500 frases en inglés realmente útiles (La serie completa) by Jenny Smith

behind the scenes’ of different situations. They are less voyeuristic and seem closer to a real documentary than the other two mentioned. The most famous is ‘One Born Every Minute’ which is about babies being born in hospitals.

    Phrases:
    To be cut off from (something): to not have access to something. This often means that you have been denied access to something. Also: to be ‘cut off’ can mean that you no longer receive money etc from your family.
    Example 1: The people of Bhutan are cut off from western technology.
    Example 2: His parents have completely cut him off. He no longer gets any financial help from them.

    To have cabin fever: to be stuck in a small area for a long period and to go a bit crazy. This often refers to an enclosed space, but not always.
    Example: I liked living on that small island but I got cabin fever after a while.

    To act up: to behave a bit badly. This phrase usually refers to children’s behavior.
    Example: He’s usually ok but he starts to act up if he gets too bored.

    To be hooked on (something): to be addicted to something. This can mean actual addiction like ‘hooked on drugs’, or just as a way to describe an emotion like ‘hooked on selling things on Ebay’.
    Example: A lot of people in that town are hooked on drugs because there is no work and nothing to do, so they start taking drugs out of desperation.

    To milk something: to exploit a situation. This is when you try to get the most value as possible out of a situation. It is a bit of a negative term and means that the person is trying to get a bit too much. It is often used as the phrase: ‘to milk something for all it’s worth’.
    Example: My son was sick for a few days but now he’s really milking it and trying to stay off school even though he’s basically feeling better.

    15 minutes (of fame): this phrase was coined by Andy Warhol and means ‘temporary fame’ or fame for no real reason. It has the feeling that the person has no real talent. Note: people often just say ‘ 15 minutes’ and leave off the ‘ of fame’ .
    Example 1: I hope she enjoys her 15 minutes of fame because it won’t last.
    Example 2: I think that pop star’s 15 minutes are almost over, nobody is that interested in her any more.

    20/30 etc-something: this means that you are between 20-29, 30-39 etc.
    Example: I hate going to that bar because it’s always full of 20-somethings, it makes me feel so old.

    Behind the scenes: how things actually work. What happens in the places you would not usually have access to. So for example a behind the scenes look at how a movie is made will show exactly what the makers do to produce a film.
    Example 1: People always complain about the bus service but behind the scenes it takes a lot of work to keep the busses running on time.
    Example 2: That documentary is a behind the scenes look at the food industry.

Part Three

    Now even though I hate these shows, my family absolutely loves them and sometimes if I have nothing else to do I watch them. last week I was watching Made in Chelsea and it occurred to me that while this show is a complete waste of time for me, it would be brilliant for those who want to learn English. Mostly they just talk about relationships and gossip about each other, but the phrases they use and the way they speak is, on the whole, pretty natural. The problem with learning English from dramas etc is that they are all scripted so are not 100% natural, but with these ‘reality’ shows they just say whatever pops into their heads . Also if you find a show that is fun, you are more likely to want to watch it and it won’t feel so much like studying. So there you have it ; I have finally found a use for terrible ‘Reality’ TV…it turns out that is perfect for learning English with.

    Phrases:
    To occur to one: to suddenly have a thought. To suddenly think of something.
    Example: As I will be visiting Italy anyway it occurred to me to I could visit the house my mother was