I was going to clean my room
but then I got high.
I was going to get up and find the broom
but then I got high.
My room is still messed up, and I know why.
Because I got high. Because I got high. Because I got high.

high (adjective) — If you are high or stoned, you have taken drugs and are intoxicated. If you drink too much alcohol, you are drunk.

Grammar: The Future in the Past

Afroman says, “I was going to…” many times in this song. We can say, “I am going to… You are going to… He is going to…” for future plans, but what exactly does “was going to” mean? This is known as the future in the past.

Imagine that you talked to your friend yesterday.

YESTERDAY:

You: “What are you going to do today?”
Your Friend: “I am going to watch a movie in the evening.”

Your friend made future plans. He wanted to watch a movie later that evening.

TODAY:

You: “How was the movie that you watched yesterday?”
Your Friend: “I was going to watch a movie at the the theater yesterday, but I didn’t have enough money to buy a ticket.”

So your friend made plans to watch a movie at the theater yesterday, but he didn’t watch a movie because he could not buy a ticket. His plans did not work! 

Subject + was/were + going to + verb.
Subject + was/were + not + going to + verb.
Was/were + subject + going to + verb?

Afroman made many plans in the past. He made plans to clean his room, go to school, and do many other things, but he smoked weed and got high!

Vocabulary

• blunt (idiom) — a very big and thick marijuana cigarette, rolled with brown cigar paper
• messed up (adjective) — to be dirty and untidy; to spoil and make worse
• child support (noun) — money paid to young children who no longer live with their mothers or fathers, usually ordered by a legal court system
• pull over (verb) — to stop driving a car and park on the side of the road
• paraplegic (noun) — a person who has suffered an injury and cannot feel his/her lower body
• make love (verb) — to have sex
• jack off (verb) — to masturbate

2014 Positive Remix

ESLhiphop.com will not condone or condemn using marijuana because it is a personal choice, just like using alcohol or tobacco. Using marijuana is a controversial issue, especially in the United States, so it is only fair to present both sides of the issue. “Because I Got High” shows the negative consequences of using the drug, but a positive remix of the song was released in 2014 highlighting the health and legal benefits of the drug.

Writing Practice

What are your thoughts about drugs and alcohol? Do you think all drugs should be illegal? Do “soft drugs” such as marijuana pose a threat to society, or is it harmless like a glass of wine? Please write your ideas in the comments below!

The post Getting Into Trouble with Afroman appeared first on ESL Hip Hop.

Take this job and shove it.
I ain’t working here no more.

Vocabulary

These words and phrases are related to jobs and working. Review the vocabulary and then listen to the song to hear it in context.

• employment (noun) – a job or work that you do for money. What is your place of employment?
• coworker (noun) – a person who you work with. My coworker is meeting me for drinks later tonight.
• occupational performance (noun) – the quality of work that you do at your job. If your occupational performance is not good, you might get fired!
  • occupation (noun) – a job that you do for money
• work load (noun) – the amount of work that you have to do at your job. I don’t have enough time. The work load is too much!
• lay off / laid off (sep. phrasal verb) – to fire somebody; to terminate somebody’s job. The company laid off many employees because of low profits.
• chips (slang) – money. I want to find a new job with more chips.
• stick it out (phrasal verb) – to continue doing something, especially if it is difficult or boring. I hate my job, but I have to stick it out to pay my bills.
• shove it (idiom) – a very rude phrase used to say you don’t appreciate or accept something. I hate business meetings! The boss needs to take these meetings and shove it!
• S-O-B (slang) –  an abbreviation for “son of a bitch”
• 9 to 5 job (idiom) – a typical office job that normally begins at 9:00 AM and ends at 5:00 PM. I hate my 9 to 5!
• unemployment (noun) – not having a job. I lost my job last week, so I am receiving unemployment benefits from the government.
  • If you lose your job, you might qualify for unemployment benefits. You have to visit a government office and usually wait in a long unemployment line.
• boss (noun) – a manager or supervisor at work who tells other people what to do. I don’t like my boss because he’s so rude.
• gig (idiom) – a job that you do for money, especially a temporary job. I have a pretty good gig right now. I hope I can be hired as a full time employee.
• cubicle (noun) – a very small office. There are usually many cubicles in one large room. I wish I didn’t work in a cubicle all day.
• picnic in the park / walk in the park (idiom) – very easy to do. This job is a picnic in the park.
• to stay wired (idiom) – to be very alert and awake, especially after drinking a lot of coffee. I’ve had three Red Bulls. I’m so wired right now.

Passive Voice with ‘Get’

The boss’s favorites get placed in something spacious
while the most hated get placed in some small cubicle spaces,
or get thrown down in the basement. Get your stapler confiscated.

To make the passive voice, we usually use a form of the verb be and the past participle. In informal spoken English, you may substitute the be verb with get.

Subject + get/got/gotten + past participle.

Subject + negative auxiliary + past participle. 

Question auxiliary + subject + past participle. 

• I get paid on the first day of every month. I don’t get paid on the 15th. Do you get paid on the 1st?
• I got paid last week. I didn’t get paid yesterday. Did you get paid last week?
  
• I will get paid next month. I won’t get paid tomorrow. Will you get paid tomorrow?
• I am going to get paid next month. I am not going to get paid in four days. Are you going to get paid in four days?
• I am getting paid in cash right now. I am not getting paid by direct deposit. Are you getting paid in cash now
• I have gotten paid. I haven’t gotten paid yet. Have you gotten paid yet?
• I had gotten paid. I had not gotten paid. Had you gotten paid at that point?

These forms with get are not possible with be.

• I will be getting paid tomorrow at noon. I will not be getting paid at noon. When will you be getting paid?
• I had been getting paid by him. I had not been getting paid by her. Had you been getting paid by him, too?
• I have been getting paid for several months. I have not been getting paid for years. How long have you been getting paid?

Writing Task

Have you ever had a bad job? What did you dislike about it? If you saw your old boss today, what would you say to him or her? Please write your ideas in the comments below!

The post If you hate your job, you’ll love this song! appeared first on ESL Hip Hop.

“The Breaks” is a song about bad luck and misfortune. Everybody has ups and downs in life, and when we are experiencing difficult and troubling times, then we can say, “These are the breaks!” It’s similar to the French expression que sera, sera or “whatever will be, will be.”

Clap your hands everybody
If you got what it takes.
‘Cause I’m Kurtis Blow and I want you to know
That these are the breaks.

Unfortunately, there’s no official music video to this classic hip-hop song, but I was able to find a live recording of “The Breaks” in his 1980 performance on Soul Train.

Vocabulary and Expressions

If you have what it takes, then you have the qualities, skills, and abilities to become successful. Kurtis Blow wants everybody to clap their hands if they have what it takes to handle the breaks.

But what exactly are  the breaks? Losing a job… losing a friend… having a fight with a lover… These are the breaks! Everybody in the world has problems and difficult situations, and sometimes there’s nothing we can do change it. We just have to deal with it as best as we can.

If you are an aspiring actor or musician, you are waiting for your first big break, which is a successful show or performance that launches your career.

And speaking of acting, there are also breaks on a stage, and breaks on the screen. In theater, it is a common superstition to say Break a leg! instead of Good luck!

Other expressions with breaks:

• brakes (noun) – This is a homophone. It has the same sound as the word break but with different spelling and meaning. Cars, trains, busses and planes all have brakes to help them slow down and come to a stop. It wouldn’t be very safe to drive a care without brakes!
• break up something (separable phrasal verb) – to make people stop doing something. If two people are fighting, you might scream, “Break it up!”
  • This phrasal verb can be both separable and inseparable, and it has many more meanings! Please check out Oxford’s Advanced Learners Dictionary to learn more ways to use this versatile phrasal verb!
• take a break (collocation) – If you work for a long time and stop to eat, drink, or relax, then you are taking a break. In English, we normally use this to mean short periods of rest and also longer breaks lasting days, weeks, or even months. If your life is hard and you deserve a break, Kurtis Blow wants you to say ALL RIGHT!
• break down (phrasal verb) – In the context of this song, break down! or break it down! means to stop what you’re doing and dance.
  • This phrasal verb also has many meanings. Check them all out on Oxford’s Advanced Learners Dictionary.

Writing Practice

Are you going through difficult times right now? Do you worry about your job or relationships? Does it feel like life is testing you every day and you can’t catch a break? In the comments below, write about a time when you couldn’t catch a break or discuss a time when your friend had a difficult problem.

This is a no judgement zone! If you write and practice your English, it will be appreciated! Hey, everybody deserves a break, don’t they?

The post Catch a Break with Kurtis Blow! appeared first on ESL Hip Hop.

My name’s D.M.C. with the mic in my hand,
and I’m chilling and cooling just like a snowman.
So open your eyes. Lend us an ear.
We want to say
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Vocabulary List

Christmas is around the corner, and Run-D.M.C. is celebrating in their neighborhood of Hollis, Queens in New York City. Review the words below and then view the picture dictionary on Pinterest.

• reindeer
• beard
• Santa Claus
• Christmas tree
• Christmas lights
• snow
• fireplace
• yule log
• mistletoe
• eggnog
• carols
• snowman

Picture Dictionary

Sometimes pictures are better than words. Click below to review the picture dictionary for the Christmas vocabulary featured in today’s lesson.

Writing Task

Do you celebrate Christmas? If so, how do your friends and family celebrate Christmas? Do you have special traditions or eat special foods? If you don’t celebrate Christmas, then ESLhiphop is happy to tell you more. What would you like to know?

The post Picture Dictionary: Learn Christmas Vocabulary with Run-D.M.C. appeared first on ESL Hip Hop.

Rappers stepping to me. They want to get some.
But I’m the Kane, so yo, you know the outcome.

Wordplay

Instead of examining new grammar in this lesson, let’s look at the song’s wordplay. What exactly is that? According to the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, wordplay is:

making jokes by using words in a clever or amusing way, especially by using a word that has two meanings, or different words that sound the same.

Rappers and hip-hop musicians are notoriously gifted at writing intelligent lyrics laced with witty wordplay. Big Daddy Kane was one of the earliest lyrical geniuses that elevated hip-hop to a new level.

Pick a BC date because you’re history.

Rappers stepping to me. They want to get some.
But I’m the Kane, so yo, you know the outcome.
Another victory.
They can’t get with me.
So pick a BC date because you’re history.

In this song, Big Daddy Kane is boasting that he is the best rapper in the world (and correctly so!) He is warning other rappers that they will be history if they try to challenge him. If somebody is history, they are dead or not important anymore. So what is a BC date?

In the Gregorian calendar, BC is the era before the birth of Christ and AD is the era after the birth of Christ. Of course, most governments and organizations today use BCE and ACE (before/after common era), which is more secular.

Big Daddy Kane is warning his competitors that they will be history! Not just the recent history, but really, really old history! In other words, he will destroy their reputations and make them unimportant because BDK is the best rapper in the world.

Competition I just devour like a pit bull against a Chihuahua

For you to beat me, it’s going to take a miracle.
And, stepping to me, yo, that’s the wrong move.
So what you on, Hobbs, dope or dog food?
Competition I just devour
like a pit bull against a Chihuahua.

Once again, Big Daddy Kane lets us know that he is the best MC in the world. His talents and abilities are so good that it would be unfair for most rappers to challenge him. In his words, it would be like a Chihuahua, which is a very small, frightened dog, challenging an aggressive pit bull.

You’re a butter knife. I’m a machete.

So when I roll on you rappers, you better be
ready to die because you’re petty.
You’re just a butter knife. I’m a machete
that’s made by Ginsu. Wait until when you
try to front, so I can chop into your body.

In this extract of the song, Bid Daddy Kane is comparing his lyrical style to knives. In other words, he is making knives symbolic of his rapping abilities. He derides his opponents by comparing their emceeing skills to a butter knife, which is very dull and unable to cut most things.

On the other hand, a machete is a very large knife that is capable of cutting through a lot of things. And not just any machete, but one made by Ginsu, a popular company in the 1980s that produced sharp knives. Symbolically, BDK will cut through any amateur opponent because he is a hip-hop master.

Vocabulary

• laid-back (adjective) – relaxed and worry-free; very comfortable. You don’t have to dress up at this restaurant. It’s very laid-back and casual. 
• mellow (adjective) – calm, gentle and relaxing. This music is very mellow, but I’m falling asleep to it. 
• step (up) to somebody (phrasal verb) – to approach somebody and challenge them to a competition. Some weird guy stepped up to me at the gym. It was so annoying because I only wanted to exercise.
• dope (adjective) – very cool. The San Francisco Bay Area has some really dope hip-hop music. 
• emcee/MC (noun) – a person who raps and sings hip-hop songs. It stands for master of ceremonies. Many people today consider Kendrick Lamar as one of the best MCs.
• def (adjective) – excellent. The Def Jams recording company represents many great artists. I guess they live up to their name!

Writing Task

I hope you enjoyed the lesson! Do you have a favorite hip-hop song with interesting wordplay? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Wordplay and Vocabulary with Big Daddy Kane appeared first on ESL Hip Hop.

I left my wallet in El Segundo.
Left my wallet in El Segundo.
Left my wallet in El Segundo.
I got to get it. I got to, got to get it.

Grammar: Past Perfect

Drove down the road for two days and a half.
The sun had just risen on a dusty path.
Just then a figure had caught my eye.
A man with a sombrero who was 4 feet high

Use the past perfect in order to talk about the ‘earlier past’ and to describe something that happened before an event in the past.

Subject + had + past participle. 

Subject + had + not + past participle. 

Had + subject + past participle?

•  I had never heard such great hip-hop before I listened to A Tribe Called Quest.
• She did not call me because she had lost her phone.
• My trip to New York was great! My wife knew the city so well because she had lived there several years ago.
• Had he studied English before he moved to the United States?

We can use the past perfect in conditional sentences with if. This grammar is called the third conditional, and it is used to describe unreal or hypothetical situations in the past.

• If I hadn’t become a teacher, I would have joined the army.
• You would have died if you had forgotten to wear your seat belt.

We also use the past perfect, not the simple past, to say how long something had continued up to a past moment.

• He had studied Japanese for several years before he moved to Tokyo.
• I had worked at the company for a long time before they promoted me to manager.
• My mother and father had known each other for many years when they got married.

Vocabulary

In this song, Q-Tip tells a story about losing his wallet in a small town called El Segundo, which is located in southern California. Review these words and expressions to help comprehend the story.

• go down (phrasal verb) – to happen; to occur. I had to roam, so I picked up the phone. Dialed Ali to see what was going down. 
  • the phrasal verb go down has several meanings, depending on the context.
• yard (noun) – a slang word for $100. He left me a  yard to pay for the party, but it wasn’t enough money.
• have/got something covered (idiom) – If you have something or somebody covered, it means you prevent problems by having control of a situation. If you need legal advice, you should hire my brother. He’s got you covered. 
• catch somebody’s eye (idiom) – to attract somebody’s attention. There’s a lot of interesting graffiti in San Francisco, but not much has caught my eye.
• sombrero (noun) – the Spanish word for hat.
• grub (slang) – food. I’m hungry, so let’s get some grub.
• in the middle of nowhere (idiom) – If something is in the middle of nowhere, it is far away from other cities or towns. This restaurant is in the middle of nowhere, but the drive is worth it!
• wicked (adverb) – very; really. She’s a wicked beautiful woman!

Extended Biography

To learn more about A Tribe Called Quest, read the biography from the Hip-Hop Smithsonian, an official partner of ESLhiphop.com!

Writing Task

Have you ever left behind and forgotten something important? How long had it been until you noticed it was missing? Did you eventually find and recover it? Please write your share your stories with us below!

The post Past Perfect and Vocabulary with ATCQ appeared first on ESL Hip Hop.

All I want to do is BANG BANG BANG
And CLICK KA-CHING
And take your money

Grammar: Zero Conditional

I fly like paper. Get high like planes.
If you catch me at the border, I got visas in my name.
If you come around here, I make them all day.
I get one done in a second if you wait.

The song’s first verse has several examples of some grammar called the zero conditional. A conditional sentence usually contains the words if/when and then, and we use it to discuss the results of a situation, fact or idea. Use the zero conditional to discuss a result that is always true, such as simple, scientific facts. The result of the condition is 100% true, and the result never changes.

In order to make the zero conditional, use the simple present verb tense.

If + subject + simple present verb, subject + simple present  verb.

• If you catch me at the border, I have visas in my  name.
• If you come around here,  I make them all day.
• If you wait, I get one done in a second.

In the above examples, the IF CONDITION is first, and the result is second. In this case, use COMMAS to separate the clauses. It is also possible to write/say the result first, but you do not need a comma. 

• I get one done in a second if you wait.
• I have visas in my name if you catch me at the border.
• I make them all day if you come around here.

Vocabulary

• paper planes (noun) – a slang expression for visas, which are legal documents for entering, residing and working in foreign countries. Paper planes might also be slang for joints/spliffs, which are cigarettes rolled with marijuana.
• bona fide (adjective) – A Latin phrase that means authentic or genuine. It is always used immediately before a noun.
• hustler (noun) – a person who earns money illegally.
• bong (noun) – a water pipe that is commonly used for smoking marijuana.
• swagger (noun) – If somebody has swagger, they are very sophisticated in fashion and behavior.
• burner (noun) – an inexpensive, pre-paid mobile phone. Criminals often use these phones and then throw them away to evade the police.

Biography from the Hip Hop Smithsonian 

ESLhiphop is proud to be partners with the Hip Hop Smithsonian, which is an online, virtual museum that catalogs and preserves the birth and evolution of hip-hop. Learn more about the life and music of Mathangi “Maya” Arulpragasam, a.k.a. M.I.A., in this exceptionally comprehensive biography. Click the picture below!

The post Zero Conditional and Vocabulary with M.I.A. appeared first on ESL Hip Hop.

Everyone trying to be trife never face the consequences.
You probably only did a month for minor offences.
Ask a nigga doing life if he had another chance,
but then again there’s always the wicked that knew in advance.
Dance forever with the devil on a cold cell block,
but that’s what happens when you rape, murder and sell rock.
Devils used to be God’s angels that fell from the top.
There’s no diversity because we’re burning in the melting pot.

Vocabulary

In this powerful song, Immortal Technique describes how drugs and crime are destroying communities every day. He tells a story about a boy named William who abandons his mother and morals in order to live a lavish life of money, drugs and women. The end of the story is as surprising as it is shocking. Please review these words and phrases and then listen to the song.

• illest (adjective) – very good; the best and highest quality. This is the illest beat that I’ve ever heard!
• hustler (noun) – a person who makes money illegally, usually by selling drugs. Life is not like the movies. If you are a hustler, you will have a very difficult life indeed. 
  • hustle is the verb form
• coke (noun) – an abbreviation for cocaine, which is a highly addictive and illegal drug. Coke is illegal in nearly every country in the world. If you’re caught with it, you will go to jail.
  • rock is a slang word for crack, which is a pure and highly addictive form of cocaine.
• fiend (noun) – a very unpleasant person who is addicted to drugs; a junkie. Many drug fiends commit crimes in order to afford their expensive drug usage. If we treat drug addiction as a health problem, then we should see a decrease in these crimes.
• hit and run prospects (phrase) – something or someone that you can take advantage of and then quickly abandon. This phrase normally refers to young women who become the victims of sketchy men.
• squeal (verb) – to make a very unpleasant noise; in the context of this song, squeal means to reveal a secret. Did he squeal to the police? 
• drop out of (phrasal verb) – to leave school without completing your studies. Statistic have shown that people who drop out of college are more likely to live in poverty.
• give in (phrasal verb) – to do something that you don’t want to do or is unpleasant. I was cigarette free for a few days, but then I gave in yesterday. Quitting smoking is so hard!
• trife (adjective) – this is an abbreviation of the word ‘trifle’ or ‘trifling.’ If something is trife, it is unattractive, undesirable or morally corrupt. Don’t be trife! 
• do life (idiom) – to spend the rest of your life in jail or prison. If he does not accept the plea deal, he might do life in prison. 
• step up (phrasal verb) – to increase the speed, volume, amount, etc, of something. We need to clean up the house before my wife gets home. Can you step it up a bit?
• cut throat (adjective) – a person who is ruthless, competitive and aggressive. The competition at my company is so cut-throat!
• bust slugs (slang) – to shoot a gun.
• smoke somebody (slang) – to shoot somebody. Martin Scorsese films are so violent. People are getting smoked every two seconds!
• cold-hearted (adjective) – a person who has no mercy, compassion of sympathy. Her last husband was a cold-hearted monster. 
• made man (idiom) – a man who is very wealthy and successful. He admired the made men who drove fancy cars. 
• cife/projects (slang) – a ghetto; a low-income neighborhood that usually has a lot of crime. Living in the cife is tough. 
• raw (adjective) – tough, aggressive and violent. Does a real man get raw when things go bad?
• crew (noun) – a small, exclusive group of people that you regularly see and interact with. My crew is going to meet me at the mall later today. 
• cypher (noun) – a freestyle, impromptu rapping competition two or more people. New York City used to be busy with cyphers.

The post Learn English Vocabulary with Immortal Technique appeared first on ESL Hip Hop.

But every now and then, a sucker MC gets courageous
and like an epidemic it becomes contagious.
But never the least, they all R.I.P.
For all those unaware, it means Rest In Peace.

Grammar: Have Got To

So if you’re thinking about battling, you better come prepared.
Come with your shield and your armor geared.
You gots to chill.

Use have got to for necessities or obligations. Use have got to for present and future obligations, and use had to for the past.

Subject + have got to + base verb

• I’ve got to study for my test tonight. I cannot go out with you.
• You’ve got to listen to this album tomorrow. It is incredible!
• He had to leave the meeting early. He did not want to miss his flight.

Negative sentences and questions do not use ‘have got to.’ Instead, they use have to.

Subject + doesn’t/don’t/didn’t + have to + base verb.

Does/Do/Did + subject + have to + base verb? 

• I don’t have to study tomorrow. I’m free and available.
• You don’t have to listen to the album now, but check it out over the weekend.
• He didn’t have to leave the meeting early.
• Do you have to meet your friend at the airport?

Informal Grammar

There are at least two informal ways to say have got to.

GOT TO

• I got to study tonight, so I can’t hang out with you. I have a very important test tomorrow morning.
• You got to listen to this song. It’s amazing!

Many people pronounce this expression like gotta /ˈɡɑːtə/.

GOTS TO

• I gots to pick up my friend at the airport.
• You gots to relax because you’re making me nervous!

Although most people consider gots to as very “bad” English, it is actually quite common in many communities, especially in low-income areas and neighborhoods in the United States.

Vocabulary

• get down (in. phrasal verb) – In this song, it means to have a good time, especially at a party. I’ve had such a long week, and I’m ready to get down at the bar later.
• new jack (noun) – a rookie; somebody who is inexperienced at doing something. These new jacks are so cocky!
• sweat somebody/something (verb) – to be worried about something. If you are worried and nervous, you might begin to sweat. I’ve been studying for the TOEFL for several months, so I’m not sweating it anymore.
• def (adjective) – in the 1980s and 1990s, this slang word meant cool, very good, excellent, dope, etc. Currently, this word is short for “definitely.” Can you come to the party tonight? It’s going to be def!
• rep (noun) – a slang word that is short for “reputation.” My rep is very important to me, and I will do anything to preserve it.
• diss (verb and noun) – to disrespect somebody; a disrespectful comment about somebody. The employees diss the boss all day long. Sometimes they post their disses on a private Facebook group page.
• bite (verb) – In the context of the song, it means to steal, especially lyrics. These biting MCs are not very creative or original!

Writing Task

Answer the questions below:

• What have you got to do today?
• What have you got to do this week?
• What have you got to do this month?
• What have you got to do this year?
• What have you go to do before you do?

The post Old School for New Beginners: ‘Have Got To’ and Vocabulary with EPMD appeared first on ESL Hip Hop.

And baby, it’s amazing I’m in this maze with you.
I just can’t crack your code.
One day you screaming you love me loud.
The next day you’re so cold.
One day you’re here. One day you’re there. One day you care
You’re so unfair. Sipping from your cup until it runneth over. Holy Grail!

Vocabulary

In this song, Jay-Z and Justin Timberlake describe their love-hate relationship with fame. They love being famous celebrities, but they also realize that being rich and famous has many disadvantages. Some of these words and expressions are related to the topic of fame and will help you understand the song:

• take off (sep. phrasal verb) – to remove clothes. My roommate is so messy. He throws his clothes on the floor after taking them off.
• give up (sep. phrasal verb) – to quit; to stop doing something. Teaching was such a hard job, so I gave up and started a new career.
• Holy Grail (idiom) – something that you try very hard to achieve, but probably never will. My dream job is working at Google, but that’s the Holy Grail of jobs! 
• be caught up in something (in. phrasal verb) – to be involved in a situation, especially one that you do not want to be involved in. Sorry I’m late! I got caught up in a very long meeting at work. My boss wouldn’t shut up!
• My bad! (slang) – a slang expression used to admit that you’ve made a mistake. Oh, no! I’m sorry that I broke your chair. My bad!
• cornered off (adjective) – to be trapped in a place and unable to escape. The crowd at the concert was so big, and I couldn’t see the stage. I got cornered off in the back.
• call off (sep. phrasal verb) – to cancel plans. I was going to meet my friend, but then she called it off at the last minute.
• get on your high horse (idiom) – to behave arrogantly and think you are better than everyone. If somebody is being very arrogant, you can say, “Get off your high horse!”
• Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water. (proverb) – This proverb gives us advice and warns us about making a serious mistake. If we try to eliminate something that is bad, we should avoid eliminating the good things.
• living the life (idiom) – to live a comfortable and luxurious life. My vacation in Bali has been amazing so far. I’m finally living the life!

Writing Task

Do you want to be rich and famous one day? What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of being a popular celebrity? If you were a well-known superstar, do you think you would get tired of it? Write your ideas in the comments below. 

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