Everyday English for ESL

Lesson 10 — The Movies

1. Video Transcripts
2. Language Notes
3. Word List
4. Language Exercises
5. Answer Key
6. Crossword Puzzle
7. Word Search Puzzle
 EVERYDAY ENGLISH LESSON 10 — THE MOVIES

TRANSCRIPTS
DIALOGUE

MAN: What shall we do1 this weekend?

WOMAN: I don’t know. What would you like to do?
MAN: Why don’t we2 go to the pictures3?
WOMAN: That’s a good idea. We haven’t been4 to the cinema for ages5. What’s on6?
MAN: Well, we could7 go and see the latest Star Wars movie.
WOMAN: You know I hate sci-fi. I’d rather8 go and see that new romcom9 with Hugh Grant.
MAN: I can’t stand10 Hugh Grant. He’s a terrible actor.
WOMAN: Well, it’s either that or a three-hour11 French drama with subtitles.
MAN: Let’s12 just stay home and watch a DVD instead. We can order a pizza!

LISTENING COMPREHENSION

I really enjoy13 going to the pictures, and go to see a movie most weekends. I always14 check the film listings in
the newspaper or online to see what’s showing15. I also read the film reviews because I don't want to see a bad
film, especially as16 it’s so expensive nowadays.
I prefer to arrive early at the cinema so I don't have to queue17 too long to buy a ticket. Sometimes, the film I want
to see18 is sold out19, so I might buy a ticket for a later showing.
I usually sit in an aisle20 seat somewhere in the middle of the cinema. I think you can see the film better. You risk
straining21 your eyes if you sit in the front few rows.
One thing I don't like is when people in the audience talk during the movie, or check their mobile phones. That
really annoys me. Everyone should be able to22 enjoy the film in peace.
My favourite films are Hollywood blockbusters23. I love the Avengers series and can’t wait to see the new Star
Wars movie. However, I never go to see old black and white foreign films with subtitles. They can be really
boring24!

QUESTIONS

 When did you last go to the cinema, and what did you see?
 Who did you go with?
 What sort of movies do you like best?
 What’s your favourite movie and why?
 What do you think about 3D movies?

EVERYDAY ENGLISH JEFFREY HILL

 EVERYDAY ENGLISH LESSON 10 — THE MOVIES

LANGUAGE NOTES
1. Note the difference between ‘What shall we do …’, which is used to ask for suggestions, and ‘What will we
do …’, which is used to ask for information: ‘What will we do this weekend?’ (= what are we going to do?).
2. Why don’t we … is a fixed expression used for making suggestions: Why don’t we/you ask Peter?
3. In Britain people talk about going to the pictures; in America, they say ‘the movies’.
4. Note the construction here: present perfect + for + duration. You could also say ‘It’s ages since we’ve been
to the cinema’.
5. Ages means ‘a long time’: I spent ages looking for my keys.
6. What’s on (at the cinema or on TV) means ‘What films (or programmes) are they showing?’
7. We could … is another expression used to make a suggestion: We could go to France this summer.
8. I’d rather is a contraction of ‘I would rather’, and means ‘I would prefer to’. Note that ‘I’d rather’ is followed
by the infinitive without ‘to’: I’d rather not talk about it.
9. Romcom is an abbreviation of ‘romantic comedy’, the type of film that British actor Hugh Grant often
appears in.
10. If you can’t stand someone or something, you really don’t like them. You can also use a gerund: I can’t
stand watching reality shows on TV.
11. Note that we say a three-hour drama and not a three-hours drama. The rule is that when a number and a
noun form a modifier before a noun (as in ‘six-storey building’), you make the noun singular and hyphenate
the expression. Examples: two-week holiday, fifteen-month-old baby, ten-ton truck, etc.
12. Let’s (short for ‘let us’) + infinitive without ‘to’ is the third expression for making a suggestion in this
dialogue: Let’s have a party!
13. Note that the verb to enjoy is followed by a gerund and never by an infinitive: ‘I enjoy swimming’ but not ‘I
enjoy to swim’.
14. Always is an adverb of frequency which tells you how often something is done. Note its position between
the subject and verb. This text contains several adverbs of frequency. Can you find the others?
15. You might expect a passive here (‘what’s being shown’) but ‘what’s showing’ is a fixed expression that
means the same as ‘what’s on’ when talking about movies.
16. As is a conjunction here and means the same as ‘because’.
17. The Americans say ‘wait in line’: We had to wait in line for two hours to get the tickets. Note that ‘queue’ is
pronounced just like the letter ‘Q’, and can also be a noun: The queue was incredibly long.
18. You could say ‘the film that I want to see’ but the relative pronoun ‘that’ is often omitted in everyday speech.
19. If something is sold out, there are none left to buy. Strictly speaking, it’s the tickets that are sold out.
20. Aisle is pronounced like ‘I’ll’ (=I will). You also find aisles in supermarkets, churches, and planes.
21. The verb ‘to risk’ is followed by a gerund and not an infinitive: You risk losing (NOT to lose) all your money.
22. ‘Can’ does not have an infinitive form so we have to use be able to instead.
23. A blockbuster is a Hollywood movie that's made with a large budget and big stars. The original meaning
was a very large high-explosive bomb!
24. Adjectives that end ‘-ed’ (e.g. ‘bored’, ‘interested’) and adjectives that end ‘-ing’ (e.g. ‘boring’, ‘interesting’)
are often confused. Adjectives that end in ‘-ed’ tell us how people feel about something: I was very bored in
the maths lesson; I almost fell asleep. Adjectives that end in ‘-ing’ describe the thing that causes the
emotion: A boring lesson makes you feel bored.

EVERYDAY ENGLISH JEFFREY HILL

 EVERYDAY ENGLISH LESSON 10 — THE MOVIES

WORD LIST
actor ............................................... someone who performs in a film or in the theatre
ages................................................ a very long time (informal)
aisle ................................................ the space you can walk along between rows of seats in a cinema, plane, etc.
annoy.............................................. to make someone angry
audience ......................................... the people who watch or listen to a performance
blockbuster ..................................... Hollywood movie that's made with a large budget and big stars
boring ............................................. not at all interesting
check (v) ......................................... to have a look at something to get information
cinema ............................................ a place where you go to watch a film on a big screen (AmE = movie theater)
drama ............................................. a type of movie with a serious story and tense emotional moments
DVD ................................................ abbreviation for ‘digital versatile disk’, a type of disk with pictures and sound
recorded on it
enjoy ............................................... to like doing something
especially ........................................ more than anything else
expensive ....................................... costing a lot of money
favourite .......................................... your favourite person or thing is the one you like best (AmE = favorite)
film .................................................. a story you watch in a cinema or on television
film listing ........................................ a list of films that are currently available to see, with details of times
foreign ............................................ from a country that is not your country
movie .............................................. a film
newspaper ...................................... printed sheets of folded paper containing news, articles, and other
information, usually published every day
nowadays ....................................... at the present time, not in the past
online .............................................. using the internet
order (v) .......................................... to ask for food or goods that you will pay for
peace.............................................. a situation that is quiet and calm
pictures ........................................... the pictures is a British word for the movies or the cinema
queue (v) ........................................ to wait for something in a line of people. ‘Queue’ is also a noun.
row (n) ............................................ people or things arranged next to each other in a line
seat................................................. a chair that you pay to sit on in a cinema, theatre, train, plane, etc.
series .............................................. a set of TV programmes or films with the same subject or characters
showing .......................................... an occasion when something such as a movie or TV programme is shown
sold out ........................................... if something such as a film or play is sold out, there are no tickets left to buy
stand (v).......................................... if you cannot stand someone or something, you dislike it or will not accept it
strain (v).......................................... to hurt part of your body by using it too much
subtitles .......................................... words at the bottom of the screen that show what actors are saying in a film
terrible ............................................ very bad or of low quality
ticket ............................................... a small piece of printed paper that shows you have paid to do something

EVERYDAY ENGLISH JEFFREY HILL

 EVERYDAY ENGLISH LESSON 10 — THE MOVIES

LANGUAGE EXERCISES
A. MATCH THE WORDS WITH THE PICTURES

actor popcorn queue director ticket seat

cinema Oscars aisle projector audience screen

1 2 3

4 5 6

7 8 9

10 11 12

EVERYDAY ENGLISH JEFFREY HILL

 EVERYDAY ENGLISH LESSON 10 — THE MOVIES

B. TRUE OR FALSE?

1. The speaker goes to see a movie every weekend.

2. He buys his ticket online.
3. He prefers to sit at the end of a row of seats.
4. He thinks people who check their mobile phones during the movie are annoying.
5. He has seen the new Star Wars movie.

C. CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD

I really enjoy (1) to go/going to the pictures, and go to see a movie (2) most/every
weekends. I always check the film listings in the newspaper or online to see what’s (3)
shown/showing. I also read the film reviews because I don't want to see a bad film,
especially as it’s (4) so/such expensive nowadays.
I prefer to arrive (5) early/soon at the cinema so I don't have to queue (6) too/to long to
buy a ticket. Sometimes, the film I want to see is sold (7) up/out, so I might buy a ticket for
a (8) later/latest showing.
I usually sit in an aisle seat somewhere (9) in/at the middle of the cinema. I think you can see the film
(10) best/better. You risk (11) to strain/straining your eyes if you sit in the front few rows.
One thing I don't like is when people in the audience (12) talk/discuss during the movie, or check their mobile
phones. That really annoys me. Everyone (13) could/should be able to enjoy the film (14) with/in peace.
My favourite films are Hollywood blockbusters. I love the Avengers series and (15) can/can’t wait to see the new
Star Wars movie. (16) However/Although, I never go to see old black and white foreign films with subtitles. They
can be so (17) boring/bored!

EVERYDAY ENGLISH JEFFREY HILL

 EVERYDAY ENGLISH LESSON 10 — THE MOVIES

ANSWER KEY
A. MATCH THE WORDS AND PICTURES

1. audience 7. screen
2. projector 8. popcorn
3. seat 9. director
4. actor 10. cinema
5. aisle 11. Oscars
6. ticket 12. queue

B. TRUE OR FALSE?

1. FALSE — he goes to see a movie most weekends

2. FALSE — he says that he queues to buy a ticket
3. TRUE — an aisle seat is at the end of the row
4. TRUE — that really annoys him
5. FALSE — he says that he can’t wait to see it, which means he hasn’t seen it yet

C. CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD

1. going 10. better

2. most 11. straining
3. showing 12. talk
4. so 13. should
5. early 14. in
6. too 15. can’t
7. out 16. However
8. later 17. boring
9. in

EVERYDAY ENGLISH JEFFREY HILL

 EVERYDAY ENGLISH LESSON 10 — THE MOVIES

CROSSWORD
1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8

10

11

12 13 14 15

16

17 18 19 20

21

22 23 24

25

26 27

28 29

Across
3 Americans say
movie theater, the
British say ____ (6)
7 A line of seats (3)
9 What you sit on (4)
10 You need one to get
in (6)
12 The Transformers
movies are directed
by Michael ____ (3)
13 I wish people would
switch ____ their
mobile phones at
the cinema (3)
16 Spielberg sci-fi
movie (2)
18 Translation at the
bottom of the screen
(9)
Down
21 That's the ____ I've 1 How often do you 15 They show what
ever seen (5) ____ to the movies? movies are playing
(2) (8)
22 Person who acts in
movies (5) 2 Popular, big budget 17 People like to eat
movie (11) this during a movie
23 Our local cinema
(7)
has a two-for-one 3 Funny film (6)
____ on 19 ____ to the Future
4 Way out (4)
Wednesdays (5) (4)
5 Passage between
26 The film got a very 20 Space fantasy
rows of seats (5)
good ____ in The franchise (4,4)
Guardian (6) 6 Serious film (5)
24 I hate sitting in the
27 American movie 7 Romantic comedy ____ row (5)
awards (6) (6)
25 Most cinemas ____
28 No seats left (4,3) 8 Let's ____ a movie tickets online these
on DVD (5) days (4)
29 I ____ three movies
last week (3) 11 Scary ____ (5)
14 Alfred Hitchcock was
a British ____
director (4)

EVERYDAY ENGLISH JEFFREY HILL

 EVERYDAY ENGLISH LESSON 10 — THE MOVIES

WORD SEARCH
L P R O D U C E R R W C A S T
I S S U B T I T L E S A R G X
S S H O W I N G Y O D L T O L
T W G J O I E R E K A N Q C W
I M O V I E M P Q U E U E D H
N Q R F B Z A O Q E F A V I P
G Q H R O Z A P R V A I D R C
S R D O B L O C K B U S T E R
W D M N L T S O Q S A L H C E
I I O T E L A R L L M E I T V
X W S K A F Y N H O K T A O I
Q H C M B I M W C I A I C R E
G I A V A L I M O E P Z T S W
T R R J C M O P S O L D O U T
D W S V K R C O M E D Y R V X

Actor Popcorn
Aisle Producer
Back Queue
Blockbuster Review
Cast Romcom
Cinema Row
Comedy Screen
Director Seat
Drama Showing
Film Sold out
Front Subtitles
Hollywood Ticket
Listings Watch
Movie
Oscars

EVERYDAY ENGLISH JEFFREY HILL

 EVERYDAY ENGLISH LESSON 10 — THE MOVIES

CROSSWORD — SOLUTION
1 2 3 4 5 6
G B C I N E M A D
7 8
R O W L O X I R
9
O A O M I S E A T
10
M T I C K E T T L M
11
C C K D M E A
12 13 14 15
O H B A Y O F F L
16
M U V I A I
17 18 19 20
P S U B T I T L E S S
21
W O R S T A E M T T
P E C A I
22 23 24
A C T O R K O F F E R N
25
O S R W G
26 27
R E V I E W O S C A R S
N L N R
28 29
S O L D O U T S A W

WORD SEARCH — SOLUTION

L P R O D U C E R R W C A S T
I S S U B T I T L E S A R G X
S S H O W I N G Y O D L T O L
T W G J O I E R E K A N Q C W
I M O V I E M P Q U E U E D H
N Q R F B Z A O Q E F A V I P
G Q H R O Z A P R V A I D R C
S R D O B L O C K B U S T E R
W D M N L T S O Q S A L H C E
I I O T E L A R L L M E I T V
X W S K A F Y N H O K T A O I
Q H C M B I M W C I A I C R E
G I A V A L I M O E P Z T S W
T R R J C M O P S O L D O U T
D W S V K R C O M E D Y R V X

EVERYDAY ENGLISH JEFFREY HILL