11th January 2020

Love and marriage

Idioms, collocations, expressions, phrasal verbs

tie the knot / getting spliced / = getting married

(collocation – to get married)

He went down on one knee and popped the question = proposed.

It was love at first sight. She knew he was Mr Right.

He proposed but she turned him down = he asked but she said ‘no.’

They changed their minds, he got cold feet now they have called off the wedding.

I love weddings; it’s a chance to dress up and show off.

How do these differ ?

Going on a date / going out / meeting for coffee 

Philipe and Julie have been ………. for five months (they have been dating)

You want to speak more with someone as a friend

You want to meet someone alone, and maybe start a romantic relationship

FREE SPEAKING

What’s the best thing about being in a relationship?

What’s the best thing about being single?

What headings would you put these under ?

Life is more fun than being alone. Problems are easier to solve.

We have total, 100% freedom ! Do what we want, when we want.

We have less responsibility.

No lonliness

If you meet someone you like, you can ask them out on a date.

There’s a time to play and a time to settle down and raise a family.

No in-laws !

How do couples meet ?

How did you meet your: wife / husband / boyfriend / girlfriend / partner ?

Listening practice: How did these couples meet ? This video was shot (filmed) in New York, so it will be American English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6rYRyoqpeI

New Vocabulary

Make sentences based on the pictures:

shocked / delighted / lonely / frustrated /overwhelmed /surprised / confused / relieved

Remember: you can increase sentences by using adjectives – just say what you see. Basic adjectives such as colours, sizes or materials will all add to your word count and make your speech more interesting (as well as improving scores in tests).

I was delighted when I received your wedding invitation. (FIRST PERSON ‘I’, or use the THIRD PERSON – he/she/it/ a name)

The lady was delighted.

The young lady was delighted.

The beautiful young lady with long straight blonde hair, and wearing a pretty pink top, was delighted.

The young woman, who has long straight blonde hair, was delighted by the invitation.

Now you try:

Blind date TV show (this is from UK 1994)

Do you have game shows like this is your country ? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj_ewz53Frk

Blind Date game:

Look at the photos of the three men and three women.

Read their likes and dislikes, and what they want out of life. 

Try to arrange matches.

How successful will the dates be, do you think ?

PETER. Age 46. Lawyer. Likes cooking, travelling, wine, driving, tennis. Divorced, 2 children. Looks for quiet lady with no children, to look after the house and him.

JAMES. Age 26. IT worker. Likes music, dancing, going to clubs, beach holidays. Single. Looks for young lady who is loud and fun, likes to party.

David. Age 22. Model. Likes fashion, clothes, cocktail bars, smoking cigars. Looking for a women who is a model so we can look great together. Must be very beautiful and wear expensive clothes.

And now the ladies: which woman would be the best match for these men ?

Jane. Age 22. Likes fashion, clubbing, kittens, holidays in the sun. Looks for a man with a steady job and ‘down-to-earth’. Non-smoker only.

Lisa. 28. Banker. Likes quiet restaurants, badminton, travelling. Looks for a mature man with good income for long term relationship. No boys, please !

Emily. 20. Likes dancing, fashion, going out with my friends. Movies. Wants a young, cute boy-friend so we can go to parties together. No boring old men, please !

If the dates are successful, they could lead to weddings, married life and children … but we’ll save that for the next blog. In the meantime, here’s some clips of when the big day doesn’t go to plan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCkcU9h5ggc