Second conditional

Intro

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

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• settle
• commitment
• baffling
• friends with benefits

• jealousy
• have your cake and eat it too
• no strings attached
• one night stand

• consensus
• established

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

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After making the intense thriller Black Swan, Natalie Portman probably wanted an easy, relaxed acting experience that wouldn’t demand too much of her. She found the perfect film in No Strings Attached, a romantic comedy about two friends who try to have an easy, relaxed relationship that doesn’t demand too much of them.

But is it ever possible to have a relationship without all the expectations, jealousy, fighting and flowers? Trying to have a physical relationship with someone without any deeper feelings getting involved can be like trying to have your cake and eat it too. Find out if Ella and Jason think it’s possible to have a relationship with no strings attached.

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.

Ella

Jason

Ella:  No Strings Attached. Story of my life, Jason.

Jason:  Really?

Ella:  Kind of. You know. One of the stories of my life.

Jason:  Oh wow.

Ella:  And now it’s being played out in a movie with Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher.

Jason:  Yeah, I mean, I guess they are friends who decide to have a physical relationship without having a romantic relationship.

Ella:  I think it’s hard. It doesn’t seem like it’s possible, unless it’s one of those one night stand situations where you don’t see the person again. I feel like if there was already an established relationship, such as a friendship, it would be difficult to do that.

Jason:  Totally. I mean, it just seems like why settle for that, I guess, in a way. I guess the characters in the movie have their own reasons, like Natalie Portman is a doctor who doesn’t want any distractions. But you know, I just sort of…I’m like…I see that and I’m like, “Natalie Portman, I will gladly commit to you! There’s no need to have this just-sex relationship with Ashton Kutcher, OK?”

Ella:  Exactly. It’s hard ‘cause it’s like, Natalie Portman, what is she doing with Ashton Kutcher, you know? She just did Black Swan and now she’s in this movie. It’s baffling.

Jason:  It is baffling. But I don’t know, I mean, they certainly won’t be the last to try friends with benefits, you know?

Ella:  Definitely not.

Jason:  I don’t understand why, it’s kind of a consensus that it doesn’t work, yet people continue to try that.

Ella:  I know, you just think maybe…maybe.

Jason:  Maybe we’ll be different.

Grammar Point

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Lesson MP3

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