Learning English

You're my tower of strength

It's important to have people in your life who you can depend on - and the language to describe them! Let's learn some useful phrases and expressions for talking about people who are a tower of strength.

To do

Look at these phrases. They all describe a supportive and dependable person.

Do the activity

Now have a go at this quiz to see the phrases in action and to find out if you have remembered them correctly.

Well done if you remembered all the phrases. If not, don't worry - we'll be there for you. It's now time to put them into practice.

Over to you

We want you to tell us about someone who is a tower of strength. 

Tell us:

• what special qualities  he / she has 
• a time when he / she stood by you or helped you through a difficult time 
• why you would like to thank them

Use the phrase a tower of strength in your writing - and try to use some of the other phrases from this session too.

Email your story to us at [email protected]. Make sure you write a tower of strength in the subject line. Unfortunately we can't give individual feedback, but we do read every email, and we’ll publish our favourites here or on our social media sites. What better way to thank the tower of strength in your life than by having your work published on our website?

_______________________

Suzy Naddéo

At this time, he was a famous singer when, one night, he nearly died in

a carcrash. Fortunately, he was alive but after months and months of

ricovery, he wrote a beautiful song to say "thank you" to the man who

saved him, a tower of strenght. He called this man his friend, his

brother and told him, if I am still alive, today it's because you always

standed by me like a rock....a grateful testimony.

Omega Crawley

My girlfriend Holly is a tower of strength,exactly as her name suggests.She's a creature with incredible tolerance and sticks with me through thick and thin.

     Being three years older than me,she moved to another city to continue studying when I was at my last year in high school.At that time I suffered miserably from depression,worrying about the college entrance examinations all day long.

     But she was there for me.Learning from my mother that I was downhearted,she put aside her own problems-she was busy writing her thesis then-and specially came back in order to stand by me.

     Of course I was greatly moved by her concern for me and therefore my spirits were lifted.

     At last,she helped me spend the most difficult time and I managed to enter into the university,which is in the same city with hers.

    I'd like to thank her because I can always count on her.Whenever I turn to her,she embraces me with a most sincere heart and never turns me down.

    She absolutely is a rock for me.

Svetlana

I want to say many thanks my close friend. She is my rock. We have been friends for more than 20 years and whenever I could count on her.

I do my best to be my child's a tower of strength. Even if she does something wrong and her teachers call me, I try to moderate my sadness and talk with the daughter calmly and quietly. I hope she trusts me and knows she can come to me with any problem.

Johnny, Brazil

My tower of strength in this history is called Rubens, an old friend and a nice guy too. Some years ago my aunt died and I had fought fiercely with my cousin earlier, her single son. At that time I was completely worried about going there for the funeral. I knew that I really must go but and if we started fighting again, what would the people there have thought about that? I mean, can you imagine a situation like that: in a place where people should show the last good feelings towards the person who doesn't live anymore, instead of a battle between two relatives? A horrible scene as you possibly will be able to understand.

So, I invited my friend to help me so that I could go there and keep the troubles far from me. He accepted like a true and reliable friend, he was my rock and I had the conviction since then he'll be there for me! Always.

Ia Tabagari, Georgia

Nothing  is  a  coincidence. While  I  was  reading  the  phrase ,,a  tower of  strength”,  my  mother  was  crying  about ,,the  true  history  of  a  little  Ragamuffin”. ( She  has  read  this  book twice).,,Poor  Jim !  What   is   his  life  like  without   his  mother  … if  only  she  hadn’t  died  and  had  been ,,a  tower  of strength !”

And , of course, my mother is  a  main  supporter  in  my  life. She  has  such  a  good  sense  of humour  .It  makes  me  feel  good  and  think  positive  that  helps  me  overcome  difficult  or painful  situations .But  now  I ‘d   like  to  remember  the  time  when I  found  myself  in  front of  the  people  who were  going  to  use  smear  tactics  against  me.  And  thanks  to  God  I  wasn’t alone –some  people appeared  .They  stood  by  me . And   always  when I  needed  help they were  there  for me. Natasha, Lili,  Asmati ,  Zaza …- just  you   are  my  rock !

Then  I  could  see  the  light  side  of  our  world  and  managed  to  look  on the bright  side. Everyone   knows  the  importance  of   faith ,   hope and  love . But   all  we  need  is   love , really. Love  is  all   you  need  because  without  it  there  is  nothing  but   darkness.  This  is  why  I want  to  thank  them.

And  now  you  are  such a  great  help !  Thank  you   BBC   for  being there  for  me ...

Liang Hui-Yu

My husband is a tower of strength because he always looks after me very well.

He’s got my back whatever something difficult I faced and always stands by me no matter what decisions I made. About two years ago, I gave up my job that I’ve been working for about 9 years and moved to China from Taiwan because of my husband’s work. I’m not afraid of facing the strange environment, I hope to be there for my husband, it’s like that he’s done everything for me.

Rashad, Egypt

I had finished my secondary school then I decided to leave the education at all, but he was there for me,My friend Ahmed, he talked me out of my decision then I completed my high education and this was a massive impact in my life.

I consider him a tower of strength, whenever I fall in a problem he helps me without even mean that.Thanks for him and also thanks for you BBC.

Natalia, St.Petersburg, Russia

A tower of strength is my husband. He is reliable, trustworthy and tender. Our baby is 1 year old. When our sohn was born, the difficult period begn for us: the sleepless nights, the chronic fatigue,  baby's permanent cry. Sometimes I thought I would go crazy. That period my husband demonstrated he sticked with me through thick and thin: my husband spent  half of night with baby, in the morning he went to work. He's got my back.  I know my husband is the best. I feel I am not only the mother, but the woman, who is loved by her man. My husband is my rock. I'm sure he always stands by our family. Everything is fine now and I would like to thank my husband, because I can count on him.

Bernard

There was a time i wished for 

educational site .

And finally i found BBC learning English and since then they are my rock of strength .

And i always count on them.

And they always stand by me.

My English had been improved.

They are my tower of strength.

I wish them luck.

End of session

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