Customer Reviews

Common American Phrases in Everyday Contexts: A Detailed Guide to Real-Life Conversation and Small Talk

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I bet no dictionary can beat this reference! It's based on down-to-earth conversations and I had never seen a lot of informal expressions even in my electronic dictionary before. Especially, I was amazed to find there are many colloquialisms which omit subjects such as I, You, and There is(are). Of course, I suppose these things happen in daily conversations and take it as a way of life. But I didn't expect there would be so many! And every explanation is so informative that I can easily guess what they mean. Therefore, this reference may help you interact more smoothly with English-speaking people if you make the best use of it. How about buying this if you are planning to stay or live in English-speaking countries?

The author is neither mad nor ashamed. This reference work is
filled with expressions that perplex ESL students, yet do not
often appear in dictionaries of slang or idiomatic English.
This is a reference work, not a teaching textbook. I think the first edition appeared in 1991, and the title has been in demand in the ESL market since it first appeared. Native speakers may not find the entries remarkable, but learners of English do. Check the sample pages. It may serve your needs.
Cheers, R. Spears, the author.

I found this book in a public library and renew it several times since it is very helpful to me. It not only provides us everyday phrases and sentences that Americans use over and over in their greeting, goodbyes and everyday small talk, but also tell me an important method to study and us English: The effective use of language is not in being able to create and understand an infinite number of sentences, but to use the right sentence the right way in a given context. About the shortcomes, the phrases are in an alphabeta order, not easy to memorize.