Views #387 | Intermediate 4

Valentine's Day

Trina shares her thoughts about this popular holiday. | Printable Worksheet
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Adrienne: So, Trina, Monday is Valentine's day. Are you excited?

Trina: No!

Adrienne: That was a pretty direct answer. Why are you not excited? It's a holiday.

Trina: It's a holiday for people that have other people.

Adrienne: So, you're not happy because you don't have other people?

Trina: I have other people. I have my sister and my mom and my dad and my friends, but Valentine's day is more of a holiday for people that have a boyfriend or a girlfriend, or a wife, or a husband, or children as opposed to being a single person with nobody to share it with.

Adrienne: But could you share it with your sister, or your mother, or your father?

Trina: I could. I could, and we do. We send each other gifts. We, well this year, I won't be with anybody, but I get to celebrate it with my sister this weekend.

Adrienne: Well, that sounds fun.

Trina: It is.

Adrienne: So what kinds of things have you done on Valentines day in the past?

Trina: Ah, gone out to dinner, gone to a movie, had dinner at my parents house, had dinner at my grandparent's house.

Adrienne: That's interesting. Why your grandparent's house?

Trina: It was their wedding anniversary.

Adrienne: Wow! That's a great day to have a wedding anniversary.

Trina: It is and it was a lot of fun. I got to spend some of their last few years together having dinner with them.

Adrienne: That sounds lovely. So are you looking forward to maybe having a Valentine next year?

Trina: Maybe! We'll, see.

Learn vocabulary from the lesson!

excited

Monday is Valentine's day. Are you excited?

When you are 'excited' about something it means that it is something that you really want to happen. 'Excited' is a positive feeling about something that will happen in the future

Notice the following:

  1. I am really excited about my birthday this year.
  2. They are really excited about coming to visit us.

direct

That was a pretty direct answer. Why are you not excited?

When something is 'direct' it means that it is to the point. When someone is direct he says exactly what he wants to say without trying to make it sound good.

Notice the following:

  1. You need to be direct with me because I can't guess what you are thinking.
  2. She is quite direct, she won't tell you a lie.

as opposed to

Valentine's day is more of a holiday for people that have a boyfriend or a girlfriend, or a wife, or a husband, or children as opposed to being a single person with nobody to share it with.

The phrase 'as opposed to' is used to compare two different ideas or situations, showing that one is better than the other.

Notice the following:

  1. I only want to go on holiday to Spain as opposed to traveling to many different countries.
  2. I like to go out as opposed to having to stay at home.

sounds fun

Well, that sounds fun.

When something 'sounds fun' it means that it sounds as if you will have a good time doing it.

Notice the following:

  1. The new film sounds fun, would you like to go and see it?
  2. She said it sounded fun and that she would like to go.

anniversary

It was their wedding anniversary.

An 'anniversary' is a date in the year that celebrates the day that something important happened in previous years like a wedding.

Notice the following:

  1. I need to buy him an anniversary card.
  2. Oh no! I forgot our anniversary.

Vocabulary Quiz

excited • direct • opposed to
sounds fun • anniversary
  1. My husband never remembers our wedding .
  2. You must be really to finally finish school.
  3. Would you prefer to eat at home as eating here at the restaurant?
  4. It's a beautiful day. Going to the beach to me.
  5. This is an investigation, so please try to be as as possible in your answers.
Answer the following questions about the interview.

Grammar Challenge

What is the correct word for each gap? Open in a new window


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