Dialogue

Vocabulary

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Lesson Transcript

INTRODUCTION
Michael: At a Family Reunion.
Michael: Hi everyone, I'm Michael.
Alisha: And I'm Alisha.
Michael: In this lesson, you'll learn how to post and leave comments in English about a family gathering. Chris goes to a family gathering, posts an image of it, and leaves this comment:
Alisha: "Everyone knows that family is the worst, so why do we have to go to family dinners?!"
Michael: Listen to a reading of the post and the comments that follow.
DIALOGUE
(clicking sound)
Chris: "Everyone knows that family is the worst, so why do we have to go to family dinners?!"
(clicking sound)
Gloria: "It can't be that bad?"
Wendy: "Sneak a hip flask with you, just in case…"
Jennifer: "If I have to suffer, you have to suffer too. It's called love."
Alex: "Be happy you're not Spanish, I've heard they hang out with family every weekend!"
POST
Michael: Listen again to Chris's post.
Alisha: (SLOW) "Everyone knows that family is the worst, so why do we have to go to family dinners?!"
Alisha: (Regular) "Everyone knows that family is the worst, so why do we have to go to family dinners?!"
Michael: Let's break this down.
Alisha: First is the expression "Everyone knows that family is the worst."
Michael: "Everyone knows" is used when speaking about a group of people where most of those people "know" something. It's an expression used to exaggerate. "Know" can be substituted for another verb. For example: "Everyone has iPhones," meaning a lot of people have iPhones - not everyone. Listen again.
Alisha: (SLOW) "Everyone knows that family is the worst." (REGULAR) "Everyone knows that family is the worst."
Michael: Then comes the phrase...
Alisha: "....so why do we have to go to family dinners?!"
Michael: "Why do we have to...?" is a common expression, it's usually used for complaining. We can substitute "we" for "I" or any other pronoun. For example, "Why do I have to clean my room now?" Listen again.
Alisha: (SLOW) "....so why do we have to go to family dinners?!" (REGULAR) "...so why do we have to go to family dinners?!"
Michael: All together...
Alisha: "Everyone knows that family is the worst, so why do we have to go to family dinners?!"
COMMENTS
Michael: In response, Chris's friends leave some comments.
Michael: His neighbor, Gloria, says...
Alisha: (SLOW) "It can't be that bad?" (REGULAR) "It can't be that bad?"
[Pause]
Alisha: "It can't be that bad?"
Michael: Use this expression to show you think the other person is being cynical.
Michael: His high school friend, Wendy, says...
Alisha: (SLOW) "Sneak a hip flask with you, just in case…" (REGULAR) "Sneak a hip flask with you, just in case…"
[Pause]
Alisha: "Sneak a hip flask with you, just in case…"
Michael: Use this expression to be funny.
Michael: His wife, Jennifer, says...
Alisha: (SLOW) "If I have to suffer, you have to suffer too. It's called love." (REGULAR) "If I have to suffer, you have to suffer too. It's called love."
[Pause]
Alisha: "If I have to suffer, you have to suffer too. It's called love."
Michael: Use this expression to show you are feeling sensitive and humorous.
Michael: His nephew, Alex, says...
Alisha: (SLOW) "Be happy you're not Spanish, I've heard they hang out with family every weekend!" (REGULAR) "Be happy you're not Spanish, I've heard they hang out with family every weekend!"
[Pause]
Alisha: "Be happy you're not Spanish, I've heard they hang out with family every weekend!"
Michael: Use this expression to show you are being humorous and showing understanding of the diversity in different cultures.

Outro

Michael: Okay, that's all for this lesson. If a friend posted something about a family gathering, which phrase would you use? Leave us a comment letting us know. And we'll see you next time!
Alisha: Bye!

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