English, baby!

Saying Goodbye

Date: Jan 12 2010

Themes: Friend, How To

Grammar: Gerunds vs. Infinitives

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Intro

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See you later. Farewell. ‘Til we meet again. Ciao. In every language, there is more than one way to say goodbye. There are formal and informal, warmer and colder, shorter and longer types of goodbyes. But the hardest goodbyes come when you have to say goodbye forever to someone you care about. Anyone who has ever moved away, lived abroad, or gone to school in a different city has probably experienced at least one of these sad farewells.

Mason recently had to say goodbye to a close friend of his. Listen to him tell Beren how he dealt with it.

Dialog

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

Mason

Beren

Mason: I had a good friend move away recently, and I hate saying goodbye to friends when they’re gone for a long time.

Beren: And why do you hate saying goodbye, just like the actual goodbye, like what do you say? Do you want it to be drawn out or quick and painless, or…

Mason: Well, there’s kind of two kinds of goodbyes. There’s just like, “Hey, goodbye, I’ll see you sometime within a week or a month or whatever.” And then there’s the big send off, where it’s like I don’t know when the next time I’ll see you again…you know?

Beren: That’s always hard because you need to make it special but you don’t want it to be too drawn out and not have it over with.

Mason: Yeah. It’s mostly the big ones that I’m just terrible at.

Beren: So did you guys have a farewell party?

Mason: We did, we went out for drinks. But then that was awkward too because it was like all these other friends of this friend that I don’t know, so I didn’t get to feel like I had an intimate moment with this person to really like, you know…

Beren: Say goodbye.

Mason: Say what I wanted the way I wanted.

Grammar Point

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Discussion

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Recently, one of Mason’s good friends moved away. There was a goodbye party for him, but Mason felt like he didn’t have a chance to say a special farewell. Mason hates saying goodbye because he never knows what to say or how to say it.

Some goodbyes are easier to say. It’s not hard to say “See you later” to someone whom you know you’ll see again soon. But when you or someone you love leaves town for good, the goodbye gets more painful and complicated.

There are different ways to handle those tough goodbyes. Some people like to slip away without making a big fuss, while others like a long, drawn-out farewell. Some throw big going away parties and others try to have private, one-on-one goodbyes with each person they care about.

Have you ever had to say a difficult goodbye? What is the best way to say goodbye?

Comments

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sdsffg

Albania

This was truly an intriguing point and I kinda concur with what you have specified here! assisted living in west monroe

mahtab49

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

I dont think saying goodbye is difficult like before!

Now there are many ways to see or talk with friends and people we love when they are far from us!

I know it is different when you communicate by phone or video calls but at least you miss them less than time we just had one way to call them per month or per week!

But for me saying goodbye from my mom when she was in hospital and we were waiting to lose her forever was the worst one and also was very painful!

I never forget the last night of her life. I hugged her , kissed her with tears.

I asked her to forgive me and asked God to let her go to release her from all pains she had for 5 years.

I knew it was the last time I could touch her and see her!

After that painful moment ,saying goodbye with anyone can hurt me because when you know someone is living somewhere safe and sound it makes you happy!

Today is my dear mom’s Birthday too!

Rest in peace 🌷💝

eduardosouto

Brazil

Yes, I have already had to say a painful goodbye!

It is sad, we never think that it will happen to us, I got a nice bond with a girl from Florida once, and after two years she was forced to leave, because her father was a military and had somewhere else to go serving.

The best way to say goodbye is with tears of happiness in your eyes and joy in your heart <3

nilou75

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

we want or not ! every things has end , so one day wil come that we all should say it . what nice idea that we start to learn to express it in best way and finish it with great memory

parmis5820

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

It’s really hard for me saying goodbye . Saying goodbye usually is happend . sometime you abandon your job or your school and you should say goodbye. I had experienced it. At first it was very hard , but it will be a habbit.

fabsir

Brazil

I had a friend move away recently too. We had a going away party and though it was a bit drawn out it was cool. We had a big movie screen set up where pictures of the best moments together were shown, we had people making a speech and some shed tears. I don´t feel comfortable with goodbyes and I don´t think there´s a best way to say it. When the moment comes you sort of improvise it and make it more natural if off the top of your head.

wanggail

China

drawn-out farewell is just not for me. I would rather keep the feelings to myself. It is really hard to say goodbye to friends, especially the really loved ones… For me, it happened every once a year in the last 4 years… Hate that feeling! But time will heal….

nonoseven

China

I hate say goodbye to friends..

lakshmiravindran

India

Nice and i like the way of saying goodbye. I had experienced it.

iostreamax

Philippines

I had experienced it. And the way I did to say it is that I gave her my warmest hug with tears dropping from my eyes.

rui885462

China

i just said bye to my love ….i know this time theres gona be no back ….

lufo du

China

yeah, it’s not easy for me to say goodbye, especially when someone you care so much and have little chance to meet again

mangojoy

United States

I like your way of saying goodbye.

mangojoy

United States

I’ll be honest. I haven’t yet found the best way to say goodbye. Goodbyes are often quite difficult for me. I find myself often bouncing back and forth between awkward goodbyes that are too short and awkward goodbyes that probably have over-extended their welcome. :) Even though experimentation is a part of life for all of us, I’d like to get better at saying goodbye in a more graceful, harmonious and painless way, if that is possible.

Learner of Life

Indonesia

I can say good bye for others by my words, but actually I never can say it by my heart…. As I believe that meeting and separating is just a part of this life, sometimes we have to stay away and the other time we will stay close…

So, just keep in mind that there is no separating that will last forever… So, for me, the meaning of the words “good bye” is we need time to meet again with the one that in the certain time we have to stay away in distance, but not in the heart.

wwongsapun

Thailand

Yes! It’s difficult to say goodbye with someone that I care. Sometime I don’t say any word but my tear begin to fall so it’s mean a farewell from me.

4EVER

United Arab Emirates

when someone close to my heart wants to travel,i can’t say Goodbye without tears..for that,i hate those two words..

CatcheR

Iceland

SO far I haven’t said good bye to anyone, It must be very hard and I wish I never come this experience

lynn lam

China

i have no chance but to say goodbye to my best friends..couse i have to go college at another city and now i feel so alone,is sad..we are away from eachother:(

foz12

Saudi Arabia

many times I said goodbye its so hard to say it

it just I can't stand it I really bad person when I say goodbye to my best friend

so many crying tears that look that saying I don't know when will the next time

I will see her but I belive that all a live people will meet one day

if not in paradies I hope
so I hate this word so much !!