Lesson 8: Working Late - English with Lee

17 Apr

17Apr

DIALOGUE

In this lesson, your tutor will help you go over this topic: Working Late. First, read the following dialogue out loud with your tutor, then switch roles and try again.

Kevin and Dorothy are talking about what happened last night.

Dorothy:		What happened to you last night? You missed the party!
Kevin:		It’s a long story. My boss asked me to do something for him very last minute.
Dorothy:		What time did he give you the work?
Kevin:		Just before I was about to get off from work, maybe 7pm?
Dorothy:		That is terrible. What took you so long?
Kevin:		He told me I just needed to give him a file, but in fact, I had to do some research and make a new file for him.
Dorothy:		Bummer! And you had to finish it last night?
Kevin:		He told me it was urgent.
Dorothy:		Geez. Anyways, you missed out on an awesome party.
Kevin:		Tell me about it.

VOCABULARY

Go over the following vocabulary and expressions with your tutor. Read the word/expression and definition out loud, and your tutor will go over anything you do not understand. Practice creating a sentence or two to make sure you know how to use the word/expression properly.

Vocabulary/ Expressions

Expression

Definition

Example

what happened to…

–

Do you know what happened to Kevin? He’s not here.

miss

to fail to be present for (something)

She missed three days of school when she was sick.

it’s a long story

–

How did you end up in the hospital? It’s a long story.

last minute

the latest possible time

My brother waits until the last minute to take a shower in the morning.

just before

immediately before

The bus left just before I got to the station.

be about to (verb)

to be going to (perform an action), do something very soon

I‘m about to leave the office.

get off from work

having left one’s work at the end of the day.

I usually get off from work at 7pm.

in fact

in reality or actuality

I have to send you the email. In fact, I will send it to you right now.

urgent

very important and needs immediate attention

We’ve come to deliver an urgent message.

miss out on…

lose a chance for

Ruth came late to the party and missed out on all the fun.

EXERCISE

Practice answering the following questions with your tutors. You can use the sample answers to come up with your own answer.

What did you do last night?
1. I was working till late.
2. I went out with my friends.
3. Your answer:_______________________________
How late do you normally stay at work?
1. I get off from work at 7pm sharp.
2. I usually stay till late.
3. Your answer:_______________________________
Do you get a lot of last minute requests at work?
1. No, my boss is very good at time management.
2. Yes, and I hate it.
3. Your answer:_______________________________
Do you get to go out with your friends often?
1. I try to meet up with friends twice a week.
2. I don’t see them often.
3. Your answer:_______________________________
What do you do when you meet with your friends?
1. We normally get dinner and some drinks.
2. We try to do something fun.
3. Your answer:_______________________________

CONVERSATION

Use the following questions as a guideline to form an interesting conversation with your tutor. Feel free to diverge from these suggestions if anything interesting comes up.

What time do you usually get off from work?
What time do you normally arrive at the office?
What time of day do you feel you are most productive in your work or study?
What do you usually do when you get last minute requests at work?
How often do you go out with your friends?

WRAP-UP

Go over any new expressions or vocabulary that you learned today.

Beginner Curriculum

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