Episode 11 - Transcript
SARAH offers to help ANNE
SARAH
Can I help you find your brother?
ANNE
You’re very kind. But it’s not your problem.
SARAH
I want to help. What can I do?
ANNE
Well, maybe you could get some copies made of this photograph.
She shows SARAH the PHOTOGRAPH of her brother.
SARAH
Sure. I’d love to. Anything.
She looks closely at the photograph.
SARAH
He’s very good looking. Such a nice smile. Is he tall?
ANNE
Fairly tall.
SARAH
He looks very fit. Does he play a lot of sport?
ANNE
No, he used to.
SARAH
What does he do? Is he a student?
ANNE
He’s not really academic. He’s clever, but he prefers to do things with his hands.
SARAH
He sounds nice. I’m looking forward to meeting him.
ANNE smiles at the encouragement.
Episode 11 - Notes
1. Offering help - 2. Adjectives - 3. Describing People - 4. A Bit, Very, Fairly, Quite
1. OFFERING HELP
When we offer to help someone we say
Can I help you...?
Can I help you wash the dishes?
Can I help you do the shopping?
Can I help you with anything?
It’s polite to not immediately accept an offer. When someone asks if they can help, it’s polite to say:
You’re very kind.
or
No, there’s no need.
Can I help you wash the dishes?
No, there’s no need.
You then offer again by saying:
Can I help you wash the dishes?
No, there’s no need.
I want to help.
SARAH
Can I help you find your brother?
ANNE
You’re very kind. But it’s not your problem.
SARAH
I want to help. What can I do?
2. ADJECTIVES
Adjectives are used to describe people and things.
He’s tall and handsome.
It’s a red ball.
Adjectives are the words that tell you what colour something is:
A red ball
A green ball
What size something is:
A big ball
A small ball
You use adjectives to express your opinion about something:
A beautiful ball
An ugly ball
And the type something is:
A plastic ball
A leather ball
Adjectives often go before the noun, or the thing they describe.
A tall building
(adj) (noun)
A clever idea
(adj) (noun)
Adjectives don’t always come before the noun, or the thing described.
They can also come after the noun and a verb, especially the verb is/are.
The building is tall
(noun) (verb) (adj)
Your ideas are clever
(noun) (verb) (adj)
3. DESCRIBING PEOPLE
When we are describing people or ourselves, we often use a pronoun (I, he, she, we they), is/are/am and then the adjective:
I am tall.
She is clever.
Usually we say and write
I’m tall.
She’s clever.
ANNE
He’s clever, but he prefers to do things with his hands.
Other verbs used before adjectives and after pronouns are look and sound :
You look wonderful.
You sound tired.
SARAH
He sounds nice.
Questions
When you are asking about someone, you change the word order so the pronoun comes after is/are:
He is tall. (statement)
Is he tall? (question)
SARAH
He’s very good looking. Such a nice smile. Is he tall?
We describe people’s complexions, or whether their skin is dark or light
She has a fair complexion.
She is fair.
Their hair:
She has blonde hair.
She’s blonde.
And eye colour:
She has blue eyes.
Her eyes are blue.
Their build:
He has a slim build.
He’s slim.
Their height:
He’s tall.
4. A BIT, VERY, FAIRLY, QUITE
We can modify the meaning of adjectives by using words such as a bit, fairly, very and quite.
We can use the adjective hot to describe the temperature
It’s hot
We change or modify the meaning of hot like this:
It’s a bit hot.
It’s fairly hot.
It’s very hot.
Fairly hot means hot, but not very hot.
Another word we use to mean the same is quite:
It’s quite hot.
It’s fairly hot.
SARAH
Is he tall?
ANNE
Fairly tall