Hi everybody and welcome to what can only be described as a video language lesson posted
on the internet. Coming to you from the birthplace of… the author AA Milne, who wrote the stories
of Winnie the Pooh and his various animal friends, plus his human companion; Christopher Robin.
Did you know that Christopher Robin was a real person? In fact he was AA Milne’s son.
England is also the birthplace of…the English language, which is why we are all
here today. So without any more small talk or jibber jabbering, let’s get on with
today’s Full English lesson, which will start…right…
now!
Do you ever find yourself with your head in the clouds? Do you ever drift off into another world?
Sometimes it is very easy to become distracted by a thought, especially when you
are in need of some sort of escape. To daydream is to drift away from reality. You float off
to another dimension, another time, another place…or both. A happy memory that you are
keen to relive might send you into a daydream. Something that you hope will be, or a place
you would like to visit can become part of that daydream. The most vivid daydreams tend
to be the things that have already happened. A nice memory that you enjoy reliving over
and over in your mind can really cheer you up. A daydream can be fantastic, outlandish,
weird and wonderful. Your daydream might visualise a life of wealth, fame, or immense power.
To daydream is to fantasise, you drift away, you go off to another place, you are miles away,
albeit in your imagination. We might say that a person who daydreams a lot often
has their head in the clouds. A daydream can be described as a flight of fantasy.
Daydreaming is not necessarily a bad thing, as quite often it can lead to a moment of inspiration.
Do you ever daydream? What do you daydream about?
You memory can play tricks on you. You might be at work doing something mundane, when all
of a sudden a memory pops into your head. It might be a random moment from your past.
Something that has left an impression on you might simply pop up in your head. You might
have a flashback. A moment in the present can send you back in time. A certain sound
or smell from your childhood that occurs in the present can transport you back to your
younger years. Sometimes the memories consist of unhappy events and moments we would rather forget.
Looking back on your life experiences is normal. You reminisce, you reflect,
You consider what occurred by remembering the events that went before. As we get older,
As we get older, our distant memories become more precious. Your memories make you the person you are,
they are your individual experiences that are an irreplaceable part of you.
Here are two words that look similar, but have different meanings. The words are ‘frill’
and ‘thrill’. Firstly, the word ‘frill’, with a ‘F’ means an attractive addition
or decoration. You make something look more appealing by adding ‘frills’. You might
see a frill on a woman’s dress or skirt. You might add frills to a pair of curtains,
so as to make then stand out more. So something that makes an item seem more appealing is
a frill. In business you might see ‘frills’ being added to a particular type of service.
“This hotel is worth staying at just for the frills.’’
The extravagant services added to something can be described as ‘frills’. Of course the opposite can also be true.
If a business wants to cut costs or make something more affordable then they might take away
the frills. A basic service without the unnecessary comforts or luxury can be described as 'no frills'
“The air ticket to France is very cheap, but it comes with no frills.”
You are getting the basic flight with nothing added as a bonus. A basic service is a ‘no frills service'
Then there is the word ‘Thrill’, which can be either a noun adjective
or verb. Something that makes you feel a sudden rush of excitement can be described as a ‘thrill’.
“It was a thrill to see BTS in concert last night.”
“I was thrilled to be asked to speak at the seminar."
The sudden rush of excitement is a thrill. You feel the thrill.
Your breathing becomes deeper, your heart might suddenly start racing. You are feeling the thrill.
The thing that gives you the thrill is ‘thrilling’, such as a thrilling fairground ride,
a thrilling movie, or a thrilling expedition. The thrilling thing is the thrill.
The thrill is what you get from the thing that is thrilling you. An excited looking person can appear thrilled.
“The smile on his face told me that he was thrilled to be here.”
So as a noun, ‘thrill’ names the feeling. As a verb, you cause a person to feel thrilled
and as an adjective, a person can appear thrilled. So there you have it…‘frill’ and ‘thrill’;
two similar looking words, with very different meanings.
Here’s an interesting phrase that you might hear when discussing new ideas or ventures.
The phrase is ‘trial and error’. This phrase means to try many different ways of
doing something until you find the best method, or the one that works for you. A trial and
error approach is often used in R and D, Which means ‘research and development’;
this is a means by which experimentation is carried out to determine the best course of action to take.
This is often done when designing a new product. The trial and error principle
is used in general life too. The way we learn as children quite often uses this trial and
error method. From learning to walk, to learning to drive a car, the trial and error principle
is often occurring, even if you are not aware of it. When you start off doing something,
whether it is a new pursuit, or a radical plan to design something innovative,
then there is a good chance that ‘trial and error’ will be the route you will take to achieving
your goal. The ‘trial’ is the work involved and the ‘error’ relates to the mistakes
you will make on the way.
It’s now time to take a look at another ‘buzzword’. A buzzword is a word or phrase
that is popular during a certain period, or is frequently used. Today’s buzzword is…‘establishment’.
The word ‘establishment’ as a mass noun means the action of establishing something
or being established. To establish something means to create something with the intention
of putting it in place. A set of rules or laws can be established. A group or company
can be established or set up. The governing body, which enforces power over society
is often referred to as ‘the establishment’. A large business organization or a public
institution can be referred to as an establishment. An influential group within a certain profession
or area of activity is often referred to as a type of establishment.
“The medical establishment will not like these new healthcare plans.”
A religious group that has a system of rules
and directives that have been organized by law is an establishment.
We often refer to it as the church establishment.
The word ‘establish’ derives from Latin and literally means ‘make firm'.
It is true that the English language can be quite confusing, especially when it comes
to pronunciation. Good examples of this occurrence are the words – ‘lose’ and ‘loose’
‘chose’ and ‘choose’. Firstly the word ‘lose’ means to mislay something.
It describes the sudden loss of an item or person. The spelling of ‘lose’ often causes
confusion for many when it comes to written English. The word ‘chose’ is used in the
past tense, as something that has been chosen. You chose it.
"I chose this dress yesterday whilst out shopping."
So despite the similar spelling, the words ‘lose’ and ‘chose’
are pronounced very differently. Then we have ‘loose’ and 'choose’.
Firstly the word ‘loose’ means a state of slackness or free movement.
“I have a loose tooth, I should go to the dentist I guess.”
Then there is ‘choose’, which describes the action of making a selection.
You select something. You choose an item.
“I will CHOOSE my wedding dress tomorrow." (sorry about the error)
It’s worth remembering that while ‘chose’ and ‘choose’ are related,
‘lose’ and ‘loose’ are not, thus proving that the English language
can sometimes be a very confusing thing indeed.
Sadly we have come to the end of another Full English lesson. It’s time to cut you loose,
but I hope you will not lose that lovely smile on your face. Feel free to choose my channel
as your place to learn English. I hope in the future you will feel that you chose well.
Don’t forget to subscribe right now and make sure you have your notifications activated,
so you will never miss another one of my English lessons; be it live or recorded. This is Misterduncan
in England saying thanks for watching, enjoy your English studies, see you again soon and of course...
ta ta for now.