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Category: Lab Break

  • 🤔 Would You Rather…?

    A2 • Speaking

    Choose one. There is no wrong answer!

    1. Would you rather…
    🐶 be able to talk to animals
    OR
    🌍 be able to speak every language in the world?

    Tell me why.

    I’d rather ______ because ______.

    2. Would you rather…
    ✈️ get free plane tickets for life
    OR
    🏠 get your dream house for free?

    Where would you go—or where would you live?

    I’d rather ______ because ______.

    3. Would you rather…
    ⏸️ be able to stop time for one hour every day
    OR
    🔮 be able to see one day into the future?

    What would you do with your special ability?

    I’d rather ______ because ______.

  • 🎬Caption This!

    C1 • Writing

    What’s going on here?

    Write the best caption you can think of.

    Funny, clever, strange or completely ridiculous—we’ll take them all.

    💬 Leave your caption in the comments.

    Leave a Reply

  • 🧩 Odd Specimen Out

    B1 • Vocabulary

    Something has contaminated these sentences. But what?

    🧪 Collocation Samples #1

    One specimen doesn’t belong. Can you identify the intruder?

    • make a mistake
    • make a decision
    • make an effort
    • make homework

    🔬 Examine the Specimen

    ❌ make homework

    We say do homework.

    🧪 Collocation Samples #2
    • heavy rain
    • heavy traffic
    • heavy snow
    • heavy wind

    🔬 Examine the Specimen

    ❌ heavy wind

    We normally say strong wind.

    🧪 Collocation Samples #3
    • tell a story
    • tell the truth
    • tell a lie
    • tell a question

    🔬 Examine the Specimen

    ❌ tell a question

    We ask a question.

    🧪 Collocation Samples #4
    • catch a bus
    • catch a train
    • catch a cold
    • catch a bicycle

    🔬 Examine the Specimen

    ❌ tell a question

    We ask a question.

    📋Vocabulary Sample #1
    • exhausted
    • tired
    • sleepy
    • energetic
    🔬 Examine the Specimen

    ❌ energetic

    Exhausted, tired and sleepy describe someone who needs rest.

    Energetic describes someone who has plenty of energy.

    📋Vocabulary Sample #2
    • enormous
    • huge
    • massive
    • tiny
    🔬 Examine the Specimen

    ❌ energetic

    Exhausted, tired and sleepy describe someone who needs rest.

    Energetic describes someone who has plenty of energy.

    📋Vocabulary Sample #3
    • borrow
    • lend
    • return
    • spend
    🔬 Examine the Specimen

    ❌ spend

    Borrow, lend and return can all describe what happens when something temporarily passes from one person to another.

    Spend means to use money or time.

    📋Vocabulary Sample #4
    • worried
    • nervous
    • anxious
    • relaxed
    🔬 Examine the Specimen

    ❌ relaxed

    Worried, nervous and anxious describe feelings of worry or uneasiness.

    Relaxed describes feeling calm and comfortable.

  • 🕵️ Spot the Contamination

    B2 • Grammar

    Something has contaminated these sentences. But what?

    ☣️Contaminated Sample #1

    ❌ I have been in London last year.

    Can you find the contamination?

    🚿 Decontaminate

    ✅ I was in London last year.

    Why? Last year refers to a finished time in the past, so we use the past simple, not the present perfect.

    🦠Contaminated Sample #2

    ❌ She suggested me to apply for the job.

    Can you find the contamination?

    🚿 Decontaminate

    ✅ She suggested that I apply for the job.
    or
    ✅ She suggested applying for the job.

    Why? We don’t normally use suggest + person + to-infinitive. Use suggest + -ing or suggest + that-clause.

    ☢️Contaminated Sample #3

    ❌ I’m looking forward to see you next week.

    Can you find the contamination?

    🚿 Decontaminate

    ✅ I’m looking forward to seeing you next week.

    Why? In look forward to, to is a preposition, so it is followed by a noun or an -ing form:

    look forward to + noun / -ing

    😷Contaminated Sample #4

    ❌ Despite of the rain, we decided to go for a walk.

    Can you find the contamination?

    🚿 Decontaminate

    ✅ Despite the rain, we decided to go for a walk.

    Why? Despite doesn’t take of.

    despite + noun
    in spite of + noun

    So we can also say:

    ✅ In spite of the rain, we decided to go for a walk.

    ⚠️Contaminated Sample #5

    ❌ I didn’t know where was the meeting.

    Can you find the contamination?

    🚿 Decontaminate

    ✅ I didn’t know where the meeting was.

    Why? In an indirect question, we use normal statement word order:

    where + subject + verb

    Direct question: Where was the meeting?
    Indirect question: I didn’t know where the meeting was.

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