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Royalty

Learn English with this king and queen English lesson

Date: Jul 23 2018

Themes: Celebrity, News, Pop Culture

Grammar: Gerunds vs. Infinitives

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Intro

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Of 196 countries in the world, 45 have royal families. For people who live in countries without royalty, the idea of having a king or queen probably seems very strange. But for people who have grown up learning about their countries’ royal families, it’s just part of life. It would probably seem strange to them to live somewhere without a royal family.

We can only guess what it must be like to live your life as a royal. It seems likely that you could have what you want because your family has money, and it’s hard to picture royalty getting their hands dirty in the garden. But today, especially, people born into royalty seem to do a lot of things that we do. They go to school, serve in the military, and help out in places like hospitals. Life is definitely glamorous at times, but it also includes work. After all, royalty are people, too.

What are Marni and Jeff’s opinions about royalty? Find out in today’s English lesson about people in the news.

Dialog

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

Jeff

Marni

Jeff: I’m looking at this magazine with you, I tell you. I look at my job, day in and day out, doing what I do, and I wish I was those people.

Marni: Really? Prince Harry and all the British royals? And royalty of any country, for that matter? It’s so tedious!

Jeff: They can have anything they want. They’re up there with the most important people in the world.

Marni: But for what? Because they just happen to have a great bloodline? You think they’re so glamorous and such jet-setters and whatnot, but it’s just this ridiculous tradition that all these countries hold onto.

Jeff: That’s right, but you have to admit it’s a lot of pressure. And you have to respect people in that position.

Marni: For keeping up appearances? No. Come on. It’s just this image that they have to uphold. And they feel like there’s some tradition to it. And people just get all wrapped up in royal weddings, and royal babies, and royal this, and royal that.

Jeff: They have handlers. They have people that take care of all that for them. They’re just the face. They get to cruise through life, man.

Marni: I don’t know.

Jeff: Does that not sound like a good time?

Marni: I prefer to live reality.

Grammar Point

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Discussion

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Jeff is looking at a magazine with Marni. In it are pictures of the British royalty, which makes Jeff think about his life. His job is always the same and maybe a little bit boring. Jeff wishes he could live the life of a royal.

Marni is not even the tiniest bit interested in royalty. She believes that thinking and talking about royalty is a bad use of her time. Marni doesn’t understand why regular people are so wrapped up in paying attention to Prince Harry and the other members of the British royal family. It’s a ridiculous tradition, in Marni’s opinion, and she prefers to spend her time on other things.

What do you think of royal families? Does your country have one?

Comments

hermitlady

China

My opinions about royalty are like Marni’s. it is so tedious that wrapped up in paying attention to royalty’s life. But I know why. Just like focusing on a luxury life of a famous star , some ordinary people like put themselves into that dazzling life by imaging it in search of a kind of satisfaction. All that reflect their vanity and boredom. Of course , that is also a way of their killing time. it wastes the time actually which is invaluable and if lost never comes back.

My country has not royalty.

Heyes1970

Åland Islands

I am strongly disagreeing with these types of sales. They are DE shaping our societies traits just essayheaven overview cause of their businesses. What is the mother day? That you just come for saying hello to your alone mother for one day and forget that all till next year?

ar2011

Brazil

Here in Brazil we dont have royal families, and I m okay with that, because I dont think royal families make a good difference or are positive for a country. Whys important having them?!

S&W

China

Sometimes luxurious lifestyle at the cost of freedom.Things are not always what they seems.Princess Diana had been said ,her marriage totally a disaster.

Juneshang

China

In China there were more than 2000 years feudal dynasty. Many dynasties changed one by one.And any change from one king to another king there will be many people died and lose their homes as a cost. For people,it does matter who is the king,the most important is they can have a peaceful life with their family. So no matter royalty family and no-royalty family,the people is always the very important.

dogregre

Brazil

Thera are lot of other things that we matters…

Michele1

Italy

I must respect the tradition of the countries with royal family,but I don’t like that.The king or queen must reign and not to have only their image….maybe I am wrong…

Mokotsolane

South Africa

we have to respect tradition even if don’t follow it.

ahmet55

Germany

Just imagine you should obey a stupid little boy since he is from a loyal family. It’s terrible but no longer time ago and even right now in 2014 it is so true and real. In my opinion, law is the most significant thing which makes all people in all corners of the world with each kind of language and skin color in same level. This is the point which has neglected by royal families in all countries wrapped up. The only thing which is cared about by these families is keeping up appearance which actually seems nothing to me.

Jasonlongo

Congo, Democratic Republic Of The

Hey! join us in the African royalty

Anuheh

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

I prefer to live reality!

ola33

Japan

I think it’s awesome to have roaylty in a courntry. Even though it doesn’t have much power and it looks like a little bit odd in our age of democracy with all that king and queen attire, it’s still fun to watch their glamourous life which is not quite glamourous to me. I wouldn’t like to be in the spotlight for any money in the world. I think it’s so exhausting always to be under pressure thinking that one minute of awkward gesture and the whole world will be aware of it. And many often, you got to pretend and that is to make that fake smile on your face 7/24. What is amusing is to watch sometimes magazines with royalty acting like real people. I love it. Like in this picture.