Intro
1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.
2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.
Keeping a secret often isn’t fun. Once you finally tell someone your secret, you feel refreshed and renewed. It feels good to come clean.
When you come clean, you share information you were hiding before. This might mean confessing that you have done something wrong, or explaining why you have been acting weird.
Marni is pregnant, but hasn’t told her co-workers who the father is yet. In this English lesson video, we learn the meaning of the English idiom “come clean,” and discover that Marni isn’t the only one with a secret to tell.
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.
2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.
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Jeff: So, Marni, I just thought you’d like to know that I started a college fund. I’m donating four percent of my salary to it.
Marni: Um, that’s great. But who is it for?
Jeff: It’s for you know who.
Marni: What? OK. You guys. This is getting crazy. It’s time to come clean. So, you’ve been a little involved in my personal life lately, and especially one of you. So I’m just…I’m going to tell you who the father is, and, it’s John.
Jason: Your internet boyfriend from years ago?
Marni: Yes. He’s changed a lot and we’ve really grown close. We got together about a year ago and moved in together and things happened, and yeah, we’re ready to do this. We’re going to be a family.
Devan: Why didn’t you tell us?
Mason: Uh, because that’s crazy. He’s crazy. I mean, do you remember when his ex-girlfriend climbed through a window to tell you how crazy he was? Crazy!
Marni: His ex was crazy, but John has really changed. He’s a sweetheart and I think he’s going to be a great dad.
Jeff: It doesn’t matter if he’s sweet or crazy, that’s not the point. It’s not true. The point is he’s not the father. I think all the evidence points to…
Jason: Let’s come back to that. While we’re coming clean about things, Devan and I have something to announce as well.
Devan: It’s true. So you guys know Amanda bought my share of the company. So we’re going to take this opportunity to get out of the rat race.
Jason: We’re putting in our two weeks’ notice. We’re leaving our jobs.
Mason: What?
Marni: Really? This is so sudden!
Devan: It did happen very fast, but we’re just going to hit the road and see where it takes us.
Jason: We’re really sorry to leave you when you have a baby on the way.
Marni: It’s OK. Everything will be OK, I think.
John: Ready to go, babe?
Marni: Uh, let me just get my things.
John: Did you finally come clean with them?
Marni: I did. It felt good.
Mason: Well, guys, I have something to come clean about too.
Devan: What’s that?
Mason: Well, it’s a plan I’ve been thinking about for quite a while, but I need your guys’ help, so huddle up.
Grammar Point
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Discussion
When Jeff approaches Marni’s desk to tell her he has started a college fund for her baby, Marni has finally had enough. She announces to the office that since they have been asking about her personal life lately, she would like to come clean. The father of her baby is John, her internet boyfriend from years ago. John and Marni moved in together a year ago and have decided to be a family.
Devan asks why Marni didn’t tell them about this, and Mason remembers that John’s ex said he is crazy. But John has changed, and Marni thinks he will be a great dad. Jeff doesn’t believe what Marni says.
Jason tells everyone that he and Devan would like to come clean about their plans for the future. They are leaving their jobs in two weeks. Marni is surprised, but says everything will be OK.
Mason is the next one to come clean about a plan he has been thinking about. He asks for everyone to help him make it happen.
Are you surprised by everyone’s secrets? Have you had a situation where it felt good to come clean?
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