タビスタ | まったく新しいオンライン英会話
[B] Actions I

LET'S UNLOCK WORDS AND PHRASES 🔐

sober

[ 'soh-ber ]

adjective

- not drunk or affected by alcohol

I promised him that I'd stay sober tonight.

temptation

[ temp-'tey-shuhn ]

noun

- the wish to do or have something that you know you should not do or have:

I couldn't resist the temptation to open the letter.

see through

phrasal verb

- to understand the truth about someone or something and not allow yourself to be deceived

I could never lie to her because I know she'd see through me straight away.

get the best of someone or something

idiom

- to overwhelm, take control or gain advantage over someone or something

She didn't allow her emotions to get the best of her.

cut someone some slack

phrase

- to treat (someone) in a less harsh or critical way

It’s best to cut people some slack sometimes, everyone has a bad day.

LET'S UNDERSTAND! 📚

▪️ Idioms with "act" have two main meanings. One connected simply with doing things and the other with acting as in a theatre or drama.

▪️ Idioms with "action" can refer to what is happening or to whether something/ someone is working/ functioning normally.

A. caught in the act

  • caught while doing something specified

EATING

Dialogue

Icon_Sally

Sally

Hey Alexa! I caught you in the act!

Icon_Sakura

Alexa

Uh-oh, what did you catch me doing?

Icon_Sally

Sally

I saw you sneaking into the break room and grabbing an extra piece of cake. That's against our healthy eating challenge rules!

Icon_Sakura

Alexa

Oh no, you got me! I couldn't resist the temptation. I promise, it won't happen again!

B. act one's age

  • don't behave in a childish way

act your age

Dialogue

Icon_Marie

Marie

Quit fooling around Anthony. We still have lots of things to do for the holidays.

Icon_Learner

Anthony

We've got plenty of time before Christmas, mom. Cut me some slack.

Icon_Marie

Marie

Come on, Anthony. You're too old for that. Act your age, will you?

C. putting on an act

  • to behave or speak in a false and artificial way

talking with colleague

Dialogue

Icon_Surprised(Man)

Taka

I don't think I can do the presentation to the clients. I'm afraid that my nerves would get the best of me.

Melly_Happy Icon

Melly

That's pretty normal, but in this line of business you need to learn how to put on an act. You have to do it without them knowing that you are nervous. But don't worry, you'll get used to it.

Icon_Surprised(Man)

Taka

I don't know about the "getting used to it" part, but you're right I have to act confident to win them over. Do you think you can help me?

Melly_Happy Icon

Melly

Of course!

D. balancing act

  • a situation requiring careful balance of opposing groups, views or activities

coffee with colleague

Dialogue

Icon_Sally

Sally

How's your business coming along?

Icon_Mike

Mike

It's proceeding as planned. I just realized how much of a delicate balancing act managing a business is.

Icon_Sally

Sally

Absolutely, especially in the customer service industry. You need to take care of both your employees and customers to maintain a successful business.

E. clean up one's act

  • to stop doing something a lot of people don't like or agree with

CLEAN UP ONES ACT

Dialogue

Icon_Sally

Sally

You're going to have to clean up your act if you're serious about keeping your job.

Icon_Worried(Man)

Bill

I'm sorry. It may sound like an excuse, but I don't really feel comfortable living in the city. I'm not used to the fast-paced environment here.

Icon_Sally

Sally

Well. You need to figure out what you really want.

LET'S PRACTICE! 📝

Part I

Direction: Choose the appropriate idioms to complete each of the sentences.

put on an act balancing act
clean up one's act caught in the act
act one's age
  1. You are too old for silly pranks! It's time for you to and take responsibility for your actions.

  2. After being warned by his boss, Jack decided to and improve his performance at work.

  3. The security camera the thief of stealing from the store.

  4. The actor had to of being drunk, even though he was completely sober.

  5. Running a successful business requires a delicate between cost control and quality improvement.

Part II

Direction: Listen as your mentor reads the statements twice. Then, repeat after your mentor.

  1. 🔊

  2. 🔊

  3. 🔊

Part III

Direction: Paraphrase the following sentences. Make sure to paraphrase the underlined idiomatic expressions.

  1. Being a working parent requires a constant balancing act between career and family responsibilities.

    .

  2. She pretended to be fine, but her friends knew she was putting on an act to hide her true emotions.

    .