'To Sink or Swim' Is Up to You
2023-07-16
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1And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.
2On this program, we explore words and expressions in the English language.
3We give examples, notes on usage, and sometimes we use them in short stories.
4Today we talk a great about a great activity to keep healthy and cool.
5In hot weather, there is nothing better than swimming in cool water.
6Swimming is a great way to beat the heat and get exercise.
7But swimming is not only for fun.
8Knowing how to swim can save your life.
9If you do not know how to swim, you could sink in the water.
10And it can happen fast. So, today we talk about the idiom to sink or swim.
11To sink or swim means you either quickly succeed at something or quickly fail.
12To sink or swim suggests that you will either succeed or fail based on your own skills.
13Others may have taught you or helped you to prepare for something.
14But, the final responsibility is yours.
15So, we use this idiom to describe a high-pressure situation where your success or survival depends on your ability to perform.
16We sometimes pair the idiom sink or swim with the expression to be thrown into the deep end -- as in the deep part of a pool.
17A parent, teacher, or coach could throw a child into the deep end to see if the child will sink or swim, although it is not likely.
18Usually, it means to put someone in a situation to see how they do.
19For example, let's say you have been preparing for an English test for many weeks.
20If you pass it, you may be able to get a better position at your job.
21You had a great teacher who helped you.
22But on test day, it's sink or swim. Success if up to you.
23Sink or swim can also describe a situation where you must succeed quickly or you will fail fully.
24There is no middle ground. It is a win or lose situation.
25In these situations, we can also say, "it's now or never."
26This means the time to prove yourself is ... now.
27You will not have another chance.
28All your preparation has come to this moment ... whatever that moment is.
29You need to rise to the occasion.
30Sink or swim situations can also be called make or break events.
31They can either make you better.
32Or they can break you.
33If the situation is very serious and the risks are very great, you can also say do or die.
34You either take action or you will definitely fail.
35Luckily learning English is not a do or die situation.
36And VOA Learning English will be here to help you grow your English skills -- so you can swim, instead of sink, in the test pool!
37And that's all the time we have for Words and Their Stories.
38Until next time ... I'm Anna Matteo.
1And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English. 2On this program, we explore words and expressions in the English language. We give examples, notes on usage, and sometimes we use them in short stories. 3Today we talk a great about a great activity to keep healthy and cool. In hot weather, there is nothing better than swimming in cool water. Swimming is a great way to beat the heat and get exercise. 4But swimming is not only for fun. Knowing how to swim can save your life. If you do not know how to swim, you could sink in the water. And it can happen fast. So, today we talk about the idiom to sink or swim. 5Sink or swim 6To sink or swim means you either quickly succeed at something or quickly fail. 7To sink or swim suggests that you will either succeed or fail based on your own skills. Others may have taught you or helped you to prepare for something. But, the final responsibility is yours. So, we use this idiom to describe a high-pressure situation where your success or survival depends on your ability to perform. 8We sometimes pair the idiom sink or swim with the expression to be thrown into the deep end -- as in the deep part of a pool. A parent, teacher, or coach could throw a child into the deep end to see if the child will sink or swim, although it is not likely. Usually, it means to put someone in a situation to see how they do. 9For example, let's say you have been preparing for an English test for many weeks. If you pass it, you may be able to get a better position at your job. You had a great teacher who helped you. But on test day, it's sink or swim. Success if up to you. 10Sink or swim can also describe a situation where you must succeed quickly or you will fail fully. There is no middle ground. It is a win or lose situation. 11In these situations, we can also say, "it's now or never." This means the time to prove yourself is ... now. You will not have another chance. All your preparation has come to this moment ... whatever that moment is. You need to rise to the occasion. 12Sink or swim situations can also be called make or break events. They can either make you better. Or they can break you. If the situation is very serious and the risks are very great, you can also say do or die. You either take action or you will definitely fail. 13Luckily learning English is not a do or die situation. And VOA Learning English will be here to help you grow your English skills -- so you can swim, instead of sink, in the test pool! 14And that's all the time we have for Words and Their Stories. 15Until next time ... I'm Anna Matteo. 16Anna Matteo wrote this lesson for VOA Learning English. 17_____________________________________________________________________ 18Words in This Story 19idiom -n. an expression that cannot be understood from the meanings of its separate words but must be learned as a whole 20pool -n. a swimming pool : a small deep body of water 21middle ground -n. standpoint or area midway between extreme or opposing positions, options, or objectives 22occasion -n. a need that arises : a time at which something happens 23_____________________________________________________________________ 24We want to hear from you. Do you have a similar expressions in your language? In the Comments section, you can also practice using any of the expressions from the story. 25We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: 26Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here.