English, baby!

Etiquette

Learn the zero conditional.

Date: Feb 04 2011

Themes: Family

Grammar: Zero Conditional

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Intro

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

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We all have our pet peeves when it comes to manners. Some can’t stand to sit at the table with anyone who talks with his mouth full. Others get miffed if you don’t open the door for them, or if you try to cut in line.

In the U.S., proper etiquette is especially important in the South, where there is a long tradition of chivalry. But even in a laid-back state like California, people will probably give you bad looks if you do certain things in public, like belch at a fancy restaurant.

Ella grew up in the South. Hear her and Beren talk about the importance of having good manners.

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.

Ella

Beren

Ella: So, growing up in the South, manners were really important. I definitely could not have my elbows on the table, you know, sit up straight, no slouching. I had really strict rules growing up in regards to etiquette.

Beren: Did your parents set an example in regards to being proper, or…?

Ella: Yes, there was definitely, like, please and thank you, a lot of stuff like that, and not speaking when other people are speaking, closing your mouth when you eat.

Beren: There is nothing that drives me crazier than bad table manners, like messy eaters, loud eaters.

Ella: And it’s so sad when you see little kids now, you know? Their parents just don’t set a very good example, just demanding things and stuff. I feel like manners are just kind of an olden time thing.

Beren: What kind of bad manners set you off?

Ella: Definitely interrupting is a huge one. When someone’s trying to speak and you’re just interrupting. Or eating with your mouth open, that’s just so gross. Or like not holding the door for someone. I feel like that’s a really big one too.

Beren: Aw, that’s all about being a gentleman.

Ella: Well, if I’m on a date, yes, then you have to be a gentleman.

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Discussion

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Ella thinks it’s very important to have good manners and use proper etiquette. She was raised to be proper and respectful. In particular, she thinks it’s important to hold the door for others and not interrupt people or be a messy eater.

Messy eaters drive Beren crazy, too. She can’t stand it when people eat loudly or are sloppy at the dinner table. But she doesn’t think it’s as important to hold the door for people. That’s something that men should do for women, to show that they’re gentlemen. Ella says that if she goes on a date with someone, he has to be a gentleman.

Which bad manners drive you crazy? How do you think men should behave on dates?

Comments

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sudipto

India

to build up a good life and future we do have required some basic etiquette in one human life…being a human we should maintain proper etiquettes.perhaps,etiquettes does not maintain properly in this generation specially about women..there having a lot of etiquettes according to category since from chilhood to end of the life…we should be polite with every people..polite behaviour which can change people motivation.being a rude person to lead a life its such a bullshit we should immediately removed bad manner and should start a fresh life with positive thinking and good manner..according to me to drive someone crazy thats really bad…..be a gentleman…..!!!!!!!!

Sorlem

Austria

Etiquette is essential for everyone.

Lovesick

Egypt

I find this a too long of a thesis to read, I urge the writer to narrow it down a little,ugh!

but the highlighted vocabularies were very helpful,I just hope I can remember'em on time

julito

Argentina

I get annoyed whenever a guy try to cut in line.

heshamomar

Palestinian Territory, Occupied

there is not god but allah

Nicte ha

Mexico

I work for a call center "metro pcs" with customers in USA. Usually we must be extremely polite and proper, but during the training we are taught to understand and not to feel offended if someone annoys us, has bad manners, or if they say bad words, we just apply a special script

zuzelja

Latvia

of course-bad manners it's veryy annoying thing.I hate that when I hear little child speaking ruge or being unpolite with older people.

I always try to be polite.

omegatrack

Mexico

It´s really important to be polite with everyone so that we can have good relations.One of my big pet peeves is laughing at someone´s back, that really sets me off.

Semiliranda

Russian Federation

I get miffed if I hear an obscene language in public places. I would like to see a strict legislation in this matter. Smoking at the bus stop drives me crazy.

I respect gentlemen, who shows the chivalry. They do not slouch and have proper manners. As for me, I do not able to cut in line, because this thing is my pet peeve and really set me off.

I accede the request of audio files with better quality.

juneborn

Mexico

umm . true sometimes bad manners drive me crazy too , i´m sure i have it i don´t save me neither but , there is cases and cases , hahaha.

bad manners sometimes in mens are so notables , they want to show how men they are , ha . not speaking for general . ..

sure have a gentleman in a date makes you think all night then . i like at least that they open the door , that makes you fell too that they are in a hundred in the date , that they care about you :)

zhanna_kz

Kazakhstan

Bad manners.. ufff.. The thing that make me sad is that people, especially young ones not even forget open door or say "excuse me"and other stuff.. They think that it's normal. And don't realize that something what they do could disturb people around!

indianeha64

India

to live properly, discipline and manners are very important ….. our bad behaviour and bad manners can irritate someone …......so we should take care of others

renemex

Mexico

What really bhoters me is when a man doesn´t stand up and let a woman seat (in a bus, metro or an office), I think it´s a very bad manner

cococheng

Taiwan

It will drive me crazy when young people sit on the priority seat pretending sleeping without noticing the elder or pregnant woman standing in front of him/her.

In this case, I will politely wake him/her up reminding that there is someone who needs the seat more than we do.

MUHAMMAD92

Saudi Arabia

any behaviornot good drive t crazy.

lailaq

Palestinian Territory, Occupied

Agreeeee 100%

hnotik

Germany

I SEE BAD MANNER IF DO NOT RESPECT OLD PEOPLE

postaav

Egypt

islamic religious had taught us how to be a good manner before american etiquet showed.learned us to respect others.gave us the right to express our view without hurt others

Thuggy

Belarus

Shurely, etiquette must have place in everybody's life. But one should choose manners for oneself, because there are too many opinions. And it's impossible to follow all of them. There is another problem. Sometimes people try so hard to use etiquette, that make more harm, than good.

Thuggy

Belarus

Dear Theben! You are not deaf! It's a problem of audio comprehension of foreign language speech. The hardest cases are telephone calls, tape records etc. More, more and more training and you'll understand every word.