English Curious

'Thinking' refers to a process of thought, forming an opinion or judgment. When expressing 'I am thinking of' you are letting someone know what you are personally thinking. Examples: "I'm thinking of checking out the new movie." "I'm thinking of filming my vacation." "I'm thinking of following a healthy diet." "I'm thinking of handing out flyers describing our business." "I'm thinking of increasing my work load." "I am thinking of introducing myself to him." "I am thinking of launching a new website." "I am thinking of moving to a new city." "I am thinking of offering her the position." "I am thinking of opening up a store."

There lived a lion called Vajradaunstra in the jungle, who had two attendants, a jackal and a wolf. One day a caravan was passing by, and one of the camels in the caravan was an expectant female. As she was not able to walk, and was in labour pains, the caravan set her free and left her behind. Within moments, she fell prey to the lion, and while the three of them were eating. They cut the womb of the camel, from which a baby camel came out. Since, it was just a baby, and they already had a good meal out of the camel, the lion decided to spare the baby camel's life. He brought the baby camel home. The lion said to the little camel, "From now onwards you will live with us, and will have nothing to fear from, even me. I will let everybody know that you are under my protection, and you can wander about fearlessly and feed on the green grass of the jungle." From then onwards, they lived happily. The four of them would tell each other stories, and th...

Saying you are 'sorry to' expresses a feeling of sympathy or regret. Examples: "I'm sorry to be so late." "I'm sorry to hear about your sick mother." "I'm sorry to waste your time." "I'm sorry to make you feel so sad." "I'm sorry to frighten you." "I'm sorry to disagree with your decision." "I'm sorry to call so late." "I'm sorry to admit what I did." "I'm sorry to end this relationship."

A couple of sparrows lived happily in their nest on top of a huge tree in a jungle. The female sparrow had laid her eggs in the nest and they were expecting their newborns soon. On a particular day, unable to bear the heat of the summer sun, an elephant went berserk. He crashed into all trees in his way. On his way, he broke the branches of the tree that supported the nest of the sparrow couple. As the branches fell, so did the nest and all the newly laid eggs smashed against the ground. Although the sparrows managed to escape by flying away, they were heart-broken to see that they had lost the eggs. The female sparrow began to cry and wail loudly. A woodpecker, who was at a little distance, was touched by cries. He went to her and said, "Dear good sparrow! There is nothing you can do by crying. What is destined to happen, will happen for sure." The female sparrow replied, "That is indeed true. But all my children were killed by thi...

'I'm' is a contraction for the words 'I am.' The phrase 'working on' relays a physical or mental effort towards an accomplishment. Examples: "I'm working on a big project." "I'm working on training my dog." "I'm working on making new friends." "I'm working on educating myself." "I'm working on my homework." "I am working on painting a house." "I am working on a new idea." "I am working on my computer." "I'm working on my website."

Three fishes named Anagatavidhata, Pratyutpannamati and Yadbhavishya lived in a certain pond, along with many other fishes. One afternoon, some fishermen were passing by the pond. They investigated the pond, and agreed that the pond was full of fishes. Since, they were already returning after catching fishes, and already had a big haul, they decided to come back the next morning. They discussed, "This pond is full of fishes, and there are many big ones too. We have never caught fishes in this pond. Let us come back tomorrow morning." The three fishes were swimming on the surface when they heard the fishermen discuss their plans. The first fish panicked. He immediately assembled all other fishes and told them what they had heard. He said, "Tomorrow morning, the fishermen will arrive to catch us. I do not want to die like this. So, I will leave with my family at the earliest. I advise all of you to follow me. It will not be wise for anybody to stay ...

When using the words 'I'm calling' you are stating that you are actually using the phone to call and relay information. Examples: "I'm calling to tell you about my day." "I'm calling to accept your invitation." "I'm calling to answer your question." "I'm calling to book a reservation at your restaurant." "I'm calling to complain about something." "I'm calling to thank you." "I'm calling to support your decision." "I'm calling to remind you of our dinner plans." "I'm calling to report a lost wallet." "I'm calling to receive my prize."

There lived a turtle called Kambugriva in a lake, who had two swans as her good friends. All three of them would meet on the banks of the lake every day, and exchanged stories, before returning at sunset. They enjoyed each other's company. One year, there was no rain and lake started to dry. The swans got worried about the declining water level of the lake, and said to the turtle, "You will not be able to survive in this lake. All the water in the lake will soon dry up". The turtle was aware of the problem, "It is indeed difficult to live here anymore. Dear friends, please look for an alternate lake which is full of water. Then, find a strong stick from somewhere." The turtle continued, "Once you find another lake, you can carry me to the lake with a stick. I can hold the stick tightly with my mouth, while both of you can hold the stick at either ends and fly". As planned, the swans flew to distant places and after ...

When telling someone that you are 'looking forward to' you are saying that you are waiting or hoping for something, especially with pleasure. Examples: "I'm looking forward to meeting you." "I'm looking forward to talking with you." "I'm looking forward to going on vacation." "I'm looking forward to spending time with my family." "I'm looking forward to learning the English language." "I am looking forward to visiting another country." "I am looking forward to having a family." "I am looking forward to graduating from college." "I am looking forward to watching the baseball game." "I am looking forward to running in a race."

A pair of Tittibha birds, husband and wife lived on seashore. The female Tittibha bird was expecting to lay eggs and raise a family. When the time to lay eggs came, she asked her husband to look for a safe place to lay her eggs, "My dear, please look for some good and safe place for me to lay eggs as it is almost time for me to lay the them." But the male Tittibha bird said, "Dearest, where in the world could be a better place than this seashore? Please lay your eggs here." She disagreed, "The waves of sea on full moon nights are so high that they can drag even an elephant into it. No, please find a place away from here." The male Tittibha bird laughed and insisted, "The Sea would not even dare to do any harm to my children! Do not fear unnecessarily and lay eggs here without any worries." All the time, the Sea had been hearing this, and thought, "From a small bird as he, such impudence is not expected. I'll ce...

When using the expression 'I have something' you are communicating that you possess something or need to do something that is unspecified or undetermined. Examples: "I have something to complete." "I have something to share with you." "I have something important to tell you." "I have something to encourage you." "I have something to explain to you." "I have something special planned for your birthday." "I have something else to consider." "I have something to apologize about." "I have something to attend tonight." "I have something to ask you." "I have something fun for us to do."

Listen/Download :     There was once a jungle that was ruled by a lion called Madotkata, who had a leopard, a jackal and a crow at his service, along with other animals. As they did regularly, they were wandering about the jungle one day, when the lion saw a camel at a distance. This camel had separated from its caravan and was feeding itself on the green grass of the jungle. The lion took a fancy on this animal that he had not seen before, "Let us go and ask this extraordinary animal, where he comes from." The crow, who flies to far-off places was aware and replied, "Master, it is called a camel and this animal lives in villages. The flesh of this animal tastes good, let us kill it and eat it." But the lion disagreed, "He does not belong to the jungle, so he is our guest. I will not kill it. Please go and assure him that no harm will be done, and bring him to me". As per the lion's instruction, they went to the camel and assur...

You are informing someone that you are at a particular place to accomplish something. Examples: "I'm here to apply for the job." "I'm here to take a test." "I'm here to receive my gift." "I'm here to support all your decisions." "I'm here to watch a movie." "I'm here to work on your computer." "I'm here to welcome you to the neighborhood." "I'm here to raise awareness for cancer." "I'm here to start the job." "I'm here to receive the award."

Listen/Download :     Once there lived a jackal named Chandarava. One day he was very hungry, and could not find any food. So, he wandered into a nearby village in search of food. The dogs in the village saw the jackal, and a group of dogs surrounded him, barking and attacking with their sharp teeth. The jackal started running to save itself, but the dogs chased. In an attempt to flee from the dogs, he ran into a house, which belonged to a washerman. There was a big vat of blue dye inside. As he jumped without knowing, his entire body was dyed in blue colour. He no longer looked like a jackal. Frustrated, he came out. When the dogs saw him again, they were unable to recognize him anymore. Fearing that it was an unknown animal, they became terrified and ran off in all directions. The disappointed jackal went back to the jungle, but the blue dye would not come off. When the other animals in the jungle saw this blue-coloured jackal, they ...

I want you to' is telling someone that you have a desire or would like for them to do something. Examples: "I want you to clean the dishes." "I want you to come home right after school." "I want you to call once you get there." "I want you to explain yourself to me." "I want you to educate me." By using the word 'need' instead of 'want' you are expressing something that is required or wanted. Examples: "I need you to study harder in school." "I need you to stop and listen to me." "I need you to greet our guests." "I need you to introduce me to your family." "I need to request a refund."

Listen/Download :     Mandavisarpini was a white flea. She lived in the folds of the exquisite white silk sheet that covered the bed of a king in a certain country. She fed on the king's blood without anybody noticing, and was happy to spend her days. One day, a bug managed to enter the beautifully decorated bedroom of the king. When the flea saw him, she warned, "O Bug, what are you doing in the king's bedroom. Leave at once before you get caught!" The bug replied, "Madam, even if I were a good-for-nothing bug, that is no way to treat a guest. One should welcome a guest with humble words, sweet behaviour and offer refreshments." The bug continued, "I have fed myself with all types of blood, but never have I had the pleasure of the blood of a king. It must be very sweet, for the king eats the choicest of food. I would love to taste the king's blood, if you permit." The flea was taken aback, "O Bug, you have a nas...

Here you are using 'not used to' to inform someone that you are unfamiliar or uncomfortable with a topic at hand. Examples: "I'm not used to talking English." "I'm not used to studying so much." "I'm not used to being around new people." "I'm not used to talking in front of groups of people." "I'm not used to having so much stress." "I'm not used to traveling so much." "I'm not used to working so early." "I'm not used to having so much responsibility." "I'm not used to drinking so much."

Listen/Download :     There was once a powerful lion called Bhasuraka who ruled the jungle. He was merciless and killed other animals indiscriminately. One day, all the animals went together to the lion to surrender. They said, "O Master, you kill many of us every day without necessity. One animal a day is enough to satisfy your hunger. Please come to an understanding. Starting from today, we promise to offer one amongst us to you every day. In this way, you will not have to hunt and many of our lives will be spared." Hearing this, the lion agreed, "It is true, but I warn you, if I do not receive an animal every day, I shall proceed to kill every one of you." In accordance to the understanding, the animals drew lots, and the unlucky animal that got chosen was sent to the lion. The others roamed about the jungle without any fear of being attacked by the lion. One day, a hare was chosen. Unwilling to become the lion's food, he started for ...

When using the word 'was', you are referring to something in a past tense, or something that happened before. Combining it with the word 'busy' you can express something that was occupying you in a past time. Examples: "I was busy thinking." "I was busy working." "I was busy cooking dinner." "I was busy talking on the phone." "I was busy cleaning the house." "I was busy studying for my test." "I was busy thinking of ideas for our website." "I was busy entertaining our neighbors." "I was busy completing my housework." "I was busy learning new things." By changing 'was' to 'am' you change your message from past tense to present tense and refer to something you are doing 'now.' Examples: "I am busy working." "I am busy cooking dinner." "I am busy studying for my test." "I am busy c...

Listen/Download :     A heron lived near a big lake, which was full of fishes and other water creatures. The heron had grown so old, that he could not catch fishes from the lake anymore. He became lean and weak with every passing day due to lack of food. Unable to bear the hunger anymore, he hit upon a plan. As planned, he sat at the edge of the lake for everybody to see, and began crying. On seeing this, a crab took pity on him and went near, "Uncle, What is the matter? Why are you crying instead to catching fishes?" Continuing to pretend, the heron replied, "My child, I would not touch any fish anymore. I have decided to renounce all worldly matters, and vowed to undertake a fast unto death". The crab asked, "If you have indeed renounced worldly matters, why is it that you cry?" The heron explained, "My child, I have been in this lake from my birth. I have grown here. And it now that I have grown so old that I hear tha...

When combining the words 'I am' and 'getting' you are telling someone 'you' are gaining possession, being affected by or have plans to seek out and obtain a particular thing. Examples: "I'm getting better." "I'm getting ready for bed." "I'm getting a tooth ache." "I'm getting a cold." "I'm getting married." "I'm getting tired." "I'm getting good at reading." "I'm getting a new car." "I'm getting a job." "I'm getting a puppy."

'I'm' is a contraction of the words 'I am.' By adding a verb to 'I'm' this lets you express an action or occurrence about yourself. Examples: "I'm eating lunch." "I'm brushing my teeth." "I'm scared." "I'm driving to work." "I'm crying." "I'm typing an email." "I'm cooking dinner." "I'm combing my hair." "I'm hanging a picture." "I am texting." "I am dancing." "I am interested in the job." "I am exercising." "I am sad." "I am learning."

Again, 'I'm' is used here as 'I am.' 'Good at' informs someone what you excel at and are comfortable doing. Examples: "I'm good at drawing." "I'm good at video games." "I'm good at swimming." "I'm good at driving." "I'm good at reading." "I'm good at sports." "I'm good at writing." "I'm good at math." "I'm good at dancing." "I'm good at chess."

Describes an action you are doing. Most commonly, you would use the word 'in' when entering a physical location such as a room or a building. Examples: "I'm in the shower." "I'm in the lobby." "I'm in a car." "I'm in a house." "I'm in a school." Using the word 'at' helps tell someone where you currently are. The difference between 'at' and 'in' is that the physical location is general. Examples: "I'm at the grocery." "I'm at the mall." "I'm at the doctor's office." "I'm at the park." "I'm at the airport." However, in some cases you can use 'at' and 'in' interchangeably. examples: "I'm at the mall." "I'm in the mall." "I'm at the park." "I'm in the park." "I'm at the grocery." "I...

'I'm' is an abbreviation for the word 'I AM.' It is used in combination with other words to tell someone about yourself or to describe something you are doing. Examples: "I'm so tired." "I'm confused." "I'm happy." "I'm twenty three years old." "I'm hungry." "I'm nervous." "I'm excited." "I'm leaving work." "I'm thirsty." "I'm from Seattle." You can also add descriptive words with 'I'm' such as: "I'm extremely tired." "I'm very happy." "I'm terribly hungry." "I am super excited." "I'm very nervous."

The word 'can't' is contraction for 'cannot.' Combined with 'help' you are communicating something you are unable to control or having a hard time gaining a grasp for. This can be a physical or mental action. Examples: "I can't help thinking about it." "I can't help shopping so much." "I can't help working all the time." "I can't help smiling when I see her." "I can't help eating so much." "I can't help loving you." "I can not help biting my nails when I am nervous." "I can not help smoking when I have been drinking." "I cannot help feeling so sad." "I cannot help remembering the things you did."

Listen/Download :     There was a big banyan tree, where two crows - husband and wife, had prepared a nice nest and made it their home. In the hollow of the same tree, lived a black cobra. The crows had a problem because the black cobra would climb up the tree and eat the newborns, whenever the female crow hatched her eggs. They could do nothing to save them. The crows went to a jackal, who lived in a nearby banyan tree, to seek his advice. They narrated everything to him and requested his advice for them to get rid of their problem. They said, "O Friend, It has become dangerous to live here. Please tell us how we can protect our children from being eaten up by the wicked black cobra." The jackal replied, "Please don't give up. Even powerful enemies can be overcome with the use of wit." On hearing this, the crows requested, "O Friend, please tell us how we can overcome and destroy this wicked cobra." The jackal told them a...

Here you are expressing to someone something you would enjoy doing. Examples: "I feel like going for a bike ride." "I feel like going to the beach." "I feel like having a snack." "I feel like talking." "I feel like dancing." "I feel like having friends over to my house." "I feel like watching TV." By adding 'don't' or 'do not' you can change what you are saying to express something you would not enjoy or express a concern about something. Examples: "I don't feel like leaving yet." "I don't feel like explaining." "I don't feel like going to bed." "I do not feel comfortable talking about it." "I do not feel like we are going in the right direction."

Listen/Download :     One day while a sage was going through a jungle, he saw two golden rams (billy goats) fighting each other. Even though both were wounded, and blood was oozing out from their heads and bodies, they did not stop fighting and rammed at each other. At the same time, a hungry jackal was passing by. When he saw all the blood, he started licking the blood from the ground without caring for the fighting rams. Watching all this, the sage thought to himself, "This jackal is a fool as it has become greedy by the smell of blood. If he comes between the fighting rams, it will get rammed and get hurt himself". No sooner had the sage thought of it, the jackal craving for more blood came nearer to the fighting rams, and got caught in the middle of their fight. Both the rams rammed into him by mistake. He got hit on his head, and fell down because he was severely wounded. The wise indeed say: Do not close your eyes to the impending danger due ...

I'd' is a contraction of the words 'I had' or 'I would.' When using it with the word 'rather' you are suggesting you would like to do or prefer one thing more than another. Examples: "I'd rather talk about this later." "I'd rather like to eat at home than go get fast food." "I'd rather ski than snowboard." "I'd rather stay late than come in early tomorrow." "I'd rather handle the problem myself." "I had rather go home than stay out too late." "I had rather listen to my parents or get in trouble." "I would rather exercise than sit on the couch all day." "I would rather complete my task early." "I would rather know the answer."

Listen/Download :     Once upon a time, there was a sage called Deva Sharma who lived in a temple in the outskirts of a town. He was widely known and respected. People would visit him, and offer him with gifts, food, money and garments to seek his blessings. The gifts that he did not need for himself, he would sell off, and got rich on the proceeds. And by nature, he trusted nobody. He never trusted anybody. So, he kept all his money in a bag which he carried under his arm all the time. He would not part with the bag for a single moment. One day, a swindler came across the sage, and he became sure that the bag this holy man was so possessive of, must surely contain a lot of treasure. He planned on stealing the bag from the sage, but could not think of a way to do so. He thought, "I cannot make a hole in the temple wall, or jump over the high gates. But I can charm him with sweet words to accept me as his disciple." He wondered, "If I can stay w...

When using the word 'promise' you are giving your word that what you are saying is true. You might also be assuring someone a guarantee that you will follow through on what you are saying to them. When using 'promise not to' you are stating you will not do a particular thing. Examples: "I promise not to tell." "I promise not to leave without you." "I promise not to be so late." "I promise not to hurt your feelings." "I promise not to wake you up." You can also just use the word 'promise' to assure someone of your intentions. Examples: "I promise I am telling the truth." "I promise to practice my math." "I promise to call you." "I promise I will tell you." "I promise I will come to your party."

The word 'don't' is a contraction of the words 'do not.' When adding 'have time to' you are simply stating that you have other obligations and all other things considered must wait. Examples: "I don't have time to explain." "I don't have time to eat." "I don't have time to exercise." "I don't have time to watch my favorite TV show." "I don't have time to talk." You can also use the phrase 'I don't' to express things you do not like, things you do not understand, or things you do not do. Examples: "I don't eat meat." "I don't like the rain." "I don't understand Spanish." "I do not understand what you are saying." "I do not like scary movies." "I do not like sports."

Listen/Download :     In a city called Vardhamana, lived a very efficient and prosperous merchant. The king was aware of his abilities, and therefore made him the administrator of the kingdom. With his efficient and intelligent ways, he kept common man very happy, and at the same time he impressed the king on the other side. Such a person, who can keep everybody happy, is rarely found. Later, there came a time that the merchant's daughter was getting married. He arranged for a lavish reception. The merchant not only invited the king and the queen, who obliged by attending, but he also invited the entire royal household and all respected people of the kingdom. During the reception, he ensured to provide his guests with the best of treatments. He gave out gifts to guests to show them respect for attending to his invitation. A servant of the royal household, who used to sweep the palace, was not invited but attended the reception. He took a seat which...

Listen/Download :     One day, a jackal called Gomaya was very hungry, and was wandering about in search of food. After some time, he wandered out of the jungle he lived in, and reached a deserted battlefield. In this deserted battlefield, a battle was fought recently. The fighting armies had left behind a drum, which was lying near a tree. As strong winds blew, the branches of the tree got rubbed against the drum. This made a strange noise. When the jackal heard this sound, he got very frightened and thought of running away, "If I cannot flee from here before I am seen by the person making all this noise, I will be in trouble". As he was about to run away, he had a second thought. "It is unwise to run away from something without knowing. Instead, I must be careful in finding out the source of this noise". He took the courage to creep forward cautiously. When he saw the drum, he realized that it was only the wind that was causing all the ...

Listen/Download :     So, I was walking along the street on my way to work as usual, but for some reason I was in a hurry. I wasn't really sure why I was in a hurry. And then I realised that I was holding a banana in my hand. I didn't know why I was holding a banana in my hand, but I knew that the banana was really important for some reason. The banana had something to do with the reason that I was late and in a hurry. It was a really important banana, only I didn't know why the banana was so important. Then I met my Aunty Ethel on the street corner. It was strange, because I hadn't seen Aunty Ethel for about twenty years. 'Hello!' I said to her. 'I haven't seen you for about twenty years!' I was really surprised to see her, but she didn't seem surprised to see me. 'Be careful with that banana!' she said. And I laughed, because I knew that it was a really important banana and, yes, I had to be careful with it. Aunty Ethel ...

Listen/Download :     So we’re driving along, a road in the middle of nowhere, a few trees now and then on each side of the road, mountains in the distance, there hasn’t been a town for ages and then you see this sign, not really a proper sign at all, just a piece of card with some words scribbled on it: ‘Bungee Jumping, 5km’, and an arrow pointing to the left. I can’t even see a road going left, and there’s certainly no sign of any bungee jumping, but you insist, the idea has taken you, you’re crazy about it, you’ve always wanted to do bungee jumping. I know, you think I’m boring because I don’t want to go. ‘Go on!’ you insist. ‘We don’t even have to do the bungee jumping, we can just go there and see what’s happening. It’ll be interesting!’ As usual, you get your way. I give in and off we go along this dirt road, for what seems much more than five kilometres to me. But then, after driving for ages, suddenly, out of nowhere, some trees appear, like a small wood. ...

Listen/Download :     The four judges have been sitting in a small room in the Milton Hotel in London for three hours now. The judges must agree on who will win the four awards in the important Global Music Awards: Best Album, Best Song, Best New Band and Lifetime Achievement Award. Outside the small room where the judges are, five hundred people are sitting waiting. They are all very excited and they are all very nervous. They want to know who is going to win the important awards. The television show goes live in 30 minutes. Excitement is growing; tension is rising. But there is a problem. A big problem. The judges have not yet agreed on one single thing. The judges must all agree on each winner. If they can’t all agree, then the award will not be given – nobody will win. The four judges are David Froth, the music critic for an important newspaper, Betty Weill, the head of a big record company, Jake Dangerous, a singer who won the award for best song last year ...