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Behind Someone's Back
背着某人

Date: Aug 07 2012

Grammar: Verbs with "-ing"

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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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Children know they have to ask permission from adults before they do anything. Do you remember asking your parents if you could go play in the park or asking your teacher if you could go to the restroom during class?

Adults have to ask permission for things too. They ask permission for more important things such as, “Can I mention I know you to a potential business contact?” or “Would it be alright with you if I asked your sister on a date?”

To do these things without asking permission would be to go behind someone’s back. When you go behind someone’s back, you do something that affects someone else without getting permission first. It can be very hurtful. Watch as Dale reminds his friends that it’s not nice to go behind someone’s back.

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.

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

Vanessa

Dale

Devan

Vanessa: Hey.

Dale: Oh! Whoa! You scared me. Hi.

Vanessa: How are you?

Dale: Oh, I’m doing fine. Mason’s not here today. He’s actually sick. I remember hearing something like that…

Vanessa: Oh no. Well, I guess we’ll just have to hang out.

Dale: Oh. Well, I don’t think that’s a good idea because I don’t want to do anything behind Mason’s back.

Vanessa: Oh, it won’t be behind his back. He’s sick, remember?

Dale: Yeah, I don’t think it’s a good idea to hang out though. I just…I don’t wanna do something behind his back, you know?

Vanessa: Well, I’ll call him.

Devan: Oh, hey, Vanessa. So, Dale. I think that I’m going to hire Amanda for that job.

Dale: But did you talk to Marni first?

Devan: Well, no…

Dale: Well, I think it’s a good idea that you do. It’s kind of going behind her back, and it’s not nice.

Devan: I guess you’re right. She is my partner, so I should probably talk to her about it first. I don’t want to go behind her back.

Dale: Exactly.

Vanessa: So Mason is totally cool with us hanging out.

Dale: Really? Are you sure?

Vanessa: Yeah!

Dale: Later, boss!

Devan: OK…

Grammar Point

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Discussion

Go Super to Listen

Vanessa quietly sneaks up behind Dale at the office. Dale tells her that her boyfriend, Mason, is sick today. Vanessa replies that the two of them will just have to hang out instead.

Dale says that wouldn’t feel right to him. He doesn’t want to go behind Mason’s back. He doesn’t want to spend time with his friend’s girlfriend without talking to him about it first. Vanessa says she’ll call Mason.

While she is gone, Devan tells Dale that she has decided to hire Amanda. Dale asks if she has consulted Marni. Since they are business partners, she shouldn’t hire someone without talking to her. That would be going behind her back. Devan agrees.

Vanessa returns and says that Mason doesn’t mind if she hangs out with Dale. Before Dale can say much of anything, she grabs his hand and they run off together.

What do you think Vanessa wants? Has anyone ever done anything behind your back? How did it make you feel?

Comments

1 through 20 of 44
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ritabos

India

I’m not happy about you going behind my back like that. You should have told me.

• People laughed at him behind his back.

• He agrees with his boss to his face, but then criticizes him behind his back.

Mc.Camilla

United States

www.ccxingxing.com

KelvinPhillbert

China

yeap, for something i do not like to do it behind someone’s back, for instance, hanging out with other’s girlfriend, even if just walk around in the public street, unless he was together. but for some other thing, such as i wanna get a cigarette but somebody, or your boss or partener do not like you smoke, then i would smoke behind his back, lol. but for my own health, i’d rather quit the smoke habbit, hahaa.

fabsir

Brazil

I think Vanessa is up to something. I doubt it she´d phoned Mason even. And yes, somebody has done things behind my back a couple of times. Some of the stuff they did I couldn´t get over and I just pulled away from them. Other things were minor issues I just turned a blind eye to.

Johnson Lee

Costa Rica

One day , you walk on a street,suddenly a stranger stab you back behind your back,and then he say:”I am sorry , I got the wrong person.” What are you going to say ? ..............................................................................................................................send me to the hospital ,pls !

star_artist

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

I can stand behind someones back…It jars on my nerve…

ana.p94231

India

It really hurts when someone does something behind your back, especially if he or she is close to you. Sometimes, its could affect badly on your relationship. I think, it is not good to do anything behind soemone’s back. It is good to let him or her know before doing that thing. That could save you from any misunderstanding and problems.

Ana.

lbrown

Mexico

Nice, lesson,plenty of vocabulary my student loved it

foz12

Saudi Arabia

oh I hate to do that to my boss, I mean even my boss sick

and at home, does it make me do such thing like that

or else I will find my self worry all the time lol

nice lesson and idiom

ycb1122

China

In this brief conversation ,we know that Vanessa wanna hang out with Dale ,but Dale thinks it is a awful thing to go behind her boyfriend’s back before she is not to ask permission.I don’t know whether someone has done something behind my back ,but if the things he(or she) has done result bad impression or make me hurtful ，i would be rather angry and not joyful .

This is the second time to express my opinion here .With this platform ,I wanna make friends from all over the world. My msn address is ycb1122@hotmail .sincerely hope that we can be good friends.I come from China.

punthita

Thailand

Vanessa wants to go out with Dale so she permission Mason that she rigth done. Sometime my freinds doesn’t tell me about improtant in study such as home work, her emotion what she wants? so I misunderstand. I have been feeling very disappoint and angry.

julito

Argentina

Definetely, Vanessa is flirting with Dale, she got to know from him that his BF is sick and didn´t show any emotion and interest in what is wrong with his boyfriend, ,furthermore she kept on pressing Dale to hang out with her, wouldn´t it be more appropiate to call Mason and ask if he needed help? I don´t know,I am just asking.

pari 89

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

I think doing somthing behind someones back isnt good,,

but in this dialog , vanessa was just bored and wanted to have someone to injoy herself much more ,,,

zarin.setare

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

she wants to do sth behind his boy friend back.and i think in relationships we shouldnt forget honesty and stabbing in back is not good.

rita87

Morocco

i think that vanessa want to hang out with dale and she found the opportunity to be with him although she ask permission . for me if someone do somthing behind my back really i don’t like this situation,

kukuka

Ukraine

Yeah, I can remeber it when people did something behind my back. I felt very disappointed. Now I just try not to let anybody do that by not giving them information that they can use against me.

Masbarar

Turkey

Vanessa is an intelligent girl.She just didn’t want to miss the opportunity to hang out alone with Dale as Mason was sick and sleeping at home because of his sickness.So she went behind Mason’s back.Maybe Dale is afraid from Mason so he asked to Vanessa to ask Mason if it’s possible to hang our together.Of course that’s not good,but at the relationship,this is the rule.Before catching the new one,the persons go behind other one’s back.After finding new one,they are ready to say Bye Bye.

Gerryous

Italy

Little can be said about Vanessa’s intentions.

Anyhow, if ever you realized that someone is behind your back, don’t bend yourself…

1234567891

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

ErinDong

United States

no one went behind my back before but i know it is a hurtful thing to do. even worse, some people pretend to be one’s friend, try to learn some secrets, and go discuss about it with another person when theres time