[C+] Making an Effort

LET'S UNLOCK WORDS AND PHRASES 🔐

colony

[ 'kol-uh-nee ]

noun

- a group of animals, insects, or plants of the same type that live together

Social-spider colonies are made up of "warrior" and "nanny" spiders.

scrape

[ skreyp ]

verb

- to succeed in getting or achieving something, but with difficulty or by a very small amount

Her grades weren't great, but she scraped into university.

streamer

[ 'stree-mer ]

noun

- a long, narrow strip of brightly colored paper that is used as a decoration for special occasions such as parties

We decorated the office with streamers for Paul's leaving party.

all-nighter

[ 'awl-'nahy-ter ]

noun

- a time when you spend all night working

I find writers pulling all-nighters to finish a project working side by side with computer science students developing new software.

pick up the slack

idiom

- to improve a situation by doing something that someone else has not done or not completed

With our best player injured, other players have to pick up the slack.

LET'S UNDERSTAND! 📚

Direction: Read and understand the different idiomatic expressions below.

A. go all out

use a lot of energy and effort to do something

23-VP-MAKING AN EFFORT

Dialogue

Icon_Alex

Alex

Have you seen how dedicated Raj is at work? He really goes all out to meet his deadlines.

Icon_Anna Happy

Anna

Absolutely, the wall behind him is a testament to that; it's plastered with sticky notes and reminders.

B. by hook or by crook

using whatever methods are necessary

23-VP-MAKING AN EFFORT

Dialogue

Icon_Alex

Alex

Look at those ants; they are determined to carry those crumbs by hook or by crook.

Icon_Anna Happy

Anna

Yeah, their teamwork is incredible, doing whatever it takes to feed the colony.

C. pull your finger out

(very informal) make more of an effort

23-VP-MAKING AN EFFORT

Dialogue

Icon_Mike

Mike

If Sally doesn't pull her finger out, she'll never understand these calculus problems.

Icon_Cindy

Cindy

True, but it looks like the teacher's intensity might just be the push she needs to get going.

Icon_Mike

Mike

Yeah, and maybe with a bit more encouragement rather than pressure, she could really excel.

D. at a push

probably possible, but will be difficult

23-VP-MAKING AN EFFORT

Dialogue

Icon_Sally

Sally

I'm really worried about the chemistry exam; there's so much to remember.

Icon_Cindy

Cindy

I know what you mean, but I think we could scrape through at a push.

Icon_Sally

Sally

You're probably right. If we study together and focus on our weak spots, we might just make it.

E. give something your all

use all your energy and effort to do something

23-VP-MAKING AN EFFORT

Dialogue

John_Happy Icon

John

This new project is a beast, isn't it? I'm not sure we can meet the deadline.

Icon_Mike

Mike

It's tough, but I believe we can manage if we really give it our all.

John_Happy Icon

John

Absolutely, all-nighters might be on the menu, but I'm ready to do whatever it takes!

F. pull your weight

work as hard as other people in a group

23-VP-MAKING AN EFFORT

Dialogue

Icon_Sally

Sally

It's frustrating to see some of our colleagues barely doing the minimum, isn't it?

Icon_Cindy

Cindy

Definitely, if everyone isn't going to pull their weight, we'll never get this project done on time.

Icon_Sally

Sally

We need to address this; it's not fair for the rest of us to pick up the slack for them.

Icon_Cindy

Cindy

Agreed. Let's talk to the team lead. It's high time they step up and do their fair share.

LET'S PRACTICE! 📝

Part I

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

give something your all	go all out
pull your weight	by hook or by crook
pull your finger out	at a push

It's time to and complete this project before the deadline.
We have a tight schedule, but I think we can finish the task .
If you want to be part of this team, you need to and contribute effectively.
Despite facing many obstacles, he was determined to succeed .
When preparing for the important exam, she knew she had to her studies in order to achieve her desired results.
It's time for you to and start working harder on your assignments.

Part II

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

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Part III

Direction: Describe the picture using the words or phrases provided.

23-VP-MAKING AN EFFORT

1. ( give (something) her all / participate )

23-VP-MAKING AN EFFORT

2. ( approaching deadline / pull his finger out )