How to Express Your Likes and Preferences

How can we say that we like something? Here are some phrases to express your likes and preferences. 1. I’m really fond of Italian cousine. — Я очень люблю итальянскую кухню. 2. I prefer/I’d prefer to stay at home and read a novel. — Предпочитаю остаться дома и почитать роман. 3. I’d rather be attractive…

What the Next Year (or Two) May Look Like

The virus is spreading from big cities to suburbs and has begun encroaching (распространяться, захватывать) on the nation’s rural (сельские) regions. It is not clear where the crisis is leading in America. More than twenty experts shared their thoughts on the future. Read more in English in The New York Times After reading the article answer the…

Asking Somebody’s Opinion

It’s a good idea to ask other people what they think before you tell them your opinion loudly and strongly.  Show them that you value their opinions — this will be a sign of respect. Here’s how you can ask. 1. What do you think of/about…? (Что Вы думаете о…?) 2. What’s your opinion of…?…

The New Normal is Getting Old Fast

You might have thought we’d have gotten the hang (поняли, сообразили) of this stay-at-home thing by now. But flattening the curve (cгладить кривую роста эпидемии) has warped (исковеркало) our lives. The arc (дуга) of self-quarantine is long, and it bends toward bad habits: cookies for breakfast, staying up late to play video games, midday naps. Read more in…

End of the Office as We Know It

The pandemic already pushed millions to work from home. Many of them will likely go back to a very different office. If and when you return to your office after the coronavirus pandemic, you’ll probably notice some differences. Upon entering your building, the doors may open automatically so you don’t have to touch the handles…

Six Ways to Avoid Insensitive Emails

Even in the best of times, business emails and other written communication can seem impersonal (равнодушный, безразличный). Unconsciously, we often adopt a more formal tone in writing compared to when we’re speaking face-to-face. With the coronavirus upon us, these are hardly the best of times. More than ever there’s a need to make sure our…

Changing Your Mind

Sometimes you make a decision, but later on you realise that you were wrong. Here are ten things we can say or write in this situation. 1. After further consideration… (После дальнейшего рассмотрения) 2. On second thoughts… (Если хорошо подумать) 3. I’ve changed my mind. (Я передумал) 4. I thought better of it. (Позже я…