We usually use the adjective 'expensive' to say that something costs a lot of money. We can also use other adjectives with the same meaning. 

In this lesson, you will learn how to use 6 different adjectives that can replace the word 'expensive', which can make you sound like a better English speaker. 

Let's look at the example sentences below. 

HIGH (meaning: too expensive and not worth the price) 
We use 'high' to talk about a rent, fee, price, tax, etc. 

• Rent prices in major cities around the world are higher than previous years. 
• Housing shortage and rental demand are the main reasons for high rent prices. 
• The cost of accommodation is extremely high in some neighbourhoods.
• Some countries like the UK and Germany have a progressive income tax, which means that the more money you earn, the higher taxes you pay. ​
• Overseas students entering Dutch universities pay higher tuition fees than EU nationals. 
• The cost of living in Denmark is high even by European standards. 
• Salaries in Denmark are relatively high. 

Note: We can also use high to talk wage, salary, pay, income. 

PRICEY (informal) (meaning: expensive) 
We use 'pricey' when something costs more than we want to pay for it. 

• Everything on the menu is very pricey. 
• The food there is a bit pricey but it's absolutely delicious. 
• Eating out and utility bills in Denmark are especially pricey. 

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OVERPRICED (meaning: too expensive and not worth the price) 
Something that is overpriced is more expensive than it should be. 
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• I think the food there is a bit overpriced. 
• The shop sells overpriced clothes. 
• The shoes are nice, but they're really overpriced. 

COSTLY (meaning: costing a lot of money) 
When you say that something is costly, you mean that the price is more than you want to pay. 

• Buying a new car can be costly, so why not look for a used one? 
• We gave up buying a new fridge because it was too costly. 
• It's extremely costly to purchase all the necessary equipment for the business. 

EXORBITANT (meaning: much too expensive; much more than is reasonable) 
We use 'exorbitant' to talk about an amount of money that is much higher than it should be. 

• Some dentists charge exorbitant fees. 
• The company charges exorbitant prices for everything.  
• I decided to cancel my credit card because of the exorbitant interest rate. 

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ASTRONOMICAL (meaning: extremely high) 
We use 'astronomical' to talk about prices, costs, rates, and fees that are extremely high. 

• The house was sold for an astronomical price. 
• Tuition fees at private universities are astronomical. 
• I can't take out a loan because the interest rate is astronomical. 

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Other lessons:
​English Lesson: 5 Types of Lifestyle 
10 Ways to Say that Something is Bad 
10 Ways to Say that Something is Good 

English collocations: 
English Lesson: Collocations for Leisure 
English Lesson: Collocations for Rural Life 
English Lesson: Collocations for Urban Life 
English Lesson: Collocations for Saving Money 

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In this lesson, we are going to focus on six types of holiday and the activities you can do when you choose each one of them. 

You are going to learn how to describe the type of holiday you like. 

This knowledge is especially important when you want to talk about your holiday and what you did. 

There are different types of holidays. A lot of people choose a tourist destination first instead of thinking about the type of trip they are actually looking for. 


A BEACH HOLIDAY (A SEASIDE HOLIDAY) 

• go and sunbathe | do some sunbathing 
• walk along the sand (phrase) 
• be lying on the sand (phrase) 
• build a sand castle (phrase) 
• play in the sea
• sit in the sun | sit in the shade 

Examples: 

• My ideal holiday is relaxing on the beach and swimming. 
• Our kids love playing in the sea and building sand castles. 
• We love playing volleyball and Frisbee on the beach. 
• I love looking for some seashells to take back home. 
• I always have a great time just lying on the sand or walking along the sand. 
• When I'm on a beach holiday, I tend to sit in the shade and read. 

A CITY BREAK 

A city beak is a short holiday or weekend break spent in a city. 

• buy souvenirs 
• try the local cuisine 
• do some sightseeing | hop on a sightseeing bus 
• a real learning experience 
• stay in a hotel in a historic city 
• spend a fortune on entrance fees 
• meet people and learn about other cultures
• sample the local nightlife 

* When you go on a city break, you can try a hop-on hop-off tour to do some sightseeing. 

Examples: 

• I really like looking around museums and art galleries, and going to cathedrals.
• I usually take photos in front of historic buildings. 
• I like exploring the city I'm in by hopping on a sightseeing bus. 
• Sightseeing is great, but you can easily spend a fortune on entrance fees. 
• The guided tour of the old town was a real learning experience. 
• I spent the weekend in a fascinating small town with lots of impressive buildings. 

A SKIING HOLIDAY 

• go skiing | go snowboarding | go snow scooting | go ice skating 
• horse-drawn sleigh rides 
• go sledding | go dog sledding 
• hit the slopes (= ski on them) 
• snow covered mountains 
• enjoy the mountain air | enjoy the mountain scenery 

Examples: 

• If I’m on a skiing holiday, I enjoy catching the cable car to the top of the mountain and then I like zooming down and enjoying the beautiful scenery. 
• You can gaze at the stars. The clear mountain air can give you a breathtaking view of the stars at night. 
• I'm not a fan of skiing, so when I'm at a ski resort with family or friends, I tend to seek out other winter activities. 
• Some ski resorts offer helicopter rides. You can get a bird's eye view of the snow-covered mountains. 
• You can go sledding or dog sledding, with sleds pulled by huskies. 
• The only reason why I go to ski resorts is simply to enjoy the fresh mountain air. 
• Switzerland has plenty of good skiing. 

AN ACTIVITY (AN ADVENTURE HOLIDAY) 

Some people may want to go on an activity or adventure holiday. 

• go sailing | go surfing | go windsurfing  
• go canoeing | go kayaking
• go snorkelling | go scuba diving 
• go hiking 
• go bungee jumping 

Examples: 

• I really like activity holidays where I can do lots of fun things, like mountain bike riding – that’s my favourite – or canoeing, and I like horse riding too. Personally, I think holidays are for doing exciting things. 
• I'm big on outdoor activities like hiking and mountain biking. 
• Bungee jumping seems dangerous to me, so I would think twice about it. 

VOCABULARY 

• be big on something (phrase) - to be very interested in something 
• think twice (phrase) - to consider something more carefully 

A CAMPING HOLIDAY 

Camping can be lots of fun. It's the perfect type of holiday for those who enjoy sleeping outdoors and getting away from the daily routine. 

• pitch a tent | set up a tent | put up a tent (collocations) 
• take down a tent (collocation) 
• sleep in a tent (collocation) 
• sing around the campfire 
• relax and listen to nature 
• go hiking | go rock climbing 
• go fishing | go swimming 
• go bird watching | go animal watching 
• gather rocks or flowers 
• sleep under the stars (collocation) - in a place with no roof 

Examples: 

• We pitched our tent as soon as we got to the campsite. 
• We took down our tent early in the morning. 
• I love camping holidays and being outdoors. I like getting closer to nature, waking up in a tent and then going fishing all day. 
• We went on a camping holiday in southwest France. The campsite was huge -- with a water park and an immense beach stretching as far as the eye can see. We explored the inland on horses and we also hired bikes a few times. That's probably the most memorable holiday I've ever had. 
• We stayed at an amazing campsite in the mountains. 

VOCABULARY 

• a water park - a place where people can have fun in swimming pools or go down water slides 

• as far as the eye can see (phrase) - for a long distance until something is so far away that it cannot be seen any more 
• a memorable holiday (collocation) - one that will always be remembered 
• in the mountains (collocation) - in an area where there are a lot of mountains 

A CRUISE 

• sit on the deck 
• look out to sea 
• watch a sunset (or a sunrise) over the ocean 
• sit in the sun 
• swim in the pool 
• take on-board classes 

Examples: 

• Cruise holidays are great because you can sit on the deck, relax and look out to sea. 
• You can watch a sunset (or a sunrise) over the ocean. 
• You can sit in the sun by the pool or swim in the pool. 

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Other lessons: 
Story Time: Travelling in Spain 
Story Time: Travelling in France 
​Travel Tips: How to Ask for Information and Make Recommendations 

English conversation lessons: 
English Conversation: Travel opinions 
English Conversation: Travel experience 
English Conversation: Travelling in Europe and Asia 

IELTS Speaking Part 2: 
IELTS Speaking Part 2: Describe your perfect holiday 
IELTS Speaking Part 2: Describe an area of your country that is well known for its natural beauty 


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In this lesson, you will learn the most common collocations with 'holiday' as well as key phrases with 'go' that are used to talk about travel and different holiday activities. 

Note: Holiday is used in British English. American speakers say vacation. 

'Holiday' as a noun has three different meanings. 

1. a period of time when you travel to another place for pleasure 
2. a period of time to rest from work or school 
3. a day fixed by law when people do not have to go to work or school 

The collocations in this lesson refer to the first meaning of 'holiday' -- when you travel to another place for pleasure. 


VERB + Holiday 

• go on holiday 
• have a holiday 
• take a holiday 
• book a holiday 
• cancel a holiday 

Examples: 

• We’re going on holiday to Portugal this summer. 
• Are you having a holiday this year? 
• It’s that time of year when we all want to switch off the laptop and take a holiday. 
• 'Have you booked your summer holiday?' -- 'Yes, I booked it online.' 
• I got sick and we had to cancel our holiday to Thailand. 

ADJECTIVE + Holiday 

• a good / great / nice holiday 
• a lovely holiday 
• someone's dream holiday (= the best holiday you can imagine) 
• an exciting holiday 
• a wonderful holiday 
• a disastrous holiday 

Examples: 

• We had a great holiday in the Philippines. 
• What would be your dream holiday? 
• That was the most exciting holiday we’ve ever had. 

Holiday + NOUN 

• a holiday brochure 
• a holiday destination 
• a holiday resort 
• the holiday season 
• holiday photos | holiday snaps 

Examples: 

• We spent a lot of time looking through holiday brochures and searching for information on the Internet. 
• Marmaris is one of Turkey’s most popular holiday destinations.
• Páros is one of Greece's most popular holiday destinations for young people. 
• We went to a holiday resort in Spain. 
• The pool is open throughout the holiday season. 
• I can show you some of our holiday photos. 

VOCABULARY 

• a holiday brochure - a magazine that shows what holidays you can take 
• a holiday destination – a town or country where a lot of people go on holiday 
• a holiday resort – a place with many hotels where a lot of people go on holiday 
• holiday photos (also holiday snaps) (informal) – photographs that you take when you are on holiday 

Phrases with GO 

• go abroad 
• go on holiday 
• go sightseeing 
• go camping 
• go skiing / walking / cycling 
• go for a walk / go for a swim 
• go out at night 
• go away for the weekend 
• go by bus / car / plane / train 
• go swimming / sailing / surfing / skiing 
• go on a trip / tour / cruise 

Other lessons:
Story Time: Travelling in Spain 
Story Time: Travelling in France 

English conversation lessons:
English Conversation: Travel opinions 
English Conversation: Travelling in Europe and Asia 

English collocation lessons: 
English Lesson: Collocations for Leisure 
English Lesson: Collocations for Rural Life 
English Lesson: Collocations for Urban Life 


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According to our survey, the majority of English learners say they need to improve their speaking and listening skills. Even though most of them have been learning English for over 5 years, they still find speaking difficult. 

When they say that their English is not good, they usually mean that they cannot speak the language very well. 

In response to the question 'Where have you studied English?', 80% answered 'at school'.
The other options were: in a language academy, at work, by myself, or abroad. 

In response to the question 'What do you find most effective when learning English?', 90% answered 'developing speaking fluency'. 
'Working on new vocabulary' got only 50%. 

English learners tend to feel shy and embarrassed when it comes to speaking. 

Here is what learners of English usually say: 

• I'm not satisfied with my speaking skills. 
• I want to improve my spoken English and pronunciation. 
• I have a terrible accent. 
• I understand the question but I can't answer immediately. 
• I always use the same sentences and I can't find the words to express myself better. 

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Why do you use the same sentences and cannot think of other ways to express yourself? 

You may be one of those learners who read grammar rules and do exercises regularly, but this does not mean that you will easily access this knowledge while speaking. It is one thing to read a rule and do exercises to practise, and another thing to use the grammar structure automatically.

The reason why you struggle with using a large vocabulary and more complex sentences is because you have gained that knowledge, but you have not made it part of the existing one. In other words, you seldom access what you have learned. You may practise by doing different exercises, but when it comes to using that knowledge in spoken or written language, you never do that. 

Let's say you have recently studied irregular verbs. 

Simple example: go - went - gone/been 

Students often forget to use 'went' instead of 'go' when they talk about something that happened in the past. 

To the question, 'What did you do at the weekend?', they would reply whatever they did using 'go'. 

You may have spent a few hours trying to remember every single irregular verb. Yes, you have that knowledge in your head and it really is there, but you still do not use it automatically.

You need to practise using the verb form in order to be able to access this information naturally. 

The same explanation is valid for your range of vocabulary. You cannot think of synonyms of words and phrases to express what you are trying to say because you have not made them part of your active vocabulary. 

Note: In order for a word to be part of your active vocabulary, you need to have used it at least 20 times. Just writing it on paper won't help. You need to use it actively in speaking or writing. 


Is your communication in English effective? 

Foreign people will probably understand what you are saying in English even if you haven't learned grammar very well. You can rely on different strategies to express yourself. 


Examples of communication strategies: 

• inventing words or phrases: 'investition' instead of 'investment' 
• using gestures and mime to convey the meaning 
• language switch: saying a word in your native language when you don't know the English one 
• being vague (not precise or exact) by using words like: stuff (like that), thing(s), kind of, sort of, a bit, a bit of, etc. 
• using more words than necessary, instead of speaking or writing in a clear, direct way: 'They have small work time' to mean They work part-time. 
• asking for help when you can't express something in words: 
  Speaker 1: Young people need to learn how to save money, because if they buy expensive products, the money will end or finish soon. How can I say that? 
  Speaker 2: You can say that the money won't last, so it means you've spent it all. 
  Speaker 1: Ah, OK. 

It is important to know that these strategies usually maintain the illusion that your English is fluent and they can buy you valuable time to process the information when having conversations. 

On the other hand, you may end up relying too much on strategies instead of improving your English competence. There is something called 'interlanguage', which is the current version of the language you are learning. Interlanguage is often influenced by your native language and it usually changes over time, but it can also fossilise when you do not have the chance to improve. 

Most English learners achieve early fluency by using the little language they have. This can prevent them from improving because they overuse memorised words and chunks of information, incorrect word order, throwing in vocabulary to express themselves. 

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Will studying grammar guarantee you speaking English naturally? 

Even if you study grammar, it doesn't mean you will be able to speak English automatically in face-to-face interactions. What can really help you improve this skill is interactive real-time talk. 

​Regardless of how much vocabulary and grammar you know, you will still feel unprepared in the real world. You need to have opportunities to practise speaking spontaneously. 

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SUMMARY 

The main difficulties English learners-speakers face: 

• they don't have enough knowledge 
• their knowledge is not automated and this affects their fluency 

​English Study Habits: 
How to learn new vocabulary 
How to remember vocabulary 
How to use a dictionary effectively 

Learn the difference between some English words: 
Confusing verbs: Say vs. Tell 
Confusing verbs: Speak vs. Talk 
Confusing words: Come vs. Go 
Confusing words: Bring vs. Take 


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