Thoughts on the heatwave or 'From one extreme to the other'

[Alan]

Hi,

How about this for hot and cold experiences?

From one extreme to the other
http://www.english-test.net/stories/47/index.html

Alan
_________________
English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story In touch

[Tom]

Dear Alan

This piece of writing, without exaggeration, is both pleasurable and terrifying.

Pleasurable in a way that learning of so many interesting idioms and commonly used English expressions is, as far as my humble opinion is concerned, unique in its nature. Believe me, the meanings of many expressions I just had to guess, and I was right when later I checked in a dictionary. Now all these precious idioms and expressions are locked in my memory.

Terrifying in a way that we students have become too much dependent on the "reader-friendly"exercises like this one and going to request you(insist you) to write something exactly like this on phrasal verbs, phobias and manias. Promise me,Alan, that you will...at least on phrasal verbs.

Tom

[Tom]

After reading this story brimful of beautiful expressions, I prepared a small test of the same expression for my students. If I am allowed, could I post it below the story?

Alan, when you write such things, do you use only memory power or some dictionary (of idioms) also? I just want to know if it is humanly possible to use so much without consulting a dictionary?

Tom

[Alan]

Hi Tom,

Glad you liked the piece. I have written a series of stories using and explaining phrasal verbs which come under the heading on the site called esl lessons.

There are several of them but here are a couple:

ESL Lesson: Phrasal verb bring
http://www.english-test.net/lessons/7/index.html

ESL Lesson: Phrasal verb bring (2)
http://www.english-test.net/lessons/25/index.html

Alan
_________________
English as a Foreign Language
You can read my EFL story A day in the life of a parliamentary candidate