lesson 4

Second on the left

Second on the left

Hello, welcome to “Living English” . today we are looking at directions. How do you ask for directions when you in a strange city? Remember from last episode Anne has an appointment with a private detective. Now she has to find his office. Let’s see how she goes in today’s episode of “Sisters and Brothers”.

Dialogue

ANNE is looking for JOHN’s office. A WOMAN is waiting

at a bus stop. ANNE approaches her.

ANNE: Excuse me.

WOMAN: Yes?

ANNE: Could you tell me how to get to Mitchell Street?

WOMAN: Yes. You’re going the wrong way. You need to go straight along here, past the silver balls, turn left, and it’s the second on the right, opposite the Town Hall.

ANNE: Thank you very much.

WOMAN: You’re welcome.

ANNE follows the directions. She approaches a shopkeeper.

ANNE: Excuse me.

SHOPKEEPER: Yes?

ANNE: I’m looking for number 23. Barbour’s Private Investigator.

SHOPKEEPER: Over there. Next to the trees.

ANNE: Oh. Thank you

SHOPKEEPER: Good luck. You’ll need it.

ANNE enters the building and goes up the stairs. She knocks at thedoor.

JOHN: Come in!

ANNE enters and looks around.

JOHN: (to ANNE) Sorry.

(to phone) Yes, any time…yes usual rates. Must go now. Right. Goodbye. Julia. Bye.

He hangs up and leaps to shake ANNE’s hand.

ANNE: Mr Barbour?

JOHN: John. Private investigator. You must be Ms Lee. Please sit down.

She does so, hesitantly.

JOHN: Now - what can I do for you Ms Lee?

She puts the photo of DAVID on his desk.

ANNE: Could you find him for me?

Who is the man in the photograph? We will find out in the next episode. But first let’s look again how Anne asks for directions.

ANNE: Excuse me.

WOMAN: Yes?

ANNE: Could you tell me how to get to Mitchell Street?

Anne says Excuse me, this is polite because the woman is stranger. Let’s practice that. Make sure you say “Excuse” not xcuse.

ANNE: Excuse me.

How does Anne ask for directions?

ANNE: Could you tell me how to get to Mitchell Street?

 

Anne asks politely for directions. She says Could you tell me how to get to…where she wants to go. Let’s try at home with some different places.

First

Smith street. Ask how to get to Smith street.

Could you tell me how to get to Smith street?

The post office: Could you tell me how to get to th post office?

The airport: Could you tell me how to get to the airport?

Now you listen for the direction.

WOMAN: Yes. You’re going the wrong way. You need to go straight along here, past the silver balls, turn left, and it’s the second on the right, opposite the Town Hall.

ANNE: Thank you very much.

WOMAN: You’re welcome.

We will look at some of words a bit later. Ann asks someone else for directions. Watch how she ask this time.

ANNE: Excuse me.

SHOPKEEPER: Yes?

ANNE: I’m looking for number 23. Barbour’s Private Investigator.

Anne says what she is looking for. She says I’m looking for number 23. This is the street number.  You try saying this with the clip.

ANNE: Excuse me.

SHOPKEEPER: Yes?

ANNE: I’m looking for number 23. Barbour’s Private Investigator.

Anne is talking about what she is doing now. She is looking for something.

I’m looking for is short for I am  looking for. This is called Present Continuous tense. We use it which actions continue. Let’s practice. Use I’m looking for with this words.

The post office: I’m looking for the post office.

The supermarket: I’m looking for the supermarket.

Look at what happens instead of I we use other words. Anne is looking for number 23. So what’s Anne looking for? Answer using “she is”

She is looking for number 23.

What is he looking for?

He is looking for number 23.

What are you looking for?

You are looking for number 23.

What are they looking for?

They are looking for number 23.

Everybody is looking for number 23.

Look at how we write and say these things. Say them after me.

I’m looking.

He’s looking

She’s looking

It’s looking

You’re looking

We’re looking.

They’re looking.

Notice how we use “am” with I. I am looking. But we usually say I’m looking.

“Is” is used with he, she and it. He is looking but we usually say he’s looking. 

“Are” is used with you, we and they. They are looking.

Finally Look at how John asks Anne what she wants.

JOHN: Now - what can I do for you Ms Lee?

He asks what he can do for her. He means what she wanted him to do. Try at home with the clip.

JOHN: Now - what can I do for you Ms Lee?

- Come in

- Brenton Wittell?You must be Michelle. Please sit down

- Thank you

- What can I do for you Michelle?

- You help me to practice with my cards.

- What so I have to do?

- Pick 3 cards. Put them face on the table. So we have an ace, queen, ten

-      Where is the queen?

-      In the middle

-      The queen is in the middle. Where is the ace?

-      On the left

-      The ace is on the left. And where is the ten?

-      On the right

-      The ten is on the right. Now you try at home. I’ll just mix them around a bit. Now look at the cards and tell me where is the ace? That’s right the ace is on the right. Where is the ten? The ten is in the middle. Where is the queen? The queen is on the left. Now Brenton, I’m going three cards face down you’ll see  if you can remember where the queen is watch carefully. Now where is the queen? What do you think? Is it on the left? On the right or in the middle?

-      I think it is on the left. 

-      Let’s have a look. Oh, no that’s the ten. I think the queen is in the middle. Let’s look again that our episode of Sisters and Brothers. See how many words you can hear describing where things are.

WOMAN: You need to go straight along here, past the silver balls, turn left, and it’s the second on the right, opposite the Town Hall.

ANNE: Thank you very much.

A woman tells Anne to go straight along, that is don’t turn. Then she says it’s past the silver balls. It is further along the silver balls in the same direction.

She tells turn left, and then she says it is the seond on the right. She means Anne should turn to the right at the second street she comes to. Finally the woman says it’s opposite the Town Hall that is it is directly across the street from the Town Hall. Look at the another part of the story.

Over there. Next to trees.

The place Ann is looking for is next to the trees. Now we have some new words to describe where something is. Brenton, I’m going to put another card down here. It’s a 2. Now where is the two?

-      The two is on the left

-      Is there another way we can describe where it is?

-      It’s next to the queen.

-      And  where is the queen?

-      The queen is between the two and the ace.

-      That’s right. It is between them. There is a card on one side and another one on the other side of the queen. Now there’s one more word we heard to help where something is. But I need to put down some more cards. Now Brenton, how would you describe where the queen is now?

-      Well, it’s between the ace and the two. But it’s also opposite the four. Goodbye to next time.

-      See you later.