How to use "be able to."

Intro

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

Go Super to Listen

• hero
• ex-patriot
• historical era
• outlaw

• Jazz Age
• charming
• tribute
• concept

• sheriff
• hang out

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

Go Super to Listen

“The grass is always greener” is an expression meaning that we always want what we can’t have. For Gil, the main character in Woody Allen’s new movie, Midnight in Paris, that couldn’t be more true…that is, until the clock strikes midnight.

Gil wishes that he had lived in Paris during the 1920s. He thinks Paris is the most romantic city in the world, and that the 1920s were the most interesting time to be there. He wants to be a writer, and he wishes he could have met famous American writers like Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald when they were all living in Paris during the Jazz Age.

Amy recently saw Midnight in Paris. Hear her and Jason talk about the film, and their favorite eras in history.

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.

Amy

Jason

Amy:  I just saw that new Woody Allen movie, Midnight in Paris.

Jason:  Yeah, I’ve heard good things.

Amy:  Yeah, it was really fun. It was really charming. It was sort of his tribute to Paris, and so there were lots of beautiful shots of the city and everything. But it also had kind of a funny and interesting concept, which is basically there’s this guy who’s just in love with the idea of Paris in the 1920s. And somehow he’s…basically every night at midnight he’s able to go back in time and experience Paris at that time, and he’s also able to hang out with all of his literary heroes, like Hemingway.

Jason:  Right. All the ex-patriots.

Amy:  Yeah, exactly. And so all of those characters are, you know, portrayed in a really funny and charming way.

Jason:  Oh, OK. Yeah, that sounds good.

Amy:  Do you have a favorite historical era?

Jason:  I think I’d go to the 1870s, like the Wild West with Wyatt Earp and all that kind of stuff.

Amy:  OK. I can see that. Would you be an outlaw or would you be a sheriff?

Jason:  You know, in those days the line between them was kind of thin, so it’s about the same. It just depends on who I made friends with first, you know?

Grammar Point

Go Super to learn "Be Able To" from this lesson

Quizzes

Go Super to take Quiz

Lesson MP3

Go Super to download full lesson MP3