Learn the present progressive tense and not to be uptight

Intro

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

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• hop on the bandwagon
• hunch over
• loosen up
• uptight

• what's the deal
• cut out

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

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You can see someone’s mood by the way they hold their body. When you’re relaxed, you tend to spread out, lean back and sit comfortably. When you’re focusing or working hard, you might hunch over or strain your muscles.

How do you get from one extreme to the other? You have to loosen up. When you loosen up, you stop being tense and you relax. A lot of people use alcohol and music to loosen up. It’s similar to mellowing out, but it’s typically used as a suggestion to someone who is uptight. If you’re uptight, you’re not mellow at all and you need to loosen up.

Ella usually likes to slack off around the office. She typically doesn’t work very hard. But she has recently started to act differently. See how her boyfriend Jeff responds to her new work ethic.

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.

Jeff

Ella

Jeff:  Hey, what’s up? It’s 4:15, what do you say we get out of here, huh?

Ella:  I can’t…

Jeff:  What’s the deal?

Ella:  I’m trying to work a little harder, you know…

Jeff:  Oh, come on. You’ve got everything done for the day.

Ella:  No! There’s still, like, 45 minutes! It’s 4:15, what do you…What are you talking about?

Jeff:  You’re just not fun anymore. What’s the deal?

Ella:  I’m fun!

Jeff:  Why don’t you loosen up a little bit?

Ella:  I can’t. I just…I just really need to work harder.

Jeff:  No, it used to be such a good time. You know? We’d cut out about an hour early.

Ella:  I just…no.

Jeff:  No dice? No?

Ella:  No, I can’t. I’m sorry. Just… Just go.

Jeff:  Come on. Come on, babe? And what’s with this hat?

Ella:  I’m trying to be taken more seriously!

Jeff:  Are you going to a funeral? A wedding? Are you trying to…

Ella:  It’s helping me focus! It covers the screen with a circle, like a tunnel…

Jeff:  You’re so uptight!

Ella:  No I’m not! You’re…under-tight.

Jeff:  I’m under-tight?

Ella:  I don’t know!

Jeff:  No, no, no. You’re uptight. All you wanna do is focus on work. Stay, you know, with the task at hand.

Ella:  Work is serious! You don’t make it fun.

Jeff:  Well, if you’re so good at it, then you can quit an hour early!

Ella:  I’m not good at it. I’m gonna become better at it. The best. The best at it.

Jeff:  Whatever. You’re no fun. I mean, look at this! That’s our boss! Look at her! Come on.

Ella:  I…no. I’m sorry. I’m gonna…

Jeff:  Hop on the bandwagon!

Ella:  No! It’s Tuesday! We can wait until Friday?

Jeff:  We’re at work five days a week, come on! You know, loosen up at least a few of those days. I’ll be taking this. See you later.

Grammar Point

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Lesson MP3

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