Four conversations

Listen to four conversations to practise and improve your listening skills.

Do the preparation task first. Then listen to the audio and do the exercises.

Preparation

Transcript

A

Man: How did it go?

Woman: Umm, I think it went quite well. I did a lot of research and prepared a lot. I was in there for ... I don't know ... half an hour?

Man: And? What did they say?

Woman: Nothing much. At the end I asked them, 'What happens now?', and the woman said, 'We'll call you back with news in three or four days.'

Man: Really?

Woman: Yeah, I think I've got the job. There weren't a lot of other people there. I was the only interview that day, you know?

Man: Well, good luck with it.

B

Man: Anyway, you were saying ...

Woman: Oh, yeah, um ... let's see. Yes, so I was in the museum and there were, I don't know, a hundred people waiting to get into the room. Finally, I got in, and I tried to see the Mona Lisa but I couldn't look at it.

Man: Why not?

Woman: Because the room was filled with people taking photographs of it!

Man: Oh, right.

Woman: Yes! And selfies.

Man: Wait a minute. You can take photos while you're in there?

Woman: Yes, but you can't use flash. I don't know ... Why do we take photos of everything we see when we travel?

Man: I know. And we never look at the photos after.

Woman: Exactly! I'm tired of always taking photos. I don't feel I'm enjoying things.

C

Man: Who took this?

Woman: I can't remember. Hmmm ...

Man: What am I doing?

Woman: You're sitting on the sofa, watching TV and eating chocolates. Nothing changes!

Man: Ha! Very funny. You look very young, though.

Woman: I know. Look at my hair – it was so long!

Man: Mine too, look at me! Hey … I think I know who took this photo.

Woman: Umm … who? Was it Dad?

Man: No, it wasn’t Dad or Mum. Do you remember Barry?

Woman: No.

Man: Yes, YES! You do remember. Barry, your boyfriend at high school. You were seventeen and he was sixteen and he was so very polite: 'Hello, I'm Barry. It's very nice to meet you ...'

Woman: Stop it! He was nice.

Man: Yeah, well, he took the photo.

D

Woman: Let's see. OK. I'm glad we could talk about this. It's not easy to say.

Man: What?

Woman: Well, you're not in our group – for the class project.

Man: What do you mean? You know I'm always in a group with you.

Woman: I know. It's just that this time … this time we made the group differently and because you were late ...

Man: I see. You don't want me in the group?

Woman: No, no. It isn't that. It's that we've already made the group, see? There's four of us already.

Man: So? We can't be a group of five?

Woman: Well, the teacher said four people per group.

Man: Oh.

Woman: It's not about you or your work or anything like that. It's ... errrr ... well, we already have the group.

Man: So I have to find another group.

Woman: I'm sorry.

Task 1

Exercise

Task 2

Exercise

Discussion

Have you ever had a similar conversation? What new phrases did you learn in these conversations?

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Language level

A2 Pre-intermediate

Topics

family and friends

conversation

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These tasks weren't hard for me. I have only one mistake. I use to work with these types of exercises.

Hello everyone I think everyone has had a conversation like this. I didn't learn new phrases but I always forgot about things like "hmm", "ok" and a lot like this stuff. After this lesson, I think I will sound more native than then. Thanks...

Hi! I think where it says "I was the only interview that day", it should say I was the only interviewed that day, so maybe I am thinking like a Spanish speaker. It is very nice learning new phrases

Hello pintoju

It would be correct to say 'the only person interviewed that day', but 'the only interviewed' isn't correct. As you point out, in Spanish, adjectives (such as 'entrevistado') are easily used as nouns, and so I can see how that makes more sense to you. In English, it is not impossible for an adjective to be used as a noun, but it is much less common and only used in some specific cases.

Glad you found the page useful!

All the best

Kirk

The LearnEnglish Team

thanks a lot >>>>>>>very useful

I think many people have had at least one conversation similar to conversation A in their life. And I too. I learned four following new phrases from these conversations: - How did it go? - Who took this? - Anyway, you were saying ... - What do you mean?

First question: Yes, I had a conversations similar to issue A and D. It was in the past when I went to school and after when I became adult and I was trying to get a job and I had an interview. Second question: Yes I did. While these conversations I did learn a couple of phrases and words like: "I was the only interview that day..." I don't feel I'm anjoying things", "filled", "it isn't that", "half an hour". And what is interesting for me I didn't know that we can say: "Your boyfriend at high school", probably I would say "your boyfriend from high school"

Why is the question "The man and the woman grew up in the same family?" TRUE? I thought they are husband and wife. Or not? Husband and wife can't grow in the same family!

Hello Maxim

No, they are not husband and wife, but rather brother and sister. As you say, they can't be married and have grown up in the same family.