabulary that arose during the walk. I hope it is useful! If I've missed any, please do add it to the blog.

Best Wishes
Gail

A bud
(noun): The growth on a plant that develops into a flower or leaf.

E.g. Before a the flowers are out on a rose bush, we say it is ‘in bud’.

When all the flowers are out and we say they are ‘in bloom’.

To swing (verb): When something moves back and forth (backwards and forwards). It can be an object or a person. E.g. The girl swings her legs under the table. E.g. Tania swings on the rope.

A swing (noun): Usually found in a children’s play area in a park. A seat is fixed between ropes or chains and someone sits on it and swings backwards and forwards. E.g. Adrian is sitting on the swing.

A goose (noun). A large waterbird. It has a long neck, short legs and webbed feet and a short wide beak.

Geese (noun). Plural of ‘goose’.

To row (verb): When people sit in a boat and use oars (long wooden-shaped sticks with a flat end) to move the boat in the direction that they want to go. E.g. They rowed all the way from Putney to Barnes.

Oars (noun): We use these to row a boat. They are long and usually made of wood. The end is wide and flat and used to move in the water to direct the boat to where you want it to go.

Canoe (noun): a small, narrow boat with pointed ends. Paddles are used to steer it and make it go in the right direction.

Rowing boat (noun): A long, narrow boat that is steered with oars (see above). There is room for a team of eight to row together.

Referee (noun): An official person who watches a game (e.g. football, rugby etc). This person makes sure that the rules are kept properly and if not, they decide what happens next.

Earthquake (noun): When the ground suddenly shakes violently. It opens up and sometimes buildings or roads break and collapse.

An imposter (noun): When a person pretends to be something that they are not. Or pretends to be a person that they are not. E.g. Some people think that Paul McCartney is not really the real Paul McCartney! They say that the real one died many years ago and since then, an imposter has pretended to be him!

A crumb (noun) (plural = crumbs): Small fragments of bread, cakes or biscuits. We usually see them left on the plate after we have eaten. E.g. After David had finished his sandwich, he cleaned the crumbs from his plate.

To turn in your grave (idiom): When something has happened after someone’s death that would make them unhappy, we say that they would ‘turn in their grave’ if they knew. E.g. If Edward Rose knew that the money he gave to the church to provide roses on his grave wasn’t being used properly, he would turn in his grave!

A beak (bird) (noun): The pointed, hard sharp mouth on a bird is called ‘a beak’.


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