VAO English lessons. We got some great words.

luggage bags suitcase baggage ("Baggage Claim" -- where you get your bags when the plane lands) Here's a very poetic expression -- "the dawn is breaking". What does it mean? Excellent! "Dawn" is when the sun begins the new day (The sun begins to rise). "Dusk" is when the sun begins the night (The sun begins to set). "Dawn is breaking" means that the sun is beginning to rise. It's very early morning. Here's a great expression -- to be about to do something. It means that someone is going to begin to do something. (Example: Sandra is about to leave for work.) Think about the first verse. What's the singer about to do?

Now, please read the second part of the meeting. What phrases do the people use to: 1) Ensure other people get to speak? 2) Keep to the point? 3) Ask for clarification? A: Would you like to say something about the timing, Ben? B: Well, I do think we should consider it, but I'm not sure we're operating well enough here yet to be ready to take such a big step now. By the way, did either of you see that Brazilian film on TV last week? A: Can we just stick to this for a minute and try to come up with a decision? B: Sorry. It did seem sort of relevant, but anyway... A: OK, OK, tell us after, but I think if we're going to be considering this kind of thing, we need to come up with a country profile as soon as possible. B: What sort of profile? Can you be more specific? A: Well, like facts and figures on the lifestyle, eating habits, business culture, that sort of thing... -> 1)

2) 3)

English can be a language of exaggeration. The last line in the first verse is, "I'm so lonesome I could die." "Lonesome" is the same as "lonely". Can people die from being lonely? No. The exaggeration sounds good in English. Example: It's freezing. My hands are just like ice. It's so hot you could fry an egg on the sidewalk. Let's end with these questions. (We're still talking about the first verse.) 1. Where is she? 2. Where is he? What is he doing? There are very few answers but they're all good! The phrases you picked up from the meeting are: 1) Ensure other people get to speak: Would you like to say something about...? 2) Keep to the point: Can we just stick to this...? 3) Ask for clarification: (What sort of...?) /Can you be more specific? These phrases can be applied in meetings universally, regardless of the topic you're discussing. We'll try to practice them in a role-play tomorrow. Before that, I'd like to give you more phrases for other purposes in discussions. Can you try to complete the following sentences? To manage interruptions Can I finish _____________? -> Can I finish what I was saying? We were _______________.-.> We were in the middle of discussing something. TO KEEP TO THE POINT ________________ the point? I think we've _________________.

First, let's fix the punctuation. Here are the lyrics. Please put in periods and commas where they're needed. (I copied it with the punctuation as it was. Please correct it.) "All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go I'm standing here outside your door I hate to

wake you up to say goodbye But the dawn is breaking it's early morn, the taxi's waiting, he's blowing his horn already I'm so lonesome I could die" I'm glad we're doing this exercise. One of the most common mistakes I see in this classroom is punctuation. What is a sentence? How do you know when a sentence has ended? The basic sentence structure is subject/verb. . . There can be more (clauses, etc.), but this is the basic structure. Now let's look at the first stanza ("stanza" is a paragraph, but for a song). Sentence structure: subject/verb. . . All my bags/are packed. (subject/verb) I/am/ready to go. I/am standing/here outside your door. I/hate to wake you up to say/goodbye. But the dawn/is breaking. It/is/early morn (morning). (subject/verb/object) The taxi/is waiting. (subject/verb) He/is blowing/his horn. (subject/verb/object) Already, I/am/so lonesome (that) I/could die. (subject/verb/"that" clause. A "that" clause often has a subject/verb . . .) As you can see, I'm still here....You've had some questions about when to use ''I've'' and ''we've'' so I decided to post a brief answer to everyone. We use ''we've'' and ''I've'' with Present Perfect Tense (simple or continuous), when '''ve'' is a contracted form of the helping verb ''have'' but it has to be followed by the past participle, e.g.: ''I've been to the United States.'' or ''We've been waiting here forever.'' But: ''I have to'' or ''we have to'': ''I have to wait.'' ''We have to wait.'' [NOT: ''I've / We've to wait''!] But you can say, in spoken American English: ''I've got to wait.'' ''We've got to go.'' - ''I've got to'' / ''We've got to'' are contracted forms of ''I have got to'' / ''We have got to'', which mean: ''We have to go'' or'' We must go.''

Hope this helps... And now, I've got to go....I've really got to run! Thanks & bye till tomorrow! EE