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A friend of mine has got a new iPad mini. It's so nice and cool. I'm jealous.

When I say I'm jealous in this context, it means ‘I wish I had one myself.”

The word jealous is typically used in a negative context. A lot of people would think it's an ugly word. According to the Macmillan Dictionary, being jealous means being unhappy because someone has something that you would like to have or because someone can do something you would like to do.

But actually, the phrase "I'm jealous” is frequently and casually used in daily conversations. And in my opinion, when you say you're jealous, you're not really jealous, and when you you're really jealous, you probably wouldn't say you are. What do you think?

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

Oh, I'm jealous.

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We've received a question: What does it mean when someone tells you to rinse your hands? What's the difference between the words "wash” and "rinse”?

Good question. Let's think of a washing machine. Generally speaking, a washing machine operates in three steps: wash, rinse and spin.

When you look up the word "rinse” in the dictionary, it says "to wash something with clean water to remove soap or dirt”. The word "wash” means, of course, to clean something usually with soap and water. And finally, the machine "spins” the water out of the clothes.

So, when you rinse your hands, you rub your hands together under running water. And remember, usually, you wash your hands, and then rinse them

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

He washed the dishes and rinsed them thoroughly.

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I spend many hours in front of a computer screen a day, perhaps 6 to 7 hours, could be more, from Monday through Friday, sometimes even on weekends. As a result, I suffer from a stiff neck, a stiff back and stiff shoulders constantly. It's an occupational hazard.

So, let's look at this word "stiff" today. Stiff means firm or hard. If you are stiff or part of your body is stiff, your muscles hurt when they are moved

Now, when you learn a new word, you want to make sure that you learn how the word is used in different sentences. For example, I have a stiff neck. My neck is stiff. I have stiff shoulders. My shoulders are stiff. I feel stiff in the neck, or I feel stiff in my shoulders. You can do some exercises or do some stretches to relieve your stiff neck or shoulders.

Now, would you like to practice together? I'll read two example sentences, so please repeat after me. Ready?

I have a stiff neck.

My neck is stiff.

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Today, I'm going to talk about the word "organize”. I'm sure you know what it means and how to use it. But it's always important to refresh your memory from time to time.

You organize different things every day. For example, you organize a conference. You organize an event. You organize a trip. You organize a committee. I guess you are familiar with these expressions.

But there are other things that you want to organize. For example, when you have a lot of things to ask, make sure to organize your questions. And you must organize your thoughts before you speak. At home, your mother may tell you to organize your room.

Personally, I've just bought a cable clip. It's a tool to put different cables together, like ones for laptop, printer, television and charging pad. And cable clips are often called cable organizers.

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

Organize your thoughts before you speak.

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Japan increased its consumption tax earlier this month, for the first time in five years, raising the rate from 8% to 10%. The new rate applies to nearly all goods and services, although most food and beverages are exempt from the hike.

So, did you do a lot of shopping ahead of the price hike? Did you rush out to stock up on toilet rolls and toothpaste, beauty supplies, or pet food? As I mentioned earlier, for most food and beverages, the rate remains 8%, but they don't give a break to your pet's food.

Myself? I've just stocked up on some cosmetics, as well as beer and wine.

Finally, before I let you go, I want to make sure you know what the phrase "to stock up on” means and how to use it. To stock up on something means to buy a lot of something in order to keep it for when you need it later.

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

We stock up on canned food when they are on sale.

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I first met Kaori 20 years ago. I still know her today. In other words, I have known her for 20 years. Or, we have known each other for 20 years.

Now, you may want to note (that) I'm using the present perfect tense which talks about something that started in the past and continues in the present. In this case, my friendship with Kaori started in the past, or 20 years ago, and continues in the present. We are still friends today.

If you want to know the length of time of our friendship, you can ask me, "How long have you known Kaori?" You can also ask us, "How long have you known each other?" And our answer will be "20 years". We have known each other for 20 years.

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

I have (I've) known her for 20 years.

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What do a sheep and a fish have in common? The answer is (that) they use the same word whether they are in the singular or in the plural.

Last week, we used the sentence "How many sheep are there in the flock?" Do you know how to count the sheep? One sheep, two sheep, three sheep. You don't say" two sheeps or three sheeps". If you see a lot of sheep, that means there is a flock of sheep.

The same goes for fish. For example, I went fishing yesterday. I caught three fish, NOT three fishes. I went to the supermarket and I bought some fish, NOT some fishes. And a lot of fish swimming together in the same direction is a school of fish.

There are many more words in English that are both singular and plural, like sheep and fish, and YOU as well.

Now, would you like to try a quiz? I'll read three sentences. Please listen carefully and choose the one that is NOT correct grammatically. Ready?

1. How many fish did you catch yesterday?

2. How much fish did you buy in the supermarket?

3. How many apples are on the tree?

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Some people count sheep when they have trouble sleeping. So, sheep is countable. If you want to know the number of sheep in a flock, how do you ask? You can say: How many sheep are there in the flock? Likewise, how many apples are there in the basket? How many brothers or sisters do you have? How many bottles of wine did you buy for the party?

Now, if you want to ask about the quantity of something that is not countable, such as time, money, energy or water, you can use "how much” instead of "how many”. For example, how much money do you have in your savings account? How much time does it take to walk a mile? How much energy does your smartphone consume in a year?

Perhaps, you want to write your own sentences using "how many " and "how much” to make sure you know how to use them.

In the meantime, why don’t you try a quiz? I’ll read three sentences. Please listen carefully and choose the one that is NOT correct grammatically. Ready?

1. How many sugar would you like in your coffee?

2. How much water do we need to drink per day?

3. How much wine is there in the bottle?

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

Are you familiar with the idiom "Don't put all your eggs in one basket"?

Let's imagine: You put all your eggs in one basket, and then drop that basket on the floor. What will happen? Your eggs will break. You'll lose them all instantly.

The eggs in this idiom can represent anything, such as money, investments, jobs, ideas, hopes and dreams. For example, as an investor, if you buy stocks, you want to diversify your portfolio. Putting all your eggs in one basket is too risky. As a student, it's not a good idea to submit only one college application. It's like putting all your eggs in one basket.

I think it's a pretty good advice to follow, although I can think of one exception. If you're married, you should be putting all your eggs in one basket or be committed.

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

Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

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The 2020 Summer Games are just about a year away.

The first ticket lottery was held in May, and the second-chance round in early August, for those who failed to win any tickets in the first round. I think the results of the additional lottery will be announced this coming Wednesday.

Honestly, I'm not a big fan of sports, and I haven't applied for the ticket lottery. But if you have, you must be feeling anxious about the results right at this very moment. Well, in two days, you'll find out.

Just in case, the word "lottery" in this case means a system used to decide who will get or be given something by choosing names or numbers by chance. In some countries, state or local governments raise funds by selling lottery tickets.

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

Have you applied for the ticket lottery?