Learn how to discuss in English the pros and cons of making a decision
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| INTRODUCTION |
| Jonathan: Hi everyone! Welcome back to EnglishClass101.com! Jonathan here. |
| Dede: And I’m Dede! This is Upper Intermediate Season 1, and we’re already at lesson 3 – The Hunt for a Good American Apartment. |
| Jonathan: In this lesson we’ll hear a conversation outside on the street after a day of apartment hunting. You'll learn to talk about positives and negatives, also known as pros and cons. |
| Dede: This conversation takes place between Dave and Sheila. They’re looking for a place to live and just spent all day seeing several apartments they’re considering. |
| Jonathan: Since Dave and Sheila are friends, they’ll be speaking very casually. |
| Dede: Let's listen to the conversation! |
Lesson conversation |
|---|
| DAVE: I think being roommates was a great idea. I think we make a pretty good apartment-hunting team! |
| SHEILA: Ha ha, me too! What did you think of that last apartment? |
| DAVE: It was so nice! It was big, and it's in a really upscale neighborhood. |
| SHEILA: Yeah, it was, but on the other hand, it was a bit out of our price range, don't you think? |
| DAVE: Sadly, yes. The other one we saw was affordable...but it's in kind of a run-down neighborhood! |
| SHEILA: On the plus side, though, it was right next to the Metro. |
| DAVE: That's true; it certainly has convenience going for it. It wouldn't take me more than fifteen minutes to get to work. |
| SHEILA: Yeah, I hate commuting, and it would definitely cut down on my time too. |
| DAVE: I'm just worried that a place like that might have lead pipes or bed bugs. |
| SHEILA: Oh come on, don't be so paranoid; it wasn't so bad! |
| POST CONVERSATION BANTER |
| Dede: Geez, apartment hunting sounds kind of stressful… |
| Jonathan: It certainly can be – a lot of the times it’s fun though. Sadly a lot of the best places are the ones you can’t afford. |
| Dede: Yeah, and the ones you can afford are in a bad location, too small, in an old building, or have some other negative point. |
| Jonathan: (laughs) But when you find a good one, it’s really exciting. |
| Dede: I bet it is! It must be a real relief. |
| Jonathan: Alright, are you ready for some vocab? |
| Dede: I’m ready! |
| VOCAB LIST |
| Jonathan: Let's take a look at the vocabulary for this lesson. |
| Dede: The first word we shall see is... |
| Jonathan: upscale [natural native speed] |
| Dede: high-end, nice, trendy, and expensive |
| Jonathan: upscale [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Jonathan: upscale [natural native speed] |
| Dede: Next we have... |
| Jonathan: price range [natural native speed] |
| Dede: the range of prices that you are willing to spend for something, usually expensive things |
| Jonathan: price range [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Jonathan: price range [natural native speed] |
| Dede: Next is... |
| Jonathan: affordable [natural native speed] |
| Dede: not too expensive |
| Jonathan: affordable [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Jonathan: affordable [natural native speed] |
| Dede: Next we have... |
| Jonathan: run-down [natural native speed] |
| Dede: old and not well maintained, falling apart |
| Jonathan: run-down [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Jonathan: run-down [natural native speed] |
| Dede: Next is... |
| Jonathan: The Metro [natural native speed] |
| Dede: the Washington, D.C. light rail system consisting of both subway and above ground tracks. |
| Jonathan: The Metro [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Jonathan: The Metro [natural native speed] |
| Dede: Next we have... |
| Jonathan: cut down [natural native speed] |
| Dede: to reduce |
| Jonathan: cut down [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Jonathan: cut down [natural native speed] |
| Dede: Next is... |
| Jonathan: lead [natural native speed] |
| Dede: a metal that old pipes were made of, lead pipes are no longer used because they can cause health problems |
| Jonathan: lead [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Jonathan: lead [natural native speed] |
| Dede: Next we have... |
| Jonathan: to worry [natural native speed] |
| Dede: to feel concerned about something |
| Jonathan: worry [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Jonathan: worry [natural native speed] |
| Dede: Next is... |
| Jonathan: bed-bug [natural native speed] |
| Dede: a small insect that can live in beds or furniture and that bites humans at night |
| Jonathan: bed-bug [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Jonathan: bed-bug [natural native speed] |
| Dede: Next we have... |
| Jonathan: paranoid [natural native speed] |
| Dede: irrationally afraid (usually from invented threats) |
| Jonathan: paranoid [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Jonathan: paranoid [natural native speed] |
| VOCAB AND PHRASE USAGE |
| Jonathan: Let's have a closer look at the usage for some of the words and phrases from this lesson. |
| Jonathan: The first phrase we have is… |
| Dede: “It was a bit out of our price range.” |
| Jonathan: We can say something is “out of our price range” when it is more expensive than we are willing to pay for it. So if you are looking for a $600 computer but the salesman shows you a $1,000 model, you could say… |
| Dede: Hmm, “Sorry, that’s a bit out of my price range.” |
| Jonathan: Right! What’s the next phrase? |
| Dede: Dave says “I’m just worried that…” |
| Jonathan: “I’m just worried that…” is a soft way of saying that you are unsure that something is a good idea and that you want to be careful with it. |
| Dede: Right. In the conversation, Dave used it like this: I’m just worried that a place like that might have lead pipes or bed bugs. |
| Jonathan: That’s how he shows his concern about the affordable apartment. Okay, now let’s get onto the Grammar Point. |
Lesson focus |
| Dede: The focus of this lesson is expressing pros and cons when making decisions. |
| Jonathan: Sheila and Dave are talking about two different apartments they saw while they were apartment hunting today. |
| Dede: Dave says “It was so nice! It was big and it's in a really upscale neighborhood.” |
| Jonathan: And then Sheila replies “Yeah it was, but on the other hand it was a bit out of our price range, don't you think?” |
| Dede: What does Sheila mean by “on the other hand” |
| Jonathan: Good question. “On the other hand” is a great phrase to use when we are talking about the pros and cons of something. When do you think we use it? |
| Dede: Well, I guess that Sheila used it when she made a negative statement after Dave had made a positive statement |
| Jonathan: Absolutely right. We usually use “on the other hand” when we want to express two opposite opinions on the same topic. |
| Dede: Ahh I see. So I could say “You are very funny, but on the other hand not very good looking.” |
| Jonathan: Haha, I suppose so! And I could say that “You are smart, but on the other hand not very nice.” |
| Dede: (laughs)… What are some other phrases we can use like that? |
| Jonathan: Well, “On the other hand” can be used by yourself or when talking with someone else the way Sheila used it. We can use “Maybe, but I think that…” or “That’s true, but…” when we want to express a different opinion than someone we are talking to. Why don’t you make a pro statement about something? |
| Dede: Hmmm… Jay-Z is a very talented rapper. |
| Jonathan: That’s true, but I think that his lyrics aren’t very good. |
| Dede: Ah, I see! |
| Jonathan: Do you want to try making a con statement now? |
| Dede: Sure… “Broccoli tastes really gross.” |
| Jonathan: Maybe, but I think that it’s really healthy for you. |
| Dede: Well, that’s true! |
| Jonathan: Using these kinds of phrases, we can express both pros and cons when we are talking with someone else. |
| Dede: Great! But what about when we are talking ourselves? |
| Jonathan: Well, like we said, we can always use “On the other hand”, but there are a lot of other phrases we can use too. |
| Dede: Sheila also says “On the plus side”, is that one of them? |
| Jonathan: Exactly! We can say “On the plus side” followed by a good aspect, and then “but on the negative side” followed by a bad aspect. Why don’t you demonstrate for our listeners? |
| Dede: Oh, Ok… let’s see… On the plus side, learning English will help me with my job and is fun, but on the negative side, it takes a lot of work and practice. |
| Jonathan: Perfect! Learning is fun and useful, but on the other hand, it can be very difficult. That was a great usage and I agree with you 100%. |
| Dede: Thanks! |
Outro |
| Jonathan: Well, folks, that’s all for this lesson. |
| Dede: Check out the Lesson Notes for even more phrases and examples. |
| Jonathan: See you next lesson! |
| Dede: Bye for now! |
44 Comments
HideHello Listeners! What do you think is important when you look for a new place?
Hello Cabdiqani and Mariana,
Thanks for taking the time to ask your question. 😄
@Cabdiqani - "Though" can be a conjunction or adverb meaning 'despite the fact that, although or however.' The phrase "on the other hand" means to introduce a contrasting point of view, fact, or situation.
@Mariana - Thanks for taking the time to ask us your question. 'Commuting' is a verb defined as 'to travel some distance between one's home and place of work on a regular basis.' This person doesn't like doing that!
I hope this is helpful to you. 😄👍
Sincerely,
Éva
Team EnglishClass101.com
Good Lesson, I just have a question: whas does it mean "I hate commuting" that Sheila mentioned.
Thanks!
Hello Emilody,
Thanks for getting in touch.
The word "commuting" is a verb meaning 'to travel some distance between one's home and place of work on a regular basis.'
I hope this is helpful to you. 😄👍
Sincerely,
Éva
Team EnglishClass101.com
Hello! What does mean commuting on the dialogue?
Hello Green,
Thanks for taking the time to post. 👍
In relation to your question, both of your examples are grammatically correct.
The difference is the words 'have' and 'are.' The word 'are' indicates existence. The word 'have' is used to show possession/ ownership. For example, "We have finished studying" means the speaker is in the possession of completed studies.
Please let us know if you have any questions throughout your studies.
Cheers,
Éva
Team EnglishClass101.com
What is the difference between these two sentences?
Is the #2 sentence grammatically correct?
1. We have finished studying!
2. We are finished studying!
Hello Soha Amir,
Thanks a lot for your feedback. We are continuously working on improving our site, app, and materials, therefore the opinion of our students is highly valuable.
I will forward your message to our team for consideration! 😇
Kind regards,
Levente
Team EnglishClass101.com
i would rate it a 9.5/10 for just needing more words in the conversation other than that it's pretty good!👍
Hello Saran,
Thank you so much for your positive message! 😇❤️️
Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
We wish you good luck with your language studies.
Kind regards,
Levente
Team EnglishClass101.com
Thank you for your lesson! I always learn a lot of new and interesting things from your lesson. Wish you all best! Btw, I think the most important part of a new place to live in is it's location. Safety comes first. I'm woman, so I am going to buy apartment in safety neighborhood.