Archive for September, 2018

English For Everyday Situations

September 27th, 2018 in English for children

Encouraging someone

We can use the expression Hurry up! to encourage someone to do something more quickly.

  • Hurry up! They’re all waiting for us.
  • Hurry up! We’ve got to be there in less than twenty minutes.
  • Hurry up! We’re already late.

The expression Come on! is also used to encourage someone to do something.

  • Come on! We’ll be late.
  • Come on, Jenny, take a bite.
  • Come on! We’re going to be late for the film.

In a very informal style, we use the expression Go for it! to encourage someone to do something.

  • ‘I’m going to try my luck in the stock market.’ ‘Go for it!’
  • ‘I’m going to buy that car.’ ‘Go for it!’
  • ‘I’m going to apply for that job.’ ‘Go for it!’

Asking about people’s names and ages

Here are some expressions you can use to ask about people’s names and ages.

  • ‘What’s your son’s name?’ ‘He’s called John.’
  • ‘What’s your daughter’s name?’‘She’s called Nancy.’
  • ‘What are their names?’‘They’re called Martin and Sonia.’
  • ‘How old is your son?’‘He’s ten.’
  • ‘How old is your daughter?’‘She’s four.’
  • ‘How old are your kids?’ ‘They’re ten and four.’
  • ‘How old are you?’ ‘I’m thirty-nine.’ / ‘I’m thirty-nine years old.’
  • ‘When’s your birthday?’ ‘It’s 18 May.’ (= It’s the eighteenth of May OR It’s May the eighteenth.)
  • Notes

While talking about our age, we do not usually say the words ‘years old’ after our age. It is possible, but not very common.