Lesson 34: What Will I Do?

Summary

In this lesson, Anna wants to go to a Halloween party. But she needs a costume. Will her friend Genie help her find the right one?

Speaking

Learn the new words for this lesson. Then, learn how to talk about the future in two ways. You can use the modal verb "will" or the modal verb "might." ​

Pronunciation

Use this video to learn a stress pattern to show strong emotion with the modal "might."​

Anna: Hello! Halloween is very popular in the United States.

Anna: Children trick-or-treat. They ask people for candy. Children and adults wear costumes and go to parties!

Anna: In fact, there is a Halloween party tonight. I need my friend, Genie. Genie!

Anna: Hi!

Genie: Hi, Anna! What do you need?

Anna: Tonight, there is a Halloween party.

Genie: I love Halloween! Are you going?

Anna: I might go. I might not go. I don’t have a costume. Can you help me?

Genie: Dress as a genie!

Anna: Great idea! I can do a genie trick like read minds!

Genie: Anna, be careful. Things might go wrong.

Anna: What can go wrong?

Genie: Okay.

Anna: Hey, look! I’m a genie! This is going to be fun!

Genie: Remember, Anna. Be careful!

Anna: Don’t worry, Genie! I will!

Rebecca: Excuse me, are you really a mind reader?

Anna: I might be.

Rebecca: Okay, tell me what I am thinking.

Anna: Sure! First, what do you do?

Rebecca: I study. I'm a junior in college.

Anna: What do you study?

Rebecca: I study journalism.

Anna: Okay. Wait. You are thinking … you will graduate from college in about one year.

Rebecca: Well, yeah. That’s the plan. I told you, I’m a junior in college.

Anna: Right, um, wait. There’s more. You are thinking … you might get a job writing the news.

Rebecca: I MIGHT get a job writing the news? I MIGHT! That means I might not. And I'm studying really hard.

Anna: No, no, no, no. Uh, no, you will! You WILL get a job writing the news.

Rebecca: I will?

Anna: You will.

Rebecca: I will. I think.

Anna: 'Bye. Happy to help!

Kaveh: Can you really read minds?

Anna: I might.

Kaveh: Well, today, I will ask my girlfriend to marry me. What am I thinking?

Anna: Wait. Wait, you are thinking ... you might have a wedding very soon!

Kaveh: Might? MIGHT? She won’t say "no," will she?

Anna: No, no! She WILL say “yes”!

Kaveh: I will have a wedding, won’t I?

Anna: You will. You will!

Kaveh: Thanks. I think.

Anna: Good luck!

Anna: This is hard. Genie! Genie!

Genie: Anna, what’s wrong?

Anna: I don’t want to be a genie for Halloween. I might not go to the party.

Genie: Of course you will go. I have another costume for you!

Anna: I’m a rock star! You read my mind!

Genie: No. You told me you like rock music.

Anna: Oh, right. Well, I love it!

Genie: Have fun, Anna!

Anna: Thanks, Genie!!

Anna: I am ready for the Halloween party! But I am not going to read minds. I might play some rock music! Or I might not. Until next time …

Writing

What do you think about your future? Where might you live and work in five years? What might happen in your life? Write to us by email or in the Comments section.
Click on the image below to download the Activity Sheet and practice talking about the important things that happen in our lives.

Activity Sheet Lesson 34

Learning Strategy

Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective.
The learning strategy for this lesson is Make Your Best Guess​. That means using what you know about the world to make a guess. When we do this with language, it can help us understand and speak more fluently.
For example, Anna says she might be able to read minds. But she is really guessing. After she hears Rebecca say, "I'm a junior in college." Anna says, "You are thinking … you will graduate from college in about one year." She knows that "junior" means a student in the third year at a four-year college, so she can make a good guess that Rebecca will be graduating in one year.
Can you find another example in the lesson of Anna making a guess? Write to us about it in the Comments section or send us an email. Teachers, see the Lesson Plan for more details on teaching this strategy.

Quiz

Listen to short videos and test your listening skills with this quiz.

Lesson 33: Learning America's Sport

Coworker 2: It is time for part two of the children’s show!

Coworker 1: It’s time! It’s time! I can’t wait!

Coworker 3: Shh! I can’t hear it!

Announcer: Last time on "The Time Traveling Treehouse," Anna was lost, really lost. She wants to learn about baseball. But her computer, MINDY, sent her to many wrong places.

Anna: MINDY! Help me! I am in the ocean with a shark!

MINDY: I will try one more time, Anna.

Anna: Please try harder, MINDY!

Anna: Now, where am I? I am at a playground with a baseball field! Yes! I can teach children about baseball here! MINDY, MINDY, it took you a long time. But you did it!

MINDY: Thanks, Anna. Give me a call when you find the answer.

Anna: Okay. Come with me. Let’s learn how to play baseball! This is a baseball field. This is a pitcher's mound. This is first base! This is second base! This is third base! This is home plate!

Anna: To play baseball, you really only need a bat, a ball and a glove. Each team has many players.

Pitchers pitch the ball.

Catchers catch the ball.

Batters bat the ball.

Runners run the bases.

Fielders field the ball.

Anna: First, the pitcher pitches the ball to the batter. The batter bats the ball. Then, the runner runs to first base.

Anna: Each time a batter bats, the runners run around the bases. Each time a runner runs across home plate, they score a run! There are nine innings in a game. The team with the most runs at the end of nine innings wins the game!

Anna: MINDY, MINDY, we found the answer! It’s time to return to the treehouse.

MINDY: Good job! That was fast.

Coworker 3: Good job Anna. You know, I still don't like children's shows, but I like this children's show.
Coworker 2: I liked the time travel.

Coworker 1: But time travel is not real. You’re so silly, Anna.

Anna: Yeah, time travel is so silly. Thanks, goodbye. Bye, thank you.

Anna: Hello, MINDY? Are you there?

MINDY: Hello, Anna.

Anna: MINDY, I want to go to China! Until next time …

Writing

Do you work with or play on a team? Did you work with or play on a team in the past? Write to us by email or in the Comments section.
Click on the image below to download the Activity Sheet and practice talking about a sequence of events using agent nouns.

Activity Sheet Lesson 33

Learning Strategy

Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective.
The learning strategy for this lesson is Sequence. Sequence means thinking about how one event or action follows another.
For example, Anna says, "First, the pitcher pitches the ball to the batter. The batter bats the ball. Then, the runner runs to first base."
Can you find an example in the lesson of a sequence (hint: it follows "We found the answer!")? Write to us about it in the Comments section or send us an email. Teachers, see the Lesson Plan for more details on teaching this strategy.

Quiz

Listen to short videos and test your listening skills with this quiz.

Improving Your Grammar and Pronunciation

When you listen to music or read books in English, you will often hear and see how English speakers use different grammatical structures to change the sound of a sentence.
The speakers will use these different structures, or devices, to direct your attention to one or more words. They can also use changes in wording to create a variety, or mix, in the kinds of sentences they use.
Today, we consider a simple word: "there". We will learn how to use the word "there" to change the sound of a sentence. We also will learn how grammar controls when the speaker emphasizes the word "there".

The word "there" in popular music

Have you found that English speakers often say the word "there" in different ways?
In an earlier Everyday Grammar program, we examined how grammar can influence the sound of a sentence.
We played David Bowie’s song "Starman." It starts like this:

"There's a starman waiting in the sky

He'd like to come and meet us…"

So, why did Bowie sing "there's a starman waiting in the sky…"? Why not choose wording like "A starman is waiting in the sky" or "In the sky, a starman is waiting"?
All of these sentences have the same meaning.
While we may never know the exact reason Bowie chose these words, we can be fairly sure that this sentence sounded the best to his musical ear.
The question becomes this: why did it sound best to his ear?
One reason could be that the sentence uses what grammar expert Martha Kolln calls the “there transformation.”

The there transformation

The there transformation means changing the order of words in a sentence by adding the word "there."
When this happens, the word there acts as an expletive – a word that does not actually have meaning.
The two sentences "A starman is waiting in the sky" and "there's a starman waiting in the sky" have the same meaning.
However, in the second sentence, there is acting as a placeholder. It is pushing the subject of the sentence, a starman­, to a different position.*

​
When you hear or see the sentence "A starman is waiting in the sky," it is clear that the noun "a starman" is the subject of the sentence.
When you hear or see the sentence "There's a starman waiting in the sky," the noun phrase "a starman" is also acting as the subject.
So what could be the difference between the sentences, if the meaning is the same?
The difference is about style, a way of presenting things, and emphasis.
English speakers will often say the words "there's a" quickly and then emphasize the word directly following, usually the subject of the sentence.
The indefinite article "a" is sending a message that the subject will have new information.
So, when Bowie sings, "There's a starman waiting in the sky," he is setting up the sentence. In this way, he emphasizes the subject of the sentence, which is also the name of the song!

 You can hear this structure in other songs. Consider "There's a Place" by the Beatles.

There's a place where I can go…

The Beatles could have said "I can go to a place…"
And that expression would have the same meaning as "There's a place where I can go…"
But as you can hear, the sentence "I can go to a place" does not sound nearly as good as the "There's a place where I can go"!

TIP #1 Use the there transformation when you want to emphasize the subject

You can learn from David Bowie and the Beatles. They are showing you what native English speakers do with their voices when speaking.
Here is the point: if you want to speak or write a sentence that emphasizes the subject, you can use the there transformation. If you want to speak or write a sentence that does not emphasize the subject, you can use a normal sentence.
Both choices are grammatically correct, but their effects are different, because of their use of different grammatical structures.

Expletive there versus adverbial there

Until now, we have talked about the expletive "there" plus an indefinite subject. For example, let’s return to the earlier sentences, "there's a starman" or "there's a place."
What happens when "there is" is followed by a definite subject, such as "the starman" or "the place?"
If you use the definite article "the," you are suggesting that the subject is old, or known information.
If you wanted to change the wording we talked about at the beginning of this report, so that we used "there is the" instead of "there is a," you could say:

"There's the starman we were talking about."

"There's the place I want to go."

When you do this, the meaning of the sentence has changed.
In both examples, you can hear that the emphasis is placed on "there" because it is acting as an adverb – it is giving information about the location, or placement, of the subject. The sound of the sentence is much different than the sentence that begins with "there is a."
In these new sentences, the speakers are noting the location adverb because it is new and important information. In general, they do not emphasize the subject.
You will hear this structure often in everyday speech or in films.
Here is a line from Jackie Brown, a film by Quentin Tarantino.
The American actor Samuel L. Jackson plays a criminal who sells guns and drugs. While watching a television ad for guns, he makes the following comment:
"Now that there is the Tec-9….They advertise this Tec-9 as the most popular gun in American crime."
Tip #2 Emphasize adverbial there
In this sentence, you can hear Jackson emphasize the adverbial "there." He is pointing his finger at the TV screen and emphasizing the position of the gun.
We know that the name of the gun is old or already known because he says "the Tec-9." What is new is the location of the gun – on the television screen.
 
The difference between "there is a" and "there is the"

The important point in this report is that grammatical structures can have an effect on how a sentence sounds. The purpose of individual words in a sentence can influence how they are said or emphasized.
You will often hear the words "there is a…" in which the subject after the indefinite article is emphasized.
You will also hear "there is the…" in which the adverb, there, is emphasized. The subject is generally not emphasized.
Both of these sentence structures are common in popular music and everyday language.
By understanding how sentence structure and grammar have an effect on pronunciation, you can improve your writing and speaking skills.
You can think about if you are using one structure too often, or if you are not using the right structure for the right situation.
These ideas are difficult, but remember this: native English speakers only use these words and grammatical structures with ease because they have been learning them since birth.
You, too, can learn and master these structures, but it will take time and effort!
I’m Phil Dierking.
And I'm John Russell.
John Russell wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.
We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.
*A discussion about the grammatical subject and logical subject is beyond the scope of this story.
_______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

emphasize – v. to place emphasis on (something)
transformation – n. a complete or major change in someone's or something's appearance, form, etc.
expletive – n. grammar a word that enables the writer or speaker to move the stress, or emphasis, in a sentence
indefinite article – n. the word a or an used in English to refer to a person or thing that is not identified or specified
definite article – n. the word the used in English to refer to a person or thing that is identified or specified
adverb – n. a word that describes a verb, an adjective, another adverb, or a sentence and that is often used to show time, manner, place, or degree
pronunciation - n. the way in which something is said
phrase – n. a group of words that express an idea, but do not generally form a complete sentence
noun – n. the name for a person, place or thing
grammatical – adj. of or related to the rules of language

Lesson 32: Welcome to the Treehouse!

Anna: Hello! Today is a big day. My first children’s show is on television! Woo-hoo! I’m excited and nervous.

Ms. Weaver: Hello, Anna.

Anna: Hello, Ms. Weaver!

Ms. Weaver: Some people are going to watch your children’s show. After they watch it, they’ll tell me what they liked, and what they didn’t like.

Anna: Oh, dear.

Ms. Weaver: They’re in the conference room. They’re in the conference room.

Anna: Hello, everyone. I’m Anna, and thanks for coming!

Coworker 2: What is the show about?

Anna: It’s a children’s show.

Coworker 1: But we are not children!

Anna: This children's show is different. I hope.

Coworker 3: I don’t really like children's shows.

Anna: Shhh, please. The show is starting!

Anna: Oh, hi! Just give me one minute ….oops! Oh well. I can fix that later.

Anna: Hello, I’m Anna! Welcome to “The Time Traveling Treehouse!” This is not a usual treehouse. It can time travel! That is why it’s called "The Time Traveling Treehouse."

MINDY: Anna, do not forget me.

Anna: Of course not! This is my partner, MINDY!

MINDY: My name means Massive Information Navigation Device, for You!

Anna: That means we can travel to many places and learn many things. Kids from all over the world ask us questions. We find them answers!

MINDY: Woo-hoo! That is right, Anna.

Anna: MINDY, what is our first question?

MINDY: Layla asks us this question.

Layla: Hello, Anna! Hello, MINDY! I'd like to know -- how do you play baseball?

Anna: That is a great question! MINDY, we need to find her an answer!

MINDY: I know that we can find it, Anna!

Anna: Where am I now? MINDY, now I am on a snowy mountain!

MINDY: That is a good place to learn how to ski.

Anna: Yes, MINDY, but it cannot teach us about baseball! And I don’t know how to ski!

MINDY: Sorry, Anna. Let’s try again.

Anna: Where I am now!? MINDY, I am in the ocean! An ocean cannot teach us about baseball!

MINDY: Please don’t yell, Anna. The ocean can teach us about surfing.

Anna: Yes, MINDY, it can teach us about surfing … and sharks! Ahhh!

MINDY: Anna, please wait. I need to fix my navigation device

Anna: MINDY, please fix it faster. And get me out of here … now!

Announcer: Whoa! Is Anna going to be lost forever? Next week, you can watch part two of “The Time Traveling Treehouse!”

Coworker 1: Aw, man! Will the shark eat her?

Coworker 2: Will Anna find the answer?

Coworker 3: Please tell me the ending!

Anna: So, you liked it?

Coworkers: Yes!

Anna: Well, you can watch the ending next week!

Coworkers: Noooooo!

Anna: Don’t forget to watch next week!

Writing

What do you think of Anna's new show? Does it remind you of a children's show you watched? Tell us about your opinion of Anna's show and suggest other questions for Anna to answer. Write to us by email or in the Comments section.
Click on the image below to download the Activity Sheet and practice using interjections with a friend.

Activity Sheet Lesson 32

Learning Strategy

Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective.
The learning strategy for this lesson is Monitor. Monitor means to notice how well you are understanding or bring understood. It can also mean identifying problems in communication. This strategy helps us learn, because after we find a communication problem, we can decide how to solve it.
In this week's video, Anna monitors what MINDY is doing. She finds that there is a problem: she is not going to a place where she can learn about baseball. She tells MINDY, "It cannot teach us about baseball!"
Can you find an example in the lesson of MINDY monitoring, or finding out about a problem? Write to us about it in the Comments section or send us an email. Teachers, see the Lesson Plan for more details on teaching this strategy.

Quiz

Listen to short videos and test your listening skills with this quiz.

Lesson 31: Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Summary

Anna wants to go to see a baseball game. The question is: what is the fastest way for her to get there? Her friends Jonathan and Ashley give her advice.

Speaking

In this video, learn to say the new words for this lesson. You can also learn about ​comparative adjectives like "faster," and superlative adjectives like "fastest."

Pronunciation

Use this video to learn about pronouncing "than" in sentences with comparative adjectives.

Conversation

Let's Learn English Lesson 31: Take Me Out to the Ball Game (0:03:29)

Anna: Hi, there, sports fans! Baseball is America’s sport. Today, I am going to Nationals Park. It is home to Washington, D.C.’s baseball team -- the Washington Nationals!

Anna: Hi, Jonathan!

Jonathan: Hi, Anna! Where are you going?

Anna: I am taking a bus to a Nationals baseball game!

Jonathan: Don’t take the bus. A taxi is faster than a bus.

Anna: Oh, good idea. You know I love baseball.

Jonathan: That’s great. Have fun.

Anna: In fact, I wanted to be a baseball player.

Jonathan: Is this one of your memories? I’m really busy.

Anna: This won’t take long. I can see it now... I am at home plate. I wait for the pitch. The ball comes. I swing. It’s a hit! I run to first base, second base, third base, then home plate. It’s a home run! The crowd cheers! Woo hoo!

Jonathan: You really love baseball. Have fun at the game, Anna.

Anna: Thanks, Jonathan.Taxi!

Ashley: Hi, Anna. Where are you going?

Anna: Hi, Ashley. I am going to see a Nationals baseball game!

Ashley: What time is the game?

Anna: 7 o’clock.

Ashley: Do you have a ticket?

Anna: No, not yet.

Ashley: Anna, you should go a lot earlier than 7 o’clock.

Anna: That is why I’m taking a taxi. Taxi!

Ashley: Anna, Anna, that’s not a good idea. A bicycle is faster than a taxi.

Anna: Oh, Ashley. Ashley, Ashley, Ashley. A car is faster than your bicycle.

Ashley: In D.C. traffic sometimes a bicycle is faster than a car. And right now, there is a lot of traffic.

Anna: Good point. But I don’t have a bicycle.

Ashley: Okay, Anna, you can use my bicycle.

Anna: Thanks! I really want to learn how to ride one.

Ashley: What do you mean, learn how to ride a bike? Oh, Anna! Anna, Anna!

Ashley: You know, Anna, the Metro is faster than a taxi and a bicycle. You ought to take the Metro. It’s that way.

Anna: Good idea.

Ashley: OK.

Anna: See you later!

Ashley: Bye, Anna!

Anna: Bye!

Anna: The Metro was a lot faster than a bus, taxi or bike. And now I’m at Nationals Park! Look at all these fans! So many people like to watch baseball. There’s the ticket window. What? The tickets are sold out? Nooooooo!Nooooooo! But I really want to watch a baseball game. Does anyone have an extra ticket?

Fan: Next time, you should buy your ticket online.

Anna: Thanks. Thanks a lot. It is good advice. Being early is better than being late. Until next time …

Writing

Do you like to watch sports? Where do you watch them? Write to tell us about a game you saw. Try to use some of the words from this lesson, like ticket, crowd, fans, and cheer. Write to us by email or in the Comments section.
Click on the image below to download the Activity Sheet and practice using comparative and superlative adjectives with a friend.

Activity Sheet Lesson 31

Learning Strategy

Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective.
The learning strategy for this lesson is Visualize. Visualize means creating an image in your mind. When learning a new language, we can visualize to help us understand what we are learning.
In this week's video, Anna visualizes playing a baseball game. You can also say she imagines playing the game. Jonathan listens and makes an image in his own mind. He understands that Anna loves baseball. He says, "You really love baseball. Have fun at the game, Anna."
Do you ever visualize when listening to or reading English? Write to us about it in the Comments section or send us an email. Teachers, see the Lesson Plan for more details on teaching this strategy.

Quiz

Listen to short videos and test your listening skills with this quiz.

Lesson 30: Rolling on the River

Summary

Anna plans to have a dinner party. She needs to buy seafood, so she goes to the waterfront. She gets a surprise at the fish market.

Speaking

In this video, learn to say the new words for this lesson. You can also learn about how to use count and noncount nouns.

Pronunciation

Use this video to learn about the abbreviations for dozen and pounds.

Conversation

 Anna: Hello! Washington, D.C. sits on the Potomac River. This river is important to the history and culture of the city. Today, I am at an outdoor seafood market near the Potomac River. Some say it is the oldest outdoor seafood market in the United States! I am here to buy seafood. Let’s see what they have!

Anna: Excuse me. Can you help me?

Pete: Sure! What do you need?

Anna: Pete!

Pete: Anna!

Anna: What are you doing here?

Pete: I work here. You know, it’s not easy to be a writer.

Anna: Yeah, I heard that. Sorry.

Pete: But this job is great. I work outside by the river. And I can eat all the free seafood I want!

Anna: That is great, Pete. In fact, I am here to buy some seafood for my dinner party.

Pete: You came to the right place. They have the freshest seafood in town. How much money can you spend?

Anna: I can only spend $50.

Pete: Okay. What do you want?

Anna: First, I want to buy some shrimp.

Pete: Sure thing. Follow me. How much shrimp do you want?

Anna: How much do I need for five people?

Pete: (yells to co-worker) Give her a pound of shrimp!

Anna: Ok, now I want to buy some crabs.

Pete: The crabs here are delicious! They are the best because they come from the nearby Chesapeake Bay! Walk this way.

Pete: How many crabs do you want?

Anna: I want a dozen crabs.

Pete: You should get the larger crabs. They have the most meat.

Anna: Then I want a dozen large crabs, please!

Pete: Is that everything you need?

Anna: Let’s see … I have shrimp and crabs. And a friend is bringing a salad and many ears of corn-on-the-cob.

Pete: Is that all the seafood that you need?

Anna: Yes.

Pete: That’ll be $49.95. Cash or credit?

Anna: Credit, please.

Pete: Anna, you love to eat seafood. Did you grow up on the water?

Anna: No, I didn’t. But I love the water. And I love being on the water.

Pete: You know how to sail?

Anna: Well … this afternoon I am going on a boat.

Pete: You are full of surprises. What kind of boat? Is it a motorboat or a sailboat?

Anna: It’s a special boat, Pete. Well, thanks for your help. See you later!

Pete: See you, Anna! Wow, Anna’s a sailor! Who knew?

Anna: Yes, rivers are important to the history and culture of Washington, D.C. And now I am part of this city’s interesting waterfront culture. Until next time!

Writing

Where do you buy fresh food? Is there a seafood or vegetable market near where you live? Tell us about it! Try to use some of the words from this lesson, like best, freshest, oldest, spend, money, and larger. Write to us by email or in the Comments section.
Click on the image below to download the Activity Sheet and practice using comparative and superlative adjectives with a friend.

Activity Sheet Lesson 30

Learning Strategy

Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective.
The learning strategy for this lesson is Make Inferences . Making inferences means using some information to make a guess. When learning a new language, we often need to guess at the meanings of words or sentences.
In this week's video, Pete guesses that Anna grew up on the water. He says, "Anna, you love to eat seafood. Did you grow on near the water?"

Anna answers, "No, I didn’t. But I love the water. And I love being on the water." Pete hears that and uses the information to make an inference about Anna. He asks her, "You know how to sail?"

Can you find another place in the conversation when Pete makes an inference? Do you ever make inferences when listening to or reading English? Write to us about it in the Comments section or send us an email. Teachers, see the Lesson Plan for more details on teaching this strategy.

Quiz

Listen to short videos and test your listening skills with this quiz.