235 - English phrases explained: Good grief & For goodness' sake

When you're studying English, I recommend focusing on learning phrases and not just individual words. When you only study individual words, it's hard to put them together into a phrase - but when you study phrases, then it's much easier for you to use the whole phrase when speaking. The problem is that sometimes you might hear or see a phrase that doesn't seem to make sense. This often happens with idioms and informal expressions. My students ask me about phrases all the time, and today I'll explain two expressions – "good grief" and "for goodness' sake."

If you're interested in learning more phrases that native English speakers use in daily life - and especially learning these phrases inside the context of conversations - come check out my Everyday English Speaking Courses. More than 1,000 students have enjoyed these courses, and I hope you will, too!