Hi friends. Do you often talk about people’s talent, performance? Maybe the way they play
sports or maybe the way they give speech? And what you say? He's too good, she was awesome.
Well in today's lesson, I'm going to tell you a few expressions that you could use,
when you want to appreciate someone's talent.
My first one is, He is very good at math. Now the minute I say very good at, that means
he excels in it. But the catch here is, don’t say he's very good in math. You say good at
something, so remember, so very good at, means you excel in something. Do not use in. This
is absolutely wrong. So you could say, He's very good at football. That means he excels
in it. Use the preposition at and not in. This is where most of the people make the
mistake, while using this expression.
My next one, He is a born footballer. Now imagine, if I compliment my friend and say,
Wow! You play so well. You are a born footballer that means you are born just to play football.
Like you are meant to be. And believe me, it’s a very good feeling, when someone tells
you, You’re a born dancer. So that means you are born just to dance. Imagine it is,
you're born to do that, so you’re such a professional at it.
The next one, she is a great dancer, she's a natural. Now the minute I say she's a great
dancer. Well I'm complimenting her, but the minute I say, she's a natural. That means
dancing comes naturally to her. You just put on the music and there she is with her professional
moves. So she's a natural that means she does it naturally, probably does not even require
any formal training. So well being a natural at something is something very positive. So
I remember, when someone tells you, you’re a natural that means, it’s something very
positive, feel good and enjoy the compliment.
The next one, She's head and shoulders about the rest. Now well I need to tell you this,
I have a friend of mine, who speaks really well. She's a great orator. When she's in
front of the audience, she has no inhibitions, she doesn't feel nervous and the way she speaks
her width and she can really sustain the audience interest. So well I always tell her, you’re
a head and shoulders about the rest. Now when I say head and shoulders about the rest that
means you’re above and beyond everyone else, who do the same thing that you do. So well
you are far ahead of others, you are beyond others that means your talent is so good.
I mean you are so talented. So that is why we say, Head and shoulders above the rest
to show or rather to express that you are above and beyond the others, who do the similar
things that you do. So this is one of my favourite expressions, when you want to compliment or
when you want to talk about someone’s talent. And well it’s really boosting. Trust me,
I mean imagine to be head and shoulders about the rest. So this how you could use this one.
The next one, She's a first rate teacher. Now imagine if I say first rate. Obviously
first means first and it is any day better to be a first rate rather than second or third
rate. So obviously you are first here, the best, so we say, She's a first rate teacher.
So remember first rate means A-one or a class apart. So remember first rate is always A-one,
you are the best.
The next one, He's in a class of his own. Now imagine if I'm talking about a designer,
who really designs really good professional clothes like clothes for working people. And
when I talk about his style, the elegance that he has and that he incorporates in his
clothes that he designs. I say, He's in a class of his own. That means he's in a different
league altogether. No one can match the work that he does. He has set his own standard
in his industry, so when I say, He's in a class of his own. That means he's in a different
league and there is no one to match him. This is also a very good expression to use, when
you want to talk about someone's talent. You say, He's in a class of his own or she's in
a class of her own. So when we say, Of her own that means, we mean in her industry. She
has set her own standard and is in a different league now.
The next one, He's got a natural talent for sport. Now here when I say a natural talent.
We mean that it comes naturally to him. So my little cousin, she loves swimming. She's
got a natural talent for it. That means since a kid, she was always attracted to the swimming
pool wanting to go there, jump, dive, swim. She was not afraid and that was something
very innate. Innate means it was just there in her as a kid and that is, when you say,
she’s got a natural talent for swimming. So it comes naturally, you just feel very
attracted to that thing that you're doing and it comes naturally to you. You've not
been trained. Well you chose to train professionally is a different thing. But your inclination
towards something has been there since a kid and that's when we say, she’s got a natural
talent for swimming. So when sometimes in it, well you have a natural talent for it.
My next one, She can do it in her sleep. Well now imagine if a person sleeps, he's unaware
and he's got all different kind of dreams coming his way. But when I say, my brother
sings so well, he can sing in his sleep. I mean imagine without being conscious. He's
in deep sleep he can sing. This is just the way of saying that someone is so good at doing
something that they don't need to be conscious or they don't need to be awake. They can do
it, while they are sleeping. It's just a way of expressing that someone does something
so well that he really doesn't need to focus or be alert, when he is doing something. Well,
I love teaching English probably I do it in my sleep all the time, I don't know. So she
can do it in her sleep means you are not aware, you can just go ahead and do what you do brilliantly.
Well the next one, no one comes close to him as a gamer. This is now my brother’s friend,
who plays games all day long. He's crossed every level in every game. I don't even know
which games he plays. But when I go to him for help. He is always there guiding me and
ensuring, I cross the levels that I need to cross. And you know why that happens? Because
no one comes close to him as a gamer. Now when I say no one comes close to him that
means, He is such a professional, he is far from the rest. We are way behind at least
I am and I don't know, he's so good at it, He just knows everything in, out, the rules,
the levels and what's coming next. So that is because no one comes close to him. So when
you’re saying no one comes close to him as a gamer or maybe no one comes close to
him as a designer or a dancer. That means he is far ahead from the rest.
And the last one. as a driver he is one of a kind. I have a friend of mine whose a racer
and as a racer he's one of a kind. He's one of a kind means, he is unique. The way he
races, his attitude towards it is completely different. So when I appreciate or when I
talk about his talent, I would like to say, As a racer he is one of a kind. And I mean
he is unique at what he does.
So these are a few expressions that I have for you, when you want to talk about someone's
talent and want to appreciate someone's talent. Go ahead and use these expressions. Please
do put in your comments and queries if any. I'll be back with anew lesson. Till then take
care and bye.