languages.guru

How’s it going?

A casual, informal greeting used by an individual or group or individuals addressing another individual (or group or individuals). Often used instead of or in conjunction with (following) word such as hello, hi or hey.

There are many ways to answer the question. Just keep it short and informal.

Positive: – I’m doing well!  – Great! – Brilliant! – I feel blessed!  Less positive: – I’m alright. – It’s going. Not well: – Not awesome, but the day’s still young. – I’m alive, so that’s good. – Some days you’re the bug, and some days you’re the windshield. today, I’m the bug 😅

The Grand Prix of Bahrain and Other Issues

The 2023 Formula 1 Grand Prix has started. Exciting heart-stopping racing. Concise and precise are key to winning.  The same goes with English communication style. Really necessary is to know where to put the adjectives (we can put up to 4 adjectives in front of a noun), but more importantly is how and when to use our relative clauses.

Today we are going to review giving necessary or extra information.  

As far as grammar goes, we are going to review the relative clauses, that is: who, which, that, where, when, whom, whose, why, what and how.

Alonso the unexpected podium winner 

Alonso, whose moves on Hamilton and Sainz were quite breathtaking, says the Bahrain podium is ‘a perfect start’ to the Aston Martin project. 

As for the scrapes (difficult situations) with Hamilton and Sainz – which followed a “lucky” escape for Alonso. On the first lap, when teammate Lance Stroll tagged (to follow very closely) him, the two-time world champion reveled in being back.

“I obviously enjoyed it, because I ended up in front, that’s always the same thing in any battle. It’s always the same when you fight at the front. With these great champion drivers, it is a little bit more intense, a little bit more adrenaline, when you are wheel-to-wheel,” he said.  “I think in Bahrain we were strong in some ways that maybe we won’t find in Jeddah and Australia.” For more on the subject Alonso Bahrain

Click on the link Vocab  Alonso GP to go to google translator.

Lance: from the hospital to the finish line

Lance Stroll has explained how he drove through the pain to finish sixth in Bahrain. Just over two weeks after he broke his wrist and a toe in a cycling accident that left him hospitalized fearing that he’d miss the opening races of the year.

For Lance, for whom it was a terrible time to crash on a bicycle, and to whom doctors were telling maybe he’d return to the competition in Australia, or maybe Baku, the light at the end of the tunnel was very difficult to see.

For more on the subject Lance GP

More interesting Grand Prix titles news: GP highlights

Ferrari Retires 

Leclerc calls on Ferrari to ‘understand what went wrong’ after a painful Bahrain GP retirement.

Winning

6 Winners who started their season in style in Sakhir.

Vocab: you can click here and see the vocab using Google Translator.

Here are some common Formula 1 terminology that you should know

• Pit Lane: The area where teams perform pit stops, which are used to change tires, refuel, and perform minor repairs during the race.

• Grid: The starting position of the cars on the track, which is determined by the qualifying session.

• Pole Position: The starting position on the front row of the grid, which is given to the driver who sets the fastest time during qualifying.

• Formation Lap: The lap taken by the cars before the start of the race to warm up the tires and check the track conditions.

• DRS: The Drag Reduction System, which is a device that allows drivers to adjust the rear wing of the car to reduce drag and increase speed on certain parts of the track.

• Safety Car: A car that is used to slow down the field during the race, usually due to an accident or debris on the track.

• Blue Flags: Flags that are waved to inform a driver that they are about to be lapped by a faster car, and they should move over to allow the faster car to pass.

• Overtake: The act of passing another car on the track.

• Qualifying: The session where drivers compete for the fastest lap time to determine their starting position on the grid.

• Podium: The raised platform where the top three drivers stand after the race to receive their trophies.

• Stewards: Officials who oversee the race and impose penalties for any rule violations or unsporting behavior.

• Fastest Lap: The quickest lap time set by a driver during the race, which earns an extra championship point.

By learning these terms, you can better understand the excitement and intricacies of Formula 1 racing.

Vocab:  click here  F1 Grand Prix key jargon to see the vocab using Google Translator.

Listening Extra

Now, below is a link to a comedy sketch The Gibraltar Grand Prix by Peter Ustinov. It is a classic comedy sketch that parodies the world of Formula One racing. The Grand Prix of Gibraltar is a classic example of Ustinov’s wit and humor, and it remains a beloved comedy sketch to this day.

For the listening extra click here: Peter Ustinov. 

Do not despair, get depressed nor feel sad. It is advanced English. But it is a good way to practice English with different accents. Like all listening exercises: try to understand the general idea and pick up any details you can. Please take into consideration that Peter Ustinov interprets all the people and noises in the sketch.  It is a solo act.  

Also follow these intructions to get a full transcript.

Also this tv… https://www.netflix.com/br/title/80204890

Language Tips

To be more precise and concise: Who, that, which, where, when, how, why, what….

With these wonderful words we can be more concise and especially more precise.  

When the subject is not specific  we can introduce more information to make it precise. 

i.e.

For a person:

The woman who came yesterday is my cousin.

The woman thatI spoke to is my cousin.

For a thing:

The car which I like is outside.

The car that I like is outside.

For place:

The store where I buy my bread is closed.

For a time:

The time where I was happiest was last year.

But we can omit “who”, “that”,  “which” “where”, “when” when it is also the object of the clause.

i.e. The cookies which you baked are delicious.  

(The cookies are the subject and object).  

SOOO, we can say: 

The cookies you baked are delicious. 

Or

The man who you saw is at the door. 

The man you saw is at the door.

The woman who is sitting next to me is my sister. (The relative clause “who is sitting next to me” defines which woman is being referred to.)

The car that I bought yesterday is red. (The relative clause “that I bought yesterday” defines which car is being referred to.)

Note: Do not use commas.

NOW when the subject of the sentence is ALREADY specific, but  we want to give additional information about the subject.

They are introduced by relative pronouns such as “who”, “whom”, “whose”, “which”, or “where”. NOT “that”

The relative pronoun can refer to people, animals, things, or ideas, places, times, etc

i.e. 

My sister, who is sitting next to me, is a doctor.  Roberta, who is sitting next to me, is a doctor. 

The Eiffel Tower, which is located in Paris, is a famous landmark.  The Eiffel Tower, located in Paris is a famous landmark. 

My brother, when he was young, used to play the piano beautifully.

The Grand Canyon, where I visited last summer, was an awe-inspiring sight.

When you have a specific subject, relative pronouns cannot be omitted.

Note:

We use commas around this type of extra information.

When the subject is specific you cannot use THAT. 

When the object and subject are the same we can take out the pronoun. 

i.e. 

Google, THAT  is a great browser, is used by a lot of people.  ⏰⏰⏰ ⏰ WRONG. ⏰⏰⏰ ⏰ Because the subject is already specific.  

A great browser that (or which)  is used by a lot of people is google. ✅✅✅✅✅✅ CORRECT.  ✅✅✅✅  Because the subject is not specific.

Mercedes Benz cars, which are really expensive, are very luxurious.

Cars that/which are really expensive are luxurious.

A driver that I like is really famous for their huge number of wins.

Max Verstappen, who I like,  is really famous for his huge amounts of wins.

A car that/which I would love to drive today is Tesla.

A car I would love to drive is a Tesla. 

The cookies which/that I baked are delicious.

The cookies I baked are delicious.

The Call of the Wild, which was written by Jack London, is an awesome book.

The Call of the Wild written by Jack London is an awesome book.

Practice

Use relative pronouns (who, that, which, where, when, ….) in the following sentences:
Here are the basic rules, scoring system, penalties, and track limits in Formula 1 Grand Prix:

Rules
i.e. Cars must comply with technical regulations regarding their design and construction.
Cars which (or that) participate in the race must comply with regulations.
Cars which comply with technical and design regulations may participate in the race.\
Drivers must follow the sporting regulations regarding their behavior on the track. Drivers are expelled from the race. WHEN, WHO, THAT…..
Teams must adhere to financial regulations to ensure they are not spending too much on their cars and other expenses. Teams cannot participate. WHEN, WHO, THAT…..

Scoring System
Points are awarded to the top 10 finishers in each race, with the winner receiving 25 points. Only the top 10 winners receive points. WHEN, WHO, THAT…..
An additional point is awarded to the fastest lap. The driver sets the fastest lap during the race, provided that he finishes in the top 10. WHEN, WHO, THAT…..

Penalties: Define the following concepts.
i.e. Grid Penalty: The driver is demoted to a lower starting position on the grid for the next race.
When a driver is given a grid penalty he is demoted to a lower position in the next race. WHEN, WHO, THAT…..
Drive-Through Penalty: The driver must enter the pit lane. The driver should drive through it without stopping. WHEN, WHO, THAT…..
Stop-Go Penalty: The driver must enter the pit lane. The driver can stop for a specified amount of time, and then resume the race. WHEN, WHO, THAT…..
Time Penalty: The driver must serve a specified time penalty in the pit lane during the race. the driver will get the time added to their race time after the race. WHEN, WHO, THAT…..
Disqualification: The driver is excluded from the race results and does not receive any points. Not following the regulations gets the driver disqualified. WHEN, WHO, THAT…..

Track Limits
i.e. Drivers must not exceed the white track line limits
Drivers are not allowed to exceed the track limits, which are defined by the white lines at the edge of the track.
If a driver exceeds the track limits, they may receive a time penalty or have their lap time invalidated. WHEN, WHO, THAT…..
The FIA (International Automobile Federation) may also monitor track limits and impose penalties for repeated violations. WHICH, WHEN, THAT….
By adhering to these rules, drivers and teams can ensure fair play and a safe and an exciting race for everyone involved. The audience can experience an exciting race. Safety is guaranteed. WHEN, WHO, THAT…..

For regulation’s google translator click on this link Vocab summary of F1 regulations regulations

That’s all for now.

Take it easy

Take it easy is a more casual and friendly way of saying take care. Use it with your friends or colleagues you are close with.

Special thanks to

🏆 Kairui from Hangzhou in China who inspired the lesson 

🎉To Andrea from Lecce who did the trial run