Common American Phrases in Everyday Contexts: A Detailed Guide to Real-Life Conversation and Small Talk

by Richard A. Spears

Book Overview

A useful guide to everyday American English to help you understand meanings and avoid difficulty in translationIn this new edition of Common American Phrases in Everyday Contexts, noted lexicographer... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0071405607
• ISBN13: 9780071405607
• Release Date: November 2002
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 1.06 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

I am so glad that I finally found this book ...

I came to the United States as an adult engineering student with a F1 visa. I could read my textbooks in school, but I could hardly understand some of my American classmates/friends when they used some strange and incomplete expressions in their conversations. I had never seen these English expressions in my English textbooks. The things became worse after I graduated from school and joined the work force. Sometimes my American coworkers asked me some questions using some of these strange and incomplete sentences, and I had no idea for what they were asking for and how I should answer their questions properly. I found this book, >, about two weeks ago from the local library. After having read a few chapters, I realized that the strange and incomplete expressions, which I had difficults to follow, are "Common American Phrases". American people do not speak the whole sentences out, since these phrases are so common that everybody understands them. But these phrases are very difficult for an ESOL/ESL foreigner to follow. <br /> <br />I am so glad that I finally found this book.

Good for those who only recently arrived to the United States

...and also for those who have at least advanced or intermediate skill in English language. In my case I bought this book hoping to enrich my general conversational vocabulary. I have NOT achieved my personal goal since the book is full of most simple phrases that are very quickly learned from daily communication by anyone who lived in the US for more than 2 months (Thanks! Sorry 'bout that! See you! How you've been? and similar.) However, I found this book to be particularly helpful in terms of idioms and expressions that are otherwise not clear to a non-native English speaker even in context (drop the ball, gone out the window, let's touch base tomorrow, and similar phrases.) I would highly recommend this book for anyone who is new to the country and needs to master the American slang and daily communication.

That is just what I (a ELS student) Want !!!

I watched a lot of American Movies and Sitcoms. There are too much expressions that I cannot really understand ~! They are all composed of simple words,but when they are together, I just cannot get it. Like "Might as well","who do you think you are kidding",and tons of others....This book explains a lot to me. The entries in this book are really used very frequently in American Movies and on TV. I heard almost all of them before.It teaches me much more than my ESL classes !! ELS students ~buy it and Enjoy it !!

A reference book

The author is neither mad nor ashamed. This reference work is filled with expressions that perplex ESL students, yet do not often appear in dictionaries of slang or idiomatic English. This is a reference work, not a teaching textbook. I think the first edition appeared in 1991, and the title has been in demand in the ESL market since it first appeared. Native speakers may not find the entries remarkable, but learners of English do. Check the sample pages. It may serve your needs.

It is a really useful book for a non-native English speaker.

I found this book in a public library and renew it several times since it is very helpful to me. It not only provides us everyday phrases and sentences that Americans use over and over in their greeting, goodbyes and everyday small talk, but also tell me an important method to study and us English: The effective use of language is not in being able to create and understand an infinite number of sentences, but to use the right sentence the right way in a given context. About the shortcomes, the phrases are in an alphabeta order, not easy to memorize.