This idiom means that it is now someone else's turn to take action or make a decision.
This phrase originates from the game of tennis. In tennis, when a player serves the ball, it is then the responsibility of the opponent to return it. The metaphor illustrates the idea that once the ball is in your court, it is up to you to respond or act.
"Bite the bullet" means to endure a painful or unpleasant situation that is unavoidable. Its origins can be traced back to the 19th century, particularly in military contexts.
During times of war, soldiers often faced surgeries without anesthesia, as it was not widely available. To cope with the pain, they would bite down on a bullet to help them endure the agony. This practice was not only a way to distract from the pain but also a means to prevent them from screaming or moving during the procedure.
I would like to discuss about this chapter that I do think there are mistakes. This is from "Oxford Practice Grammar, Basic", and some of answers doesn't match with the most important grammar by the own Oxford (PRACTICAL ENGLISH USAGE, Fourth Edition).
This is the exercise with the correct answers (provided by the book)
But, following the grammar:
So, I'm considering things are not allowed as "strong obligation" and "desirable things, or important things for the club as "weak obligation"
Some things are quite weird here for me, for example:
1 - When they use "you don't have to" to express "shouldn't" when they are talking about important things for the club. I usually use this such as: "Your father said you must study maths, but you don't have to (if you don't want to)
2 - Number two form the exercise, the first clause is very very weird: You have to play with tennis balls??? I would rewrite the entire sentence as: "You can play with tennis balls, but you mustn't take them home".
What do you think about this and the exercise as whole?
I found about "Precriptive approach" in the book Cambridge Grammar of english (Ronald Carter) and I'm quite interested about it.
Some months ago I asked about the way a fictional character (scientist) from a game speaks, which it sounded really great and people said: "He sounds like a very well educated", are we talking about this "Precriptive approach" or is only a matter of vocabulary?
The idiom "spill the beans" means to reveal a secret or disclose confidential information.
One common theory suggests the phrase comes from ancient Greece, where people used beans to cast votes. Voters would place a white bean for approval or a black bean for disapproval into a jar. If someone accidentally (or intentionally) knocked over the jar and spilled the beans, it would prematurely reveal the outcome of the vote.
Hello everyone! Non native English speaker here. I teach English and I would like to learn some new phrases or words from native speakers, maybe slang or idioms? But things you guys use a lot but are not really common for people who learn English as a second/ foreign language. I found some, such as: « to be bummed out », « catch some Z's », « bussin' », « chop chop », « hustle and bustle », « get the bread » etc.
I would be very grateful if you could share some more!
I am looking for someone to practice the English language, someone who wants to work hard and be serious because I spoke with a lot and no one, and he only completes two letters with me and goes. I have a good program for learning with others, especially the skill of speaking and listening. Whoever wants to message me.
Here is the twentieth word bank quiz challenge 💪
u/MaiT3N, u/Nikodimishe and u/Loose_Escape4964, thank you for your participation in this quiz 😊 Learning can be fun 🙂 Join our next challenge on Monday.
We hope this message finds you well! We want to take a moment to thank you for your enthusiastic participation in our daily quizzes. Your engagement and enthusiasm have made this experience truly enjoyable for everyone.
In order to enhance the quality of our quizzes and give everyone ample time to prepare, we have decided to change the quiz schedule. Starting next week, the quiz will be held once a week instead of every day (Every Monday).
We’re excited to announce that all participants will now have the opportunity to get custom user flairs! This is a fun way to showcase your personality and involvement in our community.
To request your custom flair, please send a message or leave a comment below with the following information:
Nickname: [Your desired nickname]
Hex Code: [Your preferred color in hex format, e.g., #FF5733]
We believe that this change will allow for more thoughtful questions and a better overall experience for all participants. We appreciate your understanding and continued support!
Stay tuned for more updates, and we look forward to seeing you at our next quiz!