Ten useful phrases for communicating in English with native speakers
'11.04.2021'
Source: Yandex Zen
Foreign languages are very flexible and change regularly - new words and phrases appear, without knowing which you may simply not understand a native speaker.
Do you want to speak English fluently with native speakers and even pass off as local? Channel Author By the way. Just about English on Yandex.Zen invites you to learn 10 phrases that will help in this.
1. To Spin Your Wheels
You are trying very hard to do something, but there is no progress. Roughly speaking, this expression means - marking time.
If John doesn't start eating healthier he'll never lose weight. He is just spinning his wheels - If John doesn’t start eating healthier, he will never lose weight.
2. To shift into high gear
Start working faster. Before that, you worked at your usual pace, but something went wrong, or the deadline is close, and you have to speed up.
I'm a teacher and every year in September we shift into high gear as we get ready for students to come back to school - I am a teacher, and every year in September we begin to work faster when we are preparing for the return of students.
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3. To go in circles
You work a lot, but you don’t see progress, because you always roll back.
Every management meeting just goes in circles. They try to solve the problem but then everyone argues and we end up not having solved anything - At each meeting, the guide simply walks in circles. They try to solve the problem, but everyone argues, and we do not solve anything.
4. To hit run into / Hit a brick wall
Meet any obstacle to work or any other activity.
We'd almost bought our new house until we hit a brick wall when we found out the bank won't give us a mortgage - We almost bought our new house, but the bank refused us a mortgage.
5. To have a mental block
The psychological barrier. For example, an exam when you cannot concentrate, or a difficult situation.
6. As slow as molasses
Molasses is a very thick syrup that flows very slowly. The expression denotes a very slow person.
He is bad employee. He works as slow as molasses - He's a bad employee. It works very slowly.
7. To make a breakthrough
You work, but everything is very complicated and there is very little progress. But suddenly something changes and everything goes well again, without interference.
The scientists were stuck for years trying to develop a new medicinal drug until they finally made a breakthrough last week - Scientists spent several years trying to invent the drug until they finally made a breakthrough last week.
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8. To get in the groove
It’s hard for you to do something or do not want to, but in the process everything normalizes, and you are already enthusiastically continuing the lesson. For example, public speaking, which with experience and practice becomes easier to carry.
I used to hate public speaking but after a while it got easer once I got into the groove - I used to hate public speaking, but after a while I felt better.
9. Smooth sailing
In Russian there is an equivalent: without a hitch. That is, everything is going well and without problems.
Writing that test was pretty smooth sailing. No tricky questions at all! - Solving this test was very easy. No tricky questions!
10. At a breakneck speed
It means a very high speed: something happens very, very fast.
Technology nowadays is moving at a breakneck speed so its important to stay up to date - Technology is currently moving at breakneck speed, so it’s important to stay up to date.
