Dialogue

Vocabulary

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Lesson Transcript

INTRODUCTION
John: Are You Still Looking for an American Post Office? John Here.
Becky: Hey I'm Becky.
John: In this lesson, you’ll learn the prepositions “next to” and “beside.” The conversation takes place at work.
Becky: It's between Rachel and Sean.
John: The speakers are co-workers, and they will use both formal and informal English. Okay, let's listen to the conversation.
DIALOGUE
Rachel: Did you mail that package, Sean?
Sean: I couldn't find the post office! It wasn't next to the bank.
Rachel: I didn't say it was! Do you remember the Christmas party?
Sean: Last year's? Yes, it was at the Italian restaurant.
Rachel: The post office is beside the restaurant.
Sean: I'll try again.
John: Listen to the conversation one time slowly.
Rachel: Did you mail that package, Sean?
Sean: I couldn't find the post office! It wasn't next to the bank.
Rachel: I didn't say it was! Do you remember the Christmas party?
Sean: Last year's? Yes, it was at the Italian restaurant.
Rachel: The post office is beside the restaurant.
Sean: I'll try again.
POST CONVERSATION BANTER
John: Poor Sean. Sounds like he went to the totally wrong place.
Becky: He should have listened to Rachel.
John: Or at least remembered what was by the restaurant where they had their Christmas party!
Becky: Speaking of Christmas, that’s a big event in the States every year.
John: Yeah, the Christmas season starts pretty much as soon as Thanksgiving is finished at the end of November.
Becky: Yeah, the annual Thanksgiving parade ends with an appearance from Santa. But sometimes stores start stocking Christmas supplies as early as October!
John: Christmas dinner is a key event of the day, and it’s usually marked by eating ham or turkey with cranberry sauce and many side dishes.
Becky: Too many side dishes, usually!
John: No such thing! At Christmas we give each other presents. This is really the main event.
Becky: Yes, there’s presents, and we decorate our homes and sometimes outside our homes too.
John: Many cities and towns decorate with lights and trees.
Becky: I love going to New York at Christmas to shop and ice-skate at Rockefeller Center.
John: I don’t think I could handle the crowds. Okay, now onto the vocab.
VOCAB LIST
John: Let’s take a look at the vocabulary from this lesson. The first word is...
Becky: did [natural native speed]
John: past tense of “do” meaning “to perform an action”
Becky: did[slowly - broken down by syllable]
Becky: did [natural native speed]
John: Next we have...
Becky: to mail [natural native speed]
John: to send something through the postal service
Becky: to mail[slowly - broken down by syllable]
Becky: to mail [natural native speed]
John: Next we have...
Becky: couldn't [natural native speed]
John: contraction of “could not” meaning “not possible”
Becky: couldn't[slowly - broken down by syllable]
Becky: couldn't [natural native speed]
John: Next we have...
Becky: Christmas [natural native speed]
John: the most important date on the Christian calendar, December 25th
Becky: Christmas[slowly - broken down by syllable]
Becky: Christmas [natural native speed]
John: Next we have...
Becky: party [natural native speed]
John: group of people
Becky: party[slowly - broken down by syllable]
Becky: party [natural native speed]
John: Next we have...
Becky: last [natural native speed]
John: final, with nothing after
Becky: last[slowly - broken down by syllable]
Becky: last [natural native speed]
John: Next we have...
Becky: year [natural native speed]
John: a length of time equal to 52 weeks or 365 days. The length of time taken for the Earth to orbit the Sun
Becky: year[slowly - broken down by syllable]
Becky: year [natural native speed]
John: Next we have...
Becky: restaurant [natural native speed]
John: a business where people go to eat
Becky: restaurant[slowly - broken down by syllable]
Becky: restaurant [natural native speed]
John: And lastly...
Becky: again [natural native speed]
John: an adverb indicating the repetition of an action
Becky: again[slowly - broken down by syllable]
Becky: again [natural native speed]
KEY VOCAB AND PHRASES
John: Let's have a closer look at the usage of some of the words and phrases from this lesson. The first word is...
Becky: ...did...
John: ...meaning "the past tense of do, meaning to perform an action." What can you tell us about this word?
Becky: It’s used in sentences to talk about past actions, and to also ask questions about past actions. You can also use it for emphasis in sentences when it isn’t strictly needed.
John: Instead of saying “I studied,” you could say “I did study.”
Becky: The second sentence sounds more firm, as if you’re highlighting the fact that you studied.
John: Can you give us an example using this word?
Becky: Sure. For example, you can say, “Did you wash the car, yesterday?”
John: ...which means "You washed the car yesterday, right?"
John: Okay, what's the next word?
Becky: Couldn't...
John: ...meaning "contraction of could not - not possible" How do we use this?
Becky: “Could not” is the negative version of “could” and, also the negative past tense of “can.”
John: You use it to say that something wasn’t possible in the past.
Becky: For example, you had a report to finish yesterday, but didn’t do it.
John: I was very busy yesterday! I had no time!
Becky: You can say “I couldn’t finish it yesterday” to show it wasn’t possible.
John: Can you give us an example using this word?
Becky: Sure. For example, you can say, “He couldn't pass the test.”
John: ...which means "He wasn’t able to pass the test." Okay, what's the next word?
Becky: Christmas...
John: ...meaning "the most important date on the Christian calendar, December 25th."
Becky: We spoke about Christmas a little earlier in this lesson.
John: That’s right. Christmas is an event in the Christian calendar that is celebrated in Christian countries.
Becky: The date is fixed as December 25th and never changes.
John: We give presents to our family and friends. Where does the word “Christmas” come from?
Becky: It comes from the two words "Christ" and "mass," as the holiday celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ.
John: Can you give us an example using this word?
Becky: For example, you can say, “I'm going home for Christmas.”
John: ...which means "I’m going home for the annual Christian event on December 25th." Okay, onto the lesson focus.

Lesson focus

John: In this lesson, you'll learn about the prepositions “next to” and “beside.”
Becky: Let’s get started!
John: Alright! Let’s start with “next to.”
Becky: You can use this as a preposition of position and place. It means “at the side of.”
John: Such as “There is a post office next to the library.”
Becky: That means that there is a post office at the side of the library.
John: Let’s look at some more examples.
Becky: “I’ll wait next to the station.”
John: “My dream home is next to the ocean, with its own private beach.”
Becky: Be careful that you don’t mix up “next to” with “nearest to.”
John: Can you tell us what the difference is?
Becky: “Nearest to” means the closest, but doesn’t mean that the two places are side by side.
John: What does “The gas station nearest the park” mean?
Becky: It could mean that the gas station is next to the park, or it could be several blocks away. It’s just closer than any other gas station.
John: Okay. The next preposition is “beside.”
Becky: This is also used as a preposition of position and place and means “at the side of.”
John: Isn’t that what we said about “next to”?
Becky: Yes, it is. It means the same thing, only it’s slightly more formal.
John: In regular conversation, you’re more likely to hear “next to.”
Becky: That’s right. Shall we look at some examples?
John: I think we should!
Becky: “The exit is beside the counter.”
John: “Don’t wait beside the wall; it’s still wet with paint.”
Becky: That last one is not only a good example, but useful advice too.
John: Yes, always be aware of wet paint!

Outro

John: Okay, that’s all for this lesson. Thank you for listening, everyone, and we’ll see you next time! Bye!
Becky: Bye

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