LESSON TRANSCRIPT

Upper Intermediate S1 #3
The Hunt for A Good American
Apartment

CONTENTS
2 INTRODUCTION
2 LESSON CONVERSATION
3 POST CONVERSATION BANTER
3 VOCAB LIST
6 VOCAB AND PHRASE USAGE
7 LESSON FOCUS
8 OUTRO

# 3
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INTRODUCTION

Jonathan: Hi everyone! Welcome back to EnglishClass101.com! Jonathan here.

Dede: And I’m Dede! This is Upper Intermediate Season 1, and we’re already at lesson
3 – The Hunt for a Good American Apartment.

Jonathan: In this lesson we’ll hear a conversation outside on the street after a day of
apartment hunting. You'll learn to talk about positives and negatives, also known as
pros and cons.

Dede: This conversation takes place between Dave and Sheila. They’re looking for a
place to live and just spent all day seeing several apartments they’re considering.

Jonathan: Since Dave and Sheila are friends, they’ll be speaking very casually.

Dede: Let's listen to the conversation!

LESSON CONVERSATION

DAVE: I think being roommates was a great idea. I think we make a pretty good
apartment-hunting team!

SHEILA: Ha ha, me too! What did you think of that last apartment?

DAVE: It was so nice! It was big, and it's in a really upscale neighborhood.

SHEILA: Yeah, it was, but on the other hand, it was a bit out of our price range, don't
you think?

DAVE: Sadly, yes. The other one we saw was affordable...but it's in kind of a run-down
neighborhood!

SHEILA: On the plus side, though, it was right next to the Metro.

DAVE: That's true; it certainly has convenience going for it. It wouldn't take me more
than fifteen minutes to get to work.

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SHEILA: Yeah, I hate commuting, and it would definitely cut down on my time too.

DAVE: I'm just worried that a place like that might have lead pipes or bed bugs.

SHEILA: Oh come on, don't be so paranoid; it wasn't so bad!

POST CONVERSATION BANTER

Dede: Geez, apartment hunting sounds kind of stressful…

Jonathan: It certainly can be – a lot of the times it’s fun though. Sadly a lot of the best
places are the ones you can’t afford.

Dede: Yeah, and the ones you can afford are in a bad location, too small, in an old
building, or have some other negative point.

Jonathan: (laughs) But when you find a good one, it’s really exciting.

Dede: I bet it is! It must be a real relief.

Jonathan: Alright, are you ready for some vocab?

Dede: I’m ready!

VOCAB LIST

Jonathan: Let's take a look at the vocabulary for this lesson.

Dede: The first word we shall see is...

Jonathan: upscale [natural native speed]

Dede: high-end, nice, trendy, and expensive

Jonathan: upscale [slowly - broken down by syllable]

Jonathan: upscale [natural native speed]

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Dede: Next we have...

Jonathan: price range [natural native speed]

Dede: the range of prices that you are willing to spend for something, usually
expensive things

Jonathan: price range [slowly - broken down by syllable]

Jonathan: price range [natural native speed]

Dede: Next is...

Jonathan: affordable [natural native speed]

Dede: not too expensive

Jonathan: affordable [slowly - broken down by syllable]

Jonathan: affordable [natural native speed]

Dede: Next we have...

Jonathan: run-down [natural native speed]

Dede: old and not well maintained, falling apart

Jonathan: run-down [slowly - broken down by syllable]

Jonathan: run-down [natural native speed]

Dede: Next is...

Jonathan: The Metro [natural native speed]

Dede: the Washington, D.C. light rail system consisting of both subway and above
ground tracks.

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Jonathan: The Metro [slowly - broken down by syllable]

Jonathan: The Metro [natural native speed]

Dede: Next we have...

Jonathan: cut down [natural native speed]

Dede: to reduce

Jonathan: cut down [slowly - broken down by syllable]

Jonathan: cut down [natural native speed]

Dede: Next is...

Jonathan: lead [natural native speed]

Dede: a metal that old pipes were made of, lead pipes are no longer used because
they can cause health problems

Jonathan: lead [slowly - broken down by syllable]

Jonathan: lead [natural native speed]

Dede: Next we have...

Jonathan: to worry [natural native speed]

Dede: to feel concerned about something

Jonathan: worry [slowly - broken down by syllable]

Jonathan: worry [natural native speed]

Dede: Next is...

Jonathan: bed-bug [natural native speed]

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Dede: a small insect that can live in beds or furniture and that bites humans at night

Jonathan: bed-bug [slowly - broken down by syllable]

Jonathan: bed-bug [natural native speed]

Dede: Next we have...

Jonathan: paranoid [natural native speed]

Dede: irrationally afraid (usually from invented threats)

Jonathan: paranoid [slowly - broken down by syllable]

Jonathan: paranoid [natural native speed]

VOCAB AND PHRASE USAGE

Jonathan: Let's have a closer look at the usage for some of the words and phrases
from this lesson.

Jonathan: The first phrase we have is…

Dede: “It was a bit out of our price range.”

Jonathan: We can say something is “out of our price range” when it is more
expensive than we are willing to pay for it. So if you are looking for a $ 600 computer
but the salesman shows you a $ 1,000 model, you could say…

Dede: Hmm, “Sorry, that’s a bit out of my price range.”

Jonathan: Right! What’s the next phrase?

Dede: Dave says “I’m just worried that…”

Jonathan: “I’m just worried that…” is a soft way of saying that you are unsure that
something is a good idea and that you want to be careful with it.

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Dede: Right. In the conversation, Dave used it like this: I’m just worried that a place
like that might have lead pipes or bed bugs.

Jonathan: That’s how he shows his concern about the affordable apartment. Okay,
now let’s get onto the Grammar Point.

LESSON FOCUS

Dede: The focus of this lesson is expressing pros and cons when making decisions.

Jonathan: Sheila and Dave are talking about two different apartments they saw while
they were apartment hunting today.

Dede: Dave says “It was so nice! It was big and it's in a really upscale neighborhood.”

Jonathan: And then Sheila replies “Yeah it was, but on the other hand it was a bit out
of our price range, don't you think?”

Dede: What does Sheila mean by “on the other hand”

Jonathan: Good question. “On the other hand” is a great phrase to use when we are
talking about the pros and cons of something. When do you think we use it?

Dede: Well, I guess that Sheila used it when she made a negative statement after
Dave had made a positive statement

Jonathan: Absolutely right. We usually use “on the other hand” when we want to
express two opposite opinions on the same topic.

Dede: Ahh I see. So I could say “You are very funny, but on the other hand not very
good looking.”

Jonathan: Haha, I suppose so! And I could say that “You are smart, but on the other
hand not very nice.”

Dede: (laughs)… What are some other phrases we can use like that?

Jonathan: Well, “On the other hand” can be used by yourself or when talking with
someone else the way Sheila used it. We can use “Maybe, but I think that…” or “That’s

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true, but…” when we want to express a different opinion than someone we are
talking to. Why don’t you make a pro statement about something?

Dede: Hmmm… Jay-Z is a very talented rapper.

Jonathan: That’s true, but I think that his lyrics aren’t very good.

Dede: Ah, I see!

Jonathan: Do you want to try making a con statement now?

Dede: Sure… “Broccoli tastes really gross.”

Jonathan: Maybe, but I think that it’s really healthy for you.

Dede: Well, that’s true!

Jonathan: Using these kinds of phrases, we can express both pros and cons when we
are talking with someone else.

Dede: Great! But what about when we are talking ourselves?

Jonathan: Well, like we said, we can always use “On the other hand”, but there are a
lot of other phrases we can use too.

Dede: Sheila also says “On the plus side”, is that one of them?

Jonathan: Exactly! We can say “On the plus side” followed by a good aspect, and then
“but on the negative side” followed by a bad aspect. Why don’t you demonstrate for
our listeners?

Dede: Oh, Ok… let’s see… On the plus side, learning English will help me with my job
and is fun, but on the negative side, it takes a lot of work and practice.

Jonathan: Perfect! Learning is fun and useful, but on the other hand, it can be very
difficult. That was a great usage and I agree with you 100%.

Dede: Thanks!

OUTRO

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Jonathan: Well, folks, that’s all for this lesson.

Dede: Check out the Lesson Notes for even more phrases and examples.

Jonathan: See you next lesson!

Dede: Bye for now!

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