If you are a new listener, If this is your first time here, welcome!

I’m Craig. This is Reza, and we are going to help you grow your grammar, vocalize your vocabulary and perfect your pronunciation!

In this episode: Connecting devices / linking words: but, even though/although, however, in spite of/despite, on the one hand…., but on the other hand, shopping expressions and more weekly wind-ups

Support Aprender Inglés con Reza y Craig on Patreon: You can become a patron of our show for as little as $1 per month. When we reach $100 per month we will provide full transcriptions for our shows.

https://www.patreon.com/inglespodcast

Listener Feedback:

Audio feedback from Yolanda: not XmakeX a question, “ask a question”. Yolanda uses grammarly.com to correct writing for free. We suggest trying iTalki.com which is an online marketplace for studying languages. There’s an interview with Kevin Chen at inglespodcast/kevin

You can get your writing corrected for free, but it’s better to pay, especially of it’s for an exam.

Hi to Javier T. from Barcelona who is studying English in Scotland.
“Currently, I am living in Scotland because I want to improve my English and I just want let you know that your postcasts are very funny and they’re really helping me to improve and progress in my big challenge.”

Javier is learning to speak and understand English and sounds very determined (resuelto) to reach / accomplish his goal (lograr, conseguir), to fulfill his ambition.

Hello Reza and Craig: “My name is Ricardo, I’m a IT teacher in a VET School in Madrid.
I discovered your website and podcasts seven months ago and I have listened to all of them.
I practise my listening and I learn in each episode some grammar, vocabulary etc..
One of my resolutions for this year is to improve my English and finally my aim is to pass the FCE exam. – PassFCE podcast  and New Mansion First 
Thanks for your work, I think it encourages people who study on their own, like me, to keep practising.
I have joined Verbling and iTalki platforms one month ago, but I don’t get talking with anybody (I haven’t spoken to anyone yet)
(I refer to free services). I’ll keep on trying. (also try busuu.com)

Finally one question. In FCE exam, is recommended the use of idioms? (Are idioms recommended in the exam?)
Is it positive or maybe the examiner can think that you have learned it by heart and it is a tricky thing.
I mean in the speaking and writing part. What’s your opinion about it?

Don’t use too many idioms, but it’s good to use idioms sparingly.

Grammar: but, even though/although, however, in spite of/despite, on the one hand…., but on the other hand

We spoke about some of these linking words, connectors in inglespodcast/32

Craig’s on a diet/he can’t lose weight – (use BUT)

Craig’s on a diet but he can’t lose weight. – but = pero

USE “EVEN THOUGH”

Even though Craig’s on a diet, he can’t lose weight. – even though/although = aunque

USE “IN SPITE OF” / “DESPITE”

Despite being on a diet, Craig can’t lose weight. – in spite of/despite = a pesar de

USE “HOWEVER”

Craig’s on a diet. However, he can’t lose weight. – however = sin embargo

USE “ON THE ONE HAND……..ON THE OTHER HAND”

On the one hand, It’s a good idea to use idioms in the exam, but on the other hand don’t over use them. Don’t use them too much. – On the one hand = por un lado, on the other hand = por otro lado
Finish the sentences:

The film had great special effects, but………..the acting wasn’t very good.

She wanted to be a singer. However, ………..she had a weak voice.

I refused to take the teaching job despite the fact that………..it was well-paid. (or…….despite it being well-paid)

On the one hand, the meal was extremely good, but………on the other hand it was expensive.

In spite of feeling too tired to go out after work,………I got dressed and hit the streets.

Although I’d never been to Granada before,………as soon as I arrived I felt at home.

Vocabulary: John’s question (Juan from Buenos Aires who’s going to California):

Could you talk about travel vocabulary?
For example how to ask for some place to arrive by car (inglespodcast.com/52), how to order in a restaurant (inglespodcast.com/54), today we’re going to speak about how to shop.

We spoke about shopping for clothes (inglespodcast.com/19)

And in inglespodcast.com/47 we spoke about the difference between shoppers, customers, consumers and expressions such as a bar of chocolate, a tube of toothpaste, a carton of milk etc.

Useful expressions:

Finding a shop – “Excuse me, could you tell me where the nearest shoe shop is?” – “Excuse me, is there a shoe shop/supermarket/chemist’s near here?”

“Could you give me the name of a good clothes shop, please?” – “Can you recommend a good clothes shop?”

“Excuse me. could you direct me to the nearest shopping centre/shopping mall?” – “Excuse me, Where’s the nearest shopping centre/mall, please?”
Revise indirect questions with Reza, Craig and Nicola in episode 50
I’m sorry to bother you,…..”Excuse me, I’m sorry to bother you, where’s the nearest shopping centre?”

“Excuse me, where can I buy a memory card around here?”

Hours – “What time do you open/close?” – “Excuse me, what are your (opening) hours?”

“Are you open all day?”

“Are you open on Sundays?”

General expressions:

“Could you help me, please?”

“Excuse me, I’m looking for a …….”

“Do you take credit cards?”

“Can I help you?” – “No thanks, I’m just looking / browsing.”

Craig and Reza’s Weekly wind-ups (to wind up = annoy, irritate, bother: fastidiar, disgustar, molestar)

Reza: (It drives me round the bend = Me pone loco, me pone negro) Angry bees or wasps” (bee = abeja, wasp = avispa)

to sting = picar – sting, stung, stung

Elisa from Finland: I have been listening to the episodes, interviews and videos.. and to be honest I’m absolutely addicted to them. You are “a bit crazy” really, but good teachers anyway 🙂

My weekly wind-up is: Price tag stickers which are unbelievably difficult to remove… oh no!!

From Mamen (audio message – people who double park)

Send us an email, or record your voice and send us a sound file, with a comment, question or weekly wind-up to [email protected] or [email protected].

Sign up to our email list at inglespodcast.com because we’ll send you an email ever month with all the podcasts we’ve made and published.

If you would like to support the show, go to Patreon.com/inglespodcast where you can donate $1 per month to help us continue with the show and give you great podcasts.

The music in this podcast is by Pitx. The track is called ‘See You Later’