Session 28
June 13, 2026 · Intermediate
- Hajj & pilgrimage story
- delegating responsibility at work
- the phrasal verb 'cross off'
- describing people
1 Corrections
How you said it, the natural version, and why. These are your own sentences.
How you said it
I had an overload.
The natural version
I was overwhelmed. / I had too much on my plate.
Natural ways to say you have more work than you can handle.
How you said it
They made a party.
The natural version
They threw a party. / They had a party.
In English we "throw" or "have" a party — we don't "make" one.
How you said it
He's a very unique doctor.
The natural version
He's a truly unique doctor. / He's a one-of-a-kind doctor.
"Unique" already means one of a kind, so we usually don't say "very unique."
How you said it
My grandfather from my mother's side.
The natural version
My grandfather on my mother's side. / My maternal grandfather.
Use "on" (not "from") to say which side of the family someone is on.
1b Already right
These needed no correction at all.
I felt like an angel.
Beautiful, natural sentence — keep saying things like this.
My team arranged everything.
Correct and natural — "arrange" is the perfect verb here.
2 Grammar tips
"on" my mother's / father's side
To show which branch of the family, use "on ___ side" or maternal/paternal.
My grandfather on my father's side was an imam.
assign / present / introduce something TO someone
These verbs take an object then "to" + a person: assign X to Y, present X to Y, congratulate Y on X.
I had to assign my authority to a colleague during my absence.
Simple past for a finished story
When you narrate a past trip, keep verbs in the simple past: stayed, shaved, invited, was.
We stayed near the Kaabah and I shaved my beard before we left.
"Be" + feeling adjective
For emotional states, use be/feel + adjective: I was overwhelmed, I felt tired, I am grateful.
After the pilgrimage I felt calm and overwhelmed at the same time.
Collocations with "party"
Some verbs simply pair with certain nouns. With "party" we say throw / have / give — never "make."
My team threw a big party when I came back.
Phrasal verb "cross off"
"Cross something off (your list)" means to finish it and remove it. It is separable: cross it off, or cross the case off.
Let's cross the maintenance off our list today.
Absolute adjectives
Words that already mean 100% (unique, perfect, free) don't normally take "very." Use "truly" or "absolutely" if you must add emphasis.
He is a truly unique surgeon.
3 New words and phrases
5 Practice sentences
01During my absence, I assigned my authority to a colleague I trust.
02When I came back, my to-do list was so long that I felt overwhelmed.
03This morning I crossed all the ordinary cases off my list.
04Let's cross the maintenance of the operating room off our list today.
05By coincidence, one of the Prophet's companions was mentioned in our lesson.
06The patient is stable now, so the surgery does not need extra approval.
07My team arranged everything, so the venue was ready when the guests arrived.
08I went to greet my guests and to congratulate the father of the groom.
09My grandfather on my mother's side was the imam of the mosque.
10Before the ceremony I trimmed my beard so I would look neat.
11She is a reliable nurse, and the volunteers were reliable too.
12Finding shade under the palm trees in the valley felt like a small miracle.
6 Model sentences
Read these out loud three times.
The pilgrimage was the most peaceful experience of my life — when it ended, I felt like an angel.
During my absence, I had to assign my responsibilities and my authority to someone reliable.
When I returned, I was overwhelmed, so I started crossing the ordinary cases off my list one by one.
My team arranged everything and even threw a party to welcome me back.
My grandfather on my mother's side was the imam of the mosque, a man with good principles.
We stayed near the Kaabah, and every day felt like a miracle.
A doctor who is well-spoken and well-groomed will always stand out.
Before we left the coast, I trimmed my beard and thanked the volunteers who had helped us.
7 Mini-dialogue
- A
Welcome back! How was the pilgrimage?
- B
It was unforgettable. We stayed near the Kaabah, and it honestly felt like a miracle.
- A
You look so calm. Was it hard to leave work behind?
- B
At first, yes. During my absence I had to assign my authority to a colleague.
- A
And now? Are you overwhelmed?
- B
A little. But I'm crossing the ordinary cases off my list one by one.
- A
Well, your team arranged a small party to celebrate.
- B
That's very kind. I'd love to greet everyone and thank the volunteers.
Read A, say B's line yourself, then check.
8 Homework
- Write 5 sentences about a trip you took, using the simple past (stayed, arrived, felt, was).
- Use "cross off," "to-do list," and "overwhelmed" in three real sentences about your work this week.
- Say these 6 words out loud 3 times each: pilgrimage, coincidence, authority, maintenance, congratulate, reliable.
- Record yourself reading the 8 Model Sentences, then listen back and check your stress and "th" sounds.
- Pick 5 new words from the vocabulary list and write your own example sentence for each.
- Practice the Mini-Dialogue out loud, playing Speaker B, until it feels natural.
9 Self-check
The hardest part this week was remembering small words like "on my mother's side" and "throw a party" — the verbs and prepositions that just go together. I'll keep watching for these collocations.
The most useful new phrase for me is "cross off my list," because I can use it every single day at the hospital when I finish my cases.
One question I still have: when do I say "assign something to someone" versus "give someone something"? I want to ask my tutor next time so I use the right pattern at work.