Learning English

Session 1: Synonyms

Synonyms for 'I don't know'

• I don't know
• Beats me
• (I've) no idea
• (I) haven't got a clue
• I don't have the faintest idea
• I don't have the foggiest (idea)
• You've got me there

Synonyms for 'I don't understand'

• I'm confused
• I'm puzzled
• I'm scratching my head

Synonyms of 'unhappy'

• sad
• miserable
• low
• blue
• downcast
• down in the dumps

Adverb collocations

With emotions, such as unhappiness, we often use certain adverbs. Here are some examples with different degrees of intensity, from weakest to strongest:

"How are you feeling?"

"Oh, you know, a bit / a little * / rather / quite / very  unhappy, to be honest."

You can also use these adverbs with the synonyms of unhappy.

*Note: although we can use a little we don't use a lot as an adverb before adjectives.

News Report

sheds light on
helps explain (something that was difficult to understand before)

mammals
animals which give birth to live babies, not eggs, which feed on milk from their mothers' bodies

extinction
an event during which all animals of one species die

Session 3: English at Work

revolutionise
completely change something (to improve it)

compatible
(here) works with other systems

reboot
shut down and restart your computer

back in business
able to carry on as normal

the cloud
a computer network where files and programmes can be stored and shared

Phrases meaning 'I don't understand':

• I can't work it out.
• I can't get my head round this.
• I'm having difficulty getting to grips with this.
• This isn't sinking in.

Session 4: Life away from home - 7 tips

bustling
busy and full of activity

clarity
being clear and easy to understand

au pair
someone who lives with a family and looks after children in return for meals and a small amount of money

homesick
the feeling of missing home

make the most of
enjoy and use as much as possible

appetising
looking good to eat

app
software for a mobile device