Class #31: The Short Life of Anne Frank - part 3

Class #30: The Short Life of Anne Frank - part 2

Vocabulary

CELL

HINGE

CURTAINS

Class #29: The Short Life of Anne Frank - part 1

Vocabulary

GIPSY

JAM

Class #28: Hugh Grant on Being a Dad

Vocabulary

BEARD

KITTEN

THE MAN IS COUGHING

TISSUE

Filling in - Ellen Degeneres interviews Hugh Grant

E: You're still living in London, right?

H: Yes.

E: Yeah... And you have a child now, congratulations on being a brand new dad.

H: Thank you. That's very nice. Very nice. It was uh... I can't pretend it wasn't a little bit of a surprise, but it's a very nice surprise.

E: Yes.

H: In fact, the baby's name in Chinese, 'cause the mother is Chinese, means "happy surprise".

E: Really?

H: Yes.

E: And what is the baby's name?

H: Xaio Xi

E: Xaio Xi?

H: Yes.

E: That's the baby's name?

H: That's one of the baby's names.

E: And do you have to say it, like Xaio Xi! Like that? Do you have to be that surprised?

H: Yes, I find it helps.

E: Yeah... As in Xaio Xi!

H: Xaio Xi!

E: Yeah. Now, is it uh... Like you said, it was a surprise, so is it surprising how wonderful it is? Is there anything surprising about the baby to you?

H: Uh... No, it's surprising that everyone was right all these years saying "Hugh, why don't you have some children, you know, really changes your life..." And oh, shut up.. And now that I have, I have to say it's quite life-changing, I recommend it.

E: Yeah

H: Get some.

E: Ok... Some... Ok, I'll get some.

Yeah, I know, people really want Portia and I to have kids and I think it's... uh... for some people it's better to just not have kids, because you have your... I like my time, I like my, you know, being able to have a conversation without being interrupted and stuff like that.

H: Yes.

E: They're precious.

H: Portia is very high maintenance, I remember her.

E: Yes, she is. She adores you, she said to say hello to you. Uh, but we have a little niece, and that's fun, so I understand the cuteness factor, it's.. They're precious.

H: Yes, yes...

E: Her name also is Xaio Xi!

H: Oh my God. Forgive my cold, by the way. Do you think I sound strange? It's because I'm sick as a kitten.

E: Are you?

H: Yeah.

E: I'm so sorry. And thank you for being here

H: Yes, I'll be doing some coughing.

E: I'll give you, I'll give you that. Do you want that?

H: Thanks. Thanks a bunch, yeah.

E: You know what I have also is uh...

H: Girls always give you one tissue, it's useless. Yeah, those are nice, but they're a bit noisy, unattractive. Ok, that's enough, stop that.

E: Let's talk about the movie and, speaking of your voice, I barely recognized that was your voice in the movie. Why hire Hugh Grant and hide the voice? You should've... Did they wanna hide your voice?

H: Well, they wanted someone who would do press junkets, and all that torment. Uh, that was the main criteria. And, then yeah, it's true, I had to do a funny voice in this film, I actually had to do some acting, which is most unlike me, and uh.. The character is this big bearded fellow, a big chest and a big bearded voice, and bug eyes. Googly eyes.

E: See? That's a very funny voice. And had you done that voice before? Did you just get inspired by seeing the character?

H: Uh, no, I got inspired by seeing the character. Yeah, I found the word "beard", was incredibly important, every time I forgot my character. I just sat "beard, BEARD, beard", ok, I've lost you.

E: No, I'm completely right here. And, so, do you think you'll do more films like this, especially now having Xaio Xi, that you would have more... No wonder, I think everyone's child should be named Xaio Xi, because it's the cutest name in the world, and they'll be able to pronounce it right away.

H: Her mother's name in Tintin.

E: It is? Great.

H: Let me say it, by the way, she's a brilliant mother.

E: Yeah.

H: Wonderful. I have to say that because the whole Chinese press has decided that she's abandoned the baby and so she texted me and she said "please, say on American television that I'm a wonderful mother".

E: Ok.

H: So, she is a wonderful mother.

E: Ok, and she must be with uh...

H: Tintin

E: Tintin must be with Xaio Xaio right now.

H: Xaio Xi!

E: Xaio Xi! Xaio Xaio is the next child. Is Tintin with,,,

H: Yes! In London, yes...

E: Of course, they're together.

E: Yeah.

E: How often do you see Xaio Xi?

H: I... Quite a lot. Most days I get around and... We do airplanes and uh... That's with Tintin, and then I play with the baby.

E: Oh... We're running out of time and I could do this forever. We uh.. Let's take a break and then we're going to come back and you actually said you wanna have tea time with Sophia Grace and Rosy, which I look forward to. 

H: I did, I did.

E: I'm sure you all hang out together on the other side of the pond, right? You must hang out with her.

H: Yes, celeb parties, they're always there.

E: Alright, we'll be right back after this, with Hugh.

Class #27: Friends - Ross and Mona moving forward

Vocabulary

ROCKEFELLER CENTER

PRETZEL

VENDOR

THEY'RE ICE-SKATING

SNOW

SKATER

BREASTS 

FAMILY HOLIDAY CARD

 
LOCK

LOCKSMITH

NIPPLES

BATMAN IS SLAPPING ROBIN

  

POLICE OFFICER

Mona: Hey! Hey!

Ross: Hi!

Mona: Hi! Look! I got our pictures developed from Rockefeller Center.

Ross: Oh great! Hey-hey Joey, do you want to check out pictures of me and Mona ice skating?

Joey: Oh uh, ordinarily I would love to, but I am just swamped right now. 

Ross: Hey where-where are the pictures that creepy pretzel vendor took of us together?

Mona: Oh yeah, probably at the end. Oh my God! All he took were pictures of my breasts!

Joey: I’m missing picture time?!

Phoebe: You know, she has a face Ross!

Mona: Okay. Okay, here’s a good one of us.

Ross: Wow! That is a good one! Wow, it looks like a, like a holiday card y’know, with the tree in the middle and the skaters and the snow. 

Mona: Y’know, every year I say I’m gonna send out holiday cards and I never do it. Do you wanna, do you wanna send this one out together?

Ross: Together? Like-like to people?

Mona: Yeah, y’know. Happy holidays from Mona and Ross. It’ll be cute, okay?

Ross: Okay.

Mona: Oh, I gotta get to work. So call me later?

Ross: Uh sure, sure.

Mona: Bye guys.

Phoebe: Bye.

Joey: Congratulations! You just got married!

________________________________________________________________

Ross:  Hey!

Rachel: Oh hey! Hey Ross! Hey how’s it, how’s it going with you and Mona? Are you guys still together?

Ross: Oh yeah, yeah we’re moving forward. You’ll be getting our card!

Monica: You and Mona are doing a holiday card together?

Ross: Yeah, we’re not just doing a card! Y’know, she-she also wants to have the conversation about where the relationship is going.

Phoebe: Ugh! Women!

Ross: I know! I know! Why do you guys need to have this conversation?! Huh? I mean no self-respecting man would ask a woman, "So, where is this going?"

Rachel: Uh Ross? You asked me that.

Ross: Hey! You were a closed book! Okay? I’m not a mind reader!

Monica: Well what're you gonna say to her? I mean, where is this relationship going?

Ross: I-I don't know, I mean I really like her, and I wanna keep dating her.

Phoebe: So tell her that.

Ross: No, I can't. Beause then she's gonna say "Well if it's not moving anywhere, then-then-then, we should just break up."

Phoebe: Yeah that's true.

Monica: That's right.

Ross: Tell you, besides, I hate those conversations. I'm horrible at them. Really! Maybe-maybe I need some kind of a gesture. You know, something that says we're moving forward without having to talk about it.

Monica: Like asking her to move in with you?

Ross: Wow, huh, smaller than that.

Monica: Making her a mixtape?

Ross: Uh, bigger than that.

Phoebe: Give her a key to your apartment.

Ross: Whoa-hello! We were closer with the mixtape.

Monica: All right. Have you said, "I love you?" You could say I love you.

Ross: Yeah I-I don't-I don't think I'm quite there yet, but oh, I could say I looove spending time with you.

Phoebe: No, we hate that.

Monica: That is a slap in the face.

Ross: Oh forget it. I-I-You know what? I-I'll just, I'll have the conversation. I'll just say I like things the way they are, and-and hope for the best. What do you think Rach?

Rachel: I think, if it was a little colder in here I could see your nipples through that sweater.

________________________________________________________________

Ross: Mona umm, I think it's time we-we had a conversation about-about where things are with us.

Mona: Yeah, I-I think I suggested that.

Ross: Aw, we-we are so...So, umm, well I-I-I really like you and I-I love umm, you know hanging out with you. And I mean-I'm having a lot of fun.

Mona: Ok.

Ross: I mean, there's no point in spending time with someone if-if it's just fun. I mean It's gotta be, it's gotta be going somewhere right? So where-where is it going?  Ah! That's-that's the real question. And-and the answer is...it's going somewhere...fun. Now I-I know what you're thinking, fun was fine for you like ten years ago you know, but I mean you're-you're not getting any younger. No I mean-No not you, not you, you-you are getting younger. I mean-you-you look like you're getting younger by the, by the second-What's your secret?

Mona: I'm sorry, so, umm, so where are we?

Ross: Well, well, to sum up, we're having fun, you look young.

Mona: Ok...

Ross: But that's not enough. So... So...here's a key to my apartment.

Mona: Really?!

Ross: Really.

Mona: You don't think this is too fast.

________________________________________________________________

Rachel: You gave her a key to your apartment?!

Ross: Not just a key, I gave her the only key! I am now a homeless person in a very serious relationship.

________________________________________________________________

Ross: Ok, and oh I'm gonna need a bunch of extra keys. Apparently I-I give them away for no reason at all.

Mona: Hey Ross, what's going on? Are you changing the lock?

Ross: No. That guy is.

Mona: I don't understand. You-you give me a key to your apartment and then you change the lock?

Ross: Uh...

Locksmith: Good luck buddy.

Mona: Umm, I-I thought we were moving forward and now you're-you're sending me all these mixed signals. What are you trying to tell me?

Ross: I'm trying to tell you I made you a mixtape.

Mona: What?

Ross: I love you!

Mona: Ohh! And I love spending time with you. 

Rockefeller Center: is a complex of 19 commercial buildings covering 22 acres (89,000 m2) between 48th and 51st streets in New York City, United States. Commissioned by the Rockefeller family, it is located in the center of Midtown Manhattan, spanning the area between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987.

Ice skating at Rockefeller Center is a quintessential New York City winter experience. The Rink at Rock Center first opened on Christmas Day in 1936. It can accommodate approximately 150 skaters at a time and the rink is 122 feet long and 59 feet wide.

Verbs Followed by Gerunds OR Infinitives

Verbs followed by a to-infinitive

Some verbs can be followed immediately by a to-infinitive:

afford	demand	like	pretend
agree	fail	love	promise
arrange	forget	manage	refuse
ask	hate	mean (= intend)	remember
begin	help	need	start
choose	hope	offer	try
continue	intend	plan	want
decide	learn	prefer

I can’t afford to go on holiday.

It began to rain.

She hopes to go to university next year.

My mother never learnt to swim.

Did you remember to ring Nigel?

See also:

• Help somebody (to) do
• Want
• Verbs followed by a direct object and a to-infinitive

Verbs followed by -ing

-ing but not to-infinitive

Some verbs are normally followed by the -ing form, not the to-infinitive:

admit	deny	finish	mind
avoid	dislike	give up	miss
(can’t) help	enjoy	imagine	practise
(can’t) stand	fancy	involve	put off
consider	feel like	keep (on)	risk

I always enjoy cooking.

Not: I always enjoy to cook.

We haven’t finished eating yet.

Not: We haven’t finished to eat.

She keeps changing her mind about the wedding.

New subject before -ing

Some of these verbs (e.g. can’t stand, dislike, imagine, involve, mind, miss, put off and risk) can be used with a new subject before the -ing form (underlined in the examples below). If the new subject is a pronoun, it is in the object form (me, him, her, us, them):

We just couldn’t imagine Gerry singing in public.

Do you mind me being here while you’re working?

I don’t want to risk him losing his job.

See also:

• Verbs followed by -ing

Verbs followed by a to-infinitive or -ing

Hate, like, love, prefer

Hate, like, love and prefer can be followed either by -ing or a to-infinitive. The difference in meaning is often small. The -ing form emphasises the verb itself. The to-infinitive puts the emphasis more on the preference for, or the results of, the action.

Compare

-ing form	to-infinitive
I love cooking Indian food. (emphasis on the process itself and enjoyment of it)	I like to drink juice in the morning, and tea at lunchtime. (emphasis more on the preference or habit)
She hates cleaning her room. (emphasis on the process itself and no enjoyment of it)	I hate to be the only person to disagree.(emphasis more on the result: I would prefer not to be in that situation.)
Most people prefer watching a film at the cinema rather than on TV.(emphasis on the process itself and enjoyment of it)	We prefer to drive during the day whenever we can. (emphasis more on the result and on the habit or preference. The speaker doesn’t necessarily enjoy the process of driving at any time of day.)

Hate, like, love, prefer with would or should

When hate, like, love and prefer are used with would or should, only theto-infinitive is used, not the -ing form:

She’d love to get a job nearer home.

Not: She’d love getting a job nearer home.

Would you like to have dinner with us on Friday?

To-infinitive or -ing form with a change in meaning

Some verbs can be followed by a to-infinitive or the -ing form, but with a change in meaning:

go on	need	remember	try
mean	regret	stop	want

Compare

-ing form	to-infinitive
Working in London means leaving home at 6.30. (Because I work in London, this is the result or consequence.)	I didn’t mean to make you cry. (I didn’t intend to make you cry.)
He went on singing after everyone else had finished. (He continued singing without stopping.)	She recited a poem, then went on tosing a lovely folk song. (She recited the poem first, then she sang the song.)
I tried searching the web and finally found an address for him.(I searched the web to see what information I could find.)	I tried to email Simon but it bounced back. (I tried/attempted to email him but I did not succeed.)
She stopped crying as soon as she saw her mother. (She was crying, and then she didn’t cry anymore.)	We stopped to buy some water at the motorway service area. (We were travelling and we stopped for a short time in order to buy some water.)

See also:

• Mean
• Need
• Remember or remind?
• Stop + -ing form or to-infinitive
• Want

Verbs followed by an infinitive without to

Let, make

Let and make are followed by an infinitive without to in active voice sentences. They always have an object (underlined) before the infinitive:

Let me show you this DVD I’ve got.

They made us wait while they checked our documents.

Not: They made us to wait …

Help

Help can be followed by an infinitive without to or a to-infinitive:

She helped me find a direction in life.

Everyone can help to reduce carbon emissions by using public transport.

See also:

• Help somebody (to) do
• Let, let’s
• Make

 

Verbs followed by -ing or an infinitive without to

A group of verbs connected with feeling, hearing and seeing can be used with -ing or with an infinitive without to:

feel	notice	see
hear	overhear	watch

When they are used with -ing, these verbs emphasise the action or event in progress. When they are used with an infinitive without to, they emphasise the action or event seen as a whole, or as completed.

Compare

-ing	infinitive without to
She heard people shouting in the street below and looked out of the window. (emphasises that the shouting probably continued or was repeated)	I heard someone shout ‘Help!’, so I ran to the river.(emphasises the whole event: the person probably shouted only once)
A police officer saw him runningalong the street. (emphasises the running as it was happening)	Emily saw Philip run out of Sandra’s office. (emphasises the whole event from start to finish)

Verbs followed by a direct object and a to-infinitive

Some verbs are used with a direct object (underlined) followed by a to-infinitive. These verbs include:

advise	hate	like	persuade	request
ask	help	love	prefer	teach
challenge	instruct	need	recommend	tell
choose	intend	order	remind	want
forbid	invite

I advised him to get a job as soon as possible.

Did Martin teach Gary to play squash?

They want me to go to Germany with them.

Idioms and expressions with the word ‘point’

TO BE POINTLESS / THERE BE NO POINT IN DOING SOMETHING / NOT TO SEE THE POINT IN DOING SOMETHING

If you say that ‘something is pointless’, you mean that it’s useless.
i.e. Talking to him is pointless, he never listens.

The expressions ‘there be no point IN doING something’ and ‘not to see the point in doing something’ have the same meaning.

i.e. There is no point in talking to him, he never listens.
i.e. I don’t see the point in talking to him, he never listens.

AT SOME POINT

‘at some point’ simply means ‘some time‘.
i.e. I’ll come around at some point this week
i.e. At what point in your life did you decide to become a teacher? (‘at what point’ in a question just means ‘when‘).

UP TO SOME/ A POINT

The expression ‘up to some/a point’ puts a limit to what is being said:
i.e. You can follow other people’s advice up to some point. >> (After this point) You should figure out by yourself what’s best for you.
i.e. That’s true up to a point

‘to some extent‘ has a similar meaning.
i.e. I agree with you to some extent

TO MAKE A POINT & HAVE A POINT & TO GET SOMEONE’S POINT & TO SEE SOMEONE’S POINT & MY POINT IS..

These idioms are used when discussing opinions.

To GIVE your opinion you could start by saying

‘My / The point is…
The point I want to make is ..
…that people should have the right to express their opinion

When discussing someone else’s opinion, you could say ‘I get your point’ / I see your point / I see the point you want to make / You have a point! / That’s a good point! ‘  to mean that you UNDERSTAND the other person’s view on something.

While, if you DON’T understand the other person’s opinion, you could say
“I’m sorry but…
     I don’t see your point
     I don’t see the point you want to make
     I don’t get your point

Note: all the above expressions are followed by the preposition ‘IN’ plus the gerund (-ING):
i.e. I don’t see your point in saying that people should mind their own business

TO MAKE A POINT OF DOING SOMETHING

If ‘you make a point of doing something’, you make sure you’re able to do it.
i.e. I always make a point of watching the news. I want to know what’s going on in the world.

TO GET TO THE POINT

When you ask someone ‘to get to the point’, you want to know what their intention / objective is.
i.e. I don’t have time to waste, can you please get to the point?

TO POINT something OUT TO someone

If you point something out, you want to draw people’s attention to it.
i.e. He pointed this problem out to me the other day

It’s high time…

In English, there are several different ways to say the same thing. The exact form we use depends upon the situation. For example, certain structures commonly used in informal situations are not considered appropriate in a formal style.

The phrases ‘It’s high time…’ and ‘Let’s…’ can both be used to make suggestions.

Let’s is the short form for Let us. It is followed by an infinitive without to.

• Let’s go home.
• Let’s eat out tonight.
• Let’s buy some flowers for Mary.
• Let’s start now.

This structure is mainly used in informal contexts. If it is a suggestion, it is often followed by the tag, ‘shall we?’

• Let’s go to the park, shall we?
• Let’s buy something to eat, shall we?

As you can see, this is not an order. It is merely a polite way of suggesting that you and the people you are talking to should do something.

Let’s… becomes a polite instruction or order when it is used without shall we? Parents often use this form while talking with their kids.

• Come on, let’s go. It is already late.

It’s high time…

Now if you feel that it is already late for something to happen, you can use the expression ‘It’s high time…’ This structure might look unusual, because it uses a past tense form to talk about the present or future. In fact, past tenses are used to talk about the present / future in many phrases with time.

• It’s high time you got that car repaired.
• It’s time you got that car repaired. (This pattern shows a little less urgency.)
• It’s about time you got that car repaired.
• It’s high time we bought a new car.
• It’s time we bought a new car.
• It’s about time we bought a new car.

Note that these expressions are mainly used in formal contexts. In less formal situations, we are more likely to use a form with let.