Conversation club - Class 1 (7)

Class 1

Are mental health issuesthe epidemic of the 21st century?

Conversation Club

Start

What's going on around the world?

Let's talk about it

• Would you say mental health is the epidemic of the 21st century? Why?
• What factors make people more likely to develop some mental health issue nowadays?
• The number of people who take anxiety medication increased during the pandemic. Why do you think this happened?
• Is there still a stigma around taking medication for one’s brain?

Cleft sentences beginning with it

We can emphasise different elements of this sentence by moving them to the front of the sentence after it + be.

It was you who invited me to the party yesterday. Emphasis: you (not another person)

It was yesterday that you invited me to the party. Emphasis: yesterday (not another time)

Cleft sentences beginning with what

What clauses + be are common in spoken English. They emphasise the part of the sentence that is outside the what clause.

What I like best about going to the cinema is talking about the film afterwards.

How the kids did this is still unclear to me.

The game we played was what I liked the most.

Inversion with negative adverbials

We can also use inversion to add emphasis. It has a more formal, persuasive and impressive effect. To invert a sentence, we put the adverbial (e.g. never, rarely, not only, etc.) at the beginning and change the normal position of the subject and the auxiliary verb.

Not only do they have live reptiles but you can also touch them.

Little did I realize that the restaurant was about to close.

Emphatic auxiliaries

In spoken English, we often stress the auxiliary verb to add emphasis.

A: Why aren't you coming to my birthday party? B: I am coming! Who told you I'm not?!

If there is no auxiliary verb, we can use do, does or did to add emphasis.

A: Maybe that's why she was so happy. B: That does make sense, actually.

Idioms of the week

What does'cry wolf' mean?

If you cry wolf too often, people will stop believing you.

To keep asking for help when you do not need it.

Idioms of the week

What does 'rain oversomeone's parade' mean?

I don't mean to rain on your parade, but I have some bad news.

To spoil someone's pleasure.

Idioms of the week

What does'on thin ice' mean?

He's walking on thin ice by lying to the police.

In a precarious or risky situation.

Thanks for attending!