Bardzo mi przykro, ale lekcje na platformie The Blue Tree działają jedynie na komputerze lub tablecie.
Do zobaczenia na większym ekranie 🙂
Zespół The Blue Tree
THE BLUE TREE
Everyday English
CEFR B1
Intermediate
warm up
Answer the questions below.
| Do you prefer to act by the book, or rather bend some rules from time to time? |
TRANSCRIPT
“Honestly, I try to stick to the rules most of the time—like going ‘by the book’—but sometimes, you just have to bend a few rules to get things done. For example, when there’s a tight deadline and cutting a few corners doesn’t hurt anyone, I think it’s okay. Of course, I’m not talking about skipping something essential, just being a bit flexible. It’s like finding shortcuts on a steep learning curve—makes things a lot smoother! So yeah, I guess I’m a mix of both. What about you?”
| When you need to communicate something important, do you prefer to cut to the chase or rather beat around the bush for a while before? |
TRANSCRIPT
“Oh, I’m all about cutting to the chase. I mean, why waste time beating around the bush when you can just say what needs to be said, right? Especially at work, where everyone’s busy putting out fires and juggling tasks, it’s better to get straight to the point. That said, I do try to lighten the mood first—maybe a quick chit-chat—so it doesn’t feel too abrupt. But yeah, clear and direct is my go-to. How about you—do you ease into it or go straight for the big stuff?”
| What’s your favourite way of lightening your mood? What can you or others do to help me feel better? |
TRANSCRIPT
“For me, the best way to lighten my mood is to take a break and have a good laugh. Honestly, nothing beats a quick chit-chat with someone who knows how to crack a joke or share a funny story. Music works wonders too—something upbeat can totally change the vibe. And if someone else wants to help, even a small gesture like bringing me a coffee or saying something kind can really make a difference. It’s the little things, you know?
part one
KEY LANGUAGE
Go through the flashcards below. Make sure you understand all the words and expressions.
VIDEO
Watch the first part of the video.
COMPREHENSION
Answer these questions. Refer to the information from the video.
- ⌚ 0:11 Where does Emma believe are English idioms used most often?
- ⌚ 0:21 How important is it to be able to use idiom when we communicate in English?
- ⌚ 0:33 What are some of the benefits of knowing and using idioms?
part two
KEY LANGUAGE
Go through the flashcards below. Make sure you understand all the words and expressions.
VIDEO
Watch the second part of the video.
COMPREHENSION
Answer these questions. Refer to the information from the video.
- ⌚ 1:24 What does it mean to ‘get your foot in the door‘?
- ⌚ 1:54 What are some of the ways we can get our foot in the door of a company we really want to work for?
- ⌚ 2:26 What does it mean to ‘show someone the ropes‘?
- ⌚ 2:47 What does the idiom ‘thrown in the deep end‘ mean?
- ⌚ 3:03 How was Emma thrown in the deep end on her first teaching job?
- ⌚ 3:49 When do we use the expressions ‘a steep learning curve‘?
part three
KEY LANGUAGE
Go through the flashcards below. Make sure you understand all the words and expressions.
VIDEO
Watch the third part of the video.
COMPREHENSION
Answer these questions. Refer to the information from the video.
- ⌚ 5:23 What does it mean to do something ‘by the book‘?
- ⌚ 5:50 How is ‘to cut corners‘ different from ‘by the book‘?
- ⌚ 6:15 What situation does the idiom ‘have one’s work cut out‘ describe?
- ⌚ 6:43 What does it mean to ‘make light/short work (of something)’?
- ⌚ 7:10 Can we use this idiom outside of the work context? How?
part four
KEY LANGUAGE
Go through the flashcards below. Make sure you understand all the words and expressions.
VIDEO
Watch the fourth part of the video.
COMPREHENSION
Answer these questions. Refer to the information from the video.
- ⌚ 8:00 What happens when we ‘touch base‘ with someone?
- ⌚ 8:28 What does it mean to ‘cut to the chase‘?
- ⌚ 9:02 Why do we need to be careful when we are using this idiom?
- ⌚ 9:54 What does it mean ‘to bite your tongue‘?
part five
KEY LANGUAGE
Go through the flashcards below. Make sure you understand all the words and expressions.
VIDEO
Watch the fifth part of the video.
COMPREHENSION
Answer these questions. Refer to the information from the video.
- ⌚ 10:21 What does it mean to ‘rock the boat‘?
- ⌚ 11:26 When can we use the idiom ‘to put out fires‘?
- ⌚ 12:10 What happens when someone ‘is in hot water‘?
- ⌚ 12:28 When is the right time to use the idiom ‘let’s call it a day‘?
PRACTICE
15 idioms for work
Play this Multidecker game. How many idioms from this lesson do you already remember?
CUT TO THE CHASE
Choose the correct answer in each of these 15 items of the multiple choice quiz below.
MEETING ABOUT DECLINING SALES
Complete three contributions on a meeting about declining sales. All the missing words are idioms we were learning in this lesson.
LESSON GLOSSARY
COMMENTS
Write your own examples with the idioms you learnt in this lesson.
4 Comments
Submit a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.
I will have my work cut out after I come back from my business trip.
I did not manage to complete all my tasks at work. I might be in hot water because of it.
When I joined the company, Jan and Karina showed me the ropes. I owe them everything I know 🙂
He cut corners on his homework so, no wonder, there were a lot of mistakes.
Helen was upset after she got the information about herself from Marika. Marika should have bitten her tongue.
Jon prepared his presentation by the book. It was very well received.
I have never worked in insurance company before, so when I joined my current job I was thrown at the deep end. Fortunately, my workmates showed me the ropes and I made a big progress.