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In a Rut
In a Rut English, baby! Video Lesson

Simple Present Tense

Date: Apr 26 2011

Themes: Soap Opera

Grammar: Simple Present Tense

Intro

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

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

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Have you ever seen the movie Groundhog Day? Bill Murray wakes up and relives the same day over and over. Sometimes life can feel like that. Except unlike in the movie, time is actually passing. You get a little older each day.

If your life feels like Groundhog Day, you might be in a rut. Someone who is in a rut always does the same things. If you’re in a rut, you go eat the same meals and go to the same places every day. The word “rut” refers to a part of a road that is worn down from use.

If you say you’re “in a rut,” it means you think the repetition in your life is a problem. But a routine can be comfortable. It can be nice to live a life with few surprises. Watch Jason and Devan’s daily routine and help them decide if they are in a rut.

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.

Jason

Jason

Devan

Devan

Jason:  Ready?

Devan:  Ready to work out?

Jason:  Uh-huh.

Devan:  OK. Here we go.

Jason:  Pizza’s here.

Devan:  Thank God.

Jason:  You go get the pizza today.

Devan:  Pizza time!

Jason:  Yeah!

Devan:  That’s my side of the couch.

Jason:  It’s cool. Oh, sorry! Pizza’s here! Alright. Hey, wait a minute.

Devan:  This is my Wednesday shirt.

Jason:  This is my Wednesday shirt, too. I just changed it over from Monday.

Devan:  Oh no. We’re in a rut, aren’t we?

Jason:  I think we might be. I mean, we do seem to do the same thing every day. We come home, we watch our workout DVD, we eat pizza, and watch TV.

Devan:  Yeah. We even wear our shirts in the same order.

Jason:  But, I mean, it’s not a rut if you like it, right?

Devan:  I don’t know. I think we should try to spice up our lives a little bit. We should go out.

Jason:  We’ll go out.

Devan:  OK, let’s go!

Jason:  Tomorrow. Or the next day.

Devan:  Yeah. Sunday, ‘cause there’s reruns on Sunday.

Jason:  Yeah.

Devan:  Yeah, we’ll go on Sunday.

Jason:  OK.

 

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Discussion

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Every day, Jason and Devan come home, exercise, eat pizza and watch TV. One day, they realize they’re also wearing the same shirt. Devan realizes that their lives are have become boring and predictable. They are in a rut.

Jason and Devan never leave the house to have fun, so they agree to go out. However, they decide to wait until Sunday because there aren’t any new TV shows on that night. Do you think Jason and Devan are in a rut? Do they’ll actually go out as planned?

Are you in a rut?

 

Comments

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ola33

ola33

Japan

Yes, I’m always for a renewal. Even if you’ve never tried something before and it’s a new experience for you, you shouldn’t give up on the idea, like  Bill Murray in Groundhog movie. Despite the fact that the main character has never played the piano, done icesculpting and saved sb’s life, he just plunges into a row of those new experiences, just to get out of that in-a-rut limbo. He didn’t only spiced his life up but won the heart of a lady as well. So it’s kind of a ripple effect :) I can imagine how much effort it cost him since any new habit is a challenge. That’s why Devan and Jason subconsciously are putting the new activities off. Like a river, hey simply follow the course of least resistance and “go with the flow”.

03:36 AM Jan 24 2012 |

1 person likes this

Olya1106

Olya1106

Ukraine

I think Jason and Devan are in a root. But it’s good they understood it. Sometimes I have some lazy days. I only go to work, then come home, have my supper and watch TV or serfing the Net. But when I understand I’m in a root i’m trying to change my life style. So, I go out, meeting with my friends, go shoping or gardening. Life in a root is boring.

03:33 PM May 03 2011 |

barbeque

barbeque

Hungary

Well,that kind of life destroys their relationship, I think we are All in the routine day by day, but we must  try to spice up our lives a little bit:))

07:05 AM May 03 2011 |

javier armando

Peru

I guess Im in a rut cos day after day I wake up to be on net and to do task during the week ,but on weekend i go to see a film ,so i guess it ´s my routine! I need to spice up my boring life,How Id love to go surfing or parachuting from my city cliff edge,but it´s so unaffordable! damn it! 50 usd is a robbery!

04:30 PM May 02 2011 |

1 person likes this

sofree

sofree

China

If they did have that conversation, they are in a rut.

It's all about state of mind, if you enjoy the routine, it's not a rut, like I do, lol~

06:52 AM Apr 27 2011 |

trailo_hathanh

Viet Nam

Yes they are in a rut. I don't think they will go out as planned. It is easy to fall in a rut actually. We are in the routine every day and when we are fall in a rut that we don't know. To avoid it, we should often spice things up.

01:54 AM Apr 27 2011 |

Sonny Boy

Sonny Boy

Canada

Sometimes the situation around makes us in a rut, good or not that’s inevitable.


I myself do like to try different things, though they are routines of my life. For example listening to music is one of my habbit but I am not in a rut with that cuz I listen to different genres each time. Anyways I think being n a rut bring us with no new progress in life. what do you say?

09:48 PM Apr 26 2011 |

1 person likes this

 julito

julito

Argentina

Come on you guys  , go out and enjoy the sunshine,  and you Devan , eating pizza  and watching  TV , you are in a rut !!! use your time learning  how to cook a delicious meal and invite your friends over to enjoy it. 

09:47 PM Apr 26 2011 |

1 person likes this

Lalela

Lalela

Italy

I think that Jason and Devan are absolutely in a rut! They make me say:”What a pity to spend an whole life in such a way!”


I don’t think they will go out as planned, they seem to procrastinate something without the real intention to do it seriously.


Fortunately I’m not in a rut, even if sometimes a little bit of routine can be relaxing and comforting I prefer to do different things during the day; I mean, even if I have to do something ( such as to study ot to work ), when I get over with those things  I like to do something different!

06:10 PM Apr 26 2011 |

1 person likes this

sassie

sassie

Philippines

waah.`` definitely Im in a rut. I never go out and spice things up..That's quite bad i got bored and everything is predictable but not that remarkable…. fufufuf -...-

05:11 PM Apr 26 2011 |

pharaoes

pharaoes

Egypt

life is strife so make it easy and enjoyable

05:04 PM Apr 26 2011 |

Stitch

Stitch

Taiwan

I hope I won’t have a life that’s in a rut!


It looks like Devan and Jason are not going out as planned.

05:04 PM Apr 26 2011 |

angelo17841

Italy

;))) it seems that their workout become smaller day by day

02:54 PM Apr 26 2011 |

SimurG

SimurG

Turkey

This problem is completely related to the capitalist system. we need to change this

02:05 PM Apr 26 2011 |

SimurG

SimurG

Turkey

The problem with this is completely relevant to the capitalist system.we need to change it

02:01 PM Apr 26 2011 |

imfreelance

Thailand

I'm in a rut too.

My work is very boring :( 

01:46 PM Apr 26 2011 |

Athosfbc

Athosfbc

Brazil

well rut is rut like wake up every day and see what happen in the world, and thinkslike that. i'm feeling that i am in a rut, but I don't know how!! humhumhauhauhauhaha

12:37 PM Apr 26 2011 |

1 person likes this

egypolaris

egypolaris

Egypt

Thank God amn't in a rut … cuz i hate routine and doing the same things in the same order

12:34 PM Apr 26 2011 |

SimurG

SimurG

Turkey

i did in the rut but now it is imposible I changed

09:51 AM Apr 26 2011 |

MirekCANADA

Canada

Yeah …I'm 16 years old and I live in Canada – Hamilton … I came from Czech Republic … I think that I'm in a rut.. everyday I'm bored and at Friday I can't go to any party because in canada they don't have any disco party or whatever for all ages … in my backhome i can go everywhere with my friends … i came to Canada and here is borring .. omg … I wanna dance i wanna sing and everything but in canada i'm just sitting and playing on the PC … or whatever fuck it .. omg :(

03:19 AM Apr 26 2011 |

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