Podcast on Intermediate English Skills Test

Kapitoly

Gerunds vs Infinitives

Reporting from the Field

The World of Work

Smart Shopping

The 10 by 10 Challenge

Mia's Experience

Lessons Learned

Final Thoughts

Přepis

Mia: Imagine a student named Leo. He's applying for a part-time job and is trying to write the perfect cover email. He writes, 'I am very good at to write emails.' He pauses. That doesn't sound right. He tries again: 'I am very good at writing emails.' Yes, that's it! But why is one right and the other wrong? It’s a tiny difference with a huge impact.

Mia: You're listening to Studyfi Podcast, where we untangle these tricky little questions.

Ethan: Exactly, Mia. That's a perfect example of what we're tackling today: gerunds and infinitives. It trips up everyone, but once you get the pattern, it's easy.

Mia: Okay, so let's break it down. In Leo's sentence, 'at' is a preposition. And after a preposition, you almost always use the '-ing' form, which we call a gerund.

Ethan: That's the key! So, 'good at writing,' 'interested in studying,' 'tired of waiting.' It's a solid rule to remember. But then you have verbs that are just... picky.

Mia: Picky verbs? What do you mean?

Ethan: Some verbs just prefer one form over the other. Take the verb 'refuse'. If I say, 'My boss refuses...' what do you think comes next, Mia? '...give me a pay rise' or '...to give me a pay rise'?

Mia: '...to give me a pay rise.' The first one sounds strange.

Ethan: Exactly! 'Refuse' is followed by the infinitive with 'to'. But a verb like 'enjoy' or 'feel like' needs the '-ing' form. For instance, 'Do you feel like going out for a meal?' not 'feel like to go'.

Mia: So it’s about learning which verbs are friends with which form. What about verbs that can take both, like 'remember'?

Ethan: Great question. This is where it gets interesting. With 'remember', the meaning changes. 'I remember meeting Christina' means you have a memory of a past event. But 'I forgot to post that letter' means you forgot to perform an action. One looks back, the other looks forward.

Mia: Ah, that makes so much sense! So the form changes the entire meaning. It's not just random.

Ethan: Precisely. Now, let's switch gears to another common headache: reported speech. It's basically telling someone what a third person said.

Mia: You mean like gossiping?

Ethan: You could call it the grammar of gossiping, yes! The most important rule is the 'tense backshift'. If someone says, 'We've bought some ice cream,' in the present perfect...

Mia: ...and I tell you about it later, I'd say, 'They told me they had bought some ice cream.' It goes one step back into the past, to the past perfect.

Ethan: You've got it! It's like taking a little step back in time. The same thing happens with modal verbs. 'I will give you a ride' becomes 'She said she would give me a ride.' 'Will' becomes 'would'.

Mia: What about questions? If someone asks, 'What are their names?'

Ethan: The question word stays, but the word order changes from a question back to a statement. So it becomes, 'She asked me what their names were.' The verb 'are' shifts to 'were' and goes to the end of the clause.

Mia: It’s like you're just reporting the facts, not asking the question yourself. And commands? Like 'Don't waste your money!'

Ethan: For commands, you use the infinitive. 'The man told me not to waste my money.' Simple as that. It's less dramatic, more... well, reported.

Mia: Okay, let's move from grammar to vocabulary, specifically about jobs. A lot of verbs have corresponding noun forms. For example, the verb 'demonstrate' gives us the noun...

Ethan: 'Demonstration!' Let's do a quick-fire round. I'll give you a verb, you give me the noun. Ready? 'Retire'.

Mia: Retirement!

Ethan: 'Agree'.

Mia: Agreement!

Ethan: 'Choose'.

Mia: Choice! That one's a bit different.

Ethan: It is! Some are regular, some aren't. Knowing these helps you sound much more fluent when talking about work.

Mia: Speaking of work, let's clarify some terms. What's the real difference between being 'sacked', being made 'redundant', and 'resigning'? They all mean you leave your job, right?

Ethan: Right, but for very different reasons. If you get 'sacked', you did something wrong. If you're made 'redundant', the company no longer has a job for you. And if you 'resign', you choose to leave yourself. One is your fault, one is the company's situation, and one is your choice.

Mia: That's a super useful distinction to know for the real world.

Ethan: And for our final vocabulary boost, let's talk shopping. We often use phrasal verbs here. For example, if a dress looks like it might be your size, you...

Mia: 'Try it on' in the fitting room.

Ethan: Exactly. And if it's the perfect size, you can say it 'fits' you perfectly. But if the color looks good on you, it 'suits' you. They're different things!

Mia: Oh, I've used those interchangeably before. So 'fit' is about size, and 'suit' is about style or color. Got it.

Ethan: You got it. And that's our lightning round of English essentials for today. We’ve covered picky verbs, the grammar of gossip, and the language of jobs and shopping.

Mia: We've packed a lot in! So, to recap, pay attention to the verb patterns, remember to take a step back in time for reported speech, and you'll be on your way.

Mia: And that idea of simplifying really leads us perfectly into our last topic... how we can declutter our closets and our minds.

Ethan: Exactly. We're talking about the capsule wardrobe. Specifically, a fun experiment called the 10 by 10 challenge.

Mia: Right! This was created back in 2015 by an ethical fashion blogger called ‘Style Bee’, and it's become a huge trend.

Ethan: The rules are surprisingly simple. You choose just ten items of clothing from your closet and you wear only those items for ten days.

Mia: And here's the tricky part... shoes are included in that count of ten! Accessories like scarves and hats don't count, thank goodness.

Ethan: So you can still add a bit of flair. I'm curious, Mia, you actually tried this, didn't you? What did you pick?

Mia: I did! Planning it was a lot of fun. I chose skinny black jeans, of course. Then two pairs of shoes—one flat, one with heels. A smart shirt, two casual tops, a warm jumper, a denim skirt, and... my friend Beth lent me some amazing baggy brown trousers.

Ethan: That sounds like a really solid, versatile selection. So, how did it go? Was it a struggle?

Mia: Honestly, it was great! Beth's trousers were my surprise favorite item. I never would've picked that shape for myself, but they were so easy to style. I even posted pictures of all the outfits on my Instagram feed.

Ethan: So you became a temporary fashion influencer?

Mia: Not quite! You can’t see me in the photos, just the clothes arranged on my sofa. But they definitely tell a story.

Ethan: It sounds like a success overall. But did you learn anything? Or make any mistakes we could avoid?

Mia: Oh, definitely. My biggest mistake was planning too much. It sounds weird, but I think it would've been better to leave one spot open... like a 'wild card' item to choose during the week.

Ethan: That's a great tip. You can't always predict what you'll need, or what you'll be in the mood for.

Mia: Exactly! And I couldn't predict the weather. It was freezing in London! I really wish I'd swapped one pair of shoes for a proper winter coat.

Ethan: So what did you do? Just shiver for ten days?

Mia: I admit, I cheated. I wore my exercise clothes after work just to stay warm. I'm not sure if that's allowed...

Ethan: Well, Style Bee herself says that having fun is more important than following the rules perfectly. So I think you get a pass.

Mia: That’s good to hear! The key takeaway for me was how it changes your mindset. It forces you to think about the purpose of your clothes, not just buying new things for the sake of it.

Ethan: It shifts the focus from consumption to creativity. How can you make what you already have work in new ways? It's a great example of that 'slow fashion' idea.

Mia: Totally. My goal for the next year is to only shop for accessories and swap more clothes with friends. It’s more sustainable and way more fun.

Ethan: And that’s a perfect note to end on. From digital minimalism to mindful fashion, it’s all about living with more intention. Thanks for listening to the Studyfi Podcast.

Mia: We'll see you next time. Goodbye everyone!