Silent Letters, Idioms and Hogwarts Mystery Chapter 4: Though, Through, Thorough and Seeing Eye to Eye

Hi, I'm Alex 👋

This live stream is over two hours long, so I’ve picked the best moments for you. Tap any line to jump straight there!

In the first part of this live stream I chat with an AI voice partner about tricky spellings and silent letters: though, through and thorough, night and wreck. 🗣️ Our conversation is full of idioms: get the hang of it, be on the same page, see eye to eye, keep us on our toes and trial and error.

Then we play Hogwarts Mystery Chapter 4, with you’re in for a treat, can’t stop + -ing and better my chances. Tap a line of the interactive script to jump there, then try the exercises.

▶️ Watch and read along

Shadowing and improvising

Alex: I usually love doing shadowing sessions. They include a repeat-after-me approach, and after that, shadowing exercises.
Alex: Not sure what shadowing means? It means to repeat, to mimic what you hear, at the same time as the speaker.
Alex: Let me see if I can pull this off. To pull something off means to succeed in doing something difficult.
Alex: We’re playing it by ear. To play it by ear means to improvise as you go along.

Though, through, thorough

ChatGPT: We could look at words with silent letters, like night or wreck. Whatever you think your audience would enjoy the most.
ChatGPT: Of course. The first set I mentioned was though, through and thorough. They’re quite similar in spelling, but they sound different.
ChatGPT: Through is spelled T-H-R-O-U-G-H. It doesn’t quite look like it sounds, but once you get used to it, it becomes second nature.
Alex: Yeah, it does become second nature. That’s a great expression too, isn’t it?
ChatGPT: Though has that silent GH at the end. Through ends with that “ooh” sound. And thorough sounds like THUH-ruh. It’s quite fun once you get the hang of it.
ChatGPT: When we say “once you get the hang of it”, we mean that once you learn how to do something well, it becomes easy and natural.

On the same page

Alex: That’s another great expression: to be on the same page. Could you break it down for us, please?
ChatGPT: When we say to be on the same page, we mean that everyone understands something in the same way or agrees on the same idea.
ChatGPT: A good synonym for “to be on the same page” could be to see eye to eye.
ChatGPT: For example: “After our discussion, we finally see eye to eye on how to move forward with the project.”

Meanings and more tricky words

ChatGPT: Though is often used to mean however or despite. Through indicates movement from one side to another, like going through a tunnel.
ChatGPT: Thorough means that something is done very carefully and with a lot of attention to detail, making sure nothing is missed.
ChatGPT: Thought, tough and throughout all share similar letter patterns, but have different pronunciations and meanings.
ChatGPT: English definitely loves to keep us on our toes with these pronunciations.
ChatGPT: The expression “keep us on our toes” means to keep us alert and ready for anything.

Trial and error

ChatGPT: No worries. Adjusting these things can be a bit of trial and error, but I’m sure you’ll get it just right.
ChatGPT: The expression is trial and error, and it means finding the right way to do something by experimenting and making adjustments along the way.

Great minds think alike

Alex: What a great expression you’ve just used: great minds think alike.
ChatGPT: It’s always fun to find common ground and realise we’re on the same wavelength.
ChatGPT: To be on the same wavelength is quite similar to being on the same page. Both mean that people understand each other well and agree on something.
ChatGPT: To be in sync is another great way to say that we’re on the same wavelength.
ChatGPT: When we say that things click into place, we mean that everything suddenly makes sense. It’s like a puzzle coming together perfectly.

Hogwarts Mystery: you’re in for a treat

Game: Ravenclaw keeps a secret tutoring book hidden in the artefact room. You can start there.
Player: We’ve never been to the artefact room before.
Game: Then you’re in for a treat. Good luck.
Alex: That’s a great expression: to be in for a treat. Something really nice is going to happen to you.

I can’t stop feeling homesick

Game: I’m sorry, Alex. I just can’t stop feeling homesick.
Alex: Homesick: that’s when you’re away from home and you really miss being there.
Alex: If you say “can’t stop”, you don’t say “can’t stop to feel homesick”. Can’t stop is followed by a verb in -ing.
Alex: I can’t stop playing this game. I can’t stop eating chips. I can’t stop drinking coffee!
Alex: I need to increase my attributes to better my chances. Better means here improve.

🃏 Words from this episode

pull something off: to succeed in doing something difficult
play it by ear: to improvise as you go along
second nature: something you do so often that it’s automatic
get the hang of it: to learn how to do something well
be on the same page: to understand or agree in the same way
see eye to eye: to agree with someone
though / through / thorough: though = however; through = from one side to the other; thorough = careful and complete
keep someone on their toes: to keep someone alert and ready for anything
trial and error: finding the right way by experimenting
on the same wavelength: understanding each other well
in sync: working or thinking together in the same way
be in for a treat: something very nice is going to happen to you
can’t stop + -ing: to be unable to stop doing something
better (verb): to improve

🔗 Exercise 1: Idioms for agreeing and learning

see eye to eye
get the hang of it
second nature
trial and error
play it by ear
pull it off

🔗 Exercise 2: Though, through or thorough?

though
through
thorough
thought
tough

✍️ Exercise 3: Listen and fill the gap

“Let me see if I can pull this ___.”
“We’re playing it by ___.”
“Once you get used to it, it becomes second ___.”
“It’s quite fun once you get the ___ of it.”
“To be on the same ___.”
“We finally see eye to ___ on how to move forward.”
“English loves to keep us on our ___.”
“It can be a bit of trial and ___.”
“We’re on the same ___.”
“Then you’re in for a ___.”
“I just can’t stop ___ homesick.”
“I need to increase my attributes to better my ___.”

🔽 Exercise 4: Silent letters

In night, the silent letters are ___.
In wreck, the silent letter is ___.
In though, the silent letters are ___.
Through ends with an ___ sound.
“I walked ___ the tunnel.”
“She did a very ___ job. Nothing was missed.”

📘 Grammar box: can’t stop + -ing

After stop (and can’t stop), use the -ing form to talk about the activity itself:

✅ I just can’t stop feeling homesick.
✅ I can’t stop playing this game.
❌ I can’t stop ~~to feel~~ homesick.

Careful: stop + to + verb exists, but it means you stop one thing in order to do another: “I stopped to buy a coffee.” Bonus: better can be a verb meaning improve: “to better my chances”.

🔽 Exercise 5: Grammar challenge

“I just can’t stop ___ homesick.”
“I can’t stop ___ coffee.”
“On the way home, I stopped ___ some bread.” (in order to)
“I need to increase my attributes to ___ my chances.”

🧠 Exercise 6: Comprehension quiz

What does “shadowing” mean?
Which expression is a synonym of “be on the same page”?
What does “keep us on our toes” mean?
If you’re “in for a treat”…
“Better my chances” means…

🧙 More from the Harry Potter series

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (PS1), Part 1
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (PS1), Part 2
’S = is or has? (Deathly Hallows)
LIVE: Hogwarts Legacy, Part 1
Hogwarts Mystery: First Gameplay
Silent Letters, Idioms and Hogwarts Mystery Chapter 4 (Live) (you are here)
The Tale of the Three Brothers (Deathly Hallows)

All my game episodes are on the Learn English with Games page.

Do you and your friends see eye to eye about Harry Potter games? 😄 Practise saying though, through, thorough five times fast, and tell me in the comments on YouTube how you got on!

Alex