Advanced English Vocabulary - The Letter "B"
Moving on with our advanced English vocabulary series! This episode contains 5 English words--all of which start with the letter "B"--that native English speakers use in conversation.
My guest on this week's show is one of the co-founders of EnglishTVLive, Lloyd Meikle. In addition to learning these 5 advanced English vocabulary words, you're going to learn a little bit more about Lloyd as a person!
You can find the five words that we taught listed below.
I think I'll keep the same challenge question for each episode in this series: Try to combine ALL 5 words into a single sentence in the comments section at the bottom of this page 😉 Lloyd and I struggled to do it--I'm sure you can do better than we did!
5 Advanced English Words | The Letter "B"
Banal
If something is banal, it's not new or exciting; it's ordinary and boring, and you don't like that thing.
EX: Pop songs these days are so banal!
Bias
If you have a bias for something, you have a tendency to prefer that thing over other things. You can also be biased towards a person or thing.
EX: The court ruling was not fair because the judge showed a bias towards the defendant!
Bland
If something is bland, it lacks flavor. We most often use this word to describe food, but it can also be used to describe people, cities, etc.
EX: The chicken is a little bland. Could you pass the salt?
EX: In my opinion, Ottawa is a little bit bland as a city.
Bleak
If a situation is bleak, things seem pretty hopeless. This is a very negative word that can be used in a number of ways.
EX: The weather is pretty bleak in Calgary right now.
EX: Many people believe that the future of humanity looks pretty bleak.
Blunt
Someone who is blunt says what they are thinking even if it will result in hurt feelings. They are brutally honest and very direct.
EX: I do like John, but sometimes he's a little too blunt.
My challenge for you:
Try to combine ALL 5 words into a single sentence! Lloyd and I tried at the end of the episode, but we failed! Can you do better than we did?
“Unbelievable! This bland soup made by a famous chef in this town. Maybe I have a bias since I have ever tried the better one and that made me banal. However, I say nothing, I do not want to made him bleak even though I am a blunt but I am a tactful as well.”
Thanks a million for this “B” advance English poscast. ^^
I agree that sometimes we have to skip talking directly to someone if they are too sensitive and if we are not close to them enough. :)
Nice, Nim! Sorry to hear about the bland soup 🙂 One quick thing: It seems like you’re trying to say that the “soup” is a little banal, not “you”. (“Maybe I’m biased after having tried that one last week; this one just seems banal!”)
Thanks for the comment! Glad you enjoyed the podcast 🙂
Thank you for explanation Jacob🙏😉
I thought that yours was only a banal bias but at the risk of appearing blunt or viciously unkind, I must confess my disappointment for your bleak choice to leave me for a younger, richer, taller, handsome man like him!
Wonderful Sergio! And sorry to hear that she left you 🙁 😉
Very useful.
Glad you think so!
Hi.I’d like join
Awesome! Just click the button up top that says “join” 😉
thans for this course…
You don’t have to be blunt with a girl who has cooked for you bland dishes even if you have a bias for flavoured food: your honesty will take you right to turn a banal cooking mistake into a bleak future relashonship!
Hahaha I think you’re right about that Maria 😉 Thanks for the comment!
i want takepart thank you for this great chance for improve our english level..
You’re very welcome!
Actually, I couldn’t use all these words in one sentence, but I’ve written a short story. Here it is.
-The director of that restaurant is BIASED towards his employees. He considers them to do such BANAL things and he’s convinced the dishes they make to be really BLAND, that’s why he tends to be BLUNT. Nevertheless, their future doesn’t look BLEAK and they try to do their best the chief to be satisfied with their work.
Very nicely done Ekaterina! I like your story. Happy to hear that all is not hopeless for the employees of that restaurant 🙂
English to me is barely bland because so biased to the banal words therein, I need some blunt person to rescue me from this bleak situation.
A blunt person to rescue you from a bleak situation :O Great sentence. Love it. Thanks for the comment.
Bland country, Bleak youth, sorry to be so blunt and I know my bias toward change may seem such a banal thing for you.
Oh wow, good job!