Adam
Alex
Benjamin
Emma
Gill
Jade
James
Rebecca
Ronnie
Learn English with Superstitions: vocabulary, culture, and the first conditional
I will use one topic to teach you important English grammar (thefirst conditional), as well as vocabulary. You’ll also learn a lot about North American culture. I’ll teach you all this stuff by talking about superstitions. Is the number 13 bad luck in your culture? If you break a mirror, will you have bad luck? If you find a penny on the ground, do you think you will have a good day? Every culture has beliefs about luck. We call these beliefs superstitions. Some superstitions are common around the world, but many are very specific to a particular country or culture. My mom is really superstitious, so I grew up with a lot of these beliefs. In this video, I’ll give you some examples of common North American superstitions, and in the second half of the video, I’ll use this topic to teach you how to use the first conditional in English. Watch this video now. If you don’t, your computer might get a virus.
Quiz
Test your understanding of this English lesson
Test your understanding of the English lesson by answering these questions. You will get the answers and your score at the end of the quiz.Levels
Lesson Topics
203 COMMENTS
very good lesson
-_- I don’t like the word “very” cuz If you say “very” too much, it will make your sentence feel so boring! Maybe you should use the word “superb” for the word “very good”, and more word! You can find out after watching “Stop saying very” of James! :D
10/10
However, conditional sentences always make me dizzy and complicated. I must watch the video repeatedly! And yes, the number 4 is avoided because of its sound, which is the same with ‘death’ in Korean, Japanese and Chinese.
Conditional sentences are little bit difficult for me too. In my native language (Slovenian) we use future times for both cause and effect sentences. In Slovenian language we would say:
If you WILL pick a penny, you will have a luck.
In English it is without WILL word in cause sentence. Pretty confusing, requires me to take care.
We have the same in Russian)))
I saw in documentary movies at rocked launching countdown the number 5 is skipped, like:
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, (pause), 4, 3, 2, 1, fire.
and I thought this is some bizarre superstition to skip number 5, but it actually isn’t. Number 5 is skipped, because word five starts with the same sound like fire. You know it could happen: “7, 6, fire” and person responsible for pressing “fire” button just pressing it little bit to early.
I didn’t know about what you said. Over here, in Japan, we no longer care about number 4 or other figures. Here, 8 is thought to be a lucky number because of its shape in Chinese characters. Thanks for your comment.
Number 8 is also a lucky number for Chinese, because it sounds like “fa” in Chinese character, which represents “rich”.
Very good
ty for your explanations.
I thought “will” and “if” weren’t used in one sentence . Please , explain to me , this rule doesn’t work anymore or it’s just an exception .
the video is very clear just watch it again
First conditional has 2 sentences inside one frase, so “if” and “will” belong to different parts.
Tnk u teacher Emma. i’ve been watched this lesson for 2 times.
10/10
talking about the superstition that says if you break a mirror you’ll have 7 years of bad luck some people beleive it in our country
Thanks Emma amazing lesson! In my country (Brasil) If a black cat across in your way, you Will have a bad day.
We have the same in Slovenia (Europe) for black cats. The only way to get rid of unluck if black cat get in your way is to spit. If you are in car, then you need to open car’s window and spit out of it. Many people think this is stupid and they don’t do it o course.
We don’t have the spitting thing in North America! All this time, people have been just accepting their bad luck and not knowing there was a way to undo it. :P
You are superstition amateurs. :)
We have solution for every problem. Black cats on the road, spit on flour. It’s fixed. Someone says: “I have been driving car for ten years without an accident.” Knock on the wood and there is not going to be bad luck in the future. It’s fixed. Black bird flies to the near three branch that brings the bad luck. Open the window and shout to scare it to fly away. It’s fixed. Stop being a cry baby, get up and fix problems. :)
When writing in English don’t forget: Brazil is with Z and not with S. Regards!
I got 8 correct out of 10 :)
Thanks a lot
Emma, you said in video that cause sentence has a present tense. Which one? Present Simple I suppose, isn’t it?
So for she/he/it verb gets “s” at the end because of present simple:
If she finds a penny, she will have good luck.
What about negative?
If she doesn’t learn, she won’t pass the exam?
because:
a) doesn’t learn (no “s” at the end, because there is already does)
b) “will not” = won’t.
Is this correct?
of course you’re right , eg: if you work hard, you will get a promotion . f she studies hard in math she will succeed .
if she does not study hard in math, she will not succeed
Emma has written the rule:
If + subject + verb + (object),
subject + will + verb + (object).
It is really nice to break into such a simple structure. But from the rule itself it is not clear which tense verb should be in, unless lesson is listen very carefully.
It is actually simpler to me if we break rule into tenses:
If + Present Simple Tense,
Future Simple Tense.
Rule above is complex rule and requires understanding the sub-components like individual tense.
Thanks yasser for your help.
Thanks for the lesson….!!
Terrific!
if you leave a comment, you will get a lot of viewers.
thanks Emma , you’re perfect as usual >
superstitions exist in our Arabian country specially in Egypt , we don’t like no.13 , the crow is a symbol of the pessimistic ,we touch wood to prevent envy , no.5 is also to prevent envy > to be honest i don’t believe in it .it’s a bullshit. by the way i got 100.
We have plenty of superstitions for bids alone.
Black birds any kind like crow, jackdaw, common blackbird it is bad luck.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrion_crow
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_jackdaw
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_blackbird
Owl singing brings death to the family.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owl
Eurasian collared dove if gets near your house, specially if comes two of them or one comes many times one of the female living in the house will get pregnant.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_collared_dove
Stork brings babies. My mother told me that this was more little story then superstition. On the question where does babies comes from, the stork brings them.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stork
which on is more correct :
1-if you find a penny , you’ll have good luck .
2-if you find a penny , you’ll have(a) good luck.
I think the correct one is 1.
General rules are:
– a/an is before singular countable nouns,
– without a/an before singular uncountable nouns,
– without a/an before any plural forum of noun.
Historically a or an became from word “one”. For example in old English they said:
“I have one cup of tea.”
but today in modern English we say:
“I have a cup o tea.”
You see “one” was changed into “a”. We can say one cup of tea, because I could drink two cups of tea etc. Cups of tea can be counted, “cup” is countable noun and before it we place a/an predicate.
In the example you provided for “luck”, you can’t say: “I have one good luck”, “I have two good luck(s)” etc.
Noun “luck” is uncountable noun so there should be no a or an predicate.
If you would like to read more, I suggest to read about countable and uncountable nouns: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/grammar/countable-nouns
engvid.com web site:
https://www.engvid.com/english-resource/countable-and-uncountable-nouns/
engvid.com video tutorial:
https://www.engvid.com/countable-uncountable-nouns-english-grammar/
If you proceed like this, we will be better English speaker.
Hi Emma. Thanks for your job. I like your lessons. Happy New Year.
Nice lesson Emma. Here in my country we have almost the same superstitions as in North America. I wish you and all the others from engVid a Very Happy New Year!
Thank you Emma
If you do not eat twelve grapes on new year’s eve, you will have a bad year. I find those superstitions quite foolish, but they are funny anyway.
I WAS GOOD IN THE QUIZ.
Got 10 ☺ Thank you Emma .
Emma ,thank you for your job. Your lessons are very clear. Happy New Year!
Excellent lesson. As today is December 30th,I wish you
a wonderful New Year.
You are a great teacher and I thank you for all the
lessons that you prepare so thoughtfully.
Happy New Year.
The lesson was very nice :) Thank you
This help me ? thanks
Thank you very much, Enma, for this and all your lessons, always very helpful and interesting. Here some superstitions:
As a child, I used to heard an expression that said: What’s wrong with you? Did a one-eyed man look at you? It is assumed that if someone looks at you badly, as one-eyed man could do, that will get you bad luck.
If you stand up with your left foot, you will have bad luck that day.
It was also bad luck to spill the salt on the table
My wife’s aunt used to say that if you go under a ladder, you will not get marry.So I guess she didn´t :)
I haven’t heard the one about standing up with your left foot—but in English there is the expression “to get off on the wrong foot”, that is, “to start off with a bad impression”. If you got in an argument with someone right after meeting them and want to apologize, you might start with, “We seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot.” It seems to be a reference to running a race, where if you “start off on the wrong foot” you have made a mistake.
In my country Slovenia, specially in the morning if someone is in bad move, little grumpy we say: “Why are you so grumpy, did you wake up with your left foot.” But probably Canadian version “wrong foot” is in my humble opinion very similar to “left foot”. Most of the people are right handed, so much better they do with right hand/foot like writing, eating with spoon, kicking a football ball etc. The right foot is “better” foot, and left one is let say the “wrong” foot. Kicking ball with left foot is kicking it with wrong one. Wrong foot = left foot.
Thank you very for your reply. Well, I think I was wrong, I mean get out of the bed with the left foot, as Rokaly say below. Have a wonderful 2018!
Thanks a lot, all the best to you
I say you”break a leg”.
If you are superstitious, you will have bad luck XD
Thanks Emma!!!And Happy New Year!!!
Thanks Emma and
Happy new year
i got 10/10 yeayyyyyyy
Hey Emma, very interesting lesson, Thank you!
just wanted to add that in the jewish tradition “13” is considered a very lucky number. when a kid turns 13 we celebrate his “Bar Mizva” in differnent ways.
moreover I studied chinese in University, there I learned that the reason chinese people consider the number 4 a bad luck number is because 4 is “si” in chinese which resembles exactly the word “si” that stands for the word death in the chinese language, that’s why this number is considered unlucky.
hope that was clear. Btw I have been following you for a very long time and you’ve helped me a lot with my English.
Thanks
Thanks a lot for your explanations.
my plessure arash1 from Iran :)
thank you very much
I am also Jewish, and I don’t think a bar mitzvah is at 13 because it’s a lucky number! (After all, in some traditions, a bat mitzvah is at 12 and in others at 13.) As far as I know, it is because it’s traditionally considered when you can be considered responsible for your own actions. (Source.)
18 is a lucky number, though, because according to gematria (Jewish numerology) the letters in חי (chai, life) add up to 18. When I was 13, I got a lot of gifts that were cheques for a multiple of 18 :)
thanks for the information!
what is Bar Mizva? i am so interested to hear it from a jewish person.
I am gonna search it in google as well.
even though 13 is considered bad luck in our country but I always had a good feeling about this number which is cool cuz now I learned that it is actually a good number in other cultures :D
Hey I am good at English but my grammar is a little bad so if you guys help me with it i can make it!
I got 10. Thank you Emma and Happy New Year!
Thank you for the lessons. Can you use a darker marker?
That’s a good idea. Our lessons are filmed ahead of time, so this will not take effect for a while, but I’ll suggest using a wider/darker marker.
In video words are written in one single black color and underlined in different colors. It would much better be seen if using multiple colors for words itself and underlining would be redundant.
It would still be a good idea to underline words, just in case people are colour-blind!
Do I understand you argument correctly? Color blinded people would see color of line, but not the color of text? Color blinded people do not distinguish colors between each other. Like if having two green colors they may see only single green color. It depends how color blinded a person is, it may even not distinguish between red, yellow and green. That is the reason lights on traffic lights are always at the exact the same position, top-bottom: red, yellow, green.
In my humble opinion for color blinded people there is not requirement to use different colors, but different objects, like single line for one purpose, double line for another, dashed lines, dotted lines or circled text, squared text etc. There is plenty of different methods like underline text and number the objects that belongs together, or underline and type text like “verb”, “noun” etc.
I think we are agreeing with each other!
For most users, key words written in a different colour will stand out better. For example
the cat sat on the mat
But some people might not be able to see the difference in colour. So we should also use markings like outlines and underlines.
the cat sat on the mat
Thank you Emma. I got 10 correct out of 10. Nice Lesson!. I am superstitious sometimes. In regard to what you said about “breaking mirrors”, well, I don’t believe in that superstition, because I have broken a lot of mirrors in my entire life, and otherwise I have had good luck.
You should not dismiss this theory so easily. It may still work. You probably broke many small mirrors and you got little bad luck for each of broken mirror. If you break big mirror, you will have huge bad luck. (First Conditional, thanks Emma). You also probably broke single thin glass mirrors and not double glass mirrors. Single glass little bad luck, double glass double bad luck. So you should use small thin glass mirrors to avoid bad luck.
Just kidding. Superstitions are funny things, additional “shit” can be added to the table to make it looks like it’s working. It is interesting that people doing this think they are smart and by adding additional superstitions they solved the problem. But actually argument is weak in the first place and every attempt to fix it by adding additional superstition makes it much worse. Lets say this in mathematics. If there is 10% probability first argument is true and 10% for second argument then we are obligated to multiply them: 10/100 * 10/100 = 0.1 * 0.1 = 0.01 that is only 1%. Two combine superstitions each one of having probability of 10% in combine have only 1% chance to be true. Adding additional weak argument is multiplying with additional 10% which is 0.1 * 0.1 * 0.1 = 0.001 which is 0.1%. More “shit” is brought to the table, more “shit” you get, not less.
Thank you Emma this is nice lesson
Thank you, Mrs. Emma.
Happy new year!
Thank Emma I have 9/10. I’m little bit confusing about the sentence 1st. I think it’s better if you choose a superstition, because superstition is noun, so it need the article A before, please explain more detail
Great Emma, thanks!)
Hi, I am Samim Ahmad Sherzad I am so pleased with Afghanistan that I am friends with you. I hope to guide and help with the training. Thank you all of your friends.
This lesson is a useful one
if i do the test i will have 100 score
in my culture superstition
if you sleep under the tree at night you may get sick that day
In Brazil if you sleep under a tree, you will be robbed that very night!Just kidding!
hahahahaha
it isn’t just kidding.
hahahaha
Thanks Emma for your lesson Happy New Year
Happy New Year. How do we reach the instructor directly?
Hi, my name is Ali.
Thank you for all, I´m improving more my English with your video class
What a good luck to learn English with Emma! It is not a superstitious lesson but it is talking about superstitious topics, then we will have a superstitious experience if we study this video class for sure because we now know some of the superstitious facts that maybe happen to us. Thanks a lot, teacher Emma, it has been a grateful explanation in American English, very useful as always.
Thank you, Emma.
Thank you, Emma. If I watch Engvid.com everyday, I will be good at English.
Perfect very good lesson thanks a bunch
break a leg, Emma.
You are a nice teacher. Your videos are really interesting.
Thank you!
Thank you Emma
Thank you Emma it,s a very good lesson
yes we have the same superstitions in France :))
thanks for this lesson I enjoyed it a lot D
and Happy New Year !
XXXX
Thanks teacher, I really enjoy your lessons
I want to practice english with everybody via skype: tuannhacsy
Emma you always cute and the best, thank you for ever.
Thanks Emma for the culture video
I thought that these depends just for my country but I am so relax due to know all about :)
If I follow you, I will improve my English.
You got 8 correct out of 10Thanks teacher
All of the explained Superstitions avalible to hear in Turkey. :)
I was 100% ;) Thanks so much Emma…
Thanks
thanks a lot.
I’ve got nothing to say…
Nice lesson! Thanks!
I am new in this site but i see it it very simple and useful spacial with your explanatian ( Emma )
Thanks teacher!
I get 10 from 10 i like your explanation Emma
thanks emma, you are the best
why the article “a” after the object garlic in this sentence “didn’t typed exist If you wear “a” garlic, vampires will stay away from you”
great lesson. Thank you Emma
Very useful lesson. Thanks a lot Emma
At least, I could understand first conditional ??
Hi Emma Nice lesson! and Thanks!
and i love your lessons you are cool and
nice love it yeah.
Thank you very much, Emma. Happy New Year!
Thanks a lot Emma.
Thanks emma ! Again a very good lesson from you
Thanks Emma!!!!!!
I watched this video to avoid getting a virus. Thank you Emma for protection.
thank you, very nice…
People will go to a temple and pray for something that they wish to happen In my country if they really want something come true, especially young students or people who are suffering from disease and have a really bad health condition. Their family members will do it for them.
I got correct 10 out of 10.
Thanks a Lot.
Very nice
I got 100 . Thanks Emma for your help
Also, will be nice if you talk about second and third conditional, they are a little complicated to understand them.
Thanks, Emma! I have learned some westerners’ superstitions.
this is very relevant vid thanks a lot
thanks a lot emma
if i find a penny, i will be good luck all day.
if i find dollars, i will be good luck as well. because i will have money. lol
nice…sorry for my bad english..you are my prefer teacher..you have a very clear voice..and easy comprehension.. are you going to do a video for UFO’s and aliens?a very interestin argoument for me.. thank you!bye!
Thankyu very much..
Hi Emma, is this correct? If you watch engvid lesson,
You will improve the english grammar.?
Excellent class and practice…!!! Thanks a lot…!!!
Thank you Emma! Great class! Is there any class about psychic readings, witchcraft spells, love spells, curses, vodu etc, so, about magic at all?
Thank you Emma !
Thanks Emma I learned about superstitious this lesson is very good.
Great lesson, thanks Emma!!
Thank you Emma!
Thank you very much.
thanks teacher
very good lesson
Excluding the penny thing, they have the same superstitions in Brazil. I got 100%. Thank you Emma.
Thank you so much. Your lessons is so usefull. I always watch your videos.
Thanks Emma.
wwwooooow i got 100
Really I liked this Lesson because I learned a lot from you great Vocabulary, Grammar and about American culture
and yeah I hope all of my life will be good luck lol
thank you teacher Emma
Beyond the imagination, If I miss this lesson,I will have bad luck. Scored 10/10.
If I have the time, I will watch your videos with great pleasure.They are great. Thank you very much.
Tx Emma, superstitious less.on
There is a place needed to be corrected. In China, we are using number 4 as a floor number, otherwise, it will cause confusion to visitors.
The superb lesson, Emma! :D
I got 10/10
I saw a superstition “Things always happen in threes” and that reminds me a funny story that we called “anecdote”.
Sorry for my English )))
Just married couple are going on a carriage harnessed by horse. Suddenly, the horse has stumbled.
Husband says:”One”.
They keep going and the horse has stumbled second time.
Husband says:”Two”.
They keep going and the horse has stumbled third time.
Husband says:”Three”, then he pulls out his gun and shoots the horse.
Wife is begining to scream at husband:” Why, why did you shoot the horse? ”
Husband quietly turns to wife and says:”One”
Superstition In Turkey ”If you fall from the mulberry tree, you will be a donkey”
i got 100 thanks and in Indian culture superstitious people say if you break a mirror, you will have bad luck just for one day. Next day can feel form yourself from that bad luck.
I got 90 of 100.
If I practice English in a daily way, half of my work problems will be solved.
I got 100 of 100.Thank you very match Emma
In my culture, if i meet a black cat, i will be badlucky.
I like this professor Emma, she gives very good lessons to us. I learn a lot.
Excellen. Thanks Emma
if Martin finds a penny on the way, he will be happy next 2 month. Suzan will be unlucky for this week if she opens an umbrella inside. I hope all of my sentences are correct. Thank you, dear tutor.
Thaks a lot for this english class, that was very good!
ma’am you explain very deeply that is to good….. :)
100% ???
If I follow your lessen uninterruptedly, I will get 100% score.
Excellent teaching, thanks Emma!
I got all the answers correct ??
Thanks Emma!
9/10. Thank you Emma.
if you practice more,you will make it 10
Thanks Emma
Very good lesson.Thanks Emma!
I got 8 correct out of 10 :)
Thanks a lot
Superb lesson, it’s true that it’s a little bit complicated lesson because of grammar but it begans to be clearer for me.
10/10
Thanks Emma.
Your lesson is pretty good!
I got 8 out of 10.
Number 4 is mean ‘die’ several Asia countries.
(influence Korea.)
Number 7 is mean Good luck.
Thank you Teacher. Have a nice day!
number 4 is bad luck number in our country ，so there is no 4 flour button on the elevator.
Thank you this lesson Ma’am Emma.
It was a marvellous lesson and you are a marvellous teacher, Miss Emma.
thank you for your lesson Emma. You are one of my favorite teachers :-)
I have a question. in the sentence: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it”, which kind of conditional is used and why?
It was very good lesson for me thanks a lot
I need to ur help for learning English language.
thanks alot teacher emma i really understand your lessons
“… thirteen months old baby broke looking glass seven years of bad luck the good things in your past…” Thank you Ms. Emma.
Fantastic! 10/10.Things always happen in threes. Same superstition in China also.
If l see Emma in the morning,I will have good luck.
I got a 100!
Thanks.
I got 8/10. Thank you Emma.
This was a cool lesson, in Brazil we have all these beliefs too. Thanks Emma again
if I kiss someone, it will have good luck for me
we are not belive in supersition.
If I attend your class, I will get 100 score.
Thanks a lot Emma.
Thank you Emma, I never forget your nice teaching.
thanks a lot
Thank You Emma.
one of the superstitions in our country is this:
if you hang something blue(called cheshm nazar) in your apartment or in your car (basically anywhere you want), you will be safe from negative energies around you.
I got 10 correct out of 10.
Thanks Emma
Thanks a million.
If you pour hot water at night, you will be handicap
9/10
Thanks a lot Emma,hugs. (Kazakhstan, 13Sept2021);this lesson makes my English skill better
I really enjoy the learning English .
If I learn English every day, I will feel better. Thanks Emma.
The lesson was interesting for me and useful. Thank you.
I got 10/10 thanks teacher Emma
50 year is too long
hmmm that will take to long
In kurdish culture we say :
if you see a fox its a good luck but a rabbit is a bad luck .
Excellent lesson, Emma. You are amazing. (Azores islands, 20Nov2022);
I got 10/10. Thanks, teacher!
Thanks teacher Emma