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Taking Sides with Present Progressive

Taking Sides with Present Progressive English, baby! Video Lesson

Date: Feb 01 2011

Themes: Friend, Soap Opera

Grammar: Present Progressive Tense

Intro

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2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

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When two people you know have a disagreement, you have two options. You can stay neutral or you can take sides.

If you take sides, it means you choose to support one person over the other. It can be hard not to take sides if you believe one person is right and one is wrong. But if you want to stay on good terms with both people, it’s better to stay neutral.

Beren recently had a disagreement with Marni and quit her job. All of her friends work at the same company. In today’s lesson about the present progressive tense, we find out that Beren is afraid her friends have taken Marni’s side and ganged up against her.

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Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Beren

Beren

Devan

Devan

Ella

Ella

Beren:  Whoa!

Devan:  Oh, hey!

Ella:  Hey…

Devan:  How’s it going?

Ella:  What’s up?

Beren:  Pretty good…I guess. What are you guys doing?

Devan:  We’re just…hanging out.

Beren:  Ah, did you just get get off?

Devan:  ...yeah…

Beren:  You still work with Marni?

Ella:  Yeah…

Beren:  You guys are totally taking her side. I knew this was gonna happen. You always take her side.

Ella:  We are not taking sides.

Beren:  You’re totally not defending me, siding with Marni, thinking everything she does is right, everything she says is correct. You put up with everything she asks me to do.

Devan:  We are not taking sides. What we’re doing is just trying to continue on normally, as things have been, before this whole mess happened. We’re just, you know, keeping our jobs, keeping things the same.

Ella:  Yeah, we’re totally biased!

Beren:  What? You always thought that Marni’s right and I’m wrong. You always defend her.

Devan:  We aren’t doing anything that would hurt you in any way. We still love you, and we care about you. It’s just, you know, Marni has a place for us to work and you’re unemployed. I’m sorry!

Ella:  We are not choosing sides. Bottom line.

Beren:  You guys are totally taking sides! You always do this. And thanks for reminding me that I’m unemployed.

Devan:  That…that didn’t go so well.

Ella:  No bueno.

 

Grammar Point

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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Ella and Devan are leaving work when they run into Beren who recently quit because of a disagreement with Marni. When Beren finds out they still work with Marni, she accuses them of taking sides.

Devan says they aren’t taking sides. She tells Beren that they support her, but that they also need to keep their jobs. Ella agrees that they aren’t trying to take sides, but Beren won’t listen.

Do you think Beren and Devan are taking sides? Do you usually choose a side in a disagreement or do you like to stay neutral?

 

Comments

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DarknessLight

Germany

I don’t think that they’re taking sides, all they care about is their job, it has nothing to do with neither Beren or Marni. Well, I always try to stay neutral, but sometimes the situation urges you to take sides, then I’ll just side with whom I think is right.

05:44 PM Oct 29 2012 |

1 person likes this

Irishkin

Russian Federation

I don't think that Ella and Devan are taking sides. If they quit thier job that would mean that they are taking side of Beren.

Usually I prefer to stay neutral and unbiased. It is very hard when two of your friends are disagree and each one wants you on his/her side.

06:40 PM Feb 07 2011 |

1 person likes this

ian27

Brazil

I think that in the text, the correct is: UNBIASED,and not: biased

Ella:  Yeah, we’re totally biased!

12:02 PM Feb 04 2011 |

mehmetrize

mehmetrize

Turkey

It's really hard to decide, if two people have a disagreement and if both are your good friends, that's really to decide..

I wish none of you would have to decide for something like that 

10:53 PM Feb 01 2011 |

1 person likes this

audrius

audrius

Lithuania

If I don't know where is true, I like to stay neutral.

But I'm happy, whene somebody takes my side. :)

06:05 PM Feb 01 2011 |

1 person likes this

yasar omar

Afghanistan

i got today's lesson, it was really helpful for me and i easily learned the present progressive tens and its usage. thanks i love you and your website.

07:42 AM Feb 01 2011 |

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