Learn English with English, baby!

Join for FREE!

Social_nav_masthead_logged_in
 
Earn Brownie Points
Earn Brownie Points English, baby! Video Lesson

Learn English meaning of 'earn brownie points'

Date: Jun 30 2015

Themes: Food, Hobbies, Romance, Soap Opera

Grammar: Tag Questions

Intro

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

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

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

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

There are people who will do anything to make someone else happy. Maybe you’re one of them. Do you take the garbage out for your grandmother? Will you stay late at work with your boss? Do you clean the bathroom before anyone asks? If yes, you might just be a wonderful person. Or you could be trying to earn brownie points.

There are many reasons why people try to earn brownie points. Often they just want a person to like them, like a boss or teacher or parent. Sometimes they’re trying to get the attention of someone they find interesting or cute. And some people work to earn brownie points because they believe that doing so will get them something that they want.

Gary thinks he can earn brownie points with women by learning a new skill. What is it? Find out in today’s English lesson!

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.

Log in to Listen

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

Gary

Gary

Brian

Brian

Gary:  I want to learn how to cook.

Brian:  Like what?

Gary:  Anything. I can boil water, of course. I can pour myself a bowl of cereal. But I can’t truly cook.

Brian:  Why the sudden interest?

Gary:  Now that my girlfriend and I are broken up...

Brian:  The girlfriend none of us met?

Gary:  Yes. Now that we’ve broken up, I want to start dating again. And I think that knowing how to cook can earn brownie points with women.

Brian:  This is true. But what do you want to learn?

Gary:  I want to know when to stop cooking something. The food I make is always mushy.

Brian:  I can relate.

Gary:  I want to know which spices to use. I feel like I’m always seasoning my food badly.

Brian:  That is important.

Gary:  I want to be able to look in my kitchen cupboard and say, “I know what I can make.”

Brian:  That will take some time, but you can definitely get there.

Gary:  Do you have time in your schedule to take a cooking class? You want to earn brownie points with the ladies, too, don’t you?

Brian:  Always. But I’ll see. Between our website and the science class I’m taking at the university, I’m pretty busy. But it could be fun.

Gary:  Totally. We’re bachelors, Brian. We need to stick together.

Brian:  All right, all right. We’ll do it.

Gary:  Awesome. Thanks for the ride.

 

Grammar Point

Go Super to learn "Tag Questions" from this lesson Go Super!

Quizzes

Go Super to take Quiz Go Super!

 

Lesson MP3

Go Super to download full lesson MP3 Go Super!

The iTEP® test

  • Schedule an iTEP® test and take the official English Practice Test.

    Take Now >

Discussion

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

Gary wants to take a cooking class. He can do basic things in the kitchen, like heating up water, but he wants to learn more. Gary thinks that having good cooking skills will make women like him. He also wants to be able to cook better meals for himself.

Brian understands Gary’s interest in learning how to be a better cook. He’s busy with work and school, though, and doesn’t think he has time to join Gary for another class. In the end, the two decide to take the class together. Gary’s friendship is clearly very important to Brian.

Do you think that cooking skills are important? What will you do to earn brownie points with someone?

 

Comments

Log in to Comment

studentcro

studentcro

Germany

I remember being a bachelor of science and being just a bachelor.  After that I took master degree and when I finished I wasn’t any kind of bachelor any more.


the point is that you realise what science can do to you ! 


But I have two beautiful sons today, what really is a treasure and make me really not a free man anyhow but a very rich man! 


08:02 PM Jul 12 2015 |

julito1

julito1

Argentina

I don`t know how to cook, i can only ,if necessary, cook myself simple dishes, no fancy.  But now that these guys mentioned it, i know how to earn brownie points , or more likely brownie calories . This requieres an explanation, a client of mine has a bakery , she caters to cafes and the like , the speciality is home made brownies . whenever she requires my service i know that day i will stuffed myself with brownies  with a cup of coffee , all free.   

08:22 PM Jun 30 2015 |

La Princesse de la vie

Egypt

In my culture, learning to cook is most important for girls, so a girl has to learn cooking before she leaves the nest to another nest!


Of course it’s important, some people consider cooking as a form of arts, yeah! And although that it’s mostly restricted to girls, you can find that the chefs whether here or around the world are men! So, yeah it’s important, but people have to focus on healthy food.


To earn brownie points with your acquaintances, you have to provide your hand in the need, to give gifts, to be friendly and a lot. 

07:14 PM Jun 30 2015 |

Shoba

Shoba

Sri Lanka



Haha, your comment made me chuckle, dear ScienceBoy. 


Don’t worry too much for still being single. Even if you have all the right qualities, women will play hard to get. It is the nature of female gender. But eventually someone will fall for you. 



05:02 PM Jun 30 2015 |

iphone5

iphone5

Saudi Arabia

In my point of view, cooking is something important, why? Because the meal, you are gonna eat, has done by your hands. You eat it with complete trust everything is clean.
And to earn brownie points, you can deals with others as you like others deal with you

Djana

Djana

Algeria

Actually i don’t know much about cooking,but i’d like to…i don’t think cooking is the way to anybody’s heart,i think the way is to be a nice person,and loving,care about the person you like,and respect also is sth important to earn brownie points.

12:38 PM Jun 30 2015 |

hala18

hala18

Algeria

I give gifts to my friends to earn brownie points.

NIJ321655

NIJ321655

United States

I cook and my mom can cook. I neve had earn Brownie points. nvear had flowers for a boy.

10:14 AM Jun 30 2015 |

NguyenThuyHie

Viet Nam

I love “earn brownie points” 

ScienceBoy

ScienceBoy

Turkey

Yes cooking skills are important and cooking is fun actually. I am not a wonderful cook but I am OK. I can cook different meals and I am actually kinda good at it. I think our dear wise friend Shoba is right. The way to a woman’s heart is is not tue her stomach. You see, I’ve been cooking for 10 years and still single :D


09:07 AM Jun 30 2015 |

Shoba

Shoba

Sri Lanka



I do think that cooking skills are important for each and everyone of us. 


But in our culture, it is believed that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. So naturally it is the women who try to attract men by their cooking, not the other way round. 


However, if a man is living alone or planning to go abroad for studies or something, he might try to learn cooking. Other than that, most of the men here can’t boil an egg and they are pretty happy about it. 


When we attend classes, some of my friends and I try to earn brownie points wth my teachers because they are the ones who help us to score high points in exams. We usually carry their bags to their cars, get them coffee and snacks from the canteen, we even sometimes buy the grocery items they want when we go for shopping. 



08:01 AM Jun 30 2015 |

s11211s

s11211s

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

Cooking skills are more important and useful for them than it be a way woman like them.


All people needs to cook at least basic dishes, some times I hear some people, man or woman say they can’t cook anything! It makes me amazed. In my opinion, cooking needs an empty stomach and a little creativity, I suppose everyone has them!


I like making happy my family and close friends by doing something especially in a surprising way. In this way I can do something for them or give a gift or something else.
Making someone happy makes me happy.

06:06 AM Jun 30 2015 |

S&W

S&W

China

Yeah,Cooking skills are important,Because everyone needs food and get energy from that.A man with good cooking skills will get more woman’s attention than the man who can’t cook.But,In a long term,it will be better for a man let cooking becomes a habit rather than attract woman.


Brain and Gary can creat a fraternity for man who wanna learn cooking and use it as way to date more women

Likes (10):

See all >

Share this lesson:

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Bebo
  • Share on Myspace
  • Share on Twitter
  • Email this to a friend
  • Share on Sina

Post Ebaby! lessons on your blog:

Ebaby! Cast