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Call Something Off
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Call Something Off English, baby! Video Lesson
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How to Use the First Conditional

Date: Jan 10 2012

Themes: Soap Opera

Grammar: First Conditional

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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People like to make plans. But those plans don’t always work out. If you plan something, there’s always a chance you will have to call it off.

When you call something off, you cancel it. You can call off an event, like a party. “We had to call off the party at our house this weekend because of a family emergency.” You can also call off an agreement you have with someone. “The business partnership was no longer profitable, so she called it off.”

If something gets called off, it will not proceed any time soon. But just because you called something off in the past, doesn’t mean you can’t reschedule it. Jason has been stressed out lately. Find out what he plans to call off.

人们喜欢做计划。但是这些计划不是每次都成功。如果你计划做某件事,总有可能你不得不取消它。
当你取消某事时,意味着你放弃了它。你可以取消一项活动,例如聚会。“因为家里有急事,所以不得不取消本周末在我们家举行的聚会。”你也可以取消与某人达成的协议。“商业伙伴关系不再有利可图,所以她取消了协议。”
如果取消了某事,意味着这件事在短期内将不会继续。但是,曾经取消某事,并不代表你不能重新对其进行计划。詹森最近压力重重。找出他计划取消的事情。

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.

Devan

Devan

Jason

Jason

Mason

Mason

Devan:  I’m having a really hard time finding a DJ that will accept my do-not-play list of only 2,000 songs.

Jason:  I think we should call it off.

Devan:  You know, I was thinking that too. Maybe we should just have, like, ballroom dancing. How much do you think it costs to order a string quartet? Oh, or what about a salsa band…

Jason:  No, the whole thing. I think we should call it off.

Devan:  No dancing at all? Then what are our guests going to do at our wedding? I guess we could get a karaoke machine.

Jason:  The wedding, Devan. I want to call off the wedding. It’s completely over the top. We’re spending money we don’t have. I haven’t slept in days. I don’t want to hurt your feelings. I love you, and I still want to marry you. But I think we should call it off and just start over.

Devan:  Are you insane? We already hired a caterer. We already hired a minister…

Jason:  Well, the minister is just Dale.

Devan:  I don’t care! It is way too late to call this thing off. Way too late. I don’t care if you die of a heart attack. I will marry your corpse and walk down that aisle with your dead body, because this is my special day, and I’m a princess, and no one’s going to ruin it, especially not you!

Jason:  Yeah, see, this is what I’m talking about. This is not a good way to start our lives together. That’s why I think we should just call it off for now and start over.

Devan:  I’ll start you over!

Jason:  See, that doesn’t even make sense.

Devan:  I cannot believe this is happening. Alright. We’ll call it off. We’ll call the whole thing off. We’ll call this relationship off.

Jason:  You’re overreacting.

Devan:  No. You’re overreacting. You can’t even handle a little bit of cold feet? You think that planning a wedding is hard? What’s going to happen when we’re married and we try to buy a home together or we try to have kids together? This is good. No, this is good. Because now I know you can’t handle the tiniest of things.

Jason:  Wait!

Mason:  Well, that was exciting, huh? So, what do you think, guys? I mean, will Jason and Devan get over this fight and still get married? What about Dale? Is he gonna get his act together and stop gaining so much weight? I guess you’ll have to keep learning English to find out.

 

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Discussion

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While Devan talks about music options, Jason realizes he has had enough wedding planning. He wants to call it off.

At first, Devan thinks he’s talking about the music. But then Jason makes it clear that he wants to call off the entire wedding. She gets very upset. She says it is too late to call off the wedding. Jason says she’s overreacting.

But then Devan realizes that maybe this is good. If Jason can’t handle cold feet, how can he handle being a husband? She puts her ring back in his hand and runs off.

Will Jason get his act together and marry Devan? Have you ever had to call something off?

 

Comments

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zekra cutegirl

Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

Undecided

12:35 AM Mar 19 2012 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

Beatrice, OK,skip the decorations but not the music ,you will have a lively party ,good food and music and your wedding will be  something to rememberWink   

04:22 PM Feb 28 2012 |

Conakry

Conakry

China

I don’t think the couple will have a beautiful wedding, right?


They just quarreling with each other, cuase of some silly things, calling off the wedding? It’s unbelievable.


Then, it’s really a life…sometimes have to call something off, it’s little displeasure, right? T___T…...

03:09 PM Feb 28 2012 |

1 person likes this

AppleRome

AppleRome

Antarctica

I  think it’s very good conversation : )

01:10 PM Feb 28 2012 |

yrahul

yrahul

India

Calling something off will be really embarrassing.. 

02:43 AM Feb 14 2012 |

ola33

ola33

Japan

I think they called it off for good. It’s relationship, no joking :)

11:22 PM Feb 13 2012 |

1 person likes this

Ahshan

Ahshan

China

call something off means cancel

11:00 PM Feb 13 2012 |

Zunnich

Brazil

cancel

04:01 PM Jan 27 2012 |

Nicte ha

Nicte ha

Mexico

Ok, so,  let’s learn English in order to find it out,  yeah!!!Laughing

08:46 PM Jan 26 2012 |

1 person likes this

fabsir

fabsir

Brazil

I hate it when I have to call something off or even worse when something I´m looking forward to gets called off, but this is life. I´ve had to call a great night out off because of a family emergency.

07:30 PM Jan 22 2012 |

ola33

ola33

Japan

Yeah, that was quick :) It’s ok, it happens. It’s better always to find out about a person in the beginning rather than, as Devan mentioned, later with real problems coming in. Well, in reall life, it would be a good red flag. But here :)), it’s just a movie and the show must go on, otherwise we’re not gonna learn English. Maybe Dale will take over the responsibilities of a groom and Jason of as a minister. It’s easier. :))


Snoopyboy, sometimes the third part might help ;)


“If you see a couple eating each other’s head off, and you can’t help them; just leave them alone”


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLWTFhiqYog

11:26 PM Jan 16 2012 |

1 person likes this

hemarcos

Brazil

Wow, this is the first text that I did read here… this is an example of phrasal verbs? 



sorry but I don’t know your work..

09:23 PM Jan 15 2012 |

susan koh

Malaysia

Oh! A very poor communication.They should calm down,and ask each other,which is important to them,the wedding ceremony ,the guests or thier love? How many people can calm down,when they are in the urgument?oh.o..


I always call something off recently,because I am thinking about too much.I had made so many mistakes in my life ,and now I think carefully befor I do anything.

09:34 AM Jan 15 2012 |

wwongsapun

wwongsapun

Thailand

On the love road, We want to have someone beside of you to hold hand to walk along  with understand and sharing to each other. That’s first point for start walk on the love road. It not easy to go with person like to difference on the base life.  And There’re have many lesson for couple learning and solve with problem to find. Some couple can not hold hand to each other come to second point so it’s mean wedding. Just to say “ Good bye” everything will be to break down. But when the couple come in to wedding. It’s mean second point begin to start walk on again. Exactly, That you will get to hard lesson more than first point. For “Understand, Sharing and Love” it not enough for help you to pass on this road. Should to keep “Patience” along with you.


In life, I often to call something off such as about to business , friend, my familys. All the call off with something should to be consider base on cause and effect. Don’t forget should to considerateness to another. 

06:22 PM Jan 14 2012 |

Nine-Nine

Colombia

I want to improve my English skills and have a good English level,so good that I could call English doubts off.

01:38 AM Jan 14 2012 |

1 person likes this

cutesayma

Germany

sometime I endulge too much in office gossiping and politics but now its time to move on I should call it off my bad habbits for the shake of my good will career also.


thanks

01:56 PM Jan 12 2012 |

1 person likes this

jouana

Lebanon

I think they have to start over because they don’t have enough money to get married and have a wedding and they have  lots of thing to do after wedding, in my opinion love with out money is going to be failed.

08:45 PM Jan 11 2012 |

emi0808

emi0808

Philippines

I used to call something off with my friends like plans to hang out or attend their parties whenever my fiance ask to meet me. i used to tell my freinds that I have to cancel our meetings. I always choose him over my friends even though my freinds are also important but he is more important for me. OMG I spoiled him so much. my bad! :D

11:14 PM Jan 10 2012 |

nfrtary

nfrtary

Egypt

hey i don`t make wedding party yet but i think it`s amazing and really spicial day for the groom and pride.


i am agree with devan and her concept but i disagree with her about what did she say to jason i think she hurt his feelings and her words were harsh and aggrissve with guy so i think may be if she taked the matter easy and tried to understand his openion and his cold feet they will get married and this will be good conclusion 


09:29 PM Jan 10 2012 |

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

@ Aziz        C:

08:59 PM Jan 10 2012 |

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