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Spontaneous or Planner?
Spontaneous or Planner?

Learn about verbs with "ing."

Date: Dec 10 2010

Themes: Time

Grammar: Verbs with "-ing"

Intro

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

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Spontaneous people and people who like to plan everything out are like oil and water. They just don’t mix. For someone who likes to follow a strict schedule and always has to know what’s going to happen well in advance, there is nothing more annoying than a person who does everything at the last minute and never makes any plans. But for a spontaneous person, making plans can be a big pain. Who wants to be tied down?

When it comes to making plans, Jeff and Dale are opposites. Jeff is a planner, and Dale likes to fly by the seat of his pants. But maybe they can find a way to meet in the middle.

Dialog

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

Jeff

Jeff

Dale

Dale

Jeff:  What’s up Dale?

Dale:  What’s up Jeff?

Jeff:  You got any plans for the next couple days?

Dale:  You know, I don’t like making plans. I like being spontaneous. I like to do things when it just comes to me. Spur of the moment.

Jeff:  I don’t really understand that. I need a strict schedule. Wake up at the same time every day, have my coffee at the same time every day, take my lunch at the same time.

Dale:  Living free and being a free spirit kind of, like, makes it so much more fun, when you just go with the flow.

Jeff:  That seems to throw me off. It kind of throws off my plans. I’m a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to scheduling.

Dale:  So do you schedule at the last minute and then go with it, or are you just scheduling days before?

Jeff:  Every now and again in this hectic lifestyle, you gotta pull something off at the last minute.

Dale:  So what are your plans right now?

Jeff:  Well, after I get done talking to you, I’m going to go home and cook up some lasagna, which I’ve already prepared. It takes hours, so that goes without saying.

 

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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Jeff asks Dale what his plans are for the next couple days, and Dale explains that he doesn’t make plans. He prefers to be spontaneous.

Spontaneous people do things at the spur of the moment. They’re open to whatever fun comes along. They’re free-spirited and they like to go with the flow.

For people who always like to make plans and follow a strict schedule, like Jeff, spontaneous people can be hard to deal with. Planners don’t like surprises. They like to know what they’re going to be doing well in advance, so they can be sure to be prepared.

Are you spontaneous, or do you like to plan things? Do you follow a strict schedule or do you do things at the spur of the moment?

 

Comments

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kimnga

kimnga

Viet Nam

When I was a little girl, I used to be spontaneous and just do things at the spur of the moment. However, when I grew up and started my career, I have become a  good planner. I always make a list of what I am planning to do the night before so the next morning when I go to work, I don’t have to worry where to start or what to do.

06:40 AM Jul 29 2014 |

narges

narges

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

i`m a serious planner ! :D trust me :D oh my gosh! i can call myslef : 90 % planner and 10 % spontaneous ! i really cant stand to be spontaneous because when i dont have any plan, it seems my feets are on a hole :( emm, sorry .. i didnt have another good words for that. and it`s a bit hard for me to live or communicate with spontaneous persons, however most of people who live around me are like this :D specially my friends, they dont even understand the Plan …. 

09:11 PM Dec 08 2013 |

Marcelolic

Marcelolic

Brazil

In the most of time I’m a planner person,in other words,during the week my schedules are planned,I eat from 3 in 3 hours,I give personal classes every day,I used to take a nap at afternoon, then my days are the same always :P

11:17 PM Jun 23 2011 |

1 person likes this

lenny80a

Germany

Planner 70% and spontaneous 30%, a mix of both.

03:05 PM Feb 27 2011 |

1 person likes this

lenny80a

Germany

I'm kind of planer, but I like doing things at spur of the moment.This don't throw me off, like Jeff. I'm into to go with the flow and being free-spirited too.

03:02 PM Feb 27 2011 |

drangon5

drangon5

China

it so cool huh

09:59 AM Jan 26 2011 |

Rita - Naima

Macao

i can be in both way, I am a planner when things comes to happen, i can be a spontaneous when i am moody to make a plan..

04:15 AM Dec 29 2010 |

laithsaif

United Kingdom

hii

11:52 PM Dec 15 2010 |

littleflow3r

Indonesia

spontaneous, ofcourse :)

but actually i have a notes in my phone, too :P

03:15 PM Dec 13 2010 |

Sabland

France

I'm kind of both but not at the same time and for the same things of course. Whatever the situations, may it be in the professional field or in your private life, sometimes it's better to plan things of course. Yet, we can't always plan everything because there are unexpected events and also because planning everything would really be boring. Indeed, sometimes, you've got to adapt and really nice things can come up. But obviously, very often life makes it necessary for you to plan things.

01:44 PM Dec 13 2010 |

cybergore

Venezuela

Well, I personally prefer planning things, It`s much better. However, sometimes it could happen some things which aren`t in your plans. In those cases I`d have to do the things at the spur of the moment.

12:57 AM Dec 13 2010 |

stuff667

Ukraine

If you serious person,who has any kind of bussines,you must plan everything,every your meeting and hour. In other case you'll always haven't time. But in the weekend or holydays it's better just relax and spur of the moment and fly by the seat of one's plants

08:51 PM Dec 12 2010 |

^lulu^

^lulu^

Saudi Arabia

it is depends of my mode ^^

04:35 PM Dec 12 2010 |

largado

largado

Brazil

i like to follow a schedule, go with the flow, but, sometimes we have to change the plan, and do something do bend the situacion… 

02:50 PM Dec 12 2010 |

tiger_bagira

Greece

fine

02:11 PM Dec 12 2010 |

miss_eos

miss_eos

Viet Nam

Most of the time, i'm like a spontaneous person but when it comes to important subjects i immediately become a serious planner. However, I always want go with the flow because i'm open to new fun and eager to try something new all the time. Making plans in advance is good but it can bring less surprise.

08:30 AM Dec 12 2010 |

giotatheo

Germany

In some cases or periods in my life i prefer being a spontaneous type. It depends…

08:10 AM Dec 12 2010 |

hncuong1978

Viet Nam

I'm a planner at work; other than that, I'm a spontaneous. There's one thing I know for sure, we can be any kind of person in life that we want to be and that's the way it should be. But in business, we have no choice, I think, we have to be more planner than spontaneous person to get out of troubles. If we are spontaneous at work, we're gonna let the time running out of our hand right before our eyes, and then we're not prepared and ahead for things that will come to us; they're gonna push us and chase us around. For sure, that's the most uncomfortable things in this world. That's why people always want to be financial freedom so that they can be whoever they want to be. Planning is a hard, tedious work, but it needs to be done if you want a success, and success does not come with a foolproof way, right ? So I plan at work, but like being spontaneous in every other areas of my life in order to enjoy life a little bit

03:14 AM Dec 12 2010 |

xiaodong Xia

China

I cann't follow a strict schedule, but I have  a lit of plans  every day.

12:34 AM Dec 12 2010 |

charming princess

Saudi Arabia

I am a planner. I hate to plan everything in advance and then something throws off my plans ! I have a to-do list every day. I feel organized . I feel like everything in its place. When I do not plan in advance and have a messy schedule , i feel like that there is so much clutter in my mind ! Only then do i start to declutter my mind and try to sort thing out. I do not wish that upon anyone !

08:36 PM Dec 11 2010 |

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