Gareth King - Colloquial English - A Complete English Language Course

1

These flowers smell very

[–]

These flowers don’t smell

nice

very nice

2

I understand you

[–]

__________________________

3

She’s asking a question

[?]

__________________________

4

These shoes belong to

[?]

__________________________

Suzie

5

You understand me

[?]

__________________________

6

Am I reading the paper?

[–]

__________________________

7

Is Gerry reading the

[+]

__________________________

paper?

8

We aren’t listening

[+]

__________________________

Language point 22 – get

In Dialogue 5, Helen says Could you tell me how to get there?–

she means arriveor reach. And in Dialogue 2 Nina says I’ve got it

– she means that she has understood.

The passer-by in Dialogue 4 tells Sasha to get the 22 bus from the corner here– she means take– and Sasha says she doesn’t want to get lost again– she means becomelost.

Getis a verb with many different meanings in colloquial English

– have a look in a dictionary and see how many are listed. Here are just a few of the more common ones:

receive

arrive

understand

take

become

fetch

Using getinstead of these (sometimes more formal) verbs is a typical feature of colloquial English.

In this unit we also see getas a PHRASAL VERB – here are some very useful ones which you should learn:

get on

James is getting on the bus

(enter vehicle)

get off

Let’s get off at the next stop

(leave vehicle)

get up

I get up at seven o’clock

(rise)

every morning

44

get in

Get in the car, boys!

(enter vehicle)

get out

Let’s get out of here

(leave; go away)

get away

The thieves tried to get away

(escape)

Life and living – a trip down the

high street

If you’re too shyto ask the way, or if you’re simply not pushed for time, you can get to know where everything is in town by having a look round and keeping your eyes open. Let’s take a short walk down a typicalhigh street, shall we? I’ll lead the wayand we’ll see if we can spotany useful or interesting places.

45

Over hereon the left, on our side of the street, is the supermarket, and right next toit there’s the post office– every town has one of these somewhere, and you can tellit by its red sign. Over there on the other side of the street you can see some smaller shops: there’s a newsagent’son the corner, and a couple ofcafés – we might go in one of those later for a cup of tea . . . what do you think?

Furtherdown on the right is the bus station, and just behind that you can probably just seethe sports and leisure centre, which is open to everyone; you can often find privatesports and health clubs in towns as well – they’re smaller and you have to pay to be a member.

Now – can you see that big old building coming upon the left, opposite the bus station? That’s the public library. Actually, that remindsme – I’ve got to take some books back there today or tomorrow, otherwise I’ll get a fine. Anyway, just a bitfurther on, there are two banks, one on either sideof the street, and then you can see some traffic lights. Then there are some more small shops just past the lights, including a butcher’sand a greengrocer’s, and some Indian and Chinese restaurants. Then if we stop here outside the puband look straight ahead, that building in the distance is the railway station– it’s about a ten-minute walk from the town centre.

There we are – a typical British high street. So now let’s go back the way we came – I think I could do withthat cup of tea now.

Glossary

shy– afraid to talk to people

pushed for time– with not much time; so ‘I’m not pushed for time’ means

‘I’ve got plenty of time’ or ‘I needn’t worry about time’

typical– usual, normal

lead the way– go first

spot– notice

over here– here near us

supermarket– large shop that sells all kinds of food right next to– immediately next to, next door to post office– public building where you can send letters and parcels tell– recognise

sign– name board outside a shop

newsagent’s– shop that sells newspapers

corner– point where two roads join

couple of– two

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further– more far

just see– see with difficulty, see if you try hard sports and leisure centre– public building where you can do sports and fitness exercises

private– not open to the public

member– someone who belongs to a club or organisation coming up– approaching

library– public building which lends books reminds me– makes me remember

fine– a penalty, money you have to pay as punishment for something a bit– a little

either side– both sides

traffic lights– red, yellow and green lights to control the traffic butcher’s– shop that sells meat

greengrocer’s– shop that sells vegetables

restaurants– places where you can sit down and eat a meal pub– place where you can sit and drink alcoholic drinks and eat food railway station– place where trains stop

could do with– need

4 Have you got

any bread?

In this unit you will learn how to:

• use countable and uncountable nouns

• ask for and buy things in shops

• ask the price of something

• use numbers

• use British money

• say that you want or don’t want something

Dialogue 1

Helen is buying a few things in the corner shop.

HELEN:

Hello. Have you got any bread left?

ASSISTANT:

Yes – we’ve got white and brown, sliced and unsliced.

HELEN:

Give me a brown sliced loaf, please. Oh, and a box of matches, and a bottle of milk.

ASSISTANT: