Oil Price Hike - Improve Your English Vocabulary with the News

Summary

In this engaging English lesson, Jennifer uses a news article about fluctuating oil prices to teach key vocabulary, phrasal verbs, and grammar structures. The lesson covers expressions like 'What on earth?' for surprise, the phrasal verb 'go on' to describe ongoing events, and adverbs of frequency such as 'rarely.' Jennifer also introduces the present perfect, continuous, and past perfect tenses, helping learners understand how to talk about current and past events in a compelling way. Interactive exercises further enhance learning, making this a fun and effective way to improve both English skills and news comprehension.

Takeaways

• 😀 The phrase 'What on earth…?' is used to express surprise, confusion, or disbelief and adds emphasis compared to simply asking 'What is this?'.
• 😀 The phrasal verb 'go on with' refers to what is happening and is often used in everyday conversations about events or people.
• 😀 The price of oil, though rarely discussed at the dinner table, has recently dominated headlines due to significant fluctuations.
• 😀 'Pushed up' is a phrasal verb meaning an increase, often used to describe rising prices or values.
• 😀 'Wild swings' describe extreme or intense changes, while 'fluctuations' indicate more neutral, gradual changes in price.
• 😀 Adverbs of frequency like 'rarely' typically pair with the present simple tense, and they help describe how often something occurs.
• 😀 Expressions such as 'as soon as' and 'due to' are important for connecting events and explaining causes, with 'due to' being more formal.
• 😀 Time references like 'in the months ahead' or 'in the weeks ahead' indicate future context and require the correct preposition usage.
• 😀 Words like 'drawn out' describe something that lasts longer than necessary, often used negatively for events or explanations.
• 😀 Understanding the difference in stress and syllable patterns, such as in 'economics' versus 'economist,' aids proper pronunciation and comprehension.
• 😀 The script emphasizes active engagement through interactive exercises, like completing sentences and sharing thoughts, to reinforce vocabulary and grammar learning.

Q & A

What does the phrase 'What on earth' express?

The phrase 'What on earth' expresses surprise, confusion, shock, or disbelief. It adds more emphasis than simply asking 'What is this?'

How is the phrasal verb 'going on' used in this transcript?

'Going on' means 'happening' or 'occurring.' For example, 'What's going on with oil prices?' asks about current events or situations.

What is the meaning of 'rarely' and how is it used grammatically?

'Rarely' is an adverb of frequency meaning 'not often.' It is typically used with the present simple tense, e.g., 'The price of oil rarely makes it into dinner table conversation.'

What is meant by 'dominated headlines'?

'Dominated headlines' means that a topic has featured prominently in news reports. For example, 'It has dominated headlines with huge and unusual rises and falls.'

What is the difference between 'wild swings' and 'fluctuations' in prices?

'Wild swings' refer to large, rapid, and extreme changes in price, while 'fluctuations' imply gradual changes that can go up or down more moderately.

Explain the term 'drawn out' and its usage in the transcript.

'Drawn out' means something has been prolonged longer than necessary. In the transcript, 'the conflict would not be drawn out' implies a hope that the conflict won't last longer than needed.

How is the past perfect continuous tense used in the context of oil prices?

The past perfect continuous tense is used to describe an action that was ongoing before another past event. Example: 'Oil had been trading at about $71 a barrel' shows continuous trading before the conflict began.

What does 'pushed up' signify in the transcript?

'Pushed up' means increased or raised. For example, 'Prices were pushed up by air strikes' indicates that external events caused prices to rise.

How does the transcript explain the term 'the new norm'?

'The new norm' refers to what has become standard or usual now. Example: 'Learning online is the new norm' indicates that online learning has become common practice.

What is the significance of 'as soon as' versus 'ASAP' in the transcript?

'As soon as' refers to immediately after a specific event, e.g., 'Prices rose sharply as soon as the conflict began.' 'ASAP' (as soon as possible) means to do something as quickly as possible without being tied to a specific event.

How is the preposition 'due to' different from 'because of' according to the transcript?

'Due to' is more formal and often used in written contexts, whereas 'because of' is common in everyday speech. Both indicate a cause, e.g., 'Prices are rising due to concerns about supplies' or 'Prices are rising because of concerns about supplies.'

What role do world leaders' comments play in oil price changes?

Comments from world leaders can significantly impact oil prices by influencing market expectations, contributing to fluctuations. For example, statements about stopping production pushed oil prices to a 2-year high.