Everyday English (Elementary)

Topic: Dates and Numbers

Lesson Notes August 12, 2025 (Elementary)

Words & Phrases

• How was your long weekend?

• My junior high school reunion was cancelled because of heavy rain and a flood warning.

• On the second day the electricity stopped working. There was a blackout, and even the water stopped working.

• My stay fee was refunded.

• There were landslides here and there.

• After the concert it was so busy that we had to (walk / hike) to the next station.

Appropriate Language

Words for Rain

• Mist (noun); so light it feels like a fog

  • We woke up to a cool morning mist over the hills.

  • By the time we reached the lake, the mist had started to fade.

• Sprinkle (verb); very light rain, almost just drops

  • It started to sprinkle just as we left the café.

  • The forecast says it might sprinkle later this afternoon.

• Drizzle (verb); light, fine rain

  • It’s been drizzling all morning, but it’s still warm outside.

  • We walked home while it drizzled softly.

• Shower (noun); short period of rain

  • There was a brief shower before the sun came back out.

  • Afternoon showers are common here in the summer.

• Rain (noun); general term

  • We had a lot of rain last night, so the garden looks fresh.

  • Rain is expected for the rest of the week.

• Downpour (noun); sudden, heavy rain

  • We got caught in a sudden downpour without an umbrella.

  • The streets flooded quickly during the downpour.

• Pouring (verb); very heavy rain

  • It’s pouring outside, so let’s wait before going out.

  • We ran to the car while it was pouring with rain.

• Torrential rain (noun); extremely heavy rain, often continuous

  • The match was cancelled due to torrential rain.

  • Torrential rain battered the coast for hours.

Dates & Numbers

Tongue Placement for TH

• Both TH sounds (voiced and unvoiced) are made with the tip of the tongue lightly touching your top front teeth.

• The tongue should stick out a little, just between the teeth.

• Let the air go over the tongue.

• Voiced TH (Your throat vibrates)

• Examples: this, that, they, mother, weather

• Unvoiced TH (No voice, just air sound)

• Examples: think, thank, three, tooth, month

Simple Exercise

1. Stick out your tongue a little between your teeth.

2. Say “thhhhhhink”, “thhhhhhank”, “thhhhhhree”, “toothhhhhh”, “monthhhhhh”; hold the ‘TH’ sound for as long as you can.

3. Now say “thhhhhhis”, “thhhhhhat”, “thhhhhhey”, “mothhhhhher”, “weathhhhhher”; hold the ‘TH’ sound for as long as you can.

Next lesson

Section 7, we will practice say various people’s birthdays.

For example:
A: When is Ben’s birthday?
B: It’s on October ninth. (or ‘It’s on the ninth of October’)