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In this lesson, you’ll learn useful words, phrases and idioms which you can use when talking about your goals.
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Conversation practice - New Year’s Eve
- How did you spend this New Year's Eve? How did you spend last New Year's Eve?
- Are there any New Year's Eve traditions or superstitions in your country e.g. settling debts (Reading practice: read an article about popular New Year’s Superstitions here)
- Do you think fireworks are ethical? Do you know how they affect domestic and wild animals? (Reading practice: read an article about fireworks here)
- Do you know any alternatives to fireworks?
- Have you ever heard of or seen a laser light show?
- Where did you go on holiday last year?
- Are you looking forward to anything specific this year?
USEFUL INFO
Formal ‘I look forward + verb + ing’
Informal ‘I’m looking forward + verb + ing’
Learn more about when to use ‘look forward’ and ‘looking forward’ from Neil Collins’ video:
Useful phrases - B2
Use those phrases when you describe your goals and New Year’s Resolutions.
REAL-LIFE EXAMPLES
1. You can also cut down on other things, not only food. Check out this clip from The Office S7E7
2. If you haven't heard of the word 'spread', watch this very short clip in which it’s used by an English teacher - Gill from Learn English with Gill
3. You can also say 'cut back on sth'. In this video at 3:45 Rachel from FRIENDS throws away a cigarette and says that she's really trying to cut back.
4. In the next clip Bilbo from Lord of the Rings says ‘I’m going now. I’ve put this off far too long. Goodbye’
5. Watch Tim Urban’s Ted talk titled ‘Inside the mind of a master procrastinator’
6. Listen to LilyPichu talk about breaking habits. This one is difficult!
7. Listen to ‘Breaking the Habit’ by Linkin Park
8. Watch this video created by AsapSCIENCE about how to break a bad habit.
9. Listen to Sadia who says ‘I try to get into the habit of rephrasing how I’m feeling’
Practise those phrases by doing exercises below:
Exercise 1
Fill in the gaps.
- I was ill so we put ... the meeting for a week.
- Ellen cut meat ... when she became vegetarian a year ago. Now she eats chicken once a week so in the end, she cut ... on meat.
- I promise that I won't ... off doing my homework till the last minute.
- You need to ... the habit of staying up late and ... in the habit of going to sleep at 10 pm.
- I think it would be a good idea to ... down on fast food.
- I used to smoke but when my daughter asked me to quit, I ... the habit.
Exercise 2
Answer those questions.
- When you were a teenager did you use to put off work till the last minute? How about now?
- Which food do you think everybody should cut down on or completely cut out?
- Tell me about a few habits you should break and a few you should have (use the phrase 'to get in the habit of')
- Which household chores do you tend to put off doing?
- How would you feel if you cut coffee out completely?
‘Goal’ phrases - B2
Use those phrases to describe the type of your goals and New Year’s Resolutions.
REAL-LIFE EXAMPLES
1. Watch this clip from The Office you’ll hear those phrases - ‘stick to sth’ and ‘make a resolution to do sth’.
2. Watch this clip from Lord of the rings Two Towers in which Galadriel says that the ring is close to achieving its goal of returning to Sauron.
3. Watch this video about Setting and achieving goals.
Practise those phrases by doing this exercise:
Exercise 3
Fill in the gaps.
- This is a very ambitious goal but not ... How do you plan to ... it?
- You can do whatever you want when we're done. Until then, ... to the plan.
- If you want to become a doctor, you should ... some goals first.
- When I first set this ...-term goal it seemed ... but after I broke it down into a few ...-term goals I knew I will ... it.
- Cutting sugar out seems a bit .... but cutting down on it is quite ... I reckon.
- When you set such ...-term goals, you are bound to have a few setbacks.
- It seems that you lost motivation. How about we ... a goal and work on a plan to ... to it?
- When you have a setback you might think that your task is ... but it's not true. Just ... to your goal and you'll definitely ... it!
setback - it’s something that delays or stops progress. It can be a difficulty, a problem, a obstacle, a disadvantage etc.
Read a description of this book to see how to use the word 'setback'.
Link
Let’s practise all phrases you’ve learnt so far.
Exercise 4
INTERESTING VOCAB FROM EX. 4
→ inflammation - a red, painful, and often swollen area in or on a part of your body (acc. Cambridge Dictionary)
→ to map out - to plan something in detail (acc. Cambridge Dictionary) e.g. a route. Here’s another example of this phrasal verb used: Ireland to map out COVID restrictions of the future link
→ to fizzle out - to gradually end, often in a disappointing or weak way (acc. Cambridge Dictionary) e.g. We lost touch and our relationship fizzled out. In this video the question “Have you felt your excitement fizzling out while pursuing your goals?” is answered. link
→ unsustainable - something that is unsustainable cannot continue at the same rate (acc. Cambridge Dictionary) Watch this video to see how the words 'sustainable' and 'unsustainable' can be used link. In this clip Lucy Bella explains why her deodorant is sustainable link.
→ burnout - the state of having no energy or enthusiasm because of working too hard (acc. Cambridge Dictionary). Watch this video about symptoms of a burnout, link.
Fill in the gaps. All sentences are quotes from various articles. I’ve linked all of them in case you’d like to see the full context.
- "HOW TO QUIT SMOKING: 7 WAYS TO K... THE HABIT! B... THE HARMFUL HABIT WITH THESE TIPS!"
- "Anyone having issues with inflammation may want to consider cutting o... the dairy in their coffee".
- "So, you have this goal you’ve been adding to your “need to a...” list year after year, but never actually a... it."
- "Without l...-t... goals, it isn't easy to map out where you are and where you are going"
- "It happens to all of us: We s.. a big ambition or a New Year's resolution, and then it just fizzles out'
- "Starting a fitness journey is amazing for both your mind and body, but s... to it can sometimes prove to be difficult."
- "Too often we set u... fitness goals which are unsustainable in the long run."
- "She adds that setting r... goals is important to not overwhelm you (or your body) and avoid burnout."
- "Whatever fitness goals you decide to s... are unique to you and need to be suited to your lifestyle."
- "When one area of a city, town or village becomes so desirable and expensive, it becomes u... for" average buyers.
- "One of the biggest reasons for failure is having u... expectations"
- "Unfortunately, speciality coffee drinks that many of us g... in the habit of ordering at our favourite café are full of sugar and added calories from fat."
READING PRACTICE
The quotes from exercise 4 were taken from these articles:
1. How To Quit Smoking link
2. Best Coffee Habits for Inflammation link
3. 9 Reasons Why You Haven’t Accomplished That Goal Yet link
4. 3 Reasons Why Long-Term Goals Are Essential for Success link
5. Tips and Tools to Help You Stick to Your Goals link
6. 7. 8. 9. Realistic Fitness Goals to Set for 2022 link
10. Frozen in time renovation project link
11. Digital transformation strategy needs realistic expectations link
12. Breakfast Foods to Avoid for Belly Fat Loss link
Useful idioms - B2+
Use those advanced idioms to describe behaviour related to achieving goals.
USEFUL INFO
→ Listen to Bree who tried to wash a puppy for the first time and it was too overwhelming for the dog. She describes this attempt as biting more than she could chew.
→ In the 16th century pages in books were called leaves.
→ Watch the second clip. Sykkuno plays a video game in which his character used to be a criminal. He says that he doesn’t do crime anymore because he’s turned over a new leaf.
→ Have you heard the Latin phrase ‘tabula rasa’? That’s what a clean slate is. Find out more about ‘tabula rasa’ here, link.
→ Slates in the past were used to write on by students at school. Here’s a picture of a slate used by kids in schools, link.
→ See the phrase ‘to start with a clean slate’ used in a film Transporter 3
→ People often say just the phrase ‘Force of habit’. Check out this clip from The Intern in which a character says ‘you know you don’t have to keep doing that’ (she means dressing so elegantly to work) and her intern goes ‘well, force of habit’
Click here to read the transcript of this video:
“In the interest of total clarity, I am about to bite off more than I can chew with this puppy training thing. I’m hoping I didn’t do any permanent damage though.”
“Yeah, I’m hoping that too. That would not be good for our careers. Dogs, if you’re not really careful with baths can get pretty nervous of a bath in the short term.”
Click here to read the transcript of this video:
“Well, I did used to be a hardened criminal (not likely to change) but I’m a civilian now. I don’t do crime. Yup, I’ve turned a new leaf guys. A brand new leaf.”
Practise those idioms by doing this exercise:
Exercise 5
Fill in the gaps.
- I fasten my seatbelts by ... of habit. I don't even think about it.
- I think that participating in so many events is a wonderful opportunity. I'm just afraid that I will bite ... more than I can chew.
- Jerry never cared about his grades but when he decided to become a doctor he turned ... a new leaf and started to study.
- We really wanted to start over, build the system from scratch and start with a clean ...
- She realised that her behaviour upset her mother greatly so she promised to turn over a new ...
- This project is far too complex for somebody with your experience. Don't ... off more than you can chew!
A USEFUL IDIOM
→ to start from scratch - to begin from a point at which nothing has been done yet (acc. Mirriam-Webster dictionary, link)
Here’s a useful video in which this phrase is explained, link.
Learn about the fascinating origins of this idiom, link.
I made a short clip in witch LixianTV uses this phrase. Check it out!
Let’s practice all phrases and idioms we’ve learnt so far!
Exercise 6
Fill in the gaps.
- I'm always late for meetings. I want to ... this habit.
- If you set ... goals, it will be hard to achieve them.
- When you set new goals be careful not to bite off more than you can ...
- I've been ... off doing my homework the whole week. I need to do it today.
- This year, I will turn over a new ... and I'll quit smoking.
- Speaking English fluently is a ...-term goal. For now, I'll set a ...-term goal of studying 5 new words a week.
- It's hard to ... a habit and not fall back into the old ways later.
- When I was a kid my dad ... me in the habit of brushing my teeth twice a day.
USEFUL INFO
→ to fall back into the old ways - to go back to doing something or behaving
in a way which you did before, e.g. a habit or a routine (acc. Longman dictionary)
Watch Sander Janssen’s video to hear this phrased used.
USEFUL INFO
There’s a similar phrase:
→to be set in one’s ways - to do the same things every day and to not want to change those habits, e.g. As people get older, they often become set in their ways. (acc. dictionary.cambridge.org)
Exercise 7
Answer these questions:
- Have you set any New Year's Resolutions this year?
- Do you remember New Year's Resolutions you set last year? Did you achieve them?
- What are the most popular New Year's Resolutions?
- Why do people fail at accomplishing their resolutions?
- How do you think companies benefit from people's New Year's Resolutions?
- Tell me about a bad habit you have managed to kick or you wish you did.
MORE QUESTIONS
If you’d like to answer more questions about goals in general, here’s a great website:
Exercise 8
Read the texts and watch the video. Were you right?
The most popular New Year’s resolutions are about self improvement (living healthier 23% of people, getting happy 21%, losing weight 20%, exercising 7%, stopping smoking 5%, reducing drinking 2%). In addition, people resolve to meet career or job goals (16%) and improve their relationships (11%). Despite their big plans, though only 8% of people will achieve their New Year’s resolutions.
Read the full article, link.
Personal fitness goals represent the most common New year’s resolution for US consumers. First quarter of 2016 is expected to be one of the busiest ever for the Gym, Health and Fitness Clubs industry in terms of new memberships and demand for personal trainers. Together, these are 47.7% of industry revenue which will rise in January.
Read the full article, link.
That was a lot of work! Good job! 🥳 Here’s your treat 😊
Exercise 9
Read the words and phrases below. Check their meaning in the dictionary.
- to go out on a limb
- a commercial jet
- to plummet to death
- sprout wings
- how come?
- resume
- stapler
- desk drawer
- gossip
- public service
- botched boob job
- to make fun of sb
- to pass on information
- to bet 50 bucks
- to keep an eye on sb
Now, let’s hear those phrases in use. Watch this clip from “Friends” in which you’ll hear the main characters talking about their New Year’s Resolutions.
Check out all the words you’ve learnt!
Answer key
Exercise 1
- off
- out, down
- put
- break/kick, get
- cut
- break/kick
Exercise 3
- realistic/achievable, achieve /accomplish
- stick
- set
- long, unachievable/unrealistic
- unachievable/unrealistic, realistic/achievable
- long
- set, achieve/accomplish
- unachievable/unrealistic, stick, accomplish/achieve
Exercise 4
- kick, break
- out
- achieve, accomplished
- long-term
- set
- sticking
- unrealistic
- realistic
- set
- unachievable
- unrealistic
- get
Exercise 5
- force
- off
- over
- slate
- leaf
- bite
Exercise 6
- break/kick
- unrealistic/unachievable
- chew
- put
- leaf
- long, short
- break/kick
- got