Learning English – Lesson Six (Happy and Sad)

Hi everybody…this is Misterduncan in England!

How are you today? Are you OK? I hope so!

Are you happy? I hope so!

In this lesson, we’ll take a look at the two sides or faces of how we can feel emotionally and the way these feelings affect both ourselves and the people around us. In today’s lesson we will look at…being happy and feeling sad.

We all have feelings. They are the individual parts of our character that show the way feel, depending on the situations around us. When we say feelings, we are actually describing one feeling at a time. Although sometimes, for example, due to illness, a person may experience many feelings at once. The way you feel relates to your..emotional state, mood, frame of mind, temper, disposition, state of mind, spirit.

Good or bad can be added to all of these words, to show a positive mood and a negative one. Our feelings and moods are all related to the way we think in our minds. The study of this subject is called…psychology. This also covers the way we behave generally. Our minds control everything we do. Besides actions, your mood can also affect your health.

If you were to feel unhappy over a long period of time then you may need to see a doctor. You could be suffering from…depression. This is often caused by stress from a sudden change in your life, such as the loss of your job, or the death of a loved one.

It may sound strange to some people, but your mood can be affected…by the weather. Psychologists have found that a chemical imbalance in the brain can cause us to feel sad, when there is little sunlight about. Those affected will feel happier and more content during the summer time. While during the short winter days, they may find themselves becoming depressed and gloomy. This feeling even has a name..SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder).

It is amazing how our moods can change from day to day. You may find yourself jumping for joy on Monday and feeling down in the doldrums by Friday. There are many idioms for feeling happy and sad.

• ‘Happy as Larry’ To be very happy.
• ‘Jump for Joy’ To show your happiness.
• ‘Smile from Ear to Ear’ A happy face (Big Smile).
• ‘Happy go Lucky’ A cheerful (carefree) person.
• ‘On Top of the World’ So very happy.
• ‘Down in the Dumps’ To feel unhappy.
• ‘Under a Black Cloud’ Sad and depressed.
• ‘In the Doldrums’ To feel sad and gloomy.

There are many different things around us that have the ability to change the way we feel. A pierce of classical music might make you feel sad. It touches you…emotionally. It moves you. A happy story may uplift your mood and cheer you up. You may find yourself both laughing and crying, while watching a romantic movie, either alone or with your lover.

There is an expression in English that goes…’Laughter is the best medicine’ This means that when you are feeling unhappy or down, or even unwell, the only way to get out of that mood is to watch something humorous on the television. Make a funny face in the mirror. Laugh out loud until all your blues have gone away!

Happiness

• I feel happy
• I feel glad
• I feel excited
• I never feel sad
• The day is alive
• And I feel great
• Tomorrow will be good
• I just can’t wait
• My heart is warm with a rosy glow
• The smile on my face I love to show
• I need to jump
• I like to sing
• I want to live
• I love everything

Sadness

• I feel Down
• I feel bad
• I feel miserable
• I really feel sad
• I hate this day
• I dislike it all
• My heart is down
• Feel like I will fall
• So grey is this world with its trouble and strife
• So cold my spirit
• In this dark and gloomy life

In British English we use the word ‘sad’ informally as a way of describing something that is unfashionable or a person who appears to have no friends or any social life. ‘That style of fashion is so sad’ ‘He never goes out anywhere…’ ‘…and he has no friends.’ ‘What a saddo!!’

We can use the words ‘happy’ and ‘sad’ and their synonyms to show our reactions to something or someone.

• ‘I’m really happy to meet you’
• ‘I’m glad to have you as my friend’
• ‘I feel brighter now you are here’
• ‘I feel sad now that you have gone’
• ‘I feel down because I hate my job’
• ‘I feel sick and my spirits are low’

Happy Synonyms

• Bright
• Content
• Cheerful
• Elated
• Glowing
• Jolly
• Joyful
• Merry
• Sunny

Sad Synonyms

• Blue
• Forlorn
• Depressed
• Down
• Gloomy
• Glum
• Moody
• Solemn
• Woeful

It would be fair to say that we all go through times when things seem bad. People can sometimes let you down. They have the ability to say things that make you unhappy. Events and circumstances may come along and destroy your plans for the futue. As the poet Stephen Spender once wrote…’You must live through the time when everything hurts’ Life comes with no guarantees or promises. The sunny days of contentment can only be truly appreciated through the dark gloomy nights of despair. For without sadness, we would never really know what it is like to be truly happy. Well that’s all I have time for today, but don’t be sad because I will be back again real soon with another lesson just for you. Until then this is Misterduncan in England saying..thank you for watching me, teaching you and of course..Ta-ta for now.