How’s it goin’ folks? Hope you’re havin’ a good time! I’m gonna speak about colloqual expressions today, so don’t be confused with my writing in a spoken way. Most of the English that we hear in everyday life is idiomatic, slang or colloqual. This can greatly trouble you in the beginning but as you get used to such expressions, it gradually becomes easier to understand. Another problem with colloqual English is that it varies from country to country and state to state. You’ll be surprised to learn that native speakers sometimes have difficulty understanding one another if they come from different places. Remember, it’s not standard English and often used between friends, close colleagues and family members, but not in formal writing or speaking. Be selective of whom you choose to practice common colloqualism, as misplaced “stinker” or “ penny-pincher” could cause offense.

Have a look at some of the words and expressions down below for better understanding.

1- “ Than he grabbed hold of me and said ‘ Gotcha!”

Imagine this scene; you’re walking down a crowded street one day lost in your thoughts. Suddenly, a close friend of yours approaches you from behind grabs your arm saying ‘ Gotcha’ This means I have got you or I have found you. Gotcha is the shortened form of ‘ I got you.’ This also means ‘ I understand you.’ For instance, a friend explains some idea to you and you completely understand what he/she means, you would say Gotcha.

2-“ This is gonna cost you a whole lotta money.”

Suppose that you have planned to travel around the world next year and you tell it to a friend. He might exclaim saying,’This is gonna cost you a whole lotta money.’ This means it will be very expensive for you to travel. (Gonna-going to), similarly ‘want to’ is spoken as wanna, as ‘Got to’ is gotta. ‘ I can’t stay any longer. I gotta go.’

3- “ I am gonna bail out.”

In this example bail out means to leave some place where you’ve been hanging out with friends for some time. ‘ I am gonna take off now.’ ‘I am gonna rock,’ hold the same idea. You can replace them as you wish.

4- We gonna leave soon? ( Are we going to leave soon?)

Yeah, jus’ lemme grab a bite to eat. ( Yes, Just let me grab a bite to eat.)

Sure. No rush. ( Sure. Take your time.)

You notice how words and sentences change when we speak them?

One basic rule is to omit the final ‘g’ in cases like;

How are you feeling today? ( How ya feelin’ today?)

How is it going? ( Howzit goin’?)

How are you doing? (How ya doin’?)

Here are a few ‘cool tips’ again.

1. ?Arrange meetings with a native speaker. Set up a weekly meeting with a native speaker. Bring a list of questions about the phrases you heard throughout the week with you to the meeting. Ask the native speaker to explain of how one might use the phrase.

2. Practice your new phrases and words. Make up sentences using each phrase and word. Say the sentences aloud and repeat them until they come easily to you. Proficiency in colloqual English is reliant on memory, as many of the phrases have roots in trends and not classical language, repetition is the key.

3. Start a collection of English magazines. Colloqualisms appear frequently in magazines and newspapers. Magazines with a teen audience use colloqualisms frequently, as do fashion magazines.

Hope you’ve had a good read.

Peace!

Much love,

Riz.

Feel free to email me at rizteacher@yahoo.com

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About the author:

Riz Qamar is an English teacher in China. He was born and raised in India, grew up in a tiny wee village. He graduated in English Literature and Education as major subjects and became a teacher.