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Shake On It

Shake On It English, baby! Video Lesson

Date: Jun 15 2010

Themes: Soap Opera, Work

Grammar: Past Perfect Tense

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

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2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

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If you want to be in business, you have to have a good handshake. When you meet someone, you shake hands. When you say hello to someone, you shake hands. And when you finish a deal, you shake on it.

When two parties come to an agreement and then shake hands, you can say they shook on it. The handshake means the deal is official. Though not as official as signing a contract, shaking on it is more official than just giving your word.

Jeff is an attorney sent by a rival company to buy Devan’s company. Their meeting today ends with a handshake. But what exactly did they shake on?

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Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Devan

Devan

Jeff

Jeff

Mason

Mason

Devan:  Yeah, well, I’m really liking how this sounds. I really think that the idea of selling the company to Marni is sounding pretty good to me at this point.

Jeff:  Excellent, excellent. I’m glad that you’re glad.

Devan:  Yeah, well, thanks for coming in.

Jeff:  Let’s shake on it. Alright! Well, I’m glad all this is behind us. Things went a little more smoothly than I had anticipated.

Devan:  What do you mean “behind us”? The negotiations have only begun!

Jeff:  I believe we just shook on it.

Devan:  Shook on it?

Jeff:  Shook hands to make a formal agreement. Legally binding.

Devan:  You’re saying that because I just shook your hand now I’m legally bound to sell you my company? I thought we were just talking!

Jeff:  That is what I’m saying.

Devan:  I thought we were just shaking hands because you were about to leave, I wasn’t trying to shake hands to bind any contract with you. I think we need another opinion on this. Mason!

Jeff:  Where are you going to get that opinion?

Devan:  Mason?

Mason:  Yeah, boss! Oh, it’s you.

Devan:  So, we were just having a discussion about some terms and some agreements about some things, some legal things, and then he got up to leave and I shook his hand, and now he says I’m legally bound to do everything I said before the handshake because we shook on it.

Mason:  I mean, I don’t want to go this guy’s way, but you know, a

shake is a shake!

Devan:  You’re taking his side in this?

Mason:  I’m not taking his side, I’m taking the handshake’s side! I mean, that’s side-agnostic!

Devan:  Okay, well, what if I told you that I did this behind my back!

Mason:  Then it is null and void, man! Fingers crossed supersede handshake, totally invalidated.

Jeff:  Will not hold up in a court of law.

Mason:  Well, if you will reference Fingers Crossed v. Handshake I think you will clearly see who here is in the right.

 

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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Devan and Jeff make an agreement and then stand up and shake hands. Devan says that she was just shaking Jeff’s hand to be polite, but Jeff says they shook on the agreement and now it’s official. Mason is called in, and while he doesn’t like Jeff, he has to admit that if you shake on it, it’s official.

But wait! Behind her back, Devan’s fingers were crossed. Everyone knows that if you cross your fingers behind your back while shaking hands the handshake doesn’t count.

Do you think Devan and Jeff shook on it or were they just shaking hands? Have you ever made a deal and then shook on it?

 

Comments

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mitra.700

mitra.700

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

i think since there was not any signed deal Devan can ignore it and say oh i just  was trying to be polite, and since Jeff is an atternoy he is wise enough to know this.

03:22 PM Nov 23 2010 |

wishtolearn

El Salvador

Cool   i am just amazed of the way you put up the lessons in here. You are superb!!!! keep it up….

03:16 PM Oct 28 2010 |

Marcelolic

Marcelolic

Brazil

I guess Devan played green with Jeff hehe but in that case just one simple hanshake doesn't mean that Devan has closed deal with him…As she told she was only saying goodbye to him…

11:54 PM Jul 15 2010 |

naderz

naderz

Lebanon

nice .. there is some thing to learn  good

01:28 PM Jun 22 2010 |

weamhamed

Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

ithink more polite

10:04 AM Jun 22 2010 |

farhangzrary

Iraq

thanks    its nice

07:49 AM Jun 22 2010 |

rosendo

rosendo

Mexico

where does devans's company will finish ?

to be continued…...............

03:38 PM Jun 21 2010 |

belieng

Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

o ya

02:56 PM Jun 21 2010 |

rebel lee

rebel lee

China

Shaking hands is kinda official,but is not legally binding.It can be a misunderstanding just as what happened between Devan and Jeff.
When I meet somebody or say goodbye to somebody,I always shake hands with the person.But hands-shaking is not very serious.If you want to make a deal with somebody,you should sign a contract or close the deal immediately.

12:48 PM Jun 20 2010 |

mxiixm

mxiixm

Viet Nam

Excellent lesson with many amazing ideas!

04:05 AM Jun 20 2010 |

antonio-diaz

Uruguay

Yes, I thinks a good shakehands is very important for close a busines.

But don' always mean accept the deal. 

Sometime mean only goodby 

07:53 PM Jun 19 2010 |

ahmedghieth9

Egypt

GOOD LESSON

06:25 AM Jun 19 2010 |

HArOuBI

Saudi Arabia

great    

12:07 PM Jun 18 2010 |

Leave

Leave

Albania

it's such a great lesson in funny way

 

thanx 4 a nice vidio

09:57 PM Jun 17 2010 |

msaadnegm

Egypt

Hello friends

i see it is just a funny joke

thanks alot

01:42 PM Jun 17 2010 |

soul sing

China

to my taste

01:38 AM Jun 17 2010 |

aritaum

aritaum

South Korea

Oh i see!

i can use it.haha…thanks!!

 

03:39 PM Jun 16 2010 |

kmg

kmg

China

shank hands=make deal?

07:03 AM Jun 16 2010 |

english__learner

Turkey

Thanks for lesson. Thanks for this site.

06:59 PM Jun 15 2010 |

anshu goel

anshu goel

India

Thankuyou for this superb topic…i learnt something…i'll learn everything by these importantance topics…

12:30 PM Jun 15 2010 |

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