Idiom Practice Are you on the ball
hello hello welcome to today’s live
YouTube lesson here on the speak English
with Vanessa YouTube channel we have
live lessons every Tuesday at 9 a.m.
Eastern Time that’s the New York Times
own so I hope that you can join me live
and if you are here live right now thank
you so much for learning English with me
and taking time to participate it’s
great to watch the replay but it’s more
fun and I think you learn more when
you’re engaging and participating and
getting immediate feedback so think
thank you to all of you who are here
live and are participating today we’re
going to talk about an exciting idiom
and exciting idiom that I use all the
time in the negative or positive way so
we’re going to talk about both of those
ways today and I’m gonna try my best to
write down some sentences for you so
that you can see what the sentences look
like you can imitate those or you can
make your own it’s great to learn but
you need to use it so it’s your chance
today speak out loud repeat my sentences
write some sentences write a comment
answer the questions you can do it thank
you so much for being here
coy and Deborah and long and Yoyogi
thank you so much for coming live I
appreciate it
if you are new here please introduce
yourself
we’ve got people and friends from all
over the world
Russia Korea Brazil India welcome
welcome
I hope it’s warm where you’re living
right now because here it’s quite cold
it’s the middle of winter and we’re just
finishing with the first and probably
only snow storm of the year it is about
minus
or degrees right now but it’s going to
get a little bit warmer maybe zero later
today and then tomorrow it will be
positive again so it’s going to get
warmer where I am I hope for you it’s
gonna get warmer as well and you can
stay warm unless you’re in a country
that’s already really hot in that case I
hope you stay cool so if you would like
to continue to learn English with me
after this lesson I recommend
downloading my free ebook the link is in
the description of this live lesson this
will give you five steps to becoming a
confident English speaker that’s my goal
for you that’s my goal for myself when I
learn other languages confidence
confidence and fluency are linked
together so I want to help you become
confident and today I’m going to help
you become confident with this
expression does anyone know what
expression we’re talking about today it
has something to do with baseball hmm
for me I’m not a huge baseball fan I
love to play baseball but I hardly ever
watch baseball games but if I have a
chance I like throwing a ball catching
hitting it and today’s expression comes
from this this sport it is on the ball
on the ball the ball is the thing that
you throw in baseball and imagine
imagine that let’s choose someone here
who is here with us live how about Oh
Marco see you are the winner today let’s
imagine that Marcos is about to hit the
ball the other team Aaron Aaron is on
the other team Aaron is the pitcher he’s
throwing
the ball to Marco’s and Marcos is about
to hit the ball if he hits it exactly
right he is on the ball he is on the
ball and that means he knows exactly
what he’s doing he’s organized his eyes
and his arms are in the exact right
position and he will succeed so great
job throwing the ball Aaron
great job hitting Marcos you are on the
ball so let’s talk about how you can use
this in your daily life I’m going to
write a quick sentence here as a sample
as a sample so we can talk about this we
use this when you are organized so we
might say I’m this is the most simple
one and then we’re going to level up
this sentence to make it a little more
complex I’m on the ball with um let’s
say my job I’m on the ball with my job
this means that you are organized when
you have to finish a task you finish it
on time so let’s say that this
expression on the ball means organized
on time and usually successful so I’m on
the ball it means this week I have four
tasks that I need to do and I’m not
going to wait I’m gonna do them I’m
gonna do them on time I’m gonna be
organized and I have a plan I know what
I’m gonna do you are on the ball I’m on
the ball so let’s use this basic
sentence first and then let’s level up
the sentence tell me what are
are you on the ball with what are you on
the ball with Oh Swarup says I am on the
ball with my English classes great so
you are studying you’re organized you’re
prepared and because because you’re
organized and you’re prepared hopefully
you will succeed that would be excellent
Oh Angelique says I want to be on the
ball this is an important point maybe
you’re not on the ball maybe you have so
many things to do that you need to get
organized I want to be on the ball I
need to be on the ball Julian says I’m
on the ball with cleaning up my room
beautiful sentence yes I’m on the ball
with cleaning up my room if it’s dirty
you clean it up
you don’t wait three days four days
let’s add a little negative here let’s
see what happens if we add not if we add
not here let me know too if you are not
on the ball with something Otilia says
I’m on the ball with my money
great this is a big deal money is
important for stability for enjoying
yourself for survival so for you you are
on the ball with your money
you’re in control you’re organized with
your money but what about something that
you are not on the ball with for me I
think I mentioned this a lot in my
little live lessons I am NOT on the ball
with the dishes in my house it’s my job
to do the dishes and it’s my husband’s
job to do the laundry but right now
there are so many dishes in the sink I
think we have no more bowls no more
spoons
I need to be on the ball with the dishes
I’m not on the ball with the dishes that
is not the end of the world but it’s
nice to have clean dishes Cassie says
I’m not on the ball with learning
swimming oh I see so for you you would
like to learn how to swim but you’re
just not organized in that way so maybe
for you you can be on the ball with
swimming someday Erin exactly this is my
sentence I’m not on the ball with the
dishes I’m not on the ball with cleaning
the dishes and honestly it’s not a
priority that’s why I’m not on the ball
for my priorities my job is my priority
my relationships are my priorities the
dishes are not my priority so I’m not on
the ball with the dishes Betty says I’m
not on the ball with cooking oh I see so
for you you get really hungry and then
realize oh I didn’t cook anything I
don’t have any food I need to make
something quickly I understand I think
we’ve all been in that situation let’s
let’s level up this expression let’s
take it to the next level so I’m going
to use a similar idea but we’re going to
add an extra expression here I’m not on
the ball we can add not or leave it out
I’m on the ball or I’m not on the ball
when it comes to my job or something
else so we added an extra expression
here when it comes to this is the same
as with but when I yes
today when I asked my husband make a
sentence with on the ball how would you
use this he used this sentence with when
it comes to and for me I would use that
I don’t know if it’s more often but I
would use both of these equally when it
comes to when it comes to Aaron thank
you for writing the sentence yes I am on
the ball when it comes to my job it’s
the same meaning nothing is different
but this is a little more natural or
maybe leveled up a little bit so for you
what are you on the ball when it comes
to or what are you not on the ball when
it comes to Hiroyuki says I’m not on the
ball when it comes to math oh this is
the great sentence and this means that
here yogi is is maybe a little confused
about math or maybe if you have a math
class you haven’t done your homework on
time every week maybe you need to be a
little more planned and organized about
it so I’m not on the ball when it comes
to Betty says delivering a presentation
when it comes to delivering a
presentation so let me add one more
thing here we can add a noun my job or
we could add I’ll use orange why not oh
let’s say ah working on my presentation
so if you would like to use a verb after
when it comes to we need to make that
ing so for Betty
she said I’m on the ball or I’m not on
the ball when it comes to working on my
presentation
when it comes to delivering my
presentation plus it says I’m not on the
ball when it comes to shopping great way
to use ing here because maybe for you
it’s just not a priority you have other
things to do you have a lot of
responsibilities you’re not on the ball
with it JME says I’m not on the ball
when it comes to organizing my wardrobe
Douglas says I’m not on the ball when it
comes to organizing the photos from my
last vacation that is a hard task
especially if you like to take a lot of
pictures you probably have a lot so how
do you start to organize that so I
understand for you maybe you have four
vacations that you haven’t organized yet
so this is a great way to use this
sentence I’m not on the ball when it
comes to organizing the Senate the
sentence is not the sentences the
pictures from my vacation
Fabian says I’m on the ball when it
comes to my dreams coming true also for
you because you’re on the ball it means
you’re on the right path you are
successful when you’re hitting that
baseball it hits the ball perfectly you
are organized great Oh Carlo says I’m
not on the ball when it comes to
planning a trip or when it comes to
planning my travels so maybe you wait
until the last second you’re not so
ready
Renato says I will be careful Renato he
says I’m not on the ball when it comes
to buying something for my wife’s
birthday I hope her birthday is not
today
so Renato maybe you wait until the last
moment and then you rush to the store
and buy a present or buy anything here’s
some flowers happy birthday you didn’t
really plan it or think about it too
much you’re not on the ball maybe you
have a lot of other activities that’s on
your mind at the moment
Lisa I’m glad that you could join me
live great great welcome here for the
first time Oh sweetie I has something
difficult that we all experienced she
says I’m not on the ball when it comes
to waking up in the morning and a great
way to use this grammar in the sentence
I’m not on the ball when it comes to
waking up in the morning oh you know
what me either
I like to push snooze on my alarm and
wake up five minutes ten minutes fifteen
minutes later because it feels so nice
but in the end you still have to wake up
especially now that it’s cold it’s extra
hard to wake up I’ll enter has something
in common with me he says I’m not on the
ball when it comes to washing the dishes
me too I understand
Oh Julian says I’m not on the ball when
it comes to deciding what exercises to
do so for you there’s just too many
choices or maybe you have no idea what
you like to do as far as exercise so for
you you’re not on the ball maybe we can
make a list of some ideas or try to be
more organized and one of the reasons
one of the reasons why I wanted to talk
about this expression today is because
at the beginning of the year a lot of us
a lot of us want to make changes in our
lives
new year’s resolutions some plans for
the next year and if we want to be
successful we need to be on the ball so
I hope for your new year’s resolutions
you are on the ball it’s only January
10th it’s still close to the beginning
of the year but if you are not on the
ball if your goal was to study English
every day and so far you are not on the
ball
with English with your New Year’s
resolutions
you’re not on the ball when it comes to
your new year’s resolutions it’s not too
late it’s never too late be kind to
yourself take a deep breath and start
fresh because it’s a new day tomorrow
will be a new day my one of my new
year’s resolutions is to learn how to
play the piano and my goal was to play
around 15 minutes every day it’s not too
much about 15 minutes every day and some
days I haven’t done it it’s only the
first 10 days of January but I know that
it’s still my goal so I won’t get too
upset or too worried I will just
continue the next day and today I’ll
spend some time playing the piano or
practicing finding some material
yesterday Dan taught me a little bit
about how to play a song that he knows
just trying to work towards my goal so I
hope that for you you’ll be able to do
the same thing if you are already not on
the ball when it comes to your goal
don’t worry start fresh take a deep
breath and before we end this lesson
today let’s say a sentence together
let’s practice this expression out loud
if you have a chance to actually speak
out loud right now you’re in a private
place maybe you’re in your house your
car maybe you can watch this in your car
I’m not sure but if you’re somewhere
where you feel comfortable you can say
this out loud with me so are you ready
are you ready to say this out loud I I
want to hear Raphael and Shawn and Ana
Paula and Anderson and everyone around
the world long I want to hear you loudly
from my house in the u.s. saying this
sentence together that would be pretty
loud I don’t know if it’s possible but
let’s
let’s say the sentence about English I
want to be on the ball when it comes to
English I want to be on the ball when it
comes to English I want to be on the
ball when it comes to English I want to
be on the ball when it comes to English
I want to hear you say this sentence say
it out loud with me can you write this
uh in the chat box and in the comments
so that you can repeat this and
encourage yourself
excellent Hiroyuki says I want to be on
the ball when it comes to English you
want to be organized you want to be
prepared you want to be successful I
want to be on the ball when it comes to
English Thank You Carlos yes Rafael I
want you to say it too
I want to be on the ball when it comes
to English italo great great work
Paolo says it too excellent I want to be
on the ball when it comes to English so
for you today you are already on the
ball because we practice this expression
and I think it’s useful to reinforce and
repeat this expression we have talked
about this expression now for about 20
minutes so I hope that this natural
repetition a lot of sample sentences for
me from you from everyone who’s here
live I hope that this repetition will
help you to be able to remember it
that’s the ultimate goal remember it and
use it correctly
so today go and be on the ball with
English you can be on the ball with
English and I hope I will see you again
for the next live lesson on Tuesday at 9
a.m. Eastern Time 9:00 a.m. Eastern time
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link will be in the description of this
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the screen continue to learn English you
can be on the ball with English so thank
you everyone for joining me thank you
Douglas
Thank You Sean Thank You Angelo and
Betty Ana Paula you are awesome for your
participation thanks so much I’ll see
you again the next time bye everyone