Abilities
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Sophie
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Todd
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Todd: Hello!
Sophie: Hello!
Todd: OK. We're going to talk about things you can do.
Sophie: OK.
Todd: Can you cook?
Sophie: Yes, I can cook.
Todd: OK. What can you cook?
Sophie: I cooked. I can cook cakes. I cooked fish last night with vegetables.
Todd: Oh, nice! Was it good?
Sophie: Yeah, it was nice. It was good.
Todd: OK. Can you speak any foreign languages?
Sophie: No I can't.
Todd: No! Did you study any in high school or anything?
Sophie: I did for a few years but I need to study more.
Todd: OK, well, what, what did you study?
Sophie: I did French for awhile, and German, but that was about it.
Todd: Yeah, those are tough. that's tough pronunciation. Yeah. Can you fix things?
Sophie: Yeah I'm quite practical. I can fix things?
Todd: OK. What can you fix?
Sophie: I can fix, I can change a car tire.
Todd: Wow! That's good.
Sophie: Fix a flat tire. Um..I can fix a bike.
Todd: OK, nice. And you're a farmer girl.
Sophie: Yeah.
Todd: Now, you're Australian so I have to ask. Can you surf?
Sophie: No, I can't.
Todd: Really!
Sophie: No, I can't.
Todd: Oh, wow! That's, that's rare.
Sophie: I know. I've tried. It's actually more difficult that it looks.
Todd: Yeah. I'm from California. I know it's..I know. It's tough. OK. Thanks.
for awhile
I did French for awhile.
When you do soemthing for awhile, you do it for a short period of time. Notice the following:
- After you boil the pasta, you should let them cool for awhile.
- I visited for awhile, and then we went home.
that was about it
but that was about it.
Here, when you say 'that was about it' it means that is all, or there is nothing else to say.
- Last night I stayed home and cleaned, and that was about it.
- I can sing a few songs, and that is about it.
tough
Yeah, those are tough.
When something is tough, it is difficult or hard. Notice the following.
- It was tough growing up poor.
- The math class was very tough.
so I have to ask
You're Australian so I have to ask. Can you surf?
We sometimes say 'I have to ask' to show that the question is either silly or slightly impolite. Notice the following:
- You are Japanese, so I have to ask, do you like sushi?
- You are American, so I have to ask, who did you vote for, Trump or Biden?
more difficult that it looks
It's actually more difficult that it looks.
When something is more difficult that it looks, it is not easy to do, even though it looks easy.
- Riding a skateboard is more difficult that it looks.
- Juggling is a lot more difficult that it looks.
Vocabulary Quiz
have to ask • difficult
Alexandra is going to be a lawyer. She talks about how lawyers help people.
Christian talks about his first experiences as a student overseas.
