When you don’t know an exact word

If you don’t know or can’t remember an exact word – don’t worry! There are lots of things you can do to communicate without saying the exact word. These are very useful strategies that even native speakers use.

General words

If you can’t remember the word ‘surgeon’, you could say a more general word like ‘doctor’.
 
Examples

If you don’t know the word ‘cutlery’, you could give examples such as ‘knife, fork and spoon’.

Relative clauses to give a description

(It’s a person who ... / thing that ... / place where ... )

If you don’t know the word ‘briefcase’, you could say ‘It’s a thing that people use to carry papers to work’.

Describe the purpose or function (It’s used to + infinitive / for + -ing)

If you don’t know the word ‘scissors’, you could say ‘They are used to cut paper’ or ‘They are used for cutting paper’.

This strategy works well with objects that have a clear use or function.
 
Synonyms (words that mean the same)

If you don’t know the word ‘tiny’, you could say ‘very small’.

This strategy works well with nouns and adjectives.

Antonyms (opposite words)

If you don’t know the word ‘weak’, you could say ‘not strong’.

This strategy works well with adjectives.

Approximations (It’s a kind of ... / It’s a sort of ...)

If you don’t know the word ‘bungalow’, you could say ‘It’s a kind of house’ or ‘It’s a sort of house’.





źródło: http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/exams/speaking-exams/when-you-dont-know-exact-word?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=bc-learnenglishteens

MUSIC

Music is an art form that uses sound as medium in time and space. The basic elements of music, rhythm, dynamics and sound properties are color and intensity. Music through history had tried to define a number of theorists, philosophers, composers and musicians themselves. The very word music derives from the Greek word mousike, which is derived from the word mouse, and  people around the world know that as a Latin form of the word music. Music and sound can make human voice or instrument which can cause emotional experience. Music reaches far into the past and during this time they develop different styles and genres of music, which is still listening. All styles and genres of music, one thing is common, and that is to make people happy. Today, music has increasingly spreading and people can’t live without music. On this website you can find out what music actually is, its history and its styles and genres.

The best-known types of music are:

blues
classical
country
electronic
jazz
latin
metal
pop
punk
rap
reggae
R&B
rock

property - własność, mienie
intensity - intensywność, nasilenie
composer - kompozytor
derive - czerpać (np. przyjemność), odnosić (korzyść, zysk)
genre - gatunek, rodzaj
increasingly  - coraz bardziej, coraz częściej
spread - rozprzestrzeniać się, szerzyć się (dotyczyć coraz większej liczby ludzi lub miejsc) 

Moral

Every cloud has a silver lining.
What goes around comes around.
Where there's smoke there's fire.
Once bitten, twice shy.
When in Rome do as the Romans do.
Where there's life there's hope.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Let's cross that bridge when we come to it.

'Happier at Home': Gretchen Rubin offers 10 tips to make home more comforting

1. Getting rid of stuff
Rubin admits that this can be easier said than done. Some people hate to throw things away, and different people are comfortable with different levels of possessions. Rubin said she pursued a strategy of only keeping things she engaged with. "Engagement came in two forms," she wrote. "First was the engagement that came with use. When I often used a possession – wore the purple coat, packed up the duffel bag, consulted the laminated subway map – I felt engaged with that object... Second was the engagement that came with response. Every time I walked by the shelf where we kept the handmade books my daughters made in nursery school, all swollen with glued bits of macaroni and cotton balls, I thought tenderly of those days... My goal, then, was to rid our home of things that didn't matter, to make more room for the things that did." The objects to get rid of, Rubin says, are the ones without meaning.

What are Values and Beliefs?

Understanding what your values and beliefs are, is an important aspect of personal growth. So what are values and beliefs?  We all have an internalised system of  values and beliefs that have developed throughout our lives. People use both their values and beliefs to guide their actions and behaviour as well as helping to form their attitudes towards different things.  However, values and beliefs are different.

Values
Our values are things that we deem important and can include concepts like  equality, honesty, education, effort, perseverance, loyalty, faithfulness…etc. Our values are very much individual and they affect us at a deep subconscious level. Every decision we make is based on our values and either we use them as avoidance or for aspiration.
Values can be split into core values and secondary values.  Our core values help us to resolve any hidden conflicts, remove stresses and give us a firm direction in life. Ultimately they are important for helping you move towards solutions and away from problems.
Our secondary values are the values that we bring to the fore to use when certain situations for arise.  Eg You might make yourself suddenly more ‘available’ because you have a friend in need and this loyalty is something you value.

Beliefs
Our beliefs on the other hand are assumptions that we make about the world. They grow from what we see, hear, experience, read and think about and they apply not only how we see ourselves but also how we see other people.  We tend not to question our beliefs because we are so certain about them and many of them stem from childhood.  Our beliefs can be changed or turned round by the ‘re-programming’ of our subconscious. Like values our beliefs can be split into two different types empowering beliefs and limiting beliefs.
Empowering beliefs help us to confidently make changes.  We use our empowering beliefs to make decisions in what can often be an ambiguous world. Limiting beliefs do the exact opposite and keep us rooted in particular positions.  Our limiting beliefs are often based on assumptions that are not true.  For example – saying you can’t learn a language. If you spend a lot of time saying that you can’t do something then for that time it will be true.

Understanding your own values and beliefs
The clearer you can be about your values and beliefs, the happier and more effective you will be.
One option is to look at your own values by completing a range of exercises designed to draw out and clarify the things that are most important to you.  These will help show you why you make certain decisions.
Another option is to have some values and beliefs coaching  The aim of such coaching is to ensure that your values and beliefs are not limiting you in anyway and preventing your from achieving your chosen goals.  By increasing your awareness of your interactions, reactions and motivations you will  ensure that the goals you set are entirely congruent with your value and belief system.  This approach is suitable for anyone who finds their life being limited by their values or beliefs.

certain - pewien, pewny
arise - nadarzać się, powstawać, pojawiać się (o problemie, trudnej sytuacji)
assumption - przypuszczenie, założenie
ourselves - się; sami, same
tend - wykazwać tendencje (np. rosnące, malejące)
stem - łodyga, nóżka (np. kieliszka); powstrzymywać, tamować
turn around / turn round - odwracać się
empower - upoważniać, upoważnić; wzmocnić, wzmacniać pozycję (np. polityczną)
limiting - stanowiący barierę; ograniczający
confidently - z pewnością siebie, z przekonaniem
confident - pewny, przekonany; pewny siebie
ambiguous - dwuznaczny, niejednoznaczny
exact - dokładnie; dokładny, całkowicie poprawny
aim - cel
prevent - zapobiegać
awareness - świadomość; zdolność postrzegania
entirely - całkowicie, zupełnie
congruent - stosowny, odpowiedni, właściwy
approach - zbliżać się, podchodzić (do czegoś); zwracać sie (np. z zapytaniem do kogoś)
suitable - odpowiedni, nadający się


źródło:  http://bis-confidencecoaching.com/what-are-values-and-beliefs/

basic english mail part 2

Negotiaiting a project

Asking for information

What are your usual charges (fees/rates) for ....?

Can you give me some more information about …?

Requests

Do you think you could …?

Would you be able to …?

Emphasising a main point

My main concern at this stage is …

The main thing for me is …

Asking for a suggestion

How do you think we should deal with this?

What do you think is the best way forward?

Making a suggestion

Why don’t you … ?

What about if we …?

Negotiating: being firm

I understand what you’re saying about … (but …)

I can see what you’re saying, but …

Negotiating: being flexible

We would be prepared to  … (if …)

I am wiling no … (if …)

Negotiating: agreeing

Okay, I’m happy with that for now.

That’s fine.

Next steps

I’ll be in touch again soon with more details.

Let’s talk next week and see how things are going.

Closing

I look forward to working with you – Liczę na współpracę z Tobą

I’m sorry that we couldn’t use your services this time, but I hope there will be another opportunity.

Charge – opłata

Fee – opłata, honorarium

Rate – stawka; oceniać

Concern – dotyczyć

Stage – etap, stadium

Deal – transakcja, sprawa, interes

Firm – mocno

Prepare – przygotować

Willing – chętny, skłonny, gotowy

Checking understanding

Technical problems

Did you get my last message sent on ...?

Sorry, you forgot to attach the file. Can you send it again?

I got your email, but I can’t open the attachment.

Did you mean to send this? I don’t want to open it in case it’s got a virus.

Asking for clarification

I’m not sure what you mean by …? Could you clarify?

Which … do you mean?

I don’t understand this point. Can you explain in a little more detail?

Are you sure about that?

Giving clarification

Sorry, what I meant was …, not …

I though …, but I may be wrong.

I’ll check and get back to you.

The correct information is given below. Please amend your records accordingly.

Sorry, forget my last email. You’re right.

Close

I hope this clarifies the situation.

Get back to me if there’s anything else.

Amend – zmiany, wnieść poprawki

Records – dokumentacja

Accordingly - odpowiednio

basic english mail

	Formal/Neutral	Informal
Name	Dear Mr/Mrs?Ms Dupuis	Hi/Hello Mary
	Dear Mary	Mary, ...
Previous contact	Thank you for your email of ...	Thanks for your email.
	Further to your last email, ...	Re your email, ...
	I apologise for not getting in contact with you before now	Sorry I haven't written for ages, but I've been really busy
Reason for writing	I am writing in connection with	Just a short note about ...
	I am writing with regard to ...	I'm writing about ...
	In reply to your email, here are ...	Here's the ... you wanted.
	Your name was given to me by	I got your name from ...
	We would like to point out that ...	Please note that ...
Giving information	I'm writing to let you know that ...	Just a note to say ...
	We are able to confirm that ...	We can confirm that ...
	I am delighted to tell you that ...	Good news!
	We regret to inform you that ...	Unfortunately, ...
Attachments	Please find attached my report.	I've attached ...
	I'm sending you ... as a pdf file.	Here is the ... you wanted
Asking for information	Could you give me some information about ...	Can you tell me a little more about ...
	I would like to know ...	I'd like to know ...
	I'm interested in receiving/finding out ...	Please send me ...
Requests	I'd be grateful if you could ...	Please could you ...
	I wonder if you could ...	Could you ...?
	Do you think I could have ...?	Can I have ...?
	Thank you in advance for your help in this matter	I'd appreciate your help on this.
Promising action	I will...	I'll
	I'll investigate the matter.	I'll look into it.
	I will contact you again shortly.	I'll get back to you soon.
Offering help	Would you like me to ...?	Do you want me to ...?
	If you wish, I would be happy to ...	Shall I ...?
	Let me know whether you would like me to ...	Let me know if you'd like me to ...
Final comments	Thank you for your help.	Thanks again for ...
	Do not hesitate to contact us again if you require any further information.	Let me know if you need anything else.
	Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. My direct line is ...	Just give me a call if you have any questions. My number is ...
Close	I am looking forward to ... (+ -ing)	Looking forward to ... (+ -ing)
	Give me regards to ..	Best wishes to ...
	Best wishes	Speak to/ See you soon.
	Regards	Bye (for now)/All the best
	Previous - poprzedni
	Further - dalej
	reason - powód
	hesitate - wahać się

Patchwork Families

The term ‘patchwork family’ has gained some currency for a family in which at least one parent brings a child from a previous relationship. As might be expected, putting the patchwork successfully together can sometimes prove a delicate process.

34-year-old Natasha Becker is something of an expert on patchwork families – she has even written a book on the subject. She grew up with a stepfather and a stepsister and now, after a divorce, she and her daughter live with her new partner. “It’s wonderful if a couple can settle down, start a family and live in harmony, but these days that is not so often the case. More and more relationships break up, new relationships are established and the result is a growing number of patchwork families.”

Give yourselves time
 
“Everybody loves the idea of a normal, perfect family,” says Becker, “but it takes considerable time and a big dose of sensitivity before two families can grow together.” Many couples are somewhat overoptimistic in the early stages, but it is not advisable to put everyone under pressure to be ‘normal’ and happy. Naomi (31) chose her moment carefully before introducing her two children to Tom (37), the new man in her life. “I wanted to be sure that he and I were really serious about each other. I was pretty nervous about how the children would react to him.” Women in particular tend to feel guilty if, when they start a new relationship, they can’t be available to their children 24/7. Natasha Becker reminds them that “You have a right to a lovelife - and in the longer term your children will benefit from growing up in the context of a happy and stable relationship”.

Little treasures
 
To start with, Naomi’s children were somewhat sceptical, comparing Tom with their real father and taking a confrontational stance. This distressed Naomi, as might be expected, but their jealousy and anxiety were typical manifestations of a child’s fear of losing its mother to her new partner. “It’s important to discuss things with you children,” advises Natasha Becker, “and to keep up the conversation. Explain to them - in appropriate words – that a grown-up person needs a grown-up partner if they’re going to be really happy, that this new partner will satisfy needs that are not within a child’s frame of reference. At the same time, constantly make clear to the children that you love and appreciate them just as much as ever.”
Naomi made sure to show lots of affection and understanding for her children, praising and cuddling them at every opportunity - not least when Tom was around. Tom gave himself time to get used to things too. “It wasn’t easy, he says. “I wanted to show the kids that I was interested in them as people, but I didn’t want to overdo it. It was also important to show them that I wasn’t going to take their mother away from them.” He spent a lot of time with Naomi and the children, first altogether and then with the children on their own, helping Naomi’s daughter with her maths homework and taking her son to football. Gradually, they all got used to each other, built a relationship and came to love each other.

Jealousy
 
Things don’t always run so smoothly for new families. Often, the new stepmother or stepfather has problems with the children: they don’t share a past; the absent father or mother can become an object of (often subconscious) jealousy, and they can perhaps never love the children as their own. Natasha Becker’s advice is not to try and be better than the children’s own mother or father. Often, someone coming from a failed relationship makes the mistake of trying to do everything perfectly this time round, and that just isn’t realistic.
If both partners bring children to the new relationship, the situation can be even more delicate. The teething troubles can be serious, but it’s worth making a special effort to see things through. Children from a patchwork family often grow up with greater emotional intelligence and are more ready to make reasonable compromises. Of course, each situation is different, but Natasha Becker reminds us that it is perfectly normal to make mistakes and not to react exactly as one ought. A conventional family is hardly friction-free, so it can only be expected that a patchwork family should take time to gel. “It can take years,” says Becker, “but if the adults’ relationship is stable and harmonious, and everyone tries to be understanding of the other people in the family, then the outlook is positive.”

gain - osiągać, zdobywać; zyskiwać, stopniowo zdobywać
currency - waluta; częstotliwość użycia, popularność
putt - odbijać piłkę po ziemi (w golfie), uderzać (piłkę)
delicate - delikatny (np. sprawa); delikatny, wrażliwy
settle down - uspokoić; ustatkować się (w życiu); ustabilizować się
break up - rozbić się, pękać (np. talerz); rozejść się, rozstać się, zerwać ze sobą (np. związek, małżeństwo)
established - przyjęty, długo znany; o ustalonej reputacji; ufundowany
considerable - znaczący, znaczny, niemały (np. znaczący postęp, znaczna kwota, znaczny dystans)
dose - dawka, doza; zaaplikować leki, nafaszerować lekami
sensitivity - wrażliwość (na uczucia innych); zrozumienie (innych); delikatność (natury czegoś, sprawy)
couple - para (dwoje ludzi, dwie rzeczy)
overoptimistic - zbyt optymistyczny
stage - stadium, punkt; etap, faza; scena (np. w teatrze)
advisable - celowy, wskazany, stosowny, pożyteczny
guilty - winny; zawstydzony, pełen skruchy
remind - przypomnieć (o czymś, np. o spotkaniu)
grow up - dorosnąć; wyrosnąć, zaistnieć
context - kontekst
stable - stajnia; stały, stabilny; stateczny
treasure - skarb; pieczołowicie przechowywać; cenić sobie
sceptical - sceptyczny (o osobie)
compare - porównywać; stopniować
confrontational - konfrontacyjny
stance - stanowisko (w jakiejś kwestii), nastawienie (do czegoś)
distressed - zasmucony, przygnębiony, zrozpaczony
distress - ból, cierpienie, rozpacz; nędza, życie w nędzy
anxiety - niepokój, obawa, lęk (uczucie niepokoju)
fear - strach, lęk
advise - poradzić, doradzić; radzić, zalecać
keep up - trwać (np. o sytuacji); nadążać (np. za kimś)
appropriate - odpowiedni, stosowny, właściwy
satisfy - satysfakcjonować; zaspokajać (potrzeby, pragnienia); spełniać (np. wymagania)
frame - rama (od obrazu), ramka (do zdjęć); struktura, rama (np. rowerowa)
constantly - stale, ciągle
appreciate - doceniać, docenić (np. ważność problemu, znaczenie czegoś)
affection - uczucie (miłość lub przyjaźń do kogoś), przywiązanie; sympatia, sentyment
cuddling - przytulanie się, tulenie
cuddle - uścisk, przytulenie (kogoś)
overdo - przesadzać, przesadzić (np. z martwieniem się, obawami)
altogether - zupełnie, całkiem, całkowicie; razem, w sumie
gradually - stopniowo, powoli
smoothly - płynnie (np. ruszać z miejsca, hamować); bez zakłóceń, gładko
subconscious - podświadomość; podświadomy (np. niepokój)
teething troubles / teething problems - początkowy problem
react - reagować
ought - powinien (wskazujące na zobliowanie, pożądane zachowaniem); powinien (wskazujące na logiczne oczekiwanie)
conventional - konwencjonalny
friction - tarcia, napięcia
gel - żel; skrystalizować się (o planach); posmaroważ żelem, nałożyć żel
outlook - podgląd; perspektywa, widok; widok (np. z okna)

źródło: http://uk.parship.com/advice/single-parents/patchwork-families.htm