Session 32
July 8, 2026 · Intermediate
- Describing appearance
- tastes & smells
- used to vs. be used to
- everyday conversation
1 Corrections
How you said it, the natural version, and why. These are your own sentences.
How you said it
He was hoping that the final is between Morocco and Egypt.
The natural version
He was hoping the final would be between Morocco and Egypt.
After a past verb like "was hoping," use "would be," not "is."
How you said it
Everything is in artificial.
The natural version
Everything is artificial.
"Artificial" is an adjective — no "in" before it.
How you said it
Did you ever regret being a doctor?
The natural version
Have you ever regretted being a doctor?
For life experiences up to now, use the present perfect: "Have you ever…?"
How you said it
He has a dark skin.
The natural version
He has dark skin.
Don't use "a" with uncountable nouns like skin, hair, or money.
How you said it
I'm taking a week-off.
The natural version
I'm taking a week off.
"A day off" and "a week off" are two words — no hyphen.
How you said it
His expectations don't happen.
The natural version
His expectations don't come true.
Hopes and expectations "come true" — they don't "happen."
1b Already right
These needed no correction at all.
In the past I used to drink matteh with sugar.
Correct — nice use of "used to" for a past habit!
2 Grammar tips
Present perfect for experience
For things that happened at any time in your life up to now, use "have/has" + past participle.
Have you ever regretted your job?
"A" with uncountable nouns
Don't use "a/an" with things you can't count, like skin, hair, money, or advice.
He has dark skin. / I gain money.
taste / smell + adjective
After sense verbs like taste and smell, use an adjective, not an adverb.
It tastes good. / The room smells bad.
must / mustn't
"Must" gives strong advice; "mustn't" means it is important NOT to do something.
You must use your time. / You mustn't waste your time.
be used to + -ing
For something that feels normal or familiar now, use "be used to" + verb-ing.
I'm used to smelling this.
used to + base verb
For a habit that was true in the past but not now, use "used to" + the base verb.
In the past I used to drink matteh with sugar.
"would" after past verbs
After a past verb like "was hoping" or "thought," use "would," not the present tense.
He was hoping the final would be between Morocco and Egypt.
will for predictions
Use "will" + base verb to predict a future result.
Morocco will win the match.
Word families
Many ideas have a verb, a noun, and an adjective form.
compete (verb) → competition (noun) → competitive (adjective).
3 New words and phrases
4 Pronunciation
- ·competitionStress -TISH-; the "ti" sounds like "tish."
- ·competitiveStress the second syllable: -PET-, not the first.
- ·suburbsStress the first syllable: SUB-. The "ur" is soft.
5 Practice sentences
01He has dark skin, black hair, and a friendly smile.
02My best friend is a ginger, and his brother is a redhead.
03In the past I used to drink matteh with sugar, but now I try to reduce the amount.
04I'm used to the smell of the hospital now.
05Morocco will win the final — I have high expectations!
06At the café, my friends and I laugh and shout, but we don't take it seriously.
07You mustn't waste your time; you must use it to the maximum.
08This coffee is a little bitter, but the tea tastes sweet.
09I'm taking a week off after my next work trip.
10The new city has old culture and modern parts — the best of both worlds.
11We want to help the patient avoid an operation.
12I never regret being a doctor, because the reward is from God.
6 Model sentences
Read these out loud three times.
My best friend is a tall ginger, and we always make fun of his bright red hair.
In the past I used to drink matteh with a lot of sugar, but now I try to reduce the amount.
This soup smells good, but it tastes a little too salty for me.
He was hoping the final would be between Morocco and Egypt, and he's sure Morocco will win.
You mustn't waste your time — use every single day to the maximum.
The new part of the city is very modern, but it still has old culture, so it's the best of both worlds.
I'm taking a few days off after this work trip to rest with my family.
He never regrets being a doctor, because he believes the reward is from God.
7 Mini-dialogue
- A
You look happy today. Where were you last night?
- B
I was at the café with my friends. We laugh and shout, but we never take it seriously.
- A
Nice! Did you watch the match?
- B
Of course. Morocco will win the final — I have high expectations.
- A
Do you want a coffee?
- B
Just a little. In the past I used to drink it with sugar, but now I reduce the amount.
- A
This cake is very sweet, though.
- B
I know — I have a sweet tooth, so it tastes perfect to me!
Read A, say B's line yourself, then check.
8 Homework
- Write 5 sentences describing people you know, using: ginger, redhead, blonde, brunette, tanned, and dark skin.
- Write 6 sentences about food using the five tastes (sweet, salty, spicy, sour, bitter) with "It tastes…" and "It smells…"
- Write 2 sentences with "used to + verb" (a past habit) and 2 with "be used to + -ing" (something normal now).
- Say these words out loud 3 times each: cinnamon, brunette, competitive, artificial, vacation, suburbs.
- Use "the best of both worlds," "a day off," and "make fun of" in real conversations this week.
- Record yourself reading the 8 Model Sentences and check your "will," "used to," and taste/smell + adjective forms.
9 Self-check
The hardest part this week was the small grammar habits — not using "a" with words like skin and money, and saying "would be" after "was hoping." I'll keep practising these.
The most useful words for me are the tastes and smells — sweet, salty, sour, bitter — with "it tastes/smells good or bad," because I can use them every day at home and with friends.
One question I still have: what is the exact difference between "I used to drink" and "I'm used to drinking"? I think one is an old habit and the other means something feels normal now, but I want to check with my tutor.