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

Are you familiar with the idiom "to ring a bell"?

If something rings a bell, it reminds you of something, or it sounds familiar to you, although you can't remember exactly what it is.

For example, your friend mentions someone's name, and the name rings a bell with you. That means the name sounds familiar to you, but you can't remember any details about the person. Contrarily, if the name doesn't ring any bells, you are not familiar with the name at all.

You can also use this idiom when you see something that reminds you of something.

For example, a detective shows you a picture of someone and asks: Does this photo ring any bells with you?" In other words, the detective is asking if you remember anything by seeing the photograph.

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

His name rings a bell but I can't remember his face.