Songs in the classroom : Just The Way You Are

Now that the heat is definitely here, or so it seems, I think it is a pretty good idea to finish the month of May and combat the sweltering heat by listening to a catchy song, no other than The Way You Are by Bruno Mars. Anyway, listen to this easy-to-understand song and do the exercises I propose. 

1. Fill in the lyrics with the appropriate word :

Oh, her _______ (1) , her ________ (1)  make the stars look like they're not shining

Her hair, her hair falls perfectly without her trying

She's so beautiful

And I tell her every day.

Yeah, I know, I know when I compliment her, she won't believe me

And it's so, it's so ________ (2)  to think that she doesn't see what I see

But every time she asks me do I look okay?

I say

When I see your face

There's not a thing that I would change

'Cause you're amazing

Just the way you are

And when you smile

The whole world stops and stares for a while

'Cause girl, you're amazing

Just the way you are

Her ______ (3) , her _______ (3) , I could kiss them all day if she'd let me

Her laugh her laugh, she hates but I think it's so ________ (4)

She's so beautiful

And I tell her every day

Oh, you know, you know, you know I'd never ask you to change

If perfect's what you're searching for, then just stay the same

So don't even bother _______ (5) if you look okay

You know I'll say

When I see your face

There's not a thing that I would change

'Cause you're amazing

Just the way you are

And when you smile

The whole world stops and stares for a while

'Cause girl, you're amazing

Just the way you are

The way you are

The way you are

Girl, you're amazing

Just the way you are

When I see your face

There's not a thing that I would change

'Cause you're amazing

Just the way you are

And when you smile

The whole world stops and stares for a while

'Cause girl, you're amazing

Just the way you are.

Yeah

2. Transform the following sentences in the song into reported speech :

a) But every time she asks me do I look okay? : Begin with she asked me...

b) I say : "when I see your face there's not a thing that I would change, because you are amazing just the way your are." Begin with I told her...

3. Rephrase the following sentence with the words provided in brackets

There's not a thing that I would change 

(nothing)

(anything)

4. Decide if the relative pronoun 'that' can be replaced by which and omitted in the sentence : "There's not a thing that I would change."

5. Give possible synonyms for the following words in the song :

a) Compliment :

b) Amazing : 

c) Stares : 

d) Searching for : 

Answers :

Exercise 1:

(1) eyes

(2) sad

(3) lips

(4) sexy

(5) asking

Exercise 2:

a) She asked me if I looked OK.

b) I told her that when I saw her face, there wasn't a thing that I would change, because she was amazing just the way she was. 

Exercise 3:

There isn't anything that I would change.

There is nothing that I would change. 

Exercise 4 :

The relative pronoun 'that' can be replaced by which but it can also be omitted because it doesn't work as a subject : there's not a thing I would change. 

Exercise 5:

a) Praise, say good things about a person

b) : awesome, wonderful, incredible

c) Look deeply or attentively.

d) : Looking for 

______________________________________________________

This is it. I hope you have enjoyed with this catchy song. If you want to keep improving your English with songs, click on the following links : U2's I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For; Bruno Mar's Don't Give Up; The Cure's Friday I'm In Love; Smash Mouth's I'm A Believer; Michael Bublé's It's A Beautiful Day; songs related to peace; Cold Play's Paradise; Christmas carols; Christmas carols II; Tracy Chapman's Fast Car; Gotye's Somebody That I Used To Know

Are you tired of yes and no; good and bad ? Let's use some other expressions

This course is coming to an end and exams at language schools are so near that you can smell them, he he. Anyway, now that I'm preparing my students to pass their oncoming exams, I thought it would be a good idea to share with you some of the material I'll be using with my students next week, so that you can also improve your English. 
Language school teachers struggle hard to make our students use synonyms and different expressions according to their English level. This is why I prepare a list of synonyms (or similar expressions) to 'yes', and 'no' and the adjectives 'good' and 'bad' because I'm sick tired of hearing all these words over and over again. 

Synonym expressions for 'yes'

From : http://should-i-start-packing.tumblr.com/

I think so.
I guess so.
Absolutely ! 
Certainly ! 
Totally !
Perfect. 
Great ! 
Of course ! 
Indeed ! 
Sure !
Awesome !
Terrific !
That's a great idea !
Yap !
Yeah !

Synonym expressions for 'no'

From : https://desdetu.wordpress.com/2016/02/19/no/

I don't think so. 
I don't think that's a great idea.
Absolutely not ! 
Of course not !
Nope ! 
Nah !
Not in a million years.
I'd rather do anything but that. 
No way ! 

Synonyms for 'good'
Nice : He is a nice guy.
Friendly (for people) : He is quite friendly.
Likeable : A likeable woman. 
Pleasant (for the weather : The weather was pleasant. 
Fine : He is a fine young man. 
OK : That's OK.
Right : The match was right. 
Fair : That's fair enough.
Useful : This device is quite useful. 

Synonyms for 'very good'

From : https://clipartfest.com/categories/view/7e568dce5bd0ff0e2bc1b4173e3737173b3a70b4/good-job-face-clipart.html

Fantastic ! 
Excellent !
Quite excellent !
Superb ! 
Great !
Wonderful !
Marvelous ! 
Fabulous !
Fab !
Well done !
Magnificent !
Exceptional !

Synonyms for 'bad' or 'very bad'

From : https://pollbuzz.co/profile/Smithankyou

Lousy : The lousy weather / a louse T-shirt.
Poor : He was a poor teacher. 
Awful : I feel awful.
Wrong : A bad guess.
Atrocious : An atrocious war
Terrible : Terrible weather.
Horrible : A horrible night. 
Appalling : He is an appalling cook. 
Incompetent : He is an incompetent mechanic. 

Well, you know, if you want to improve your English, you lexis needs to improve too. I'm sure you'll find these synonyms useful. If you want to learn more about English lexis, click on this link. Feel free to contribute with your own synonyms and expressions in your comments. 

If you want revenge, you can borrow my vocabulary...

Last week I wrote a review on The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumàs. This riveting story of revenge gave me an idea : to write an entry about vocabulary of revenge, since there are many different words and expressions in English to express revenge. Anyway, if you want to catch up on your vindictive vocabulary, this is definitely your entry ! Let's begin :  

From : http://www.california-labor-laws-attorneys.com/filing-a-retaliation-claim-in-california/

Revenge synonyms
Vengeance 
Vendetta
Payback (metaphorical. If someone does something bad to you you can pay him back, how interesting !)
Retaliation
Counterattack
Reprisal

Revenge verbs and actions
Avenge someone
Retaliate
Counterattack
Strike back
Hit back
Get back at somebody (for something) 
Pay someone back (for an offense)

Revenge collocations :
Take revenge on someone 
Wreak revenge on somebody
Get revenge 
Seek revenge  
Avenge a grievance or an injury
Run / pursue vendetta against someone

Revenge idioms and expressions
- "Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves." (By Confucius)

From : https://quotefancy.com/quote/6575/Confucius-Before-you-embark-on-a-journey-of-revenge-dig-two-graves

- "Revenge is a dish best served cold" 
- Settle the score / Get even : When you punish someone after they did something bad to you, e.g. You embarrassed me in front of the class and now I embarrased you in front of your family. We got even / I settled the score. 
- Spill blood : To kill or hurt people (out of a vengeful action)

From : http://pngimg.com/img/miscellaneous/blood

Revenge adjectives
Vengeful
Vindictive 

Hate-like words
Grudge
Resentment
Hatred
Scorn
Rancor
Bitterness
Enmity
Antagonism
Disdain

Hate collocations
Bear grudge against someone
Hold grudge against someone 
Harbour a grudge against someone
Harbour resentment towards someone 

Hate verbs 

From : http://combiboilersleeds.com/keywords/despise-1.html

Despise someone
Loathe someone
Detest someone
Begrudge someone
Resent someone
Envy someone
Abhor someone
Scorn someone

Adjectives related to hate
Scornful
Loathsome
Abhorrent
Resentful 
Envious
Disdainful 
Hateful

Idioms and expressions related to hate

- To be green with envy : To be really envious of someone, for instance, The Thompson's are rich, I am green with envy ! They are really lucky ! 

From : https://clipartfest.com/categories/view/0bb61de88eab00f40004b629fbb7731162db0a41/green-with-envy-clipart.html

- To see red : To be furious at someone. Ever since she insulted me, I see red.

- Bad blood : Enmity, bitterness. For example, there is bad blood between Emma and me. We can't stand each other. 

Well, now that you have learned this kind of vocabulary, you can do what the Count of Monte Cristo did and settle all your scores using perfect English. Anyway, to finish this lengthy post, I'm sharing two videos with you, one is the trailer of one of my favourite TV series, Revenge, which is a thrilling modern adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo that I strongly recommend; the other is the trailer of a famous US film saga, Taken, dealing with the revenge of a father after the abduction of his daughter. 

The Count of Monte Cristo and the leitmotiv of revenge

I had somehow quit reading for a while and I just decided to reprise my role as a reader and, strange though it may seem, I have decided to read French literature...yet in English. It seems that my library doesn't have many books to offer... ! Anyway, I bumped into one of the French literature masterpieces, no other than the Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas. I'm sure you are somehow familiar with this book, since there have been multiple adaptations including films, and TV series and serials. Let's begin by analyzing this work of art.

The story is set in the Bourbon Restoration just when Napoleon returned to power from the exile. In this perfect historic background, Dumas unleashed a powerful, overwhelming story of vengeance and violence developing thanks to a riveting plot. 

The main character, Edmond Dantès, is an impeccable young sailor who, regardless of his age, is admired and respected by his colleagues and has achieved great respect and reputation as the first mate of the Pharaoh. In addition, he is about to marry the woman of his  dreams, Mercèdes. His successful and happy life arouses envy among the Catalan Fernand Mondego, who loves Mercèdes in secret, and his colleague, Danglars, who is bitterly jealous of his rapid promotion. Both of them, alongside Caderouse, Dantes's drunken neighbour, secretly concoct a plot to have him incarcerated accused of Bonapartism and treason, without Dantès knowing it. On the day of his betrothal feast, he is detained and put into custody. The crown prosecutor, Monsieur Villefort, questions him and believes his innocence, but Dantes unknowingly owns a letter that demonstrates that Villefort's father is a Bonapartist and that would jeopardize his position and future promotions, so Villefort burns the letter and has Dantès imprisoned in the Chateau d'If, a prison surrounded by sea. Thus, Dantès is left to rot in the prison for many years. He is so desperate that he thinks of starving himself to death, but all that changes when he meets the prisoner next to his cell, Abbé Faria, who is a learned priest. He makes Edmond realize who his traitors were and he instructs Edmond to become a learned man. Furthermore, he tells Edmond where to find a hidden treasure and encourages him to escape. Abbé Faria died of a stroke provoked by a strange disease and Edmond benefits from this to escape the prison, posing as  Abbé Faria's corpse. After his miraculous escape, he takes the treasure hidden in the island of Monte Cristo and swears revenge against the people who had him rot in jail, especially after he discovers his father has died of starvation and his fiancée Mercedes is now married to his enemy, Fernand. On top of that, his true enemies are wealthier and happier since his incarceration.

From that moment, and thanks to his money, Edmond takes on the new identity of Count of Monte Cristo and he manages to be introduced in the lives of his enemies. Engaging on new identities and enacting intrigues and complicated plots, he manages to make his enemies fall in disgrace and pay for their wrongdoings by exposing their darkest secrets. Edmond gets his revenge...but at a high cost.


The main topic in the book is the leitmotiv of revenge. Vengeance infuses life in Edmond. He lives to make their enemies pay for what they did to him. As the famous idiom states, "revenge is a dish best served cold." Edmond is patient and does not mind waiting for the best moment to execute his long-awaited plans. He has carefully prepared the best possible scenarios and, what is more important, he has the money and position to make it all happen. His thirst for revenge is unstoppable, as he said :“Hatred is blind; rage carries you away; and he who pours out vengeance runs the risk of tasting a bitter draught. They want retaliation against the people who harmed him : “Moral wounds have this peculiarity - they may be hidden, but they never close; always painful, always ready to bleed when touched, they remain fresh and open in the heart.” 
The book somehow speaks about the power of money and the position of men. With money, one can do whatever they want. Were it not for money, his plan for revenge couldn't have been successfully carried out. This is a demolishing message : the poor are unable to avenge their loved ones. Revenge and payback are only available for wealthy people, people with a high position. 
Intelligence also plays an important role in his revenge. 

Another topic present throughout the book is the concept of divine justice. ” Edmond is convinced that he can enact his plan thanks to God. What is more, he feels that his escape from prison, his wealth and his plans of vengeance are God's decision. God chose him to punish his sinful enemies. Edmond conceives that he is being aided by God himself. This somehow implies that vengeance is not a sin, but, rather, a divine right. 

However, the somber tone in the book also gives way to an optimistic angle. As Edmond says, “it's necessary to have wished for death in order to know how good it is to live.” Although the main character just wants to enact his revenge, he somehow cherishes his life more than ever. 
Well, I hope I have encouraged you to read this thrilling story. Next week, I will write an entry dealing with vocabulary related to vengeance in English. Anyway, let's finish with the optimistic final sentence in the book “All human wisdom is contained in these two words - Wait and Hope.” 
P.S. If you are interested in some other book reviews, click on the links to read my review on William Golding's The Lord of the Flies, my analysis of Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, my post on Dickens's Oliver Twist, and my entry about Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea.

Have a nice week.