Ashlie: Oh hi, Stephen. You made it then!
Stephen: Hi, Ashlie, I thought we were going Christmas shopping, not ice-skating.
Ashlie: Oh, we are. But I saw the rink and ice-skating is so much fun. It’s almost as much fun as shopping!
Stephen: It’s Christmas Eve and this is the Tower of London Ice Rink. Ashlie and I are supposed to be doing some last-minute Christmas shopping.
Ashlie: We’re cooking dinner for the family this year. They’re coming to Stephen’s to give our mum a rest.
Stephen: And we’ve still got lots of presents to buy. So you shouldn’t be messing around on the ice.
Ashlie: Oh come on, Stephen. Come and have a go. What’s wrong with you? Look watch me - I can go backwards!
Stephen: Stop showing off. Alright, I’ll come on, but just for five minutes - no more.
.....
Ashlie: Come on then. Take my hand. That’s it and we just go in a big circle… like this…
Stephen: It’s not as difficult as it looks. I think I’m better than you. It’s all about keeping your balance.
Ashlie: Stephen, you’re going in the wrong direction.
Ashlie: Stephen! Watch out!
Stephen: Oh, sorry!
.....
Stephen: Oh, I love Christmas, Ash. It’s so exciting.
Ashlie: I know. All the presents, the wonderful food. I can’t wait.
Stephen: Wow, look at these. They’re great. Oh, I love these. Look, it’s snowing! Let’s get some Christmas decorations. These are so cool.
Ashlie: Well, maybe we could get something for the tree. What about some tinsel? I want the tree to look really tasteful and stylish. These are nice.
Stephen: Those are really boring. What we need is lots of different colours to make the tree look really beautiful.
Ashlie: Mmm, well, I’m not sure. I think the tree will look better with just a few decorations.
Stephen: No way! A Christmas tree is meant to be bright and colourful. Oh come on, Ash, let me choose some Christmas decorations.
Ashlie: Well, I suppose so. As long as you don’t get too much. Listen, I want to go and buy your present now, but it’s a secret. So I will see you later.
Stephen: Presents - of course. OK. Bye!
Ashlie: Bye!
.....
Stephen: There... perfect!
Ashlie: Stephen! What have you done? What has happened to the Christmas tree?
Stephen: It looks so much better now, doesn’t it? All bright and Christmassy. It’s as big as the tree Mum and Dad had last year but it looks even better.
Ashlie: But I wanted the tree to be stylish and beautiful. Now it looks like a kid’s decorated it!
Stephen: Do you think we should add some more of these baubles?
Ashlie: No, I really don’t. Just don’t put anything else on the Christmas tree, OK? Come on, let’s hang up our stockings.
Stephen: OK. They look great. And look, I’ve put out some mince pies for when Father Christmas comes down the chimney and some carrots for the reindeer.
Ashlie: Ah, that is sweet of you. Hmm, mince pies! They do look good. I’m starving. I suppose Father Christmas won’t mind if I have one.
Stephen: Maybe one or two won't matter.
Comments
Hello goharyen,
The phrasal verb 'make it' can have several meanings. In this context it means to get to a meeting or an agreed place, or to not be late. We might say, for example, 'The bus left early and I didn't make it' or 'I wanted to go to the meeting but I had too much work and I couldn't make it'.
'You made it then!' here means 'You got here, I see!'
Best wishes,
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Well, the 2nd task was challenging.
Hi!I know my question is a bit silly,but why did Ash say "Father Christmas" instead of " Santa Claus"?..it's just a curosity, of course..thank you!!
Hello Laura1240,
British people use both names interchangeably, and the same person might use both in the same conversation.
Best wishes,
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Thank you Peter!!
hello sir,
If all goes as per plan, the Alfred high school in Gujarat, where Mahatma Gandhi studied for seven years, would house a world class museum depicting his life, in coming years.
is this sentence grammatically correct?
The context is Municipal Corporation of District is seeking permission from state government to give charge of school so that it can transform the school into museum.
My question is....it is not a exact form of first conditional. So can it happen that a grammatical form is in usage inspite of not being mentioned in a excellent grammar book?? First book comes or usage comes?? Many times I have seen some grammatical structures in newspapers or some standard magazines which are not given in books or even on your websites.Do that mean they are wrong?? Plzz sir do reply on this issue.
Hello innocentashish420,
I would use 'will house' instead of 'would house', but perhaps 'would house' is acceptable in India. To my ears, it sounds a bit strange, though I certainly understand what it means. All around the world you can find certain grammatical forms and vocabulary used differently in place to place. If you see forms in print that are not considered correct in Britain, but which you see over and over again in India, then it's probably fine to use them if your readers or interlocutors are in India. If, on the other hand, you're writing to people in the UK, it'd be advisable to use British forms. In the end, this is a decision that you must make based on how you see things.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello innocentashish420,
Using 'would' is not correct in the sentence you ask about in your last comment. It's also incorrect in sentence 2 ('If Tom wins the car race ...'). 'would' is not used in first conditional sentences, it is used in second conditional sentences – see our Conditionals pages for a complete explanation of this.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
If all goes as per plan, the Alfred high school in Washington, where Abraham Lincoln studied for seven years, would house a world class museum depicting his life, in coming years.
is this sentence grammatically correct?
should not we use went in place of goes....plzz explain
Hello innocentashish420,
The sentence is rather odd, mixing 'goes' for future meaning with 'would' to make an unusual first conditional form. However, without knowing the full context it is hard to say more than that.
Best wishes,
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Pages