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Turn Over A New Leaf

Learn the present perfect tense and the slang idiom

Date: Dec 28 2010

Themes: Soap Opera, Work

Grammar: Present Perfect Tense

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Intro

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

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

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The year is about to end. What better time to turn over a new leaf?

When you turn over a new leaf, you make a change in your life. Ella turned over a new leaf a few weeks ago. She used to slack at work, but now she is focused on her job.

Turning over a new leaf can change the way people see you very quickly. See what happens to Ella at work today.

3. Watch - Watch the video without reading the dialog.

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Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

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

Marni: Everyone, I need your attention! Stop what you’re doing! You may notice I have an award in my hand. And this is the Employee of the Year award. 2010 is coming to a close, and this year’s recipient is…Ella!

Jason: What?

Ella: What? No way! Oh my God!

Marni: Congratulations!

Ella: Oh my God, you guys, I don’t even know what to say! I wanna thank my hairstylist, who kinda kept this going, so that I could stay focused on my work, my manicurist, my aesthetician…

Marni: Well, you’ve really turned over a new leaf, in a big way. And you are so deserving of that award, so.

Ella: I’ve totally turned a new leaf. I mean, I’m completely different. I’ve transformed!

Marni: Congratulations, Ella!

Jason: What do you mean she’s turned over a new leaf? What are you talking about?

Marni: She really stepped up her game! She became a really model employee!

Jason: I mean, she turned over a new leaf recently, you know, in the last two weeks, but for the fifty previous weeks of the year she was a wreck!

Jeff: You have no idea what’s going on here.

Marni: Well, all I know is that she has become a very hard worker, and that is the sort of thing I want to encourage around here. So, you better step up your game, because that award could be yours.

Jason: We can’t turn over a new leaf, because we’re already doing well!

Marni: She’s very deserving of this award, and I’m happy to give it to her. So if you two have a problem with it, too bad.

Ella: Why are you guys being such jerks? I’ve worked so hard in the past, like, 100 hours, that you don’t even know how much of my life has changed. I’ve lost, like, 3 pounds working harder. This is, like, an amazing moment in my life. Like, what’s the deal? You should be happy for me.

Jeff: Happy for you? Ha! We may be together, but…come on, who do you think I am?

Ella: Jeff-y-pooh, come on! I never won an award before.

Jeff: “Jeff-y-pooh?” Not right now.

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Discussion

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Marni announces that Ella is the employee of the year and this upsets Jason and Jeff. She explains that over the last few weeks, Ella has become an ideal employee. She has changed a lot and deserves the award.

Jason doesn’t think that just because Ella turned over a new leaf, she deserves to be employee of the year. The winner of the award should be a good employee all year to deserve it.

Ella, who is dating Jeff, wants him to be happy for her, but he is frustrated and won’t let her call him by a cute nickname. Do you think Ella deserved the award? Would you be upset if you were Jason or Jeff? Have you ever turned over a new leaf?

Comments

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Ngubo Sixtus

South Africa

yeah! that happened to me last year, i got awarded the wall watch. my coworkers congratulated me, they said i was deserving that award because i did turn over a new leaf at work.

aes

Yemen

DarknessLight

Bahrain

Well, I’m not sure if she really deserves it or not. She did work hard and “turned over a new leaf”, but the award is for the employee of the “year” and she has “turned over her new leaf” when it was too late maybe??However, her getting the award could also be good, because it might encourage her to work even harder later on. I would probably get upset if I was one of them, because, you know, I’ve been working hard all the year long and now an employee who’s just started taking her job seriously a couple of months ago gets the award?? oh c’mon, that’s not fair!!

Talktocanada

India

Hello everyone,

If you want to learn present perfect tense by the easiest way then you should try this & check ths result got. I’m sure that you will like it.

“S +has/have + V3 + O “

The above mentioned formula help us to understand present perfect tense.

S- subject

V3- verb third form

O- object

I hope that you will like it.

malapuella

Canada

It happens most of the time when the boss is a man. Young girls soon get promotions and become a manager and vice versa when a young handsome man gets a job and without making much effort gets promotions , he can go to work at 10 am since he cares very well of his boss who looks like a witch.

Marcelolic

Brazil

This is was a big jam! hahaha Ella has became a employee of the year! A few time she was a big lazy in the work…Come on! This is very strange…I guess she developed a new power…She is controlling minds! hahaha

braveheart_21

United Kingdom

2 weeks hard work and get rewarded? That’s not fair..

Criz search

Indonesia

Not that fast. C’mon!

yocriz

Indonesia

I think should be need more time.. Like changing step by step and might rarely people doing turn oveq the leaf. It’s must have something caused someone to change very fast.

immortal_mahsa

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

ella was deserved:) she change herself on short time.. manager should light a fire under her:)

ahmedghieth9

Egypt

me too want to turn over a new leaf ,cause im fed up with my life ,i have a lot of bad habit id like to get ride of it , i wish i could a good person over the few next days

Eder_lima

Brazil

I wouldn't be upset with this. But in my opinion a person do not turn over a new leaf in 2 weeks. I reckon a person takes a lot of time to do it or when something special happens. I turned over a new leaf when my daughter was born, I fell in love for her and became less selfish.

Thulazia

Germany

I believe that she doesn't deserve the award because of only working hard for 2 weeks. Maybe Marni want to support that Ella has transformed. Maybe she would deserve another award, a small one.

But I think also Jason's and Jeff's attitude is not good, it looks like they are jealous. Without a doubt it is unfair but you have to be glad. That is more polite and the both are immature in this case.

And that's why you never have high expectations you can get easy disappointed…:)

cybergore

Venezuela

Of course I`d be upset if I were they. I personally think that lazy people or who doesn`t work enough, shouln`t get any recognition. I really turned over a new leaf when I graduated from the college. It was one of the best times of my life.

Bitten by an Arab bug

United Arab Emirates

I don't think Ella deserved the award because she had turned over a new leaf just recently. She was slacking of almost whole year round and yes, I'd be upset if I were Jason or Jeff.

I'm sure everyone of us have turned over a new leaf in one way or another. Like me, being a cry-baby to not-so-cry-baby anymore. I used to cry uncontrollably over small small things that sometimes I, myself, find it ridiculous, lol. Now I can control my tears a bit.

jiahui.lei

China

i don't think ella deserves the award,it must upset ppl who work hard the whole year.

Romio79

Russian Federation

Of cause Ella deserved the award but not this one. I agree with Jason that two weeks are not the whole year at all.

capob

United Kingdom

No way!!! ....

jodosedu@hotmail.com

Nicaragua

In my opinion Ella should be congratulated cause she turned a leaf however I think she does not deserve the award simple cause other employees has been working hard all year and they deserve the award .

candycandice

Sweden

Ella has done very well, working harder than she was used to, but she doesn't deserve the award, because she has changed recently while Jeff and Jason always worked well.

I would be upset and slightly disappointed if I was Jeff or Jason.

I have turned over a new leaf, by learning more about how to play keyboard and got more interested in music and learning languages.