Double A English

I had no idea that U2’s song “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” had so many examples of the present perfect. Enjoy

I have climbed highest mountain
I have run through the fields
Only to be with you
Only to be with you

I have run
I have crawled
I have scaled these city walls
These city walls
Only to be with you

But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for
But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for

I have kissed honey lips
Felt the healing in her fingertips
It burned like fire
This burning desire

I have spoken with the tongue of angels
I have held the hand of a devil
It was warm in the night
I was cold as a stone

But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for
But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for

I believe in the kingdom come
Then all the colors will bleed into one
Bleed into one
Well yes I’m still running

You broke the bonds and you
Loosed the chains
Carried the cross
Of my shame
Of my shame
You know I believed it

But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for
But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for
But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for
But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for…

This made me smile — more body idioms!

We’re working our fingers to the bone = We’re working so hard it hurts

We are armed with skills = We have skills and we can use them!

We want to get a leg up on the competition = We want to be better, sooner (than the competition).

We are ahead of the game = We are in front of the competition.

Keep your ear to the ground = Keep listening for what people are saying about something

Agree + Infinitive with TO

I agreed to help him move this weekend. I’ll never agree to take a pay cut.

Refuse + Infinitive with TO

I refuse to help you clean your room — it’s your mess! Our team refuses to lose!

Deny + Gerund

He denied losing the money. We would never deny giving someone justice.

Decide + Infinitive with TO

I’ve decided to visit Berlin. He can’t decide whether to buy that shirt.

…our language is a mess :).

Think about + Gerund

Ex. I have been thinking about moving to the States. Are you thinking about asking me to marry you? He hasn’t thought about taking the job yet.

Consider + Gerund

Ex. I‘ve been considering moving to the States. Have you considered seeing a doctor? I won’t consider talking about this until you calm down.

Recall + Gerund

Ex. I recall seeing the man in front of the house, but he didn’t look dangerous. Can you recall validating the ticket? I don’t recall saying that.

Expect + Infinitive with To

Ex. I expect to hear about the job soon. He expected you to come over later. They hadn’t expected to see their daughter at the Metallica concert.

Sometimes you are shocked by something — an idea, a discovery, bad or good news. And saying “Wow, I’m shocked!” doesn’t seem like enough. Here are some idioms for being shocked.

“It hit me like a ton of bricks”

The news about grandfather dying hit me like a ton of bricks. I didn’t know how to feel.

As I lay in bed, the idea hit me like a ton of bricks — and I went to the lab immediately.

“To be floored”

Again, something is so surprising that you go from standing to being on the floor (not literally). You’ve been floored.

When he asked me to marry him, I was floored. I hadn’t expected it.

I was completely floored to see my ex-boyfriend on TV.

Allow (someone, optional) + Infinitive with to

Ex. I am allowed to stay out until 10pm. Are you allowed to eat that on your diet? His parents didn’t allow him to date outside of his religion.

Note: If you are the subject, then the construction is passive:  I am allowed to .. (Active: Someone allows me to …)

Prevent (someone, optional) from + gerund

Ex. I wasn’t prevented from going to Harvard; I just didn’t want to. I would never prevent someone from reaching his dreams.

Let + infinitive withOUT to

Ex. My parents didn’t let me go to Africa alone. Would you let your child date someone significantly older? I don’t let my dog pee on furniture.

Need a song to remember it?

Listen to The Beatles’ “Let it be”

When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
And in my hour of darkness she is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

It’s Holy Week. Here’s some vocabulary related to Catholicism / Christianity.

Ash Wednesday - The first day of Lent. This year it was Feb. 13. It represents the first day of Jesus’ 40 days in the desert.

Lent - The season that represents Jesus’ 40 days in the desert, i.e. the time between Ash Wednesday and Easter.

Holy Week - The week between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday.

Palm Sunday - The day that Jesus enters Jerusalem.

Holy Thursday or Maundy Thursday - The day that celebrates the Last Supper with the Apostles.

Good Friday - The day Jesus was crucified, i.e. the day Jesus was put on the cross.

Holy Saturday - The day Jesus was put in the tomb, i.e. the day Jesus was buried.

Easter Sunday - The day Jesus is resurrected, i.e. the day Jesus comes back from the dead.

It’s a special week here on Double A English. I’ve decided to keep up the gerunds and infinitives practice by providing “themed” collocations. Today: “what you do in school.”

Learn + infinitive with to

E.g. I am learning to paint. Have you ever learned to play a musical instrument? Would you like to learn to speak Russian?

Teach (someone) + infinitive with to

E.g. I am teaching him to speak English. I’ve never taught anyone to do anything. He’s teaching me to dance salsa.

Read (something) + infinitive with to

E.g. I have been reading this book to understand how to paint. He told me to read it to learn about grammar.

Write (to someone) + infinitive with to

E.g. I wrote to him to ask him a question. Have you ever written to Congress to advocate for a new law? I’ve written you to explain English.

In class on Tuesday, I remembered (and sang) a song from my childhood. someone asked me what “toot” meant and I explained it had two meanings: 1. To blow a horn. 2. To pass gas (fart), see image above.

Here’s the song:

Beans, Beans, Good for your Heart
The more you eat, the more you fart
Beans, Beans, The Magical Fruit,
The more you eat, the more you toot
The more you toot, the better you feel
So eat your beans at every meal!

It also occurred to me that this was a good example of our “The more …, the more …” comparatives. :) Grammar and fart jokes all in one? I’m in.