LOOK AT THIS SHORT VIDEO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sF3bQh-n8g
First extract : all the interesting expressions are in the beginning and in the middle of the video. In the second half, nobody talks, except for the sound of the song.
Here are the activities related to this extract:
! (If necessary, you can click here to see the script:)
Mom : thank you some for coming at such short notice
and so nice of your agency to give us a second chance
you are going to have so much fun together
don’t you dare hurt her
Children : hurry, the sun is coming up
Boy : Can I watch TV?
Boy : Can I play a video game?
Boy : what can I do?
Nanny : something quiet
Quieter
Nanny : we sort by the number of holes
what’s in your mouth?
there are at least twenty things I will not tolerate, and lying is one of them
spit it out
you’re eating my buttons
I wasn’t eating, I was saving
what are you, a hamster? what were you saving it for?
Boy: I don’t know, it’s pretty, it’s my favorite one
Nanny: actually, it’s my favorite too. What do you think of this one?
Boy: it’s ugly, I hate it.
Nanny: So do I. You’re a smart little boy.
Boy: I was playing with my imaginary friend, and Reez hit me because he said I shouldn’t talk to myself
Nanny : Reez is a horrid little boy
I mean, there is nothing wrong with having an imaginary friend
I talk with my Harold all the time.
Boy: You do?
Nanny : Of course, he is here right now.
Boy: would he like a cookie?
FIRST ACTIVITY : UNDERSTANDING THE EXPRESSIONS
How else can you say the phrase that is underlined?
“Thank you so much for coming at such short notice!“
= Thank you so much for coming so soon / so fast / at the last minute like this
Look at the phrase : “and (it’s) so nice of your agency to give us a second chance!”
How can you use the same expression to thank your neighbour for letting you use her car?
“It’s so nice of you to let me use your car!”
How else can you say “You are going to have so much fun together!”
You are going to enjoy your time together so much!
When the mother tells her son “Don’t you dare hurt her (the nanny)”, what is the best way to describe the mother’s emotion : she is sad / worried / dreamy?
The mother is worried that the boy is going to hurt the nanny, so she tells him that she will punish him if he does!
A new day is starting, and the sun is rising.
How else can you say “rising” based on the expression used in the extract? It’s very logical because the expression uses the easy word “come”
“The sun is coming up“
What does the word “sort” mean in the nanny’s phrase : “We sort (the buttons) by the number of holes.”?
“sort” means to separate different objects in a particular order and organise them into categories
When the nanny is surprised when she realizes that the boy has a button is his mouth, he says : “I wasn’t eating it; I was saving it.”
Why did he you this particular verb form? Why didn’t he just say : “I didn’t eat it, I saved it.” ?
Because the boy is describing what he was doing at one particular instant (in this case, this instant happened just before.
When the nanny asks “What were you saving it for?”, why is “for” at the end of the phrase?
The question “what for”? means “what is the reason for your action”? “why exactly are you doing it?” “what is your goal?”
In English, it’s not a good idea to start a phrase with “on”, or “in”, or “at”, or “for”, etc. You think it’s logical to ask “For what were you saving it”?, but that’s not right!
SECOND ACTIVITY : USING THE EXPRESSIONS
Correct the mistakes in these phrases and check your answers:
I can’t write a fifty-page article at such little notice!
I can’t write a fifty-page article at such short notice!
It’s so nice from you to loan me 5 thousand dollars!
It’s so nice of you to loan me 5 thousand dollars!
You are going to make fun together!
You are going to have fun together!
Don’t you dare to touch this electrical equipment; it’s really dangerous!
Don’t you dare touch this electrical equipment; it’s really dangerous!
(After “dare”, you don’t need to use “to” or anything else. The second action follows “dare” directly. There is no particular reason for this, it’s just a rule to memorize.)
Why didn’t you answer the phone when I called you five minutes ago? What did you do? (at that moment?)
Why didn’t you answer the phone when I called you five minutes ago? What were you doing ?
The form “was/were action+ing” is used to describe what somebody was doing at a precise moment in the past.
With who are you going to the party?
Who are you going to the party with?
(It’s not right to start a phrase with “with”, “to”, “from” etc. So, in a question, you put these little words in the end!)
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