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In LESSON 7 we learn English vocabulary for multi-part verbs (phrasal verbs).

We will explain step-by-step the structure and grammar of phrasal verbs. 

After we will explain some slang and street language terms. 

Finally students will practice with communication activities, quizzes and games.

Vintage Volkswagen burger van with custom wheels... you go first.

(TEXT VERSION)

1. Nope!

2. Not possible

3. I’m afraid not.

4. Absolutely not.

5. Forget it.

6. Forget about it!

7. Hell no!

8. Up to a point…

9. No way!

10. No way José!

11. Not on your nelly!

12. Certainly not.

CHAPTER 7 SONG 1

ZAK WASHINGTON: A VERY GOOD MORNING TO YOU STUDENTS!!!!!

STUDENTS: (Waking up) Why are you shouting at us?

ZAK WASHINGTON: Because it’s ten o’clock in the morning. Because it’s time to get out of bed and study phrasal verbs! Get up! Get dressed! Get busy! (SP: pónte a trabajar IT: datti da fare)

FRANÇOIS: But we only went to sleep two hours ago! If you had picked up someone last night like Giovanni, you’d want to stay in bed all day like we do!

ANJA: He was so drunk that he brought a 'lady' dressed as a man back here.

AHMET: He hasn’t even realised yet! (SP: no se ha enterado todavía IT: non si ha reso conto ancora)

(A shout coming from Giovanni’s room.)

GIOVANNI: Aaagghhh!!!

STUDENTS: He’s realised now!

GIOVANNI: (entering the room.) Oh my God! There’s a man in my bed dressed as a woman!

MARIA: We have been in London for ages, and all we have done is drink a lot and visit stupid places. When are we going to do something cultural?

ZAK WASHINGTON: Today! We are going to the Halston Palace to have lunch with Lady Forbsworth.

SOPHIE: Oh great! A real lady! A palace! Fantastic! 

ZAK WASHINGTON: Here we are! One of the great London sights  (SP: monumentos IT: attrazioni). The Halston Palace!

FRANÇOIS: I can’t see a palace anywhere!

MARIA & FRANÇOIS: It’s not a palace! It looks like a typical, dirty, smelly, workmen’s café (SP: cafetería, cantina IT: mensa, bar) !

MARIA: It smells of body odour (SP: olor corporal IT: odore de corpo) and grease.

MARIA & FRANÇOIS: It’s full of working men (SP: obreros IT: operari)… and building site labourers (SP: albañiles IT: muratori). They are all reading newspapers called ‘The Sun’ or ‘The Mirror’… and talking about a ‘page three girl’.

FRANÇOIS: I thought that we were going to eat with Lady Forbsworth!

ZAK WASHINGTON: We are! There’s Lady Forbsworth sat in the corner.

SOPHIE (in a state of shock.): But she’s got blue hair, a plastic mini-skirt and a ring (SP: anillo, IT  anello) through her nose! She doesn’t look like an aristocratic lady.

AHMET: Wait! I know her! She’s a stripper! (SP: estriptista IT: spogliarellista) She works in the Royal Revue Club. Lady Forbsworth is only a stage-name. She’s not a real lady. The English love to see an ‘aristocrat’ strip off! (SP: desnudarse  IT: spogliarsi)

(TEXT VERSION)

ESSENTIAL 'BAD' ENGLISH

BRITISH SLANG 5

DO

EVENT / REUNION

"We're having a family do this weekend. Wanna come?"

DIM

NOT VERY INTELLIGENT

'Good-looking but a bit dim.'

RANT

ANGRY IMPASSIONED SPEECH

'He gave a big political rant on social media.'

TO LOAF

TO AVOID WORK

'Stop loafing and start working!'

MINTED

RICH

LEGLESS

DRUNK

'He's totally legless again.'

WAFFLE

TO TALK INCESSANTLY

'What are you waffling on about? Shut up!'

GRIM

MISERABLE

'It's grim up north!'

GOB

MOUTH

'Why don't you shut your gob?'

A TAD

A LITTLE / SMALL AMOUNT

'It was a tad too expensive.'

Match the following verbs with the correct meaning.

Get into pairs.

Rephrase the following words in italics, using only verbs containing the word ‘GET’.

Use the verbs from above, or just the word ‘GET’ alone.

Pay special attention to whether (SP: se IT: si ) the phrasal verbs are separable or inseparable.

ZAK WASHINGTON: (drunk in the disco) Hey Maria! What have you been doing recently? 

Can I fetch you a drink? I was thinking that we could take a little holiday together.

Just you and I. We could board a bus, and exit the bus in the country.

When we arrive there, we could visit somewhere pretty...

It has taken me a long time to say what I have wanted to say.... how can I put this?

You know you are very special Maria.

We are good friends and have a great relationship, don’t we?

In the future things will improve even more.

It’s a long time since I felt like this about anybody.

It took me a long time to recover from my last relationship, and I haven’t wanted to become involved in anything serious since then.

But now I’m really starting to enjoy being with you.

Do you understand what I’m saying?

Oh Maria! I must tell you! I love you so much!

MARIA: (shouting) I’m sorry. I didn’t catch that.

It’s too noisy in this nightclub. I can’t hear a word you’re saying.

Could you repeat that?

(TEXT VERSION)

7.3. Discuss the differences in the following sentences.

1. The children played in the classroom. / The children played up in the classroom.

2. To recite a play. / To play a recital.

3. Sit up you fool! / Sit down you fool!

4. Three wise men brought gifts of gold. / Three wise guys took gifts of gold.

5. He threw away his ice cream. / He threw up his ice cream.

6.The pilot suffered some very bad turbulence. / The pilot suffered some very bad flatulence.

7. He beat his brother in a chess championship. / He beat up his brother in a chess championship.

8. The couple made up after a big row. / The couple made out after a big row.

9. You have a fat chance of winning the race. / You have a slim chance of winning the race.

10. He filled in the form. / He filled out the form.

(In the café.) ZAK WASHINGTON: Hey! Look who has just come in. It’s my old friend Mr. Chris Off.

ANJA: What a strange name! His name sounds like a phrasal verb.

ZAK WASHINGTON: It’s only a nickname. Let’s invite him over. Chris! What have you been up to this morning?

CHRIS OFF: ‘I’ve been very tied up this morning.

I woke up, got up, went out, set off, drove off, broke down, fixed up the motor, set off again, pulled up, dropped off the kids, then waved them off.

I went back home, rang up my friend

Bill who turned up to help out in doing up the flat.

We knocked down a wall and put in some new windows, but then got tired out, fed up and started fooling around.

The wife told us off.

Bill told her to shut up, then she told him to clear off.

We sorted out the rubbish, cleared up and got rid of it.

Then cleared off, got in the car, drove off, pulled up at the drive-in cash point, dropped Bill off and then came down to the car park and turned up here.

Now I’m worn out and want to tuck into some food! 

SOPHIE: Teacher I don’t understand a word he’s talking about!

Get into pairs and rewrite the text using ‘normal’ Latinate verbs.

What exactly was Chris doing this morning?

When you have finished compare notes with the other students and try to arrive at a group conclusion. 

(TEXT VERSION)

7.5. HOMEWORK. Do the same as the above with the following text. But this time the other way around. Change the Latinate verbs into phrasal verbs.

‘Tomorrow we will be very busy in the flat.

The place needs to be renovated. We have to demolish the garden wall, install some new kitchen units and tidy all the rubbish left behind.

We need to put the rubbish into the bin.

If the neighbours start to reproach us we can tell them to be quiet and to go away.

Call George and tell him to go in the car,  and stop the car at the school and leave the kids there.

Tell him that if the children act stupidly and joke, he must reproach them.

Those children really tire you, and he will become bored and tired when they behave like that.

7.6. Optional exercise.

Which of the above verbs are transitive and intransitive (need or don’t need and object)?

Which are separable and which inseparable?

What would you say in the following situations? Use one of these phrasal verbs that you have learnt.

1.       ‘Taxi driver! ______[BLANK] (stop) here, in front of the supermarket.’

2.       ‘I’ve been so ______[BLANK] (to be busy) lately at work, that I’m too ______[BLANK] in the evening to cook and do the washing.’

3.       ‘If I get home late again tonight, my wife will ______[BLANK] me ______[BLANK]. Then she’ll throw plates against the wall again.’

4.       ‘Hey Dave! Why are you waiting for the bus! I’ve got my car. ______[BLANK] and I’ll give you a ride  (SP: paseo IT: passaggio).’

5.       ‘Hey big boy! Next time you want a good time ______[BLANK] (phone) me up. Here’s my number. Or if you’re in town, you can come and ______[BLANK] (visit) me. Here’s my address. You know I’m the hottest babe in town!’

6.       ‘They got into a fight! Ted ______[BLANK] Derek ______[BLANK] (hit, push, strike), and he just stayed there on the floor and didn’t get up for five minutes. It was horrific!’

7.       ‘That girlfriend of mine is always annoying [1] me.’ ‘Why don’t you ______[BLANK] (reject, throw away, replace) her and get another one? There are five billion people in the world and half of them are women!’

8.       ‘I’m completely ______[BLANK]. I really need to sleep. I’m going to bed. Goodnight!’

9.       ‘What time did you ______[BLANK]? I didn’t see you arrive.

10.    ‘I’m ______[BLANK] (tired and bored) phrasal verbs. Can’t we study something else?’ 

(In the Halson Palace Café)

ZAK WASHINGTON: Now, François, last night in the police cell we were talking about food. What were you saying?

FRANÇOIS: Yes, I was saying that Mediterranean food is healthier than the British diet. I can’t understand why people eat that stuff. Actually I’m very hungry now, and I have a hangover  (SP: resaca IT:  postumi della sbornia) too.

ZAK WASHINGTON: Come on then! Let’s order one of those delicious Greek salads that we were talking about!

EVERYBODY: (shouting together in unison.) ‘Urrgghh!! No!!!! Let’s go to the café and get an enormous greasy breakfast, with loads  (SP: un montón de IT: un sacco de) of cholesterol and fried everything.

ZAK WASHINGTON: That’s it! You foreign students really are learning quickly! Let’s order. I’ll have chips, two fried eggs, fried tomato, fried mushroom, fried bread! Fried everything! Chris?

CHRIS OFF: I can’t make my mind up. I might splash out and get them to cook me up a big fry-up. Pass over the ketchup!  7.8 Explain the phrasal verbs

ZAK WASHINGTON: And you Giovanni? What do you want?

GIOVANNI: I want my wallet  (SP: cartera  IT: portafoglio ) back. The pickpocket has stolen my money and my identity card.

ANJA: Well, you should go to the police station again.

AHMET: Tell the police to look for someone who wears lipstick, stilettos, a mini-skirt, has facial hair and answers to the name of Dave. 

GIOVANNI: OK, I’m going over to the police station. I’ll see you guys at the squat  (SP: casa okupa IT: casa occupato) this afternoon. Cheers! 

7.8 Why does Giovanni say ‘Cheers’? On what occasions can we use this word?

[1] To annoy   (SP: molestar  IT: dar fastidio) to irritate, to make a person angry or uncomfortable, to upset. ‘Stop playing that really annoying CD. The singer’s voice annoys me so much.’

(TEXT VERSION)

In English we use a lot of contractions, especially in the street, in rock songs and in more informal types of language.

Match the following informal contractions to their meanings.

1. ain’t

2. dunno

3. gimme

4. gonna

5. gotta

6. wanna.

a. give me,

b. do not know,

c. have got to (obligation)

d. am not/isn’t/aren’t/hasn’t/haven’t

e. want to

f. going to

Occasionally you’ll hear people put together combinations of the above.

‘Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight.’

‘What do you wanna do today?’

‘I dunno what you wanna gimme, but I ain’t gonna wanna eat it.’

What do these sentences mean? Can you put together any other combinations?

This word needs special attention.

Normally dictionaries call it ‘slang’[1] and grammar books don’t mention it, but it is actually one of the most commonly used forms of less formal language, popular sayings  (SP: dichos, refranes IT: detti), and songs.

Also, it is almost completely international.

It can be used in place of almost any auxiliary verb; ‘to be’, ‘to have’ and less commonly ‘to do’.

It isn’t recommended that you try and use ‘ain’t’ instead of these verbs, in fact, it isn’t recommended that you use it at all.

As many people will tell you, ‘ain’t’ isn’t really correct English. But you do need to understand it.

7.11 Dave the Hooligan is at the table next to you in the café, and is talking to his mate[2].

Like many people he overuses the word ‘ain’t’. Try and figure out which auxiliary each ‘ain’t’ represents:

‘It ain’t nobody’s business, what I do, as long as I ain’t hurting nobody.

I ain’t gonna listen to my stupid neighbour telling me what I should be doing.

He ain’t nobody special. And I ain’t ever told him what to do with his life.

I said to him that he ain’t got no right to tell my wife that we ain’t looking after the garden properly.

He ain’t ever cleaned the path that goes between our houses.

You ain’t gonna believe what he said to me....’ 

Notice also that ‘ain’t’ is usually used with double negatives.

Grammar books will tell you that this is not possible, but in more complicated styles of English, such as in song lyrics and colloquial language, the double negative is frequently used.

Snobs consider it non-standard!

Here are some more expressions using ‘ain’t’. Explain them too.

It ain’t half hot mum. (Famous situation comedy show on British TV.)

It ain’t nobody’s business. (Blues song and common cliché.)

If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it. (Popular saying.)

If you ain’t a farmer, you ain’t shit! (Rude tattoo on the arm of an American farmer.)

‘What an ill-natured woman his mother is, an't she?’ (Quote from Nancy Steele, a character in Jane Austin’s novel 'Sense and Sensibility'.)

‘You ain’t nothing but a hound dog!’ (Line from Lieber and Stoller’s Hound Dog sung by Elvis Presley.)

There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch. (Popular saying.)

‘It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble; it’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so. (Mark Twain) Difficult one this!

The basic meaning in British and Australian colloquial English is ‘friend’. It is usually masculine. 

Hey, mate! You’ve left your cigarettes on the table.’

‘Oh, thanks buddy.’ 

‘I like to go out with my mates on a Saturday night’

‘A bloke walks into a pub and says to the barman...’

‘Who’s that strange bloke over there?’ 

‘He is a really lovely chap who always buys the drinks!’ 

‘Come on girls!’ or ‘Come on gals!’

Match the following statements with the appropriate endings.