Here is how the original poem goes:

A was an Apple pie,

B bit it,

C cut it,

D dealt it,

E eats it,

F fought for it,

G got it,

H had it,

J joined it,

K kept it,

L longed for it,

M mourned for it,

N nodded at it,

O opened it,

P peeped in it,

Q quartered it,

R ran for it,

S stole it,

T took it,

V viewed it,

W wanted it,

X, Y, Z all wished for a piece in hand.

As you can see, there are quite a few verbs in this poem that make for a great vocabulary lesson! Let’s take a look at a few:

• dealt: past tense of the verb “deal”; to distribute, to give
• longed: past tense of the verb “long (for)”; to want, to miss
• mourned: past tense of the verb “mourn”; to miss, especially after death
• nodded: past tense of the verb “nod”; to shake your head up and down
• peeped in: past tense of the verb “peep”; to quickly or slyly look at something
• quartered: past tense of the verb “quarter”; to cut into four pieces

Did you notice that some things are missing? There letters I and U are not mentioned in this poem! That is because at the time the poem was written, the capital letters I and J were not defined as separate. The same situation occurred with U and V.

Who knew that something as simple as the alphabet could have such an interesting history? We are thankful that the old ABCs poem gives us some great vocabulary words, and after reading it and its surprisingly long title, we are also thankful for today’s simple song that makes learning the English letters so easy!

On Friday, May 11, students will have an exciting opportunity to learn a little more about Southern California fashion with an event called “Eye Candy: A 2012 fashionable preview of local designers and artists”.  The event will be hosted at Typhoon Saloon in Pacific Beach and will showcase an enormous array of entertainment including a fashion show, music, and cocktails.

Guests can enjoy drinks while watching the fashion show, which will feature models wearing the newest summer trends. The models will walk the runway to music mixed by a local DJ.

There will be a VIP reception starting at 9:30 with a hosted bar and sneak peak of the night’s events. For more information, visit the event’s website.

We hope our fashion-loving students have an opportunity to attend this exciting event!

“come what may”

No matter what will/might happen.

Examples:

“I will continue to work this job, come what may, because I am loyal to my company.”

“There was recently a crime in this neighborhood, and some fear for their safety. However, I believe that it was one incident and not a trend, we will stay in this house come what may.”

“be that it may”

Use this expression when you understand a piece of information, and this piece of information might be able to change your opinion, but it doesn’t. In more simple terms, it can often be substituted for “however.”

Examples:

“I understand that you were late for work because of a flat tire; be that it may, you must still stay late tonight to work your full shift.”

“It is too bad that your computer stopped working. Be that it may, your paper is now late.”

Want to learn some more idioms? Check out some of our other blogs on this subject:

 Animal idioms and vocabulary

Idioms with “green”

Various helpful idiomatic expressions

Supermodels usually walk the catwalk, but this weekend, world-famous supermodel Christie Brinkley will grace a different stage–the theater–in a production of Chicago. Brinkley will perform at the San Diego Civic Theater from May 8 to May 13.

Brinkley is one of the world’s most successful supermodels. She has been featured on the cover of over 500 magazine covers, including three Sports Illustrated covers, and has had a contract with Cover Girl cosmetics for over 25 years.

Chicago is the longest-running play in the history of Broadway: it has been in production for 15 years! It was made into an Academy Award-winning movie, also called Chicago, which starred Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Richard Gere. The movie and the musical feature song, dance, and a story of two women on death row for the murder of their lovers. The 1920s setting and costumes give the audience a feel of America almost 100 years ago, at a time when jazz music flourished.

The show will take place at the Civic Center Theatre, a stunningly beautiful theater located in downtown San Diego. It is just a short cab ride (or approximately 10-15 minute walk) for students living in CISL’s residence halls; for students staying in homestays, the theatre is located just half a block from the Civic Center trolley station. Tickets start at $20.00.

For more information, visit: www.broadwaysd.com/

Useful vocabulary in this article:

Catwalk (noun): Also called the “runway”. This is the stage that models walk on.

Example: “She first walked the catwalk at 16.”

Grace (verb): To be seen, usually on the cover of a magazine, on stage, or on a TV show.

Examples: “She graced seven magazine covers last year.”

Flourished (adjective): Grow or develop in a healthy way

Example: “The business flourished after we moved to the new location.”

                Note: “Flourished” is the past participle of the verb “flourish.”

Many students groan when they hear the words “phrasal verb.” We understand why: there are hundreds of phrasal verbs in the English language, and the only way to learn them is to memorize them. There is no “quick fix” when it comes to learning phrasal verbs!

Or is there? Take the “30-Day Phrasal Verb Challenge” with us and find out! Here is how it works: read the list of phrasal verbs listed below. Each day for the month of May, learn a new phrasal verb. CISL will provide worksheets for you to practice these phrasal verbs each week in order to test your memory. Who knows? It could be…. fun? Yep, FUN!

What IS a phrasal verb? Check out our post on Phrasal Verbs to learn more.

Converse International School of Languages 30-Day Phrasal Verb Challenge

1. Go on – continue

Student: “Teacher, I have something to tell you… I… I…”

Teacher: “Go on.”

Student: “I didn’t do my homework!”

2. Set up – to establish something

We set up the party by putting up decorations and putting out the food.

3. Pick up – to clean

This room was filthy so I had to pick it up.

4. Pick up – to give a ride to someone

I have to pick up my little brother at eight.

5. Go out – to date someone.

We have been going out for three months.

6. Find out – discover; learn of

I just found out that my great-grandmother was from Japan! That means I am part Japanese!

7. Come up – to happen unexpectedly. (Also literal.)

I wanted to visit my friend, but something came up and I couldn’t go.

8. Make up – to create a story

I made up a story about how I was lost at sea… and my nephew believed it!

9. Take over –to take control

The country took over the other country after the war.

10. Work out – to solve a problem

We need to work this out before we go home, or we will have a lot of work to do tomorrow!

11. Take up – to start a new hobby

I took up snorkeling when I moved to San Diego.

12. Turn out – to end happily

I was so worried that I would burn my dinner, but it turned out great!

13. Take on – to start a new project or challenge

I took on a new job at work and I am so busy!

14. Give up – to quit;

I gave up on playing the guitar. I was no good!

15. Look up – to search for information

I looked up my boss on the internet, and he has an impressive resume!

16. Take out – to take someone on a date

Can I take you out sometime?

17. Jot down – to write quickly

Jot down your shopping list before you go to the grocery store.

18. Turn up – to appear

I had been looking for my glasses all day. They turned up under the sofa.

19. Bring up – to mention a person or thing;

I shouldn’t have brought up Sarah’s ex-boyfriend. I didn’t realize that they had broken up!

20. Bring up – to raise a child

I was brought up by my grandparents after my parents passed away.
21. Bring back – to return

That song brought back memories of high school!

22. Break down – to fall apart; to have a physical or mental collapse

I broke down after I heard that my dog needed surgery.

23. Take off – to begin to fly

My plane takes off at ten.

24. Take back – to cancel a statement

I take back what I said about your sister being so nice. She was rude to me today!

25. Go in – pay a part of

Do you want to go in on a new camera with me for Mom’s birthday?

26. Set off – make angry

Getting an expensive bill really set James off!

27. Bring about – make something happen

To bring about change, you must first educate people on the problem.

28. Put off – postpone

I put off writing my paper and now it is due in two hours!

29. Make up – to forgive and stop fighting

We made up after a big fight.

30. Break up – to end a relationship

After we made up, we fought again and we broke up.

What is a phrasal verb? There are a few types, but the most common phrasal verb is a verb + preposition/adverb. Individually, these two words have separate meanings; together, these two words make a new word (a phrasal verb) that has a completely different meaning.

For example, take the phrasal verb “put off.” Put means “to place something somewhere” while “off” is the opposite of “on.” But together, “put off” does not equal the meaning of both definitions combined. Instead, it means “to postpone; to do later.”

Do you think you can pick up what these phrasal verbs mean? Don’t put out too much effort trying to figure out the definitions! If you do, you might pass out from putting forth so much effort!

Pick up: to understand

Put out: to try, to make an attempt

Figure out: to discover, to understand

Pass out: to faint

The only way to master phrasal verbs is to practice, practice, practice! Are you interested in becoming a phrasal verb professional? Tune in tomorrow for another lesson and a new way to learn about phrasal verbs!

Tune in: to watch

Congratulations to Hind Alrajhi, our CISL San Francisco student from Saudi Arabia, and to Daiane de Lima, our CISL San Diego student from Brazil. You are our winners! We enjoyed your responses and would love an invite to either of these imaginary dinners if they ever happened!

Hind Alrajhi

Level 8

The Arabian night

If I had an opportunity to have dinner with, I’ll invite King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz, May Shidyaq, and Maguy Farah.  Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz is the current King of Saudi Arabia.  Even though he has been the King for only six years, he has done many accomplishments for Saudi Arabia and the world.  He has implemented many reform measures in some ministries, such as Ministry of Education, Ministry of Higher Education, Ministry of Commerce, and Ministry of Finance and national economy.  In 2005, he implemented a government scholarship program to send young Saudi men and women to Western universities for undergraduate and postgraduate studies. He donated half a billion dollars to the United Nations World Food Programme in 2008. 

           May Shidyaq is a former television journalist.  She was an interviewer on political programs and she demonstrated and revealed the truth and scandals about politicians.  In 2005, there was an assassination attempt to kill her.  Shidyaq was seriously injured by a car bomb which was the cause of losing her left arm and leg and now she has an artificial leg and arm. After months of treatment and numerous surgeries, May appeared on TV on in 2006, defiant, smiling and promising to return to journalism.  In 2009, May made a surprise announcement on the air that she would no longer present on TV because she got lots of threats and suffered from the painful experience, especially the thirteen operations which she had during three years after the assassination attempt . 

           Maguy Farah is a fortune teller.  The reason why I want to invite her is to ask her about her divination about the future of Saudi Arabia so she can tell King Abdullah.  The other thing I would like to ask her is, in case she predicted a bad thing will happen to a famous person, will she forewarn him/her?  Also we can know May’s opinion about king Abdullah’s manner in policy especially because she is interested in policy.

          Since we all are Arabs, I’ll serve them Arabic food especially Saudi food, such as Kabsah and Haneed (rice and lamb) and Lebanese food, such as Mashawy (grilled chicken, beef, or lamb skewers), Kibbeh (mainly stuffed, can be made in different forms including fried, uncooked, and cooked with yogurt) and Mezze  (pickled vegetables or raw vegetables, hummus, baba ghanouj with bread).  Also I’ll serve them a dessert called Baklava (layered filo pastry filled with nuts) steeped in syrup (orange or rose water and sugar) or honey.

Daiana de Lima

Brazil

I would ask my grandmother, Lady Gaga, and Danilo Gentili (a brazilian comedian) to have dinner with me. I chose these people because it would be nice to see how they interact with each other. 

My grandma was a very savvy woman, someone who could enjoy the simple things of life. She has some great stories to share. Lady Gaga is Lady Gaga. There’s not much we can say about her since she’s a public figure. I believe that she seems to be very opinionated and smart. She probably would get along very well with my grandmother.

The last person is Danilo Gentili. He’s a well known comedian in Brazil, with a fierce tongue and is not afraid to talk about polemic subjects.

Our dinner would take place at a nice restaurant where I could engage them into a conversation and ask them about their lives. Would they consider running for president? How would do they feel about the next generation? What do they want to improve? This discussion could take more than just one dinner and could perhaps last until breakfast. All of them are very well educated in general, I expect it to be a good talk. We would probably see my grandma talking about how she raised thirteen children, Lady Gaga discussing family nowadays and Danilo Gentili comparing how was education back then and what is happening with it now.

To boost up the conversation, I would serve some brazilian dishes mixed with “finger food” like small hamburgers, something called “pão de queijo”, a Brazilian bread made with cheese. I would also serve as a main dish some rice, beans, veggies and a good cut of meat with stock. To top it off, I would serve “brigadeiro” which consists of condensed milk, butter, chocolate powder. It’s baked until it reaches a chewy consistency. It’s a sweet way to end the night!

Participants can choose from many different tours. Would you like to learn more about the city’s Latin American cuisine? Sign up for the Latin Food and Culture tour, which takes you through The Mission district. Do you prefer pastas and pizzas? The Italian Food and Culture tour through North Beach might be for you. Or, are you more of a Chinese food lover? The Chinatown tour would certainly be your choice!

Each tour consists of three hours of walking and eating your way through the city’s restaurants. The guide, chef Chris Milano, introduces the tour group participants to the flavors of each district. Tours include introductions to some of the most interesting restaurant owners and workers in the city, history lessons of San Francisco’s districts, and visits to local markets. Each guest leaves with a souvenir and some recipes created by Chef Milano. It is a great opportunity to meet new people and to learn of San Francisco’s culture and cuisines. And it is a great way to practice your English listening and speaking skills!

Tours are $79 per person and can be booked at www.foodieadventures.com.

The Whaley House, which is included in the tour, is known as San Diego's most famous "haunted" house. You decide for yourself if it truly is!

The tours, which take place on April 27 from 10am to 11:30pm, take visitors through some of Old Town San Diego’s most haunted locations. Learn the fascinating true stories of each of these historic sites and of the real people who inhabited them, and hear the legendary ghost stories that surround them. The tour includes a visit to the Adobe Chapel, El Campo Santo Cemetery and, of course, “the most haunted house in America” the Whaley House. Tours are $25 per person and begin in the Whaley House side yard. For more information, visit whaleyhouse.org/ghostwalk.htm

Last week, we studied the Third Conditional, which is all about looking back on the past. Sentences such as “If I hadn’t stayed up so late, I wouldn’t have been so tired for the test” and “If I had known you were going to wear a fancy dress, I would have worn one, too!” are examples of this conditional. As we mentioned in the last grammar post, you can’t change the past, but we often look back and speak about the “what if” scenarios. This is why we use the Third Conditional.

The Zero Conditional is completely different. It is used to talk about things that are true; often, it is used to express a scientific fact.

Zero Conditional

The Zero Conditional has two possible forms:

[if/when + subject + simple present] + [imperative]

[if/when + subject + simple present] + [subject + present simple]

• If you don’t water your plants, they die.
• If it rains, the streets get wet.
• If it gets below freezing, water turns into ice.
• When he finishes the application, ask him to turn it in to their front desk.
• When the guests arrive, offer them a drink and appetizer. 
• If she is late, call me and let me know.  

Notice how both of these forms often do not refer to a specific event. Instead, they refer to a general truth. Also notice how you can use “if” or “when” to begin the conditional clause.

What is the best way to practice the Zero Conditional? There are two methods that work very well: pretend that you are a boss or a scientist. Both use the Zero Conditional often! Here are some examples of the Zero Conditional:

Your boss

“If my 2:30 appointment is late, let me know. If they are more than 15 minutes late, call them and reschedule the appointment for Friday. If they can’t meet on Friday, ask them to meet on Monday. If they can’t meet on Monday, tell them ‘tough luck’!”

A scientist

“Water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. If you leave an ice cube on the counter, it melts. When it melts, the molecules change their structure. If you heat water, the molecules change their structure again. If you heat water to 212 degrees Fahrenheit, water will boil. When water boils, it turns to vapor.”