Choose Your English Lesson 04

LESSON 4

The scene is Barbara and Harry at home. The mood of this lesson is that of suspicion.

Conversation

(Doorbell rings)

BARBARA:   Who could that be, so late?

HARRY:         I’ll go and see.

BARBARA:   Oh, I wouldn’t. Who knows . . . at this hour?

HARRY:         Yes, you may be right.

           

(Doorbell rings again)

                        But anyway, let’s see. Good evening. What can I do for you?

VISITOR:       I wonder . . . I’m looking for a Mr. and Mrs. Sallis.

HARRY:         Oh really! In what connection?

VISITOR:       Some friends told me to look them up.

HARRY :        Friends

VISITOR:       They said I must look them up.

HARRY:         What friends?

VISITOR:       Mary and Edward Rolls.

HARRY:         Oh, Mary and Edward - but it is a bit late. Why didn’t you call earlier?

VISITOR:       I missed a train, then a bus.

HARRY :        Really. That was a bit careless, wasn’t it?

Well I suppose you’d better come in. I’m Harry Sallis. And this is my wife,       Barbara.

BARBARA:   Well, what’s your name?

VISITOR:       Bridges. John Bridges.

BARBARA:   And you know Mary and Edward?

VISITOR:       Yes, very well. I’ve known them for years.

They said as I was in this part of the country…

HARRY:         Sit down.

VISITOR:       I’m sorry it’s so late. It’s really inexcusable.

HARRY:         And how are Mary and Edward?

VISITOR :      Oh, very well. They sent you their best wishes.

HARRY:         What’s Edward doing nowadays?

VISITOR:       Oh, working . . . the same thing.

BARBARA:   How d’you mean, the same thing?

VISITOR:       Oh, working very hard.

HARRY:         You know them quite well?

VISITOR:       Of course.

BARBARA:   And what did they suggest . . . I mean, what can we do for you?

VISITOR:       Oh, nothing. But actually I wondered if you’d put me up.

HARRY:         Well. I don’t know. I mean frankly, I’m a bit doubtful.

VISITOR:       About what?

HARRY:         Well, I don’t want to be discourteous, or anything - but after all, you could be                         any one…

VISITOR:       But, Mary and Edward…

HARRY:         That’s all very well. But I’d like to ask you more about them. You haven’t told                        us much.

VISITOR:       Haven’t I? No, I suppose I haven’t.

DRILL Seven for Lesson 4 Exercise 2.

Here is some practice with phrasal verbs used with a noun and then with a pronoun. Listen to what Barbara is doing or not doing and then tell us about Harry, like this:

Barbara is looking up her friends in London.

Harry is looking them up, too.

Barbara isn’t looking up her friends in London.

Harry isn’t looking them up, either.

Now you try:

1. Barbara’s not keen to put up John Bridges.

Harry’s not keen to put him up, either.

2. Barbara’s done up their new house.

Harry’s done it up, too.

3. Barbara’s painting brought out the colours of the walls,

Harry’s painting brought them out, too.

4. Barbara’s called out the manager.

Harry’s called him out, too.

5. Barbara’s trying to get back the deposit.

Harry’s trying to get it back, too.

DRILL 8 for Lesson 4 Exercise 4.

The Past forms of verbs is used when they are introduced by expressions of wishing or supposing, like this:

We wish we knew more about you.

Introduce the following statements by the phrase you will hear at the end of each statement, like this

The trains leave on time. If only.

If only the trains left on time.

Now begin

1. I have a new house. If only.

If only I had a new house.

2. I can sell my car. I wish.

I wish I could sell my car.

3. We know who you are and where you come from. If only.

If only we knew who you were and where you came from.

4. We get a new tank and have the plumbing repaired. It’s high time.

It’s high time we got a new tank and had the plumbing repaired.

5. I have a million pounds and don’t need to work anymore. I’d rather.

I’d rather I had a million pounds and didn’t need to work anymore.

DRILL 9 for Lesson 4 Exercise 6.

The falling-rising tone used with emphasized adverbs in Drill Five also accompanies words expressing a speaker’s doubt or reservation. It occurs on one syllable like this:

Yes, but I’m rather doubtful.

or over several syllables like this:

I don’t want to be discourteous or anything.

Express the following in the first person and use that doubtful tone

1, You don’t want to be discourteous or anything.

I don’t want to be discourteous or anything.

2. You don’t want to seem stupid or anything but you don’t understand.

I don’t want to seem stupid or anything but I don’t understand.

3. You know I’ve come a long way, but it’s very late.

I know you’ve come a long way, but it’s very late.

4. You’re a bit doubtful about putting me up.

I’m a bit doubtful about putting you up.

5. I really haven’t told you very much.

You really haven’t told me very much.