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Lesson 116 / Resting & waiting
5 phrases · 12 minutes · Look, listen and try.
Let a small upset pass, get sleepy, wait for family and relax.
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The small argument soon blew over.
The small argument soon blew over.
Give it time and the fuss will blow over.
Give it time and the fuss will blow over.
Here this describes an upset losing importance, rather than wind carrying an object away. The past form is “blew”.
Cambridge Dictionary · blow over
He dozed off in the armchair after lunch.
He dozed off in the armchair after lunch.
I nearly dozed off during the long journey.
I nearly dozed off during the long journey.
Usually a light sleep, sometimes unplanned. It does not imply a full night of deep sleep.
Cambridge Dictionary · doze off
He crashed out on the sofa after the busy day.
He crashed out on the sofa after the busy day.
We got home and crashed out straight away.
We got home and crashed out straight away.
Informal; here this means falling asleep quickly from tiredness, not having an accident or losing consciousness from injury.
He waited up for his older sister.
He waited up for his older sister.
Do not wait up for me; I will be home late.
Do not wait up for me; I will be home late.
Emphasises delaying bedtime to wait. Compare the informal request to someone walking ahead to wait for you.
He kicked back in the chair and listened to music.
He kicked back in the chair and listened to music.
After the work was done, we kicked back for a while.
After the work was done, we kicked back for a while.
An informal way to describe relaxing. No actual kicking is needed, and this lesson does not use the bribery-related noun sense.
The examples were written for this course. Usage was checked against Matt Errey’s book, pages 12, 37, 30, 137, 72. A2–B1 is the course’s intended level.
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OBSERVE · UNDERSTAND · MATCH
Drag a wire from the dot beside a phrase to the dot beside its matching picture. You can also tap a phrase, then a picture. Drag again to change a pair before checking.
Read the picture descriptions for more context. Similar expressions are accepted when they fit the particular scene.
A small upset between Khoa and a friend blows over, and they play comfortably again.
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Khoa dozes off in an armchair with a comic lowered onto his lap.
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Khoa crashes out on the sofa after a tiring day.
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Khoa waits up for his older sister, who arrives while he is still awake late in the evening.
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Khoa kicks back in a chair and listens to music after putting his things away.
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Choose a phrase to begin.
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Read the conversation and find the expressions you have learned.
I hope the argument will blow over soon.
I hope the argument will blow over soon.
You look tired. Are you starting to doze off?
You look tired. Are you starting to doze off?
A little. I will kick back for a while before dinner.
A little. I will kick back for a while before dinner.
Here “blow over” means a difficult situation passes; “doze off” means begin a light sleep. A problem passing and a person falling asleep have different subjects and meanings.
Try answering before revealing the suggested answer. This practice is not scored.
The answers below are models. Other answers can also work if they preserve the facts, meaning and structure requested in the task.
A minor disagreement becomes less important during the evening. A tired guest then unintentionally begins sleeping.
Describe the disagreement passing.
The disagreement is blowing over.
The minor disagreement is passing with “blowing over”; the expression does not deny it happened.
Complete: The guest started to doze ___.
off
“Started to doze off” describes unintentionally drifting to sleep, rather than planning to go to bed.
Suggest a relaxed evening without claiming the disagreement never happened.
Let us kick back while the disagreement blows over.
“Kick back while…” suggests relaxing as the disagreement passes without claiming every conflict has already disappeared.
The usage comparisons are checked against the Cambridge Dictionary entries linked beside the compared expressions. The additional conversations and exercises are written for this course.
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