Idiomatic American English: A Step-By-Step Workbook for Learning Everyday American Expressions

by Barbara K. Gaines

Book Overview

The following excerpt from the Introductiion gives a clear idea of the book's contents.]

Idiomatic expressions give English its color and vitality. They are indispensable to the daily speech of the people and to the language of newspapers and books, television and movies.

Whenever you hear a phrase whose meaning cannot be understood even if you know the definitions of the separate words involved, you have probably encountered an idiom...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0870117564
• ISBN13: 9780870117565
• Release Date: July 1986
• Publisher: Kodansha
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 10.7" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

ziripot

I have liked it very much. All the idiomatics are easyly and clearley explained. Exercises are easy and does not take many time to learn idiomatics every day.

Great for adult students of English as a second language

I bought this book for a friend from S. Korea who is working to improve her English. The lessons are laid out well and practice exercises reinforce the content. Some of the phrases are a bit outdated, and the sample conversations are sometimes awkward, simply because 10 idioms are squeezed into 4 or 5 lines of dialogue. But it is a comprehensive and understandable collection of those weird phrases, like 'I'm broke', that we use so commonly. Very helpful!

Recommended if you're interested in everyday idioms

I'm not a native speaker of English but I took quite a pride in my English speaking ability... until I found this book. I thought I knew lots of colloquial expressions but I was wrong. I found that I knew about 5% of what was introduced in this book... This book covers what is usually not covered in ordinary English textbooks. Those puzzling expressions you encounter in everyday conversations, you will find them here albeit not exhaustively. It was very helpful to me. And I believe it's going to be to you too. Good luck!

Heart-to-heart: This is amazing even for native English speakers

It "dawned on me" not to "bark up the wrong tree" but to get this amazing book that is an education even for (maybe especially for!) native English speakers.

One of the best!

It has a lesson per page, which consists of a sample dialogue that encompasses the idioms to be learned in that chapter, which are explained right away. You can use it to learn by yourself or in a classroom. Together with All Clear!, these two can really prepare you for daily English conversations.