Ball and Chain

Intro

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

Go Super to Listen

• tag along
• relationship
• rely on
• ball and chain

• love life
• serious
• check in

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

Go Super to Listen

Being in a relationship is nice because you have someone you can rely on. You have someone who will share activities and chores with you. Of course, the other person in the relationship also has expectations for you. Sometimes, it can feel like the relationship is a weight you carry.

Men especially like to joke that their wife or girlfriend is a ball and chain. They are comparing themselves to prisoners, who, in the past had to wear a large, heavy ball tied to their ankle with a chain. They had to carry the ball and chain everywhere and it made their lives harder.

Even if a relationship is going well, it can feel like a ball and chain sometimes because it’s just different than being single and only worrying about yourself. Jason has been with his girlfriend for a long time. Jeff is in a new relationship, but fears it may become a ball and chain. Listen to them discuss their love lives.

3. Watch - Watch the video without reading the dialog.

Dialog

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

Log in to Listen

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

Jason

Jeff

Devan

Jason:  So, you and Ella, huh? Pretty serious.

Jeff:  Yeah, I guess. I don’t know. We fight a lot. It’s kind of annoying.

Jason:  Oh really?

Jeff:  Yeah.

Jason:  What are you fighting about?

Jeff:  Everything.

Jason:  Oh, man. Maybe you just need more communication, you know. I tell Devan everywhere I’m going, everything I’m doing. Always checking in.

Jeff:  Yeah, I guess I do see her always kind of following you around.

Jason:  Yeah, I guess she does do that sometimes.

Jeff:  Sounds like you’ve got a little ball and chain situation on your hands.

Devan:  What you watchin’?

Jason:  Football!

Devan:  What are they doing?

Jason:  Well, right now, they’re returning a punt.

Devan:  What’s a punt?

Jason:  It’s where one team kicks the ball to the other team.

Devan:  Why?

Jason:  Because they ran out of downs.

Devan:  What’s a down?

Jason:  Maybe I’ll go for a run.

Devan:  Oh, I’ll come too. But can you do something? Can you take out the trash first?

Jason:  But the game…OK…Ball and chain. Do you think so? It could be a lot worse. She does like to tag along wherever I go and…

Jeff:  That’s bad.

Jason:  And she likes it when I call and tell her, you know, where I’m gonna be, if I’m gonna be late…

Jeff:  You serious? That’s a ball and chain.

Jason:  Well, what’s your life like? How’s your relationship different?

Jeff:  Well, Ella’s constantly yelling at me for anything I do. I can’t go anywhere without her wanting to know where I’m going or insisting that she’s gonna go with me, and I’m constantly tired of spending time with her.

Jason:  Sounds like you have your own ball and chain there, guy. Cheers to that!

Grammar Point

Go Super to learn "Adverbs" from this lesson

Quizzes

Go Super to take Quiz

Lesson MP3

Go Super to download full lesson MP3