This week we’re combining a new video with exercises and a very interesting TED Talk. We hope the video and exercise will make this TED Talk by car sharing pioneer Robin Chase, founder of Zipcar and Buzzcar, easier to understand for our English students. The grammar focus of this lesson is using adjectives with adverbs. Combining these in English can get complicated. For example, we can say, “The dog was very hungry,” but we cannot say “The dog was very starving.” Why not? Watch the video below to learn.

Choose the correct adverb to modify the adjective below. Write your answers in comments and we will respond.

1. “How was the test?” “Not good, it was (absolutely/really) difficult.”
2. “Are you hungry?” “Yes. I’m (absolutely/very) starving.”
3. “Did you like the movie?” “No. I thought is was (totally/very) awful.”
4. “Did you have a good vacation?” “Yes. It was (really/very) fantastic.”
5. “Do you like talking about business?” “Yes. I think it is (very/absolutely) interesting.”

Learn the following vocabulary words to help you understand the video. Write your answers in comments and we will respond.

1. Push the envelope – Approach or extend the limits of what is possible.
2. Yard sale – A sale of used household belongings, clothes, furniture, etc. usually held outside the home of the seller.
3. Bake sale – A  fundraising activity where baked goods such as doughnuts, cupcakes and cookies are sold.
4. Peer –  A person of the same age, status, or ability as another specified person.
5. Revel – To take great pleasure or delight.
6. Take it up a notch – Digging deep in yourself to apply more effort toward acheiving a goal.
7. Join up – To become a member or to form a new group by partnering with another person or entity.

Can you answer the questions about the video below? Write your answers in comments and we will respond.

1. How much less do Zipcar users drive? Why?
2. When did they start BuzzCar?
3. What does a company do well?
4. How many people joined Carpooling.com?
5. What did the CEO of TopCoder say?
6. Who beat out Google video? Why?
7. How long did it take Robin to figure out the insurance challenge?