Learn English with English, baby!

Join for FREE!

 
Wear the Pants
Wear the Pants English, baby! Video Lesson

Past Perfect Tense

Date: Feb 15 2011

Themes: Romance, Soap Opera

Grammar: Past Perfect Tense

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!

Until fairly recently, women didn’t wear pants very often. They wore dresses. And typically, men had more control in relationships.

But present-day relationships are more like partnerships. Couples share the power and often both wear pants. Sometimes, the woman is the more dominant partner and usually the one in charge. When that happens, regardless of what clothes she has on, you can say that she wears the pants in the relationship.

The person who wears the pants in the relationship is the one with the most control. In today’s lesson, we learn that while Ella likes to wear pretty outfits every day, she also likes to wear the pants in her relationship. Watch her and Jason discuss her relationship with Jeff while they wait for the heat to get fixed at their office.

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

English, baby! English Lesson Video

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.

Jason

Jason

Ella

Ella

Mason

Mason

Jason:  Man.

Ella:  So cold!

Jason:  I hope they get the heat fixed in here soon!

Ella:  It’s ludicrous!

Jason:  Man. Of all the days for the heat to go out, the coldest day of the year…

Ella:  I know…

Jason:  Makes me wish I’d worn two pairs of pants!

Ella:  I know! I’m layering up and I got this hot cocoa to try to keep me warm.

Jason:  Yeah.

Ella:  Speaking of layers, I’m getting sick of my relationship.

Jason:  What does that have to do with layers? What do you mean?

Ella:  He just…you know, pants? He just wants to wear the pants in the relationship all the time! I can’t handle it!

Jason:  What do you mean? Like, what does he do to try to wear the pants?

Ella:  I don’t know, he kinda, like, tells me how to dress, the way I’m looking and all this stuff. Or tries to make suggestions of what to do for the night…I don’t know, just tries to really take charge. And I feel like I want to be the one with the control. ‘Cause I have way cuter pants than him. My wardrobe is fabulous. I have more pants than him, you know? So therefore, due to quantity, I should wear the pants in the relationship.

Jason:  I gotcha. So, you want to wear the pants.

Ella:  Yeah.

Jason:  You wanna control the relationship and make the decisions.

Ella:  Totally!

Jason:  And be the more powerful partner.

Ella:  Power! That’s me.

Jason:  That makes sense, I guess. I don’t know.

Ella:  Who wouldn’t wanna wear the pants?

Jason:  I guess there’s people who wanna wear the pants, and people who don’t.

Ella:  I’m a pants wearer.

Jason:  Yeah. And you can only have one, really.

Ella:  I’m all about it.

Jason:  Or there’s gonna be trouble.

Mason:  Hey dudes! Excuse me, just cleaning up a little bit. Don’t mind me.

Jason:  You a little cold there, buddy?

Ella:  Mason, the heater’s not working…

Mason:  You know, pants are out this season, man.

Jason:  It’s, like, 12 degrees in here though…

Mason:  Don’t matter, dude. Fashion forward. Heidi Klum. She’s my hero.

Jason:  No pants, huh? Well, I guess if it’s a fashion trend maybe it’ll catch on around the office here!

Mason:  Are you kidding, man? I got this extra pair! You should put them on right now!

Jason:  Yeah…I’ll do that…right now…

 

Grammar Point

Go Super to learn "Past Perfect Tense" from this lesson Go Super!

Quizzes

Go Super to take Quiz Go Super!

 

Lesson MP3

Go Super to download full lesson MP3 Go Super!

Discussion

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

It is the coldest day of the year and the heater is broken in the office. Naturally, instead of working, Jason and Ella are having hot drinks and talking.

Ella says that her boyfriend Jeff wants to wear the pants in their relationship. He likes to make decisions and even wants to control what she wears! It’s a problem because Ella also wants to wear the pants in the relationship. She jokes that she should get to wear the pants because she has better fashion sense.

Suddenly, Mason arrives. Even though the office is very cold, he is wearing shorts! He tells Jason and Ella that he doesn’t like pants and that shorts are the new style. He must have overheard Ella talking and decided he would show her that he doesn’t like to wear the pants in a relationship.

Are you someone who likes to wear the pants?

 

Comments

Log in to Comment

huongvan

Viet Nam

for me, people who wants to wear pants in a relationship is likely to be self-centered and selfish, domineering, lacking of tolerance and respect to others and as you all know, these features would not bring about a good relationship. A couple fall in love to one another and then they make complain about how incompatible they are but most of the time they do not realize that one or both of themselves are insisting on wearing pants in their relationships. 


I always prefer wearing pants to skirts but i  am not a type of person who want to wear pants in a relationship with my partner. Laughing

04:13 PM May 15 2011 |

SaOoOdFaH..18

Saudi Arabia

think you english baby

 

09:12 AM Mar 13 2011 |

Roamingcloud

Taiwan

I think I would be the one who likes to wear the pants, but not most of the time. When it comes to big decisions, I would like both partners in the relationship to wear the pants. We need to respect each other.

10:02 PM Mar 09 2011 |

Bitten by an Arab bug

United Arab Emirates

@sammitu

 Just click the "Listen to Dialog" and hit the play button ► in blue color. 

03:47 AM Mar 03 2011 |

Bitten by an Arab bug

United Arab Emirates

I'm not the type who likes to wear the pants although literally I'm a pant-wearer. In a relationship, it is better if both partners will make decisions or at least take turns. It should always be give and take. Women shouldn't dominate the relationship because men always want to feel that they are in control.:D

03:44 AM Mar 03 2011 |

alfpcSuper Member!

Dominican Republic

Ohhh yeah, In my relashionship I'm the one who wear the pants. When my partner ask for someting I always say "Yes dear".

06:41 PM Feb 20 2011 |

sammitu

Viet Nam

hi everyone!

please , tell me where i can listen the dialog?

12:23 AM Feb 20 2011 |

ISABIL

Morocco

hay a want to learn english plz help me

06:34 AM Feb 19 2011 |

candycandice

Sweden

Nice job Mason, following trends better than I do! Laughing 

I like to wear pants in a relationship, but of course it's best to be equal, both have right to wear it sometimes.

09:48 AM Feb 18 2011 |

Romio79

Romio79

Russian Federation

You see! Mason is even ready not to wear pants for Ella:) What deep feelings! As for me I prefer pants, but I agree, respect is very important.

03:19 AM Feb 16 2011 |

anarchotaurus

Marshall Islands

We should always refrain from behaviour patterns of hegemony, regardless of the sex of other people. Mutual respect and empathy is the essential part of civilised relationships. 

11:44 AM Feb 15 2011 |

suprianto

suprianto

Indonesia

well, the point is what kind of relationship (just for fun, a serious or the unclear one) are you trying to hold. its no important to know who's dominant or the decision maker if you cant identify what kind of relationship you have

06:31 AM Feb 15 2011 |

Criz search

Indonesia

I don’t do that.. The relationship is between two persons so I think there is nobodys should be dominant or take decicions..
Me too.. I would never change other people like the way i am.. I won’t taking control because i don’t like being controlled by someone..

01:24 AM Feb 15 2011 |

andrespretty2

Colombia

In my relationship, she and I don't wear the pants, I don't like to be dominant, and try to change her manner, and also she is special with me, she lets me to do things I want, It's a nice relationship, I like this way. :)

09:15 PM Feb 14 2011 |

trailo_hathanh

Viet Nam

It's funny. Ella is smok'in hot. Even though, Mason should be careful. He might caught sick doesn't he? I am 100% sure that Mason will not be dominant in relationship with Ella if they have. 

People who wear the pants in the relationship is Ella. Do you think so?

06:02 PM Feb 14 2011 |

Likes (15):

See all >

Share this lesson:

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

Post Ebaby! lessons on your blog:

Ebaby! Cast