Learn English Vocabulary Daily #10.1 - British English Podcast

Hello!

You're listening to The English Like a Native Podcast with me, Anna, and this

series is called Your English Five a Day.

This is Week 10, Day 1, and we are increasing your vocabulary

by five pieces every day of the week, from Monday to Friday.

So, let's kick off today's list with a very beneficial word.

It's the word beneficial.

Beneficial is an adjective.

How do we spell it?

B E N E F I C I A L, beneficial.

Beneficial.

If something is described as being beneficial, then it is helpful,

useful, or good for something.

It has benefits.

It is beneficial.

For example, it's beneficial to your health, to exercise,

eat well, and sleep well.

It is beneficial to your English learning to have good resources to listen to,

like The English Like a Native Podcast.

Here's a real example sentence, because those last ones were off the cuff.

So, here's another example sentence.

I should have said another rather than a real one, because

they're all real examples.

But here we go:

"I think a stay in the country would be beneficial to your

health, shall I book a spa break?"

Oh, that would be lovely, wouldn't it?

Alright, moving on from beneficial.

Let's go for a verb this time.

We have place, place.

Now you might think, oh, "Well, this one's easy."

Maybe, as a noun, you've heard place, if somewhere is a nice place, but you

may not have heard this as a verb.

So, it's spelled P L A C E, place.

And if you place something, then you're basically putting it

in a very particular position.

So, there is a difference between putting something down and placing something down.

So, if I place something down, then it suggests that I'm putting it

down, but in a very particular way.

Maybe more carefully, more specifically.

So, I might place my bag on the table.

And I usually do this when I'm out actually.

I don't like to put my bag on the floor because often if you're out in public,

the floors, especially in cafes and restaurants, they tend to be dirty.

And you know, people spill crumbs and all sorts of things on the floor.

And so I don't want to put my bag, my handbag onto the floor because

it's going to get dirty, because also when I get home, sometimes I put my

bag onto the sofa or onto my bed if I've run upstairs with my handbag.

Not that I tend to run into my house, run upstairs straight into my

bedroom, but you know, occasionally.

And I wouldn't want to put germs and dirt from the floor in a public area

onto onto my nice soft furnishings.

So I often place my bag onto a table or chair when I'm out.

So I very specifically put it into a place.

I place it.

Here's an example sentence:

"Could you place this vase on the coffee table, please?

I'll buy flowers on the way home tonight."

Alright, let's move on to an idiom now.

And the idiom is to come up trumps.

To come up trumps.

I'm spelling this C O M E, come.

Up, U P.

Trumps, T R U M P S.

Come up trumps.

If you come up trumps then it means you complete an activity successfully

or to produce good results.

So, to do well, especially when you're not expecting to, or if

other people don't expect you to.

So, it just means that you are successful, that you win.

That something good has happened.

You've come up trumps!

Fantastic!

I didn't expect this, but it's great!

Here's an example sentence:

"John's uncle came up trumps, finding us a place to stay at the last minute after

the holiday firm cancelled our booking."

And sometimes that happens, doesn't it?

Something bad, or seemingly bad, happens.

Like your holiday has been cancelled by the holiday operators.

They say,

"I'm really sorry, we've had to close the hotel and so we'll refund you your money."

You're like, "What?

We're supposed to leave on Friday."

And it seems like a terrible thing, but then because everything is rushed

and last minute, suddenly you find an amazing deal, because it is last

minute, something you would never have expected comes up, and you're like,

"Book it!

We're going to go and stay in that five-star hotel for half the price!

This is amazing!"

And so something good happens, unexpectedly.

You come up trumps.

Next on our list is the phrasal verb go for.

To go for something.

This seems very simple, but I'm going to spell it for you anyway,

just in case you've misheard me.

This is two words go, G O.

For, F O R.

To go for something.

If you go for something, then you attempt, you try to get it.

You try to gain it or attain it.

So, you cannot separate this phrasal verb.

It always has to be go for something.

You'll often hear people say, go for it, go for it, go for it.

And this would be used when the context is already understood.

So, if I say to you, I'm thinking about starting a new podcast.

This was something I was saying last year.

"I'm thinking about starting a new podcast."

You might say to me,

"Anna, I think you should go for it.

I think that's a great idea.

Go for it.

Try and do that.

Try and be successful in that."

Or I might say,

"Hey, I saw a really nice slice of cheese in the fridge.

Do you mind if I eat it?"

And you would say,

"Hey, do you know what?

I don't want it.

Go for it.

Go and get it.

Go and have it.

It's yours."

So, to go for something.

Here's an example sentence:

"I've decided I'm going to go for that promotion, I think I deserve

it and I think I have a pretty good chance of getting it, don't you?"

And last on our list is a noun.

It is contributor, contributor.

Let me spell that for you.

C O N T R I B U T O R.

Contributor.

Contributor.

A contributor is a person who contributes, who gives something towards something.

So, if you contribute, it means you're giving something, like your

time, or you might be giving money.

This is usually used in terms of money, in order to provide or achieve

something together with other people.

So, for example, if we as a community wanted to raise money for

some people who really needed it.

So, let's say there has been a terrible disaster and there are a group of

children who have been orphaned and they desperately need our help.

I might say to you as my wider community,

"Hey guys, let's all put in a little bit of money and see if we can raise a large

amount of money to help these children."

And you'll say,

"Yes, let's do it."

And so everybody gives a little bit of money.

And together we raise a huge amount of money.

We are then all contributors.

We have all contributed to this cause.

Here's another example, sentence.

"On the last page of the programme, there is a list of contributors

to the Theatre Appeal Fund."

Okay, that's our five for today.

Let's recap briefly.

We had the adjective beneficial, something that is good for

you, that's helpful or useful.

We had the verb to place, meaning you put something in a particular position.

We had the idiom to come up trumps, which means to be successful or have

a good result, which was unexpected.

We had the phrasal verb go for, which means to attempt to get

something or achieve something.

And then we had the noun contributor.

Someone who gives something as part of a wider group of contributors in order

to achieve something bigger together.

So now let's do it for pronunciation.

Please repeat after me.

I'll give you each word twice.

Beneficial.

Beneficial.

Place.

Place.

Come up trumps.

Come up trumps.

Go for.

Go for.

Contributor.

Contributor.

Very good.

Okay, let's bring all of those together in a little story?

Question mark?

This is a diary entry, not really a story.

But you know what I mean.

Let's go for it.

Hey, go for!

Dear Diary,

Today is the big day.

I've decided to go for the promotion at the advertising company.

I've been working hard for this opportunity and I think I have

a good chance of getting it.

I've been a valuable contributor to the team and I have some great

ideas for the future projects.

I hope I can impress my bosses and show them that I have what it

takes to be a great team leader.

I'm feeling nervous, but also excited.

This promotion would be very beneficial for my career and my personal growth.

It would also mean a better salary and more recognition.

I've always dreamed of working in an environment like this, where I can unleash

my creativity and passion for advertising.

I can place myself firmly on the ground and finally be a part of

the world of corporate advertising.

I know the competition is tough, but I'm confident in my skills and experience.

I've prepared well for the interview and I have a portfolio

of my best work to showcase.

I'm ready to face any challenge and prove myself.

I believe I can come up trumps and secure the promotion.

Wish me luck, diary.

I'll write to you again after the interview and let you know how it went.

Maria.

Did you spot all of today's words and phrases?

I think you probably did.

Well, I hope you found it useful.

It's been lovely to spend this time with you.

Whatever you're doing, wherever you are, I hope that you're happy and having fun.

Until next time, take very good care and goodbye.