Learn English with 925 English Lesson 7 - Likes & Preferences in English | ESL English Conversation

Summary

In this 9 to 5 English lesson, Tim teaches how to talk about likes and preferences in a business context. The lesson covers various expressions to describe preferences, such as 'prefer,' 'keen on,' 'fond of,' and 'more into.' Tim also explains how to express stronger likes with phrases like 'can't get enough of' or 'huge fan of.' The lesson includes a practical dialogue example and exercises for learners to practice expressing their own preferences. The focus is on using natural English phrases to discuss both casual likes and professional preferences.

Takeaways

• 😀 Talking about likes and preferences is common in both formal and casual conversations.
• 😀 You can express a preference by using phrases like 'I prefer...', 'I'm more into...', or 'I’d take... over...'.
• 😀 When discussing activities, phrases like 'I'd rather...', 'I’d prefer...', or 'I’d rather do [this] than [that]' are helpful.
• 😀 Practice makes perfect: it’s essential to repeat common expressions like 'I’d much rather...', 'I’m keen on...', and 'I can’t get enough of...'.
• 😀 You can use adjectives like 'keen on', 'partial to', and 'fond of' to talk about things you like, remembering to use the correct preposition (e.g., 'keen on' not 'keen to').
• 😀 To express strong preferences, words like 'love' and 'can't get enough of' work well, as in 'I really love...' or 'I’m a huge fan of...'.
• 😀 'Nothing I love more than...' is a great way to emphasize things you really enjoy.
• 😀 To express preferences without comparison, simply say 'I like [X]' or '[X] is one of my favorites'.
• 😀 In a real-world scenario, you might say 'I’d much rather...' when discussing where you prefer to live or work.
• 😀 Phrases like 'a huge fan of' or 'I’m partial to' help convey enthusiasm or strong liking for something.
• 😀 The lesson also prepares learners for the opposite of liking: expressing dislike or hatred, which will be covered in a future lesson.

Q & A

What is the main focus of today's lesson?

The main focus of today's lesson is learning how to talk about likes and preferences in business English.

How can you express a preference between two things?

You can express a preference by saying 'I prefer [X] to [Y]', 'I'm more into [X] than [Y]', or 'I’d take [X] over [Y]'.

What is a more casual way to say 'I prefer Sony to LG'?

You could say 'I’m more into Sony than LG' or 'I’d take Sony over LG'.

Can you give an example of expressing a preference in the context of work?

An example would be saying, 'I’d rather talk with customers than send them emails.'

What are some alternative ways to talk about things you like?

Instead of just saying 'I like [X]', you can use expressions like 'I’m keen on [X]', 'I’m partial to [X]', or 'I’m fond of [X]'.

What are some adjectives you can use to express likes, and what are their prepositions?

You can say 'keen on' (e.g., 'I’m keen on Toyotas'), 'partial to' (e.g., 'I’m partial to European wine'), and 'fond of' (e.g., 'I’m fond of travel').

How can you talk about things you love?

To talk about things you love, you can use expressions like 'I really love [X]', 'I can’t get enough of [X]', or 'I’m a huge fan of [X]'.

How do you express something that you love in a more extreme way?

You can say, 'There’s nothing I love more than [X]' to emphasize your strong feelings.

What was the dialogue example provided in the script about office location preferences?

In the dialogue, one person asks if the other is considering renting an office in London, and the second person responds, 'I’d much rather be somewhere quieter,' and then mentions being a huge fan of Cambridge.

How can you practice the new expressions from this lesson?

You can practice by repeating the dialogue and substituting the blank spaces with your own preferences, such as where you would prefer to work or live.