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Fool Around

Learn the First Conditional

Date: Aug 21 2012

Themes: Soap Opera

Grammar: First Conditional

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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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“Fool around” is a slang phrase with both innocent and R-rated meanings.

Most of the time, fool around means to play or have fun. A teacher might ask the students to stop fooling around and making so much noise in the back of the classroom. If you fool around with your car, it means you tinker with the engine. You’re not working very hard. You might fix something and you might not. It doesn’t matter because you’re just fooling around anyway.

Be careful using this phrase though, because fooling around can also mean making out or being physical and romantic with another person. Find out which meaning of the phrase applies to Dale and Vanessa.

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.

Devan

Dale

Vanessa

Devan: Whoa. What is going on here?

Dale: Nothing, boss, nothing. Nothing at all.

Vanessa: Yeah, we were just fooling around.

Devan: Fooling around behind Mason’s back? Dale, are you and Mason’s girlfriend…

Dale: What? No. We’re just friends. You know, we’re just fooling around, like telling jokes, being silly, what friends do. We’re just friends.

Devan: Vanessa, is this true?

Vanessa: Yeah. We’re just fooling around.

Devan: OK. But sometimes “fooling around” can mean, you know, doing things that are not appropriate with someone else’s girlfriend.

Dale: True, true. But there’s nothing inappropriate going on here. Nothing at all.

Devan: So I can tell Mason about this, then?

Dale: Well, um. Let me think about that, um…

Devan: Right. Vanessa, will you excuse us for just a moment? Thanks. Now, you listen to me. Mason is a good guy, and he loved Ella for so long and she didn’t love him back, and now he’s finally met a girl who’s actually hot, and she seems to like him, and if you mess this up for him, well, I’ll fire you. Do you understand?

Dale: Yes, I got it. I promise. I promise.

Devan: Anything I find out that happens between you two, even if you look at her weird, I am not fooling around, I will fire you.

Dale: I understand. I understand.

Devan: Alright, well, glad we had this talk.

Grammar Point

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Discussion

Go Super to Listen

Dale and Vanessa are hanging out and laughing in the hallway. Devan discovers them and asks what they are doing. They say they’re just fooling around.

When they say they are fooling around, they mean they are just having fun and being silly. But it appears to Devan that what they’re doing might not be so innocent.

She asks to speak to Dale one-on-one and tells him that Vanessa is Mason’s girlfriend and if he does anything to hurt Mason, he’ll be in trouble.

What do you think is going on between Dale and Vanessa? Do you like to fool around or are you a serious person?

Comments

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DominikLi

China

I just fool around when there is nothing to do,sometimes I’m interested in make trouble to young kids(hey,don’t learn from me ok?).

wangyuxiaodan@163.com

China

Fool around is not my style.

Estuardo2

Peru

Wow! It’s unbelievable!

SANG891

Hong Kong

nice

julito

Argentina

ok guys ,dont fool around when Devan is around unless you dont mind to receive the pink slip. I see a red flag here,watch out, you two are young and Vanessa is not a girl to pass by , Mason, speed up your recovery ,things are getting out of control at the office.

vuthanhthang

Viet Nam

I think, Vanessa likes Dale. If you had seen the last Video with title: “Behind someone`s back” and connecting to this situation you would understand. “Fooling around” in this case obviously can cause trouble and easy-making someone else jealous

zarin.setare

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

i dont like fool around.I`m a serious person

vuthanhthang

Viet Nam

so nice

wannicho

China

depends , in real ,most of the time. i am serious , i always keep guy friends a distance . but it’s another case online, i like fooling around most of the time , making jokes and having fun, it’s a place u don’t need to mind your boundaries

Masbarar

Turkey

I think the meaning of fooling around changes according to it’s level.But generally when a girl and man joke,have fun together,it seams that they flirt.And I don’t think that if a man or woman see his/her gir/boy friend joking,having fun so much with another person will be happy.And surely will be jealous.

To say we are just friends to be not serve to feel well.

To say we are just friends is a very good excuse at those situations.

raisacorrea

Brazil

Well, I think they were fooling around in 3º mean (sexual activity) by their faces when the boss came..
When I was single I liked to fooling around with my friends (play, have fun), but nowadays I am a serious person, and I just fool around with my husband.

Majid Zarif

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

I think we would better to take care about what we do with our friend paticulary when we have girl friend ,fooling around may be unsuitable treatment .generally making fun and in very high level in sexual way isn’t good action when we’re with our friend ,I was become serious person when I saw some of my friend made alots of fun after that their friand bacame sad .

andrestorres.e

Chile

You can fooling around being a responsible and honest person. There’s no need to be so serious.

Orchestra

Russian Federation

I’m sympathizing with Dale when he was being told off by Devan. I’ve come across so many situations when I was blamed for this kind of “inappropriate” behaviour. In fact, you often just have a fun but instead you’re regarded as like you’re guilty of criminal act. However, let us be fair, Dale’s and Venessa’s sweet conversation is likely to make Mason be jealous, in case he finds this out. So, have a fun but take care of your friends feelings =)

rabindra shrestha

Nepal

i dont like fool around…............

fabsir

Brazil

I think nothing inappropriate is going on between Dale and Vanessa. It´s just that Dale messed up a bit when he tried to give Devan a reasonable explanation about what they were up to in the hallway. I don´t fool around that often and I think I´m too serious. I definitely have to learn how to loosen up and fool around more often.

reyhon

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

i like fooling around so much !

Johnson Lee

Costa Rica

A man of noble character must self-restrain in privacy.

yuminaga

China

likes something happened between Dale and Vansessa.I guess ,we are not a kid but adults so we should know doing things that what is appropriate with or inappropriate, we should be a responsible person .however we are human too ,when we do something to hurt people ,we should speak to someone one- on- one asap .dont hesitate.

JumpinJulian Flash

Argentina

I’m really a serious person, and i can joke or “fool around” with the girl, but it’s only that. But it depends on the case too. If i want one night for fun (not usually) i can fool around with a girl, but if i want a serious relationship is another case.