Classroom Pronunciation Reductions Grammar Conversation Reading Listening Vocabulary Activities Videos
Idioms Slang Acronyms Phonics Portmanteau Words Handwriting Alphabet Surveys Tests
Holidays Movies Everyday Environment Learning News Places Flashcards Study Literacy
World America History Drive Education Teaching Dictionary Resources About Contact
 
Conversation Lesson 16
 
Lesson 16 - Find Your Joy!

In this lesson Anna loses her key. When she goes looking for it, she finds a life coach instead. And that's where the confusion begins.
Quick Links
Conversation
Intermediate
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Lesson Video

Watch the video and then read the video script.
Video Script

Anna: Hi, Kaveh! Let’s go to lunch!
Kaveh: Ooh, I know a great place. When I first started working here, I would go every day!
Anna: Great. Oh, no.
Kaveh: What’s wrong?
Anna: I lost my key! I just had it this morning.
Kaveh: You should check the Lost & Found office.
Anna: Great idea. Where is it?
Kaveh: Oh, it used to be across from the cafeteria. But now it’s down in the basement next to the elevators. It’s really hard to find.
Anna: The Lost & Found is hard to find. That’s funny.
Kaveh: It is.
Professor Bot: I hope Anna can find the Lost & Found office!
Used to and would describe something that happened repeatedly in the past.
Kaveh uses would when he says, “When I first started working here, I would go every day!
There are two differences between used to and would.
Number 1: We use would only when we say the time period first.
Number 2: For verbs like be, think, feel, see and understand, we can only use used to.
Kaveh says, "It used to be across from the cafeteria."
Keep listening for more!
(A worker moves the sign for the Lost & Found office. So, Anna walks into the wrong office without knowing it.)
Serenity: Come in! I am Serenity.
Anna: Hi, Serenity. I’m Anna!
Serenity: Please, sit down. How can I help you?
Anna: I lost something very important.
Serenity: Shh. I already know. You need help.
Anna: Yes. I need help finding the key …
Serenity: Shh. You need to find the key – the key that will give you happiness.
Anna: Yes. Finding this key will make me very happy.
Serenity: First, Anna, let me tell you a little bit about myself.
Anna: Okay.
Serenity: I used to be a very important person with a very important job. I made a lot of money -- I mean a lot.
Anna: Wow. Good for you!
Serenity: No! No, it was bad for me. I lost the most important thing – the key! You’ve lost it too, haven’t you, Anna? Haven’t you?
Anna: I guess. So, how does this work? Do I have to fill out a form or something?
Serenity: No. No forms. Just answer this one question: As a child, what did you use to do to feel happy?
Anna: When I was little, I used to sing all the time with my family. Those were good times.
Serenity: Singing is so joyful! I used to sing. But now that I’ve started my business, I’ve just been too busy. Too busy! Anna, why don’t you sing again?
Anna: I sing everywhere! I sing in the office. I sing on the metro. I sing in the elevators. I sing on the escalators. I sing in the bathroom. Serenity! Serenity! I really need to find my key. Yeah!
Serenity: Yes, we need to find the key … the key to happiness.
Anna: No, no. I just need to find the key to my apartment.
Serenity: I used to know. But now I don't! Do you, Anna?
Anna: I don’t know. I think I left it in the ladies’ room. You know, this isn’t the Lost & Found, is it?
(Anna starts walking out of the room)
Serenity: It could be the Lost & Found. I’m lost! And I used to find joy for people! I used to find joy!
Anna: You know, this is a bad time for you. I’ll find the Lost & Found myself. Bye, thanks.
Serenity: I used to find joy. I used to find joy! I used to find joy!
Anna: Ah, I found my key!
Serenity: I used to find joy!
Pofessor Bot: Oh no. Serenity lost her joy. But at least Anna found her key! Check out our website for more!
Listening

Now practice listening to only the audio portion of the conversation.
Practice
Now, practice the grammar you just learned. Use the Comments section below to tell us what you used to do to feel happy.

Remember to follow these rules:

Rule # 1: Use would only when you introduce the time period first.

You can mention the time in the same sentence:

"When I first started working here, I would go every day!"

Or, you can mention the time in the previous sentence:

"When I first started working here, I did not bring lunch from home. I would go to restaurants every day.

Rule # 2: For stative verbs, only use used to. A stative verb is a verb used mainly to describe a state or situation rather than an action.

Two examples from today's lesson:

Serenity: "I used to know. But now I don't"

Kaveh: "It used to be across from the cafeteria.

There are many stative verbs in English. Some examples include: be, know, think, feel, see, understand, want, like, love, hate, wish, mean, remember, taste, believe, hear, look and seem.
New Words
  • basement - n. the part of a building that is entirely or partly below the ground
  • elevator - n. a machine used for carrying people and things to different levels in a building
  • escalator - n. a machine used for carrying people and things to different levels in a building​
  • cafeteria - n. a place where people get food at a counter and carry it to a table for eating
  • form - n. a document with blank spaces for filling in information
  • joy - n. a feeling of great happiness
  • joyful - n. full of joy
  • key - n. something that provides a solution​ or explanation
  • life coach - n. a person who counsels and encourages people on matters about their careers or personal challenges
  • Lost & Found - n. a place where lost items are kept to await reclaiming by their owners (sometimes also written as lost-and-found or lost and found)
  • serenity - n. a feeling of calm and peacefulness ("Serenity" is also the name of the life coach.)
  • state - n. a way of living or existing
Source: Voice of America
 
Additional Conversation Lessons
Conversation

English conversation lessons. 52 lessons covering pronunciation, speaking, writing, and grammar topics....these lessons are for beginning students.
Conversation

This is a collection of 30 situational conversations which focus on a wide variety of communicative and natural encounters in English....these lessons are for beginning students.
Conversation

This is a collection of 36 situational conversations which focus on spoken American English in a relatively natural way....these lessons are for intermediate students.
Conversation

This is a collection of 30 situational conversations. Each conversation is accompanied by language notes....these lessons are for advanced students.
 
Conversation Information
Are You How You Talk?
(Beginner - Listening, reading)

A video lesson to help with your understanding of American dialects.
The English is spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Click here to visit the lesson page.
Are You How You Talk?
(Beginner - Listening)

An audio lesson to help with your understanding of American dialects. The English is spoken at 75% of normal speed. Click here to visit the lesson page with the written script for this audio program.
Improve Your Pronunciation by Training Your Ears
(Beginner - Listening)

An audio lesson to help with your pronunciation and English language reductions. The English is spoken at 75% of normal speed. Great English pronunciation tips. Click here to visit the lesson page with the written script for this audio program.
 
More Conversation Information
Disagreements in Everyday Conversation - Part 1
(Beginner - Listening)

An audio lesson to help with your understanding of American conversation. The English is spoken at 75% of normal speed. Click here to visit the lesson page with the written script for this audio program.
Disagreements in Everyday Conversation - Part 2
(Beginner - Listening)

An audio lesson to help with your understanding of American conversation. The English is spoken at 75% of normal speed. Click here to visit the lesson page with the written script for this audio program.
Giving and Receiving Compliments
(Beginner - Listening)

An audio lesson to help with your understanding of American conversation. The English is spoken at 75% of normal speed. Click here to visit the lesson page with the written script for this audio program.
How to Make a Complaint in English
(Beginner - Listening)

An audio lesson to help with your understanding of American conversation. The English is spoken at 75% of normal speed. Click here to visit the lesson page with the written script for this audio program.
 
Search Fun Easy English
 
 
 
 
About    Contact    Copyright    Resources    Site Map