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Hi everyone! Thank you for tuning in to Time for English.

I was walking down the street in the neighborhood. There were two girls walking just in front of me. One of the girls was wearing a tee shirt with a phrase printed on the back saying "We are on the same page!".

Are you familiar with the phrase?

If you and I are on the same page, we have the same understanding of a topic; we are in agreement; or we think in the same way.

When you are in a business meeting, for example, you need to make sure everyone in the room is talking about the same thing, having the same understanding about what is being discussed. In other words, you need to make sure everyone in the room is on the same page. It's important to get everyone on the same page, especially when signing.

Now, would you like to practice together? Please repeat after me:

We need to get everyone on the same page.

Hi everyone! Thank you for tuning in to Time for English.

Do you subscribe to a newspaper, or a magazine, or any video services like Netflix?

Taking out or buying a subscription means paying a certain amount of money regularly, like monthly or annually, to receive a product or service, or a membership.

A little while ago, I signed up for free trials with Netflix and several other streaming video services. In a month, I decided to take out a subscription to Netflix, and canceled the rest.

I'm also a member of Amazon Prime which is an online shopping and entertainment subscription. In other words, I am an Amazon Prime subscriber, or I subscribe to Amazon Prime. And I've just renewed my subscription to Office 365.

It's important to note that you always use the words subscription or subscribe with the preposition "to".

Now, would you like to practice together? Please repeat after me:

I've decided to take out a subscription to a yoga magazine.

Hi everyone! Thank you for tuning in to Time for English.

A few days ago I met up with a friend for lunch at a café. When she arrived, the first thing she said wasn't hi or hello or great to see you or anything like that but "Oh boy, it's another hot day today."

'Another hot day' is a good phrase to learn.

Let's say, you had a very hot day yesterday. Then today you're having a very hot day again. Then you can say 'it's another hot day today'. When you watch a news show in the morning, a weather person may say, 'it's going to be another hot day in Tokyo'. Then you may speak to your wife in the kitchen, "Hey honey, (it) looks like we're going to have another hot day in Tokyo!"

Now, let's practice the phrase together, shall we? Please repeat after me:

It's another hot day today.

Hi everyone! Thank you for tuning in to Time for English.

Are you familiar with the expression "to hit the books"?

It's not about smacking or beating your books. You're not literally hitting the books. Instead, to hit the books means to study, or to start studying, often with intensity or concentration.

For example, you have an exam tomorrow. You need to hit the books tonight. In other words, you need to study tonight. When your mom says, "put down your phone and hit the books", she's telling you to start studying right now. If someone asks you, "Are there any cafes around here where I can hit the books?", she wants to study over a cup of coffee.

There are many other idioms using the verb hit. I'm going to discuss some of them on Thursday. So, if you're interested, please come visit our website.

In the meantime, why don't you try a quiz? I'll give you three options, please listen carefully and choose the one that is TRUE. Ready?

You need to hit the books,

1. when you're frustrated.

2. when you have an exam.

3. when you don't want to study.

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Have you taken advantage of the GO TO TRAVEL campaign?

Well, I haven't. I can't, actually. The government has decided that Tokyo is excluded from the campaign. I'm a Tokyo resident, therefore, I'm not eligible for discounts offered by the campaign. Not fair!

Anyhow, let's look at the word "eligible” today. It's a good word to learn.

So, what does "eligible” mean? If you're eligible for something, you're qualified for it or allowed to do it.

For example, if you get good grades, you might be eligible for a scholarship. When you're eligible for a scholarship, you're satisfying the necessary conditions to receive it.

In Japan, if you're 18 years old or above, you're eligible to vote. In other words, you can vote. I'm Japanese, so I'm not eligible to run for president of the United States.

Now, would you like to try a quiz? I'll give you three options, please listen carefully and choose the one that is CORRECT. Ready?

The opposite word of "eligible” is:

1. illegible

2. suitable

3. unqualified

That's all for today. Come visit our website to see if you've got the right answer. See you next time.

Hi everyone! Thank you for tuning in to Time for English.

Are you familiar with the expression "for here or to go”? If you want to say it in a complete sentence, you can say "Is that for here or to go?”

This is a question you're almost always asked in a fast-food restaurant when you order your meal. If the lady behind the counter who's taking your order asks this question, she wants to know whether you're eating your meal in the restaurant or taking it somewhere else.

If your answer is "It's for here,” then the lady will put your meal on a tray and give it to you. If you want to take it home or somewhere else, then your answer will be "To go, please”. Then she will put your meal in a bag for you.

Now, would you like to practice together, so that you can answer this question correctly?

If you want to eat your meal in the restaurant, then you'll say:

It's for here.

If you want to take it home, then you can say:

To go, please.

Hi everyone! Thank you for tuning in to Time for English.

Are you familiar with the expression "for here or to go”? If you want to say it in a complete sentence, you can say "Is that for here or to go?”

This is a question you're almost always asked in a fast-food restaurant when you order your meal. If the lady behind the counter who's taking your order asks this question, she wants to know whether you're eating your meal in the restaurant or taking it somewhere else.

If your answer is "It's for here,” then the lady will put your meal on a tray and give it to you. If you want to take it home or somewhere else, then your answer will be "To go, please”. Then she will put your meal in a bag for you.

Now, would you like to practice together, so that you can answer this question correctly?

If you want to eat your meal in the restaurant, then you'll say:

It's for here.

If you want to take it home, then you can say:

To go, please.

Hi everyone! Thank you for tuning in to Time for English.

As we promised last week, we're going to divide an hour into quarters today and learn how to use the word "quarter" to express time.

First of all, a quarter means "one fourth" of something. Remember? So, a quarter of an hour is fifteen minutes.

Now, let's imagine the face of a clock. It's "five fifteen". You can also say it's "fifteen after five". If you want to use the word "quarter", then it's "quarter past five." Likewise, instead of saying it's "three fifteen", you can say it's "quarter past three".

Then what about "five forty-five"? It's "fifteen before six". If you want to use the word "quarter", you can say it's "quarter to six". Likewise, instead of saying it's "ten forty-five", you can say it's "quarter to eleven".

Now, would you like to try a quiz? You'll be given three options. So choose the one that is TRUE. Ready?

If it's twelve forty-five, then

1. it's quarter past twelve.

2. it's quarter to twelve.

3. it's quarter to one.

Hi everyone! Thank you for tuning in to Time for English.

Today we're going to look at the word "quarter". It's important to be able to use "quarter" in daily conversation in English, as effortlessly as you would use the word "percent".

A quarter is one of four equal parts of something. If you cut a pizza, for example, into quarters, you'll have four equal pieces.

In the world of business, a year is divided into quarters. Companies report their financial results four times a year or once every three months.

People in the US and Canada use quarter coins. One quarter of a dollar is one fourth of a dollar. A quarter coin is, therefore, worth 25 cents.

Next week we'll divide an hour into quarters and learn how to use the word "quarter" to express time. So stay tuned!

In the meantime, let's make sure you understand what "quarter" is. You'll be given three options. So choose the one that is NOT true. Ready?

1. Cutting a pizza into quarters means cutting it into four slices.

2. There are four months in a quarter of a year.

3. If you have two quarter coins, you have 50 cents.

Hi everyone! Thank you for tuning in to Time for English.

The rainy season has officially begun. According to the Meteorological Agency, it begun on June 5 in the Kanto region; three days earlier than average and two days later than it did last year.

So. June is the month of rain. And I'm going to give you a rain-related idiom today. Are you familiar with the expression "to take a rain check"? Actually, the phrase itself has nothing to do with rain. It's more about declining an invitation.

For example, your friend says, "Would you like to join me for dinner tonight?" Unfortunately you have other plans. Here you can say, "Umm… maybe not tonight. Can I take a rain check on that?" You can also say "I'll take a rain check on that." It means you can't accept the offer right there and then, but want to do so some other time.

Anyhow, it's an elegant way of saying no to an invitation. It's very useful. So let's practice together.

Please repeat after me:

I'll take a rain check.