Listening exercises with “Mixed blessing”
If you say that something is a mixed blessing, it means that something has positive and negative aspects, advantages as well as disadvantages.
It is often used to point out that something which people assume is a very good thing also has some drawbacks or negative aspects. e.g. The new rail development may turn out to be a bit of a mixed blessing for the village. It will be much easier to get to London, but noise pollution is likely to increase. For this reason, this expression would usually be used with a slightly negative meaning.
Have a go at these micro-dictation exercises to hear this expression being used in context – how much can you understand?
Accent: North America
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About the sentence
Accent: Northern England
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About the sentence
Accent: Scotland
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About the sentence
Hi everyone! For me a clear example of mixed blessing it is when people say to you “Go and fight for your dreams, if you are happy dancing, or singing or drawing well! Go for it, don’t give in!” And about my own experience I can say yes! I am happy doing what I love, but is not that easy, at least here in latin america is really tough because the system and the people who point you as a rebel or an ignorant or even your family not supporting you… etc. Thanks guys I’m learning a lot reading all… Read more »
Hi Gustavo, thanks for your interesting example. Personal examples are always the best, so well done 🙂 – Careful not to leave out the subject (…in Latin America it is really tough…). – Also, careful not to add a subject where you don’t need it 🙂 you have done this in the second sentence: “…a clear example of a mixed blessing (it) is when…”. The subject is ‘a mixed blessing’, so you don’t need ‘it’ as well. – ‘An ignorant’ doesn’t exist in English. With this and similar structures, you almost always need to say ‘a ___ person’, e.g. ‘an… Read more »