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Hypothetically Speaking - With the Unreal Past Tense

Hypothetically Speaking - With the Unreal Past Tense English, baby! Video Lesson

Date: May 25 2010

Themes: Soap Opera, Work

Grammar: The Unreal Past

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

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2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

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Devan has a big decision to make. Recently, a lawyer named Jeff came and offered to buy her business. The company isn’t doing very well, but she did use her inheritance to start it. What to do?

Devan decides to ask the advice of her employee and boyfriend Jason. But Jason doesn’t know about the offer Jeff made or the trouble the company is in. See how Devan uses the unreal past tense to try to get Jason’s opinion without letting him know what’s going on.

3. Watch - Watch the video without reading the dialog.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Devan

Devan

Jason

Jason

Devan:  Hey, Jason! Come here a second!

Jason:  What’s going on?

Devan:  Purely fantasy here. Let’s say you had a company and somebody offered you a bunch of money for it, would you sell it?

Jason:  Wait, that’s what’s going on with this Jeff guy? You’re trying to sell the company to him?

Devan:  No, no, no, no. This is totally hypothetical. Just imagining things. For fun, you know? Let’s just say, just for the sake of saying it, that you had a company and they were going completely bankrupt and you were running out of money, what would you do? Would you sell it?

Jason:  Wait, we’re going bankrupt?

Devan:  No, no, just saying, you know? Like, imagining things. Hypothetical.

Jason:  I’m just saying this is a really unusual fantasy for you to feel the need to talk about.

Devan:  I’m just thinking, you know, about, like, things that could happen in the future, to people I don’t know, not me or anyone else I know, I’m just saying.

Jason:  Well, I guess since we’re just talking about imaginary things that haven’t happened yet, and only might happen. If I had a company and someone offered to buy it I would make sure that all the employees are grandfathered in, that no one could change who works here or how much money they make for at least a couple of years. And you could do that with your job too. Just to make sure that even though you’re not the owner any more you still make the same amount of money, at least for a little while.

Devan:  That’s a very interesting point, I’m going to write that down. Not because I need to know this but just, you know, for the future. It’s always good to be prepared for the future. It’s good to be prepared.

 

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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Devan asks Jason what he would do if he had a company that was doing poorly and someone wanted to buy it. Jason immediately becomes worried and asks if that’s why Jeff was in the office the other day. He sees through Devan’s hypothetical and understands what’s going on.

Even though he knows Devan is lying when she says she’s just asking for fun, Jason agrees to offer his opinion. He says he if sold a company, he would make sure that all the employees would be kept around for a while.

Have you ever needed advice from someone who you also had to hide something from?

 

Comments

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Marcelolic

Marcelolic

Brazil

Yeah,it happens usually when we are in a big big trouble! hahaha

10:51 PM Jul 04 2010 |

rebel lee

rebel lee

China

It's gonna be hard if you want some good advices and hide something at the same time. I have never done that before,and I hope I don't need to do that in the future.

02:04 PM Jun 24 2010 |

Harry_Lime

Harry_Lime

Brazil

"Grandfathered in" sounds me like a legal term. I think it's a guarantee in a new agreement that some rules of a previous contract carry on. In the case of the lesson, Jason advises that the labor contracts don't be recinded for a while even after a hypothetical owner transfering. About the situation, I've already needed such an advice, but I've never been so clever for being able to hide what I wanted to. That's it!

07:30 PM Jun 09 2010 |

mbare

mbare

Tanzania, United Republic Of

am not sure that ever happened to me but if somebody ask for an advice i will act the same way.

 

09:48 AM Jun 09 2010 |

chinana

chinana

China

grandfathered in?interesting expression

01:10 PM Jun 08 2010 |

kukuka

kukuka

Ukraine

I don't remeber a single case like this, but I guess I might act in the same way if I neededsuch an advice.

07:34 AM May 31 2010 |

starkhan

starkhan

India

Really you are serving the nation that is why the English Language has been the Global language, Go a head and teach me I am one of them who wants to learn to much.

10:50 AM May 29 2010 |

abidine

abidine

Algeria

hi

how are you?Smile

11:02 PM May 28 2010 |

abidine

abidine

Algeria

hi

how are you?Smile

11:02 PM May 28 2010 |

Jéssica Camilo

Brazil

Great Post =]
Often it happens with me, and i always looking for someone who could talk with me, to solve the problems or even give advices. However i'm not sue what grandfathered in" means =S

02:47 PM May 27 2010 |

Sean2010

Sean2010

Thailand

Branden. So, it means "exception" right?

Thanks a lot bro!

08:37 AM May 27 2010 |

narendra12

narendra12

India

very interesting  and exellent lesson

ta very much Smile

06:38 AM May 27 2010 |

Snorkel

Snorkel

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

Hi ,it was a good listening .surly it is fun to imagine some things if it might happen ,

 I learned  this grammar to talk about hypothetical things .honestly must of my goals are impossible to reach at this time as a result of difficult  immigration .

My best to all of English learners 

05:19 PM May 26 2010 |

branden

branden

South Korea

hey shean, I also confused  the  mean of "grandfatherd in "

I almost understood that mean. that's just exception.

when you make a deal or agreement, you can make some conditions exception.

that's grandfathered in.

 

06:16 AM May 26 2010 |

rosendo

rosendo

Mexico

davan has to talk with her crew and talk them the situation abt the company. bcs her co-workers can give her wise advices like jason did.

saludos.

09:45 PM May 25 2010 |

godsown

India

nice

07:56 PM May 25 2010 |

gengshaoye

Botswana

hi,everyone,hope i can make friends with you.

07:53 PM May 25 2010 |

Sean2010

Sean2010

Thailand

I'm still not clearly understand "grandfathered in".

Could anyone please give me more definitions and examples?

06:46 PM May 25 2010 |

spacedragon

Brazil

she is a bad liar haha ;P

04:11 PM May 25 2010 |

ciccleo

ciccleo

Brazil

It happens with me all the time, and I usually tell the situation the same way Devan did.

By the way, I liked Jason's dvice. It's nice to care about the employees not only the owners.

02:58 PM May 25 2010 |

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