Here is Audio Word Study #083 on DailyStep.com
Christmas and New Year are national holidays in many countries, and also important festivals when friends and family come together to celebrate. Of course, Christmas has religious significance but you can also refer to this period as ‘the festive season’, which does not have religious connotations. Let’s take a look at some useful phrases and conversation techniques related to Christmas and New Year.
To refer to a period of more than one day, we use the preposition OVER.
Over Christmas means during the Christmas period.
Over New Year means during the New Year period.
To refer to an exact day or date, we use the preposition ON.
On Christmas Eve = 24th December (the twenty-fourth of December)
On Christmas Day = 25th December (the twenty-fifth of December)
On Boxing Day = 26th December (the twenty-sixth of December)
On New Year’s Eve = 31st December (the thirty-first of December)
On New Year’s Day = 1st January (the first of January)
The preposition AT can mean either a single day, or a period of days.
At Christmas means over Christmas or on Christmas Day.
At New Year means over New Year, on New Year’s Eve or on New Year’s Day
Now, here are some good ways of starting a conversation with a colleague, friend or neighbour around the festive season. Make sure you speak along with this audio file, so that you learn the correct intonation to sound friendly!
Before Christmas, you can say:.
1. What are you up to over Christmas? = How are you planning to spend Christmas = What are your plans at Christmas?
2. Are you going away over Christmas or are you staying at home? = Will you be home at Christmas or are you going away?
3. Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet? = Have you bought all your Christmas presents yet?
After Christmas, you can say:
4. What did you get up to over Christmas? = How did you spend Christmas? = What did you do over Christmas?
5. Did you go away at Christmas or did you stay at home? = Did you spend Christmas away or at home? = Where did you spend Christmas?
6. How was your Christmas? = Did you have a good Christmas?
7. Did you get any nice presents for Christmas? = What did you get for Christmas?
Before New Year, you can say:
8. What are you up to over New Year? = How are you planning to spend New Year? = What are your plans over New Year?
9. Are you going to a New Year’s Eve party? = Are you going out to a party on New Year’s Eve or are you staying in?
10. Are you going to make any New Year resolutions? = Are you planning any New Year resolutions?
After New Year, you can say:
11. What did you get up to over New Year? = How did you spend New Year? = What did you do at New Year?
12. Did you go out or stay in on New Year’s Eve? = Were you at a party or at home on New Year’s Eve
13. Have you made any New Year’s resolutions? = What are your New Year resolutions?
Now, read and listen to this Audio Word Study again, and try speaking along with the audio file. Then go and start some conversations in English using these phrases!
That’s all for Audio Word Study #083 on DailyStep.com.