We invite you to take our ESL classes at NYEA to learn these phrasal verbs and a lot more:

“The New York Rangers hockey team is in the championship series; I hope they don’t let us down by losing the next game.”  [Disappoint]

“In New York City, there are many opportunities to let your hair down on weekends.”  [Let your hair down: to relax after having done some difficult work or task.]

“Please open the door and let me in.”  [Permit to enter]

“When will the rain ever let up?”  [Lessen or stop]

“You have to let your dog out when it needs exercise.” [Allow to go outside]

“She always looks after her elderly parents when they are not feeling well.” [Takes care of]

“On the day that we arrived in New York, we went to Central Park to look around.” [Explore informally]

“Please don’t look down on me because I am short.” [Think that someone is inferior]

“I have been looking all over in my bedroom, but I still can’t find my glasses.” [Searching extensively]

“For a long time we have been looking forward to the World Cup, and now it is finally in progress.” [Anticipating]

“They are going to look into the monthly rent for that Brooklyn apartment.” [Get more information about]

“You have to look out for the traffic when you cross the busy street.” [Be aware of]

One of the topics for English writing practice at NYEA is “If you wanted an offbeat job, what would you do?  Why?”  Students have come up with a number of interesting examples.  Here’s one:

If I wanted an offbeat job, I would like to be a skydiving instructor.

The first time I skydived was in Hawaii.  There was no rain and no wind; conditions were perfect.  Before I skydived, I was scared.  The distance of 10,000 feet [more than 3000 meters]was too high for me.  My instructor tried to talk with me, but I couldn’t respond.

However, I could do it!  And I could see beautiful views of the ocean, clouds, mountains…  Everything I could see was amazing!

At this time, I didn’t think I was falling through the air.  Then we arrived at the point of landing and [the sky diving instructor and I] made a friendship which overcame difficulties together.  This was the most impressive experience of my life.  So I hope that everybody will try the wonderful [activity] of skydiving.

NYEA students create an essay every week.  Their teachers make corrections to spelling, grammar, punctuation, and suggest improvements to writing style.  This is often a class activity, where everyone has copies of each completed composition.  All the students, guided by the teacher,  can then add their comments and suggestions.  The teacher makes the final – but not too technical – edit before publishing to NYEA’s blog page.

New York English Academy

In an NYEA ESL class, students have been writing about the world’s indigenous cultures.  One of our students, an architect from Italy, offered her opinion in response to this question:  “What would the world be like if most indigenous cultures disappear?”

There aren’t that many indigenous [cultures] surviving in the world.  They [largely] live on the American continents (especially in South America), in Africa, in Asia, and in Australia.  They have adapted to nature, particularly in the jungle, very far from the big city.  Many indigenous are nomadic; others have been forced by logging companies to leave their lands.

It’s very important that we remember who we are, and that we must never forget [that] they are our ancestors, our history.  They are what makes us unique.  Unfortunately, more than their customs and their history have been lost.  The world went ahead and probably to blame is globalization.  I don’t know how the world would be if they were to disappear.  But I know that we are similar.  I take care of myself with plants and roots like indigenous people and we speak the “same” language; it has only evolved.  [Editor’s note:  The author gives the example of Italian evolving from Latin].

I think that what would help [many] indigenous people would be if logging companies stop [activity] in their territories.  We can also try to not lose old cultures and [instead] learn from them. We have to protect them and we have to continue to [merge] the old world with the modern world.

NYEA students create an essay every week.  Their teachers make corrections to spelling, grammar, punctuation, and suggest improvements to writing style.  This is often a class activity, where everyone has copies of each completed composition.  All the students, guided by the teacher,  can then add their comments and suggestions.  The teacher makes the final – but not too technical – edit before publishing to our Academy’s blog page.

NEW YORK ENGLISH ACADEMY

In one of NYEA’s ESL classes, students have been writing about the world’s indigenous cultures.  A Level 2 student, a travel agent and guide from Peru, composed a response to this question:  “What would the world be like if most indigenous cultures disappear?”

The answer is very simple.  If most indigenous cultures disappear, the world will lose cultural identity.  This means that our world [and] our lives will lose valuable knowledge about traditional medicine, religions, world vision, natural nutrition, animal life, plant life…secrets of the simple life in this amazing world.

Now, governmental and non-governmental organizations, religious groups, oil and lumber companies, and others are rapidly [threatening] a lot of the indigenous cultures of the world.

Who can stop it?  Anybody?

I think we will [quickly] become more “artificial” people.  I can’t believe that technology and lust for power will dominate our beautiful world.  I hope for a miracle.

Our future is in the children’s hands:  “Education with Conscience”

NYEA students create an essay every week.  Their teachers make corrections to spelling, grammar, punctuation, and suggest improvements to writing style.  This is often a class activity, where everyone has copies of each completed composition.  All the students can then add their comments and suggestions.

Here are some phrasal verbs that are very common in English.  We will be publishing yet more in future posts.  We invite you to take ESL classes at NYEA to learn these and many others:

“Could you hang on a moment?  I have to answer the door.”  [Wait a short time]

“They like to hang out in Times Square with their friends.”  [Relax]

“If you can’t talk to me respectfully, I will hang up the phone!”  [End a call]

“She had to  hold her dog back from attacking her neighbor’s cat. ”  [Restrain]

“When he heard that he had won $1,000,000 in the lotto, he could not hold back his joy.”  [Restrain an emotion]

“Please hold on for a minute while I check my messages.” [Wait a short time (similar to hang on)]

“It’s very important to hold onto the pole when you are standing on the train. ”  [Grasp with your hand]

“The thief held up the store after most of the customers had left.”  [Robbed]

“If you are having trouble with English pronunciation, keep on practicing and you will become fluent.”  [Continue]

“It was very difficult for me to keep from revealing the secret about the surprise birthday party that they were planning for their friend.” [Not tell about]

“We must keep out of the building while they repairing the electrical system.” [Avoid; stay away from]

“He was walking so fast that I could not keep up with him.”  [Go at the same speed]

 New York English Academy

English uses many phrasal verbs to express various activities and feelings. You can find many more in previous blog posts, and we will be publishing even more. We invite you to study at NYEA to learn these and many more:
“It’s raining and I don’t have an umbrella, so I guess I will have to go without one.” [Not possess]
“She had a close friend in college, but they grew apart because they had not seen each other for a long time.” [Stopped their friendship]
“His hair grew back very quickly after his surgery.” [Returned to normal]
“The child said, ‘When I grow up, I want to be President.’” [Mature]
“Teenagers can grow out of their clothes very fast.” [Become too big for]
“I know your coat is a little large, but you will grow into it within a year.” [Become bigger]
“Parents who like to cook often hand down their recipes to their children. ” [Give to the younger generation]
“Please make sure that your name is on your homework when you hand it in.” [Submit it]
“Would you please hand out these papers to the other students?” [Distribute]
“At the airport, you must hand over your passport for the officials to check.” [Give]
“Yes, English grammar can be difficult, but hang in there and you will soon learn it. [Be patient]

Did you become interested in learning more English by watching American and British TV programs and attending movies (cinema)? Here in New York City during the summer months, you will find many opportunities to see FREE movies, usually outdoors, often in a park.

For example, Bryant Park screens a number of classic movies on Monday evenings. This beautiful midtown green space is located directly behind the New York Public Library (itself an enjoyable place to visit on a rainy day).

In Brooklyn, just across the East River from New York English Academy, is Brooklyn Bridge Park, one of New York’s newest parks. Movies will be shown Friday evenings in July and August.

Later in the summer, every day from August 25 to 29, beginning at 8:00 PM, you can watch movies with a New York City origin. These are presented in the section of Central Park known as the Sheep Meadow. (Don’t worry, the sheep have not been there for over a hundred years!)

These are just a few of the activities that can be enjoyed for free in the Big Apple over the summer. Students at NYEA can learn about many other opportunities like these.

New York English Academy