Guitar
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Tara
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Todd
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Todd: So Tara, I see you've just bought a new guitar.
Tara: Yeah, I have, yeah.
Todd: Yeah!
Tara: It's very nice.
Todd: So, what's the reasoning behind buying a guitar?
Tara: Well, I work at nights so I have the daytime free, and to be honest, most people they work in the day so I'm often on my own, and I just want something to keep me entertained in the daytime, and I don't really like reading books, so I want something to do with my hands, so I thought buying a guitar is a good idea.
Todd: Do you have any kind of music you would like to sing or learn to play?
Tara: I'd like to learn, have you heard, there's some English bands, like Cold Play and Turn Break so I'd like to learn that kind of style.
Todd: OK. Do you plan to take lessons or just learn on your own?
Tara: No, well a couple of my friends, they you know, they can, they learned guitar as well. I can't really take lessons in Japan. I think that might be a bit too much, but my friends are going to teach me. Hopefully. Yeah!
reasoning behind
What's the reasoning behind buying a guitar?
When we ask about the 'reasoning behind' something we want to know the motivation or why someone did something. Notice the following:
- I don't usually understand the reasoning behind his actions.
- What was your reasoning behind quitting your job?
to be honest
To be honest, I just want something to keep me entertained.
We use the phrase 'to be honest' when making a statement about how we feel that may not be a very popular, happy or nice thing to say. Notice the following:
- I actually hate this restaurant, to be honest.
- To be honest, you should really get a haircut.
on my own
I have the daytime free, and I'm often on my own.
When we are alone we are 'on our own.' Notice the following:
- She does her homework on her own every night.
- Do you go to restaurants on your own?
take lessons
Do you plan to take lessons or just learn on your own?
When we 'take lessons' for something we pay someone to teach us how to do something. Notice the following:
- Do you plan to take singing lessons?
- They took dancing lessons before their wedding.
a bit too much
I think taking lessons might be a bit too much.
When something is 'a bit too much' it is more work than we can do or too much to manage right now. Notice the following:
- I think that coaching soccer would be a bit too much to do.
- It is a bit too much to look for another job right now.
Vocabulary Quiz
take lessons • too much
