30-day challenge for C2

As I advanced on day... well, many days ago, here is a part 2 for our "alternative answers" challenge! In this challenge we'll be matching the answers to their function, something that is essential to start actually using them. Go for it! - Do the two parts of the challenge. - Share your answers with us in the comments. - As an extra: 1. try to give an extra answer for each question in the challenge, and 2. Tell us which answer sounds most formal/informal to you. Hope you enjoy this one and incorporate some of these into your production! 1. Let's find the function of these sample answers. Which response is used to show the speaker... a. ... doesn't believe something will happen? b. ... thinks something is desirable, but it doesn't happen? c. ... doesn't know something? d. ... is willing to do something? e. ... doesn't want something to happen? f. ... gives permission? 1. When will the cycle lane be built? - Don't hold your...

I can't believe we've managed to reach day 25 without touching on phrasal verbs! Now, it's very common to distinguish between phrasal verbs and prepositional verbs. Personally, I don't like going into that distinction (I wonder just how much classifying is necessary for one to be proficient), although we must be able to tell them apart for practical purposes, that is, for knowing when we can "split" the verb and preposition with the object pronoun. If you want to know what I'm talking about, you can check an entry like this one here . I came across  this entry on a business English blog and it gave me an idea for today's challenge: it's a list of 15 phrasal verbs for a "coffee break at work" situation. As you will see if you click on the link, the author of the blog gives you a full conversation where all 15 phrasal verbs on her list are used. So, here's the challenge:   - Find below a list of phrasal verbs we use when talk...

Hey there everyone! The other day I was here reflecting on how we had forgotten about adverbs, and then it occurred to me that we had also forgotten about this seemingly unimportant part of speech, one that we never seem to devote a lesson to, but which can do so much to a sentence's meaning: the conjunction. For today's challenge, I am introducing to you to some of the most advanced conjunctions. You probably know them, and if that's the case, today will give you a little bit of practice so you don't forget them. Introducing (in alphabetical order): albeit by the same token inasmuch as notwithstanding what with yet The challenge for today: - Complete the sentences with the right conjunction from the list. - Tell us in the comments which one is your favourite. Can you make a new sentence with it? Here we go! 1. No one wants the natural beauty of the area to be compromised ____________ they continue to build hotels. 2. ____________  some c...

Really, you thought we would get through the 30-day challenge without THE classic challenge? Really?? Here are some of my favourite tongue twisters in Egnlish. Now, the experts say (well, some people say this, including me) that the real deal is in saying the tongue twister at least three times in a row. Only then can you say you have mastered it! - Say these tongue twisters, and remember, try three times in a row for each one of them! - Tell us in the comments: which was the hardest? The easiest?  - Are you still struggling with any of them? Which favourite tongue twister of yours is missing on my list? 1. The first tongue twister I ever learnt in English! - She sells sea shells by the sea shore, but the sea shells she sells are not sea shells, I'm sure. 2. And the second one I ever learnt! - How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? 3. How can a clam cram in a clean cream can? 4. Send toast to ten tense stout saints' ten ta...

Hi everyone! I think we haven't, have we? Tsk tsk... We shouldn't neglect adverbs. At this level, I'm sorry to repeat myself, it's extremely important to develop an ear for collocation. This challenge is a series of four mini-challenges that are aimed at training your ear for collocation of adverb+adjective: - Complete all the challenges. Which one was the hardest? - What adverb+adjective collocation would you use to describe today's challenge? Go for it! 1. Take a look at these adverbs. Which ones can be used with tired? And with exhausted? Some can be used with both. a) very, terribly b) slightly, a bit, a little c) rather, somewhat, fairly, moderately d) utterly, absolutely, completely e) really, pretty f) quite g) extremely 2. Take combinations that you have made in 1 and rank them from "slightly tired" to "absolutely exhausted". How are you feeling right now in the ranking? How will you feel at the end of today...

Hello there! This is another instance of how to be creative with titles. The structure of the challenge is the same as the previous "catchy titles": - explain how the name given to the video is a play on words. - Watch the video. - Provide a summary of the video using the following words: behaviour, exhibit, diversity, filters, phenomenon, occurrence, landscape, reef, marine, serenity. Now, the title of this video on youtube is not that creative, but the one where I found about it was a clever one: Neon Seas . What is the play on words here? Watch and enjoy!

Hi everyone! Idioms today! Idioms related to choice and decisions, because I thought today about the simplicity of these days, where we can choose to feel restricted, or we can choose to feel freed from the burden of choice. For me, it's the latter. Where to go, what to do? Well, just stay at home, doing homely things. Of course, on any given day I can choose whether I would like to work a little, or a lot, or what I'm going to cook for lunch, but not even these things depend on me that much anymore. I may need to attend to the kid, or cook something that needs to be cooked before something else. I go with the flow a lot more, and it's liberating. So when it comes to the challenge, it turns out I don't have to choose that much either. I have my topic (choice) and my only requirement (advanced language), so a logical conclusion is: let's learn idioms to talk about choice! For today: - Read the sentences. The idiom is marked in bold. - A key word is missin...