Hypothetically Speaking - With the Unreal Past Tense

Intro

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

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• bankrupt
• grandfathered in
• see through
• a second

• fantasy
• hypothetical
• for fun
• just for the sake of

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

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Devan has a big decision to make. Recently, a lawyer named Jeff came and offered to buy her business. The company isn’t doing very well, but she did use her inheritance to start it. What to do?

Devan decides to ask the advice of her employee and boyfriend Jason. But Jason doesn’t know about the offer Jeff made or the trouble the company is in. See how Devan uses the unreal past tense to try to get Jason’s opinion without letting him know what’s going on.

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

Dialog

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

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

Devan

Jason

Devan:  Hey, Jason! Come here a second!

Jason:  What’s going on?

Devan:  Purely fantasy here. Let’s say you had a company and somebody offered you a bunch of money for it, would you sell it?

Jason:  Wait, that’s what’s going on with this Jeff guy? You’re trying to sell the company to him?

Devan:  No, no, no, no. This is totally hypothetical. Just imagining things. For fun, you know? Let’s just say, just for the sake of saying it, that you had a company and they were going completely bankrupt and you were running out of money, what would you do? Would you sell it?

Jason:  Wait, we’re going bankrupt?

Devan:  No, no, just saying, you know? Like, imagining things. Hypothetical.

Jason:  I’m just saying this is a really unusual fantasy for you to feel the need to talk about.

Devan:  I’m just thinking, you know, about, like, things that could happen in the future, to people I don’t know, not me or anyone else I know, I’m just saying.

Jason:  Well, I guess since we’re just talking about imaginary things that haven’t happened yet, and only might happen. If I had a company and someone offered to buy it I would make sure that all the employees are grandfathered in, that no one could change who works here or how much money they make for at least a couple of years. And you could do that with your job too. Just to make sure that even though you’re not the owner any more you still make the same amount of money, at least for a little while.

Devan:  That’s a very interesting point, I’m going to write that down. Not because I need to know this but just, you know, for the future. It’s always good to be prepared for the future. It’s good to be prepared.

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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