English Village
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Steven
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Todd
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Todd: OK. Hello?
Steven: Hello, there!
Todd: How are you doing today?
Steven: Pretty good.
Todd: Could you please introduce yourself.
Steven: Yeah. My name is Steven and I come from the north of England.
Todd: Oh, really? Where in the north of England?
Steven: A little village called Gawsworth.
Todd: Is it a big place?
Steven: No, it's about 10 thousand people I think.
Todd: Oh, really? Do you go back there often?
Steven: Not so often. The last time I went back was Christmas.
Todd: Oh, really? OK. Did you have a good time?
Steven: Yeah, it was very nice. I saw old friends and family and did the usual Christmas things.
Todd: What actually are the usual Christmas things?
Steven: Oh, I guess a lot of eating and a lot of drinking and a lot of laughing. Just general fun and games I guess.
Todd: Great. How many of your family members still live in this town?
Steven: Well, they don't actually....my mom and dad live in the town. My brother and sister actually live pretty close to this town, so my family is all in that general area.
Todd: Oh, OK. Great. Thanks a lot Steven.
pretty good
[How are you doing?] Pretty good.
'Pretty good' is a common but grammatically incorrect phrase that we use to say how we feel at the moment. Notice the following:
- Are you feeling pretty good now?
- She was still pretty good after the game, despite
running a lot.
introduce yourself
Could you please introduce yourself?
When you 'introduce yourself' you usually say your name and maybe some information about yourself. Notice the following:
- I don't think I've ever properly introduced myself.
- At the beginning of the meeting we had to introduce
ourselves.
good time
Did you have a good time?
If you have a 'good time' you enjoy yourself or have fun. Notice the following:
- We always have a good time at your house.
- She never wants to go, but she always has a good time.
did the usual (Christmas) things
I saw old friends and family and did the usual Christmas
things.
To do the 'usual things' is to do whatever is typically or traditionally done in a certain situation. Notice the following:
- What are the usual things your family does at
Thanksgiving?
- We did all the usually birthday things, but the kids
still wanted
more.
pretty close
My sister lives pretty close to this town.
If you live 'pretty close' to something the distance you have to travel to get there is not far. We can also use this for something that is a short distance in the future. Notice the following:
- She is pretty close to graduating.
- I live pretty close to the lake.
Vocabulary Quiz
usual things • pretty close
