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Visiting Parents

How to Compare Quantity

Date: Jan 23 2012

Themes: Family, Travel

Grammar: Comparing Quantity

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Intro

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No matter how frequently you see your parents, they probably wish you would visit them more often. It seems like parents can never get enough of seeing their children. But some adult children find visiting their parents to be stressful or a hassle, especially when they don’t live in the same city. Find out how often Jason and Amy visit their parents.

Dialog

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

Amy

Jason

Amy: How often do you visit your parents?

Jason: They visit me, actually, more often than I visit them.

Amy: Oh yeah?

Jason: They live in New Mexico, which is over a thousand miles away, and it’s kind of easier for them being in their early sixties to come out here in some ways, than it is for me to go there. So, on average, I’d say I see them about twice a year.

Amy: And is it a stressful thing for you? I know some people get kind of stressed out visiting their parents.

Jason: Yeah, and that’s the other thing. For me it’s less stressful when they visit here, because they treat it like a vacation and they stay in a hotel.

Amy: Oh, they stay in a hotel? That’s awesome.

Jason: Yeah. Whereas if I go visit them, then it’s like all the teenage baggage is right there again. I’m fifteen.

Amy: I feel the same way. I know, it’s like even though my room doesn’t look like my room growing up anymore, it’s been converted into a guest room, I still somehow feel like I’m fifteen when I go home.

Jason: Yeah, and I catch myself whining to my mom and stuff, like, “Mom, no! Leave me alone!”

Amy: Right. You get lazy. Suddenly you can’t clean up after yourself…

Jason: Yeah! And I’m like, “Who am I? This is horrible!”

Grammar Point

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Discussion

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Amy asks Jason how often he sees his parents. He says he sees them about twice a year, but they usually come visit him because it’s easier for them to make the trip. Jason also prefers to have his parents come visit him.

Jason and Amy agree that when they visit their parents, they sometimes act like teenagers. Jason says that being back in the house he grew up in makes him act like a different person. He becomes whiny and lazy, like when he was younger.

Many people find visiting their parents, or having their parents come stay with them, to be stressful. When Jason’s parents visit him, they stay in a hotel, so it isn’t stressful for him.

How often do you visit your parents? Do you find it stressful to visit them or have them come stay with you?

Comments

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julito

Argentina

Snoopy, you are in Antartica, aren´t you ? forget about Lipton, how far is the nearest Antartica Argentine´s station . ?

snoopyboy

Antarctica

I need to try the “Mate”... I’ve had Lipton Teas before, how are they different?

snoopyboy

Antarctica

See you on the other side

I’ll be fine ;)

julito

Argentina

Snoopy, how could you have known, I was having mate, indeed. And now picturing you in my mind (sorry Butta, I am stealing your quote) running around your dreamed garden picking up butterflies) lol

snoopyboy

Antarctica

Remember Butta, Hell’s fury is nothing compared to snoopyboy’s anger

(hhahhahahaha) (evil laugh)

snoopyboy

Antarctica

grrr… I’m not allowed to stream videos on the pc I’m using at work. But I’ll look the song up

Have a good laugh on me, Butta

I shall avenge myself ;)

snoopyboy

Antarctica

( in the meantime, Julito is lapping his tongue on some argentine “mate” his eyes closed listening to the echoey voice of Enya… amarantine, amarantine : ) )

snoopyboy

Antarctica

matching what?...

snoopyboy

Antarctica

Hugging the water stream sounds so desperate and sad …

almost like a pity -seeking action… I wish that to nobody

snoopyboy

Antarctica

no I picture myself to be a little fairy, hoping from one lily flower to the next, in a dreamy garden

julito

Argentina

You guys are crazy, LOL

snoopyboy

Antarctica

lol : )

come on !guys it can be that bad!

It’s not like I had a rubber duck in my bubble bath

julito

Argentina

And I bet that snoopy also ”sings ” along . hehe.

snoopyboy

Antarctica

hehe!

I just know this one song by her : Amarantine…I love how it sounds; I have stored in my MP3 player ( what kind of guy would have this kind of song on his ipod?)

that’s my shower tune, hehehe! :)

snoopyboy

Antarctica

Really! where do you get your source of rumors from , : )

Julito would you agree that Butta looks just like Enya ( Amarantine) :)

snoopyboy

Antarctica

( a mellow heart , that sounds like something I’d take a bite at :)

snoopyboy

Antarctica

Ah! the last you went deep into details around me I was shorthand typing a biography novel about you :)

Of course I know what you meant, my IQ is comparable to that of a bag of potatoes :)

You don’t sound dramatic, you sound to me like a worried mother, a loving mother a selfless one.

julito

Argentina

Butta, now i know ,you are not dramatic only you have a mellow heart , that is why you don´t like to watch flicks full of violence “I can´t also” .

claimant

Azerbaijan

nice lesson.Bur i like visiting my parents because I miss them a lot.and i don’t think it is annoying process and it is doesn’t stressful for me.Yes, i agree sometimes they do something that we don’t like,but it doesn’t mean they never think about our thoughts,feelings or etc…they love us,come what may! And they want everything will be good for us