You’re dropping your friend off at a concert. You smile and say, “Enjoy yourself!” Or your teacher tells the class, “It’s a game day—enjoy yourselves!” The phrase enjoy yourself is a warm, common way to tell someone to have fun, relax, or take pleasure in a moment. It’s kind, simple, and used often in daily…
Your grandmother sees you carrying heavy boxes and says, “Oh dear, don’t exert yourself!” Or maybe a friend just had surgery, and you tell them, “Rest up—don’t exert yourself.” The phrase don’t exert yourself is a polite, caring way to tell someone not to push too hard—physically or mentally. It’s common in health-related or thoughtful…
Your friend is learning to drive and keeps failing the test—but they practice every day. You tell them, “You’re really making a great effort!” Or maybe you stayed up late to finish a project, and your teacher says, “I can see you made a great effort.” The phrase make a great effort is used to…
When someone asks, “Can I start?” and you say “Yes,” you can also say, “Go ahead!” This common idiom is used for giving permission to start something. It can also mean to proceed with a plan or to move in front of someone. Learning go ahead will help you sound polite and natural in everyday…
When a car stops for you, the driver might say, “Get in!” This common idiom is used for entering a vehicle or a building. It can also mean to arrive at a place or to be accepted into a group or school. Learning get in will help you talk about travel, arrivals, and successes. What…
You promised to help a friend move this weekend—but now you have a headache and really don’t want to go. You might say, “I need to get out of this!” Or maybe you’re stuck in a boring meeting and whisper, “I can’t wait to get out of here.” The phrasal verb get out of is…
Do you need to phone a friend? You can call them up. This common idiom is mostly used for making a telephone call. But it can also mean to bring something to your mind, or to order someone for military duty. Learning call up will help you talk about communication and memories. What Does “Call…
Do you walk into a dark room and flip the light switch? You turn on the light. This common idiom is used for activating machines and electronic devices. It has other surprising meanings too, like a sudden attack or creating interest. Learning turn on will help you in many daily situations. What Does “Turn On”…
You’re done watching TV, so you grab the remote and press the button. You’ve just “turned off” the TV! Or maybe your phone rings during a movie, and someone says, “Turn it off!” The phrasal verb turn off is one of the most common—and practical—expressions in English. You’ll use it daily for devices, lights, water,…
When your boss says, “I need this report right away,” what should you do? You should start immediately! The idiom right away means to do something without any delay. It is a very common and useful phrase for urgent situations. Learning this will help you respond quickly and understand important requests. What Does “Right Away”…
Did you ever lift a box from the floor? Or collect a friend in your car? You were using the idiom pick up. This common phrase has many useful meanings in daily life. Learning pick up will help you talk about lifting things, learning skills, collecting people, and situations improving. What Does “Pick Up” Mean?…
You’ve probably heard someone say, “You’ll have to face your fears sooner or later.” Or maybe you’ve thought, “I know I’ll forget my password—sooner or later.” The phrase sooner or later is used when something is certain to happen, even if we don’t know exactly when. It’s a natural, everyday expression that adds rhythm and…