You are learning English. Of course you want to speak naturally, as if you were American or British. But how can you do this? Here are five tips to help.

1 - use ‘get’

‘Get’ is one of the most useful – and most used – words in the English language. English speakers use it all the time! Take a look at this example:
English Learner: What time did you arrive?
Native Speaker: What time did you get there?
‘Get’ has so many meanings. It can mean ‘take’ or ‘buy’. English learners often have trouble using ‘get’ to mean ‘become’:
English Learner: I became angry when the train was late.
Native Speaker: I got angry when the train was late.
In fact, we generally use ‘get’ for temporary situations and ‘become’ for permanent situations.
Temporary: She got bored with the movie.
Permanent: Ralph became a doctor at age twenty-five.
Incorrect: Ralph got a doctor at age twenty-five.

2 - use ‘used to’

‘Used to’ is one of the most useful phrases in English, and it is even easy to pronounce. English learners often get confused when they try to substitute a phrase from their own language:
English Learner: Last time, I smoked a lot.
English Learner: I smoked a lot, but now, no.
Native Speaker: I used to smoke a lot.
Here’s a word of warning. There are two forms of ‘used to’ in English and they both have different meanings and grammatical structures:
Example 1: I used to be a policeman.
Example 2: I am used to eating spicy food.
In example 1, the meaning is ‘in the past, but not now’. In example 2, the meaning is ‘familiar with’.

3 - use ‘managed to’

Here is another phrase that does not translate easily into other languages. As a result, it is difficult for learners to start using. To manage to do something is to succeed in doing it. However, if you use the phrase ‘succeed’ instead, the result sounds clumsy:
English Learner: Did you succeed to find the keys that you lost?
Native Speaker: Did you manage to find the keys that you lost?

4 - use ‘about to’

‘About to’ is a little phrase that is surprisingly useful. Listen out for it and you will be surprised how often you hear it used. We use this phrase to show that something will happen soon. Here is how a native speaker might use it:
English Learner: I think it is going to rain soon.
Native Speaker: It looks like it’s about to rain.
English Learner: I can’t have another coffee. I am going soon.
Native Speaker: I don’t have time for another coffee. I’m about to go.

5 - don’t use ‘very’

Why not use ‘very’? It’s not incorrect at all, but using ‘very’ actually prevents you from applying more descriptive vocabulary. For example, instead of saying ‘very large’, why not say ‘huge’? Instead of saying the food is very good, why not say that it is absolutely delicious? Just to get you started, here are some more phrases that you can use instead of saying ‘very’:
very good - terrific, fabulous, excellent
very bad - awful, terrible, dreadful
very small - tiny, microscopic
very old - ancient
very new - brand-new
very beautiful - gorgeous
very clean - spotless
@Englishteacherideas1

📢Говорим красиво и правильно:

Very little (маленький) — Tiny (крошечный)
Very tasty (вкусный) — Delicious (восхитительный)
Very angry (злой) — Furious (разъяренный)
Very afraid (напуганный) — Terrified (напуганный до смерти)
Very tired (уставший) — Exhausted (изнеможённый)
Very hot (горячий, жаркий) — Boiling (кипящий)
Very hungry (голодный) — Starving (умирающий от голода)
Very big (большой) — Enormous (огромный)
Very cold (холодный) — Freezing (ледяной)
Very dirty (грязный) — Filthy (мерзкий)
Very good (хороший) — Great (замечательный)
Very bad (плохой) — Awful (ужасный)
Very nasty (мерзкий) — Dreadful (отвратительный)
Very important (важный) — Essential (существенный)
Very unusual (необычный) — Extraordinary (странный)
Very cheerful (радостный) — Hilarious (жизнерадостный)
Very expensive (дорогой) — Priceless (бесценный)
Very funny (смешной) — Ridiculous (смехотворный)

Например, вместо “It was a very good film!” можно сказать “It was a great film”.

Наречие very далеко не единственное в использовании с прилагательными. Вы можете сказать не только «очень жарко», но и «довольно жарко» — “rather hot”, «немного уставший» — “a bit tired”, «чрезвычайно важный» – “extremely important”. Вот типичные «усилители»:
Very (очень)
Rather (довольно)
Reasonably (разумно)
Extremely (чрезвычайно)
Dreadfully (ужасно)
Hugely (весьма)
Immensely (безмерно)
Intensely (интенсивно)
Slightly (слегка)
A bit (немного)

Но прилагательные можно «усилить» ещё больше при помощи следующих наречий:
Absolutely (абсолютно)
Completely (полностью)
Entirely (целиком)
Perfectly (совершенно)
Practically (практически)
Simply (просто)
Totally (полностью)
Utterly (крайне)
Virtually (поистине)
Almost (почти)
Exclusively (исключительно)
Fully (вполне)
Largely (в значительной степени)
Mainly (большей частью)
Nearly (приблизительно)
Primarily (первоначально)

Примеры:
Wasting money is simply ridiculous! – Тратить деньги попусту – это просто смешно!
The boss gave us a practically impossible task. – Начальник дал нам практически невероятное задание.
I was totally exhausted just after I cleaned a two stored building. – Я был полностью изнеможен сразу после того как убрал двухэтажный дом.
You shouldn’t have bought that dress. It was almost priceless. – Тебе не следовало покупать это платье. Оно почти бесценно.
The previous winter was virtually freezing. – Предыдущая зима была поистине морозной.
The Sun in every solitude desert is utterly boiling. – Солнце в любой безлюдной пустыне крайне палящее.
@Englishteacherideas1

📝Наиболее распространенные словосочетания с HAVE, DO, MAKE, TAKE, BREAK, CATCH.

Фразеологизмы/идиомы:
• do your best - стараться, прилагать все усилия
• make a difference - (существенно) изменить что-то (в лучшую сторону)
• break a leg - "ни пуха ни пера!"
• break the ice - начать (разговор), сказать или совершить что-либо, чтобы сделать ситуацию более непринужденной
• break the news to someone - сообщать какие-либо новости (часто плохие)
• catch a chill - замерзнуть
• catch a cold - простудиться
• catch fire - загораться, зажигать (в т.ч. загораться идеей)
• catch sight of - заметить
@Englishteacherideas1