Lily asks
What is your favourite season, and how do you spend it?
How to build your answer
Rank it: four moves, about a minute.
- 1Your number oneStart with the winner.
- 2The othersTwo more, a few words on each.
- 3Why it winsWhat puts number one on top.
- 4A near missOne that didn't make it.
Lily's answer, three ways
The same story, from easy to advanced. Tap a highlighted phrase to learn it.
Easy
Lily's voice note
Autumn. I love it when the air gets nice and cool and the leaves go orange and red. On Saturdays I go to the market for apples and a hot drink. Then I go for a long walk to get some fresh air. In the evenings I stay at home, make soup and drink lots of tea. It's so cosy. I don't like the summer heat much, so autumn's perfect for me.
Phrases to borrow
nice and cool
/ˈnaɪs ən ˈkuːl/
pleasantly cool (not too cold)
The house stays nice and cool in summer.
get some fresh air
/ˈɡet səm ˈfreʃ ˈeə/
go outside to breathe cleaner air and feel better
I'm going out to get some fresh air.
Natural
Lily's voice note
Autumn, definitely. I love it when it gets cool, and the leaves go orange and red. On Saturdays I head out to the market for apples and a hot drink, and then I go for a long walk in the park. In the evenings I'm at home, making soup and drinking lots of tea. I love the slower pace. It's just really cosy, you know? Summer's too hot for me, so I look forward to autumn every year.
Phrases to borrow
a slower pace
/ə ˈsləʊə ˈpeɪs/
a calmer, less busy speed of life
I love the slower pace of life in the countryside.
look forward to something
/lʊk ˈfɔːwəd tə ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
feel happy about something that's going to happen
I'm really looking forward to the weekend.
Advanced
Lily's voice note
Autumn, hands down. The air turns crisp and the leaves go every shade of orange and red. On Saturdays I wander down to the market for apples and a hot cider, then go for a long walk in the park. When the nights draw in, I'm at home making soup and drinking endless tea. I love to snuggle up by the window and watch the sun go down at about five. Summer's too sticky for me. It's so short, though. I wish it lasted longer.
Phrases to borrow
the nights draw in
/ðə ˈnaɪts ˈdrɔː ɪn/
it starts getting dark earlier in the evening, in autumn
I start making soup as soon as the nights draw in.
snuggle up
/ˈsnʌɡl ʌp/
get into a warm, comfortable position, often under a blanket
On cold nights I snuggle up with a hot water bottle.
watch the sun go down
/wɒtʃ ðə ˈsʌn ɡəʊ ˈdaʊn/
watch the sunset
We sat on the beach and watched the sun go down.
I wish it lasted longer
you want something good to continue for more time
The holiday was great, I wish it lasted longer.
Your turn: answer Lily
What is your favourite season, and how do you spend it?
Answer out loud, in your own words. Try one phrase you just borrowed.
Daily life
head out
leave a place to go somewhere
“We're heading out for dinner, want to come?”
heytardy