In todays fast paced world, having excellent
communication skills is a must, especially in
a global language like English.
To become more fluent and speak English naturally,
its important to use common and everyday expressions.
In this English lesson, we'll explore some of the
most common and useful short and smart English phrases
that can help you improve your fluency and sound
more like a native speaker in daily conversations.
Whether you're a beginner or an advanced learner,
these phrases will definitely come in handy and
help you express yourself better in English.
So sit back, relax and let's get started.
The first phrase I have for you is cotton
on to imagine you are trying to solve a
difficult puzzle and find it extremely difficult.
But eventually you cotton onto the solution.
This means you have finally figured it
out and have solved the puzzle.
To cotton out means to realize or understand something
after some time or after observing it closely.
In short, someone has finally figured out the
solution to something after carefully looking at it.
Here are some examples to understand it better, I finally
cottoned onto the fact that she was lying to me.
It took a while, but she cottoned
onto the bug in the software code.
They conned on to the idea that working
together would be more efficient and productive.
Why don't you try making a sentence
in the comments using this phrase?
I would love to read your comments.
Next up is to creep up on if you
have a project deadline and the date of submitting.
The project is slowly nearing without
you realizing it, which means that
time is passing quickly and unnoticed.
You can say it's creeping up on you.
It is mainly used to talk about something arriving
quietly or in a stealthy manner without being noticed.
Take a look at these examples.
The sun was creeping up on the horizon,
signaling the start of a new day.
The illness crept up on her,
slowly taking her by surprise.
The deadline was creeping up on us,
so we had to work faster.
Here's another short phrase to spring on.
You are having a conversation and suddenly someone
asks you a difficult question for which you
are not prepared to answer what just happened?
You are taken by surprise with that question.
It means you were sprung on with that question.
To spring on means to suddenly
attack surprise or to confront someone.
Someone is taken by surprise and is
not prepared for what is happening.
Let's look at some examples.
To use it in context she sprang the news on
me that she was moving to a new city.
He sprang the idea on us that
we should start a business together.
They sprang the fact that they were
getting married to their friends and family.
I hope you got it to blurt out.
What does it mean to blurt out?
You are in a meeting and one of
your colleagues says something out of nowhere and
that too, in a loud and impulsive manner.
He suddenly started talking without
thinking, which was not appropriate.
What did he do?
He blurted out to blurt out means to say
something suddenly and without thinking in a loud tone.
It means someone has spoken without
considering the consequences of their words.
These example sentences will help
you understand it better.
He blurted out the truth about the
affair before he could stop himself.
She blurted out the answer before the
teacher had finished asking the question.
I almost blurted out my secret
but managed to stalk myself. In time.
He blurted out an apology before he
even knew what he was apologizing for.
To hush up someone.
As we looked earlier, one of your colleagues
blurted out and disturbed an ongoing meeting.
What did your manager do then?
He hushed him up.
To hush someone up means to tell someone
to be quiet or to stop talking.
This phrase is often used in a situation
where someone is speaking too loudly or inappropriately
and needs to be quieted down.
Here are some examples.
The teacher told the students to hush
up and listen to the lesson.
She tried to hush up the
rumor before it spread any further.
I had to hush up my dog
so that it wouldn't wake the baby.
Moving On I have to sink in.
Imagine you are explaining something.
You are providing plenty of examples just
like this lesson, so that people understand
your idea completely and fully.
In short, you want your listeners to
sink in and understand your concept.
To sink in means to be absorbed
or be understood what is being said.
It means someone has processed the
information or message that was presented.
I hope you got it.
Take a look at these example sentences
to use it in your conversations.
It took some time, but the reality
of the situation finally sank in.
The significance of her words didn't sink
in until after she was gone.
Going on a trip was exciting, but the cost
didn't sink in until he saw the bill.
Do you like cricket?
If yes, then you might have
heard this phrase bold over.
Well, in cricket it means hitting the stumps
with the ball and getting the batsman out.
But that's cricket.
In real conversations, it means something else.
Imagine you see a beautiful car and
you are stunned by its looks.
The interiors of the car are amazing.
The features it has.
You are in a state of total awe, which
means you are bold over by the car's looks.
To get bold over means to be surprised
or shocked by something you see or hear.
It is used to describe a strong emotional
reaction that comes as a surprise to you.
Let's look at some example sentences.
I was bowled over by her talent as a singer.
The view from the top of the mountain bowled us over.
The new technology left him bold over.
Here's one more phrase that's similar to bold over.
Taken aback?
It also means you are in a state
of surprise, shock, or stunned by something.
It's used to describe a sudden
reaction to something that came unexpectedly.
Unlike bold over, you can use
taken aback with negative emotions.
Take a look at these examples to understand it better.
I was taken aback by his rude behavior.
Here we have used it in a negative light, meaning
you didn't expect someone to be rude to you.
The announcement took everyone aback.
The news of the accident took her
aback, and she couldn't believe it.
That's all for today.
Learning short and smart English phrases for
daily conversations is a great way to
improve your fluency and natural speaking skills.
Remember, the key to speaking English
naturally is to keep practicing. Practicing.
Thank you for watching, and I hope you
found this lesson helpful in your journey to
becoming a more confident and fluent English speaker.
See you in the next lesson.