10 WAYS TO SAY YOU DON'T LIKE SOMETHING

               

Imagine someone does something you don't like. Saying "I don't like it" or "I don't like this" can sound a little bit childish. So today we will learn a couple of ways to say "I don't like it" more naturally. Ready?

1. I DISLIKE IT

The most similar way of saying "I don't like it". It can also seem very direct and could cause offense to some people.

Examples:

"I dislike the way he talks to me."

"Ian dislikes the taste of strawberry ice-cream."

2. I'M NOT INTO IT

This sentence is more casual. Saying you are not into something means you do not find it interesting or attractive.

Examples:

"I'm not into skinny jeans this season."

"James asked Irina to go with him to the football game but she's not into football, she likes basketball."

3. I'M NOT FOND OF IT

To be fond of means having a liking for or love of something or someone. So, not to be fond of something means you don't like it very much. It is also quite informal.

Examples:

"Since Ben had the accident, he's not very fond of riding a motorcycle."

'I'm not fond of combining purple with orange."

4. I'M NOT CRAZY ABOUT IT

This sentence is similar to the one above, not to be fond of something. 

Examples: 

"I don't think Tanya is crazy about working extra hours."

"Pauline, sorry but I'm not crazy about this cake. It tastes strange."

5. I DON'T APPRECIATE THAT

This way of expressing dislike is great for professional and serious conversations, as well as for making polite requests. To appreciate means to be grateful for something, so what we are saying is "I'm not grateful for this situation." 

Examples:

"I don't appreciate being shouted in public."

"Kathy did not appreciate her gift. She thought it was inappropriate."

6. IT DOESN'T TICKLE MY FANCY

This is an idiom and it means to amuse, entertain, or appeal to someone; to stimulate someone's imagination in a good way. So when we say something did not tickle our fancy, it means we did not find it appealing, funny or interesting. 

Examples:

"That comedian's sense of humour doesn't tickle their fancy."

"I love that Halloween party concept that the idea of having blood everywhere doesn't tickle my fancy. It's a bit gross."

7. I'M DESINTERESTED IN / I'M NOT INTERESTED IN

We use these expressions if something simply does not interest us. 

Examples:

"My friends are desinterested in politics." = "My friends aren't interested in politics."

"Her boss is disinterested in her ideas." = "Her boss isn't interested in her ideas."

8. THAT'S NOT FOR ME

A neutral way of explaining that something does not appeal to you, that you are not interested. 

Examples: 

"Everyone loves the series but it's not for me."

"The new fashion trend of high-wasted skirts is not for me."

9. I'M NOT A BIG FAN OF IT

To be a fan of something is an expression lots of people use and most people understand. But to say "I'm not a big fan" is not as common. Of course, it means we do not like something very much. 

Examples:

"I'm not a big fan of the new James Bond."

"Don't ask her to go to the Japanese restaurant. She's not a fan of sushi.

10. I'LL PASS

This is a quick way of saying we are not interested in a suggestion. 

Examples: 

"Do you want to come to the pub?" "Nah, thanks. I'll pass."

"Who wants to participate in this project?" "I have too much work right now. I'll pass, thanks."

After having learnt different ways of saying you don't like something, don't sound so naive and don't keep using that expression! I hope you'll do it in your next projects!

 

                                     

                           

MAKE & DO

DO and MAKE are two verbs which we frequently confuse. Let's learn the difference between DO and MAKE and when to use each one.

 When we talk about work, jobs or tasks. Note, they do not produce any physical object.

• I do my homework everyday.
• I wouldn't like to do that job.
• I help my mother to do the housework.

2. When we refer to activities in general without being specific. In these cases, we normally use words like thing, something, nothing, anything, everything etc.

• Hurry up! I've got things to do!
• Don't just stand there – do something!
• Is there anything I can do to help you?

3. We sometimes use DO to replace a verb when the meaning is clear or obvious. This is more common in informal spoken English:

• Do I need to do my hair? (do = brush or comb)
• I'm going to do the dishes. (do = wash)
• I'll do the kitchen if you do the lawns (do = clean, do = mow)

Make is for producing, constructing, creating or building something new.

It also indicates the origin of a product or the materials that are used to make something. 

• His wedding ring is made of gold.
• The house was made of adobe.
• Wine is made from grapes.
• The watches were made in Switzerland

We also use MAKE for producing an action or reaction:

• Onions make your eyes water.
• You make me happy.
• It’s not my fault. My brother made me do it!

You MAKE after certain nouns about plans and decisions:

• make the arrangements
• make a choice

We use MAKE with nouns about speaking and certain sounds:

• make a comment
• make a noise
• make a speech

We use MAKE with Food, Drink and Meals:

• make a cake
• make a cup of tea
• make dinner

A: You have to make a cake for Simon.

B: I’ll do it later.

Notice how in the response the verb DO is used. This is because the meaning is clear and to avoid saying “I’ll make it later.” which could sound repetitive.

 

The following expressions are collocations (combinations of words that frequently appear together) that you need to learn: 

The following words are normally used with DO:

• a burp
• a course
• a crossword
• a dance
• a drawing
• a fart
• a favor / favour
• a job
• a painting
• a project
• a service
• an assignment
• anything
• badly
• business
• chores
• damage
• everything
• exercises
• good
• harm
• laundry
• nothing
• research
• right (the right thing)
• something
• the gardening
• the housework
• the ironing
• the dishes
• the rest
• the shopping
• the washing
• well
• work
• wrong (the wrong thing)
• your best
• your hair
• your homework
• your job
• your nails
• your work

The following words are normally used with MAKE:

• a bet
• a cake
• a call
• a change
• a choice
• a comment
• a complaint
• a confession
• a connection
• a cup of coffee / tea
• a date
• a decision
• a demand
• a difference
• a discovery
• a face
• a fool of yourself
• a fortune
• a friend
• a fuss
• a joke
• a line
• a list
• a living
• a loss
• a mess
• a mistake
• a noise
• a pass at someone
• a plan
• a point
• a prediction
• a profit
• a promise
• a reservation
• a sandwich
• a scene
• a sound
• a speech
• a statement
• a suggestion
• advances
• alterations
• an appointment
• an announcement
• an attempt
• an effort
• an error
• an escape
• an exception
• an excuse
• an impression
• an observation
• an offer
• amends
• arrangements
• breakfast
• certain
• clear
• dinner
• faces
• famous
• fun of someone
• love
• lunch
• inquiries
• peace
• possible
• progress
• money
• room
• sales
• sense
• someone rich
• someone smile
• sure
• trouble
• war
• your bed
• your mind up
• your way

Try this interactive games to practice Do vs. Make

Don´t forget!! Look at this mind map and remember MAKE and DO uses in your exercises.

And that's all for today!!

NEOLOGISMS

                                      

A neologism is the name for a newly coined term, word or phrase that may be in the process of entering common use but that has not yet been accepted into mainstream language. Neologisms are directly attributable to a specific person, publication, period, or event. Neolexia (new word, or the act of creating a new word) is a synonym for it. The term neologism is first attested in English in 1772, borrowed from French néologisme (1734).

A neologosm may also be a new usage of an existing word, sometimes called a semantic extension. This is distinct from a person's idiolect, one's unique patterns of vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation.

DO YOU WANT TO LEARN NEOLOGISMS?

Click HERE and you'll learn new words everyday!!




When you learn a new word, you start seeing it everywhere!!

Don't miss any word in your life!!

FAMOUS COUPLES

                            

When two people are famous for their amazing performance or partnership, they become a famous couple or pair and many people know them all over the world!

They can belong to the music, comics, television, radio, etc. world, but it does not matter where they come from people remember them for years.

I'm completely sure you know this famous pair: Batman & Robin. Watch this Power Point Presentation (PPP) to see what you know about them.

Famous pairs from Liliana Lo Preiato

Find information about a famous pair/couple you know and design a PPP about them. The presentation must include seven slides at least. Decorate it as you prefer and add pictures or photos in your work. Use my PPP as a guide.

                               

REPORTED SPEECH - QUESTIONS

    

§  Questions with the answer yes or no are reported using asked and if.

e.g. ‘Does the London train stop here?’   ð becomes: She asked me if the London train stopped there.

Note: Be careful because the question form of the direct speech does not exist anymore in reported speech (no direct question). So there is no question mark, some auxiliaries must be omitted, and sometimes the order must be changed.

e.g. ‘Are you going with John?’  ð becomes: She asked me IF I was going with John. (inversion: subject + verb to be)

       ‘Do you like red roses?’  ð becomes: She asked me if I liked red roses. (omission auxiliary ‘do’)

§  When we report questions linked with or, the question is reported with whether instead of if.

e.g. ‘Will you drink coffee or tea?’  ð becomes:  She asked me whether I would drink coffee or tea.

§  Questions beginning with when, what, why, how, etc. (interrogative pronouns) are reported without if and using the interrogative pronoun.

e.g. ‘Where is the bus-station?’  ð becomes:  She asked me where the bus-station was.    

        ‘What have you done?’  ð becomes:  She asked me what I had done.

Click on the exercises below to practise reporting questions.

EXERCISE 1

EXERCISE 2

EXERCISE 3

EXERCISE 4

EXERCISE 5