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Get Someone's Hopes Up

Learn English with this relationship English lesson

Date: Oct 22 2013

Themes: Family, Romance, Soap Opera

Grammar: You're vs. Your

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Intro

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

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

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It’s always better to share good news than bad. Sharing good news can make the person you’re sharing it with feel proud, happy or excited. But what if your good news isn’t a sure thing? What if you promise something fun is going to happen, but then it doesn’t? There’s always the risk that you might get someone’s hopes up for nothing.

When you’re hopeful, you expect good things in your life. Likewise, when you get someone’s hopes up, you’re making them think that something positive is coming. If the situation changes, it can be pretty disappointing, so at times it’s better not to even make promises in the first place.

Find out why Amanda didn’t want to get Mason’s hopes up in this English lesson about exciting news.

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.

Mason

Amanda

Mason: Hey, sweetie. Are you OK? You look a little weird.

Amanda: Nope, I’m OK. I think you should sit down.

Mason: OK. Did something happen? Wait, did something bad happen to someone I know? Wait, you’re not divorcing me, are you?

Amanda: Mason, take it easy and relax. It’s actually pretty good news.

Mason: OK. Good news. So, what is it?

Amanda: Guess.

Mason: You won something. You won a car!

Amanda: No.

Mason: You won the lottery!

Amanda: No!

Mason: You got a job in Hawaii.

Amanda: No, it’s not that. It’s actually something that both you and I have wanted for a while.

Mason: We’re getting matching tattoos!

Amanda: I said no matching tattoos. Look, I didn’t want to get your hopes up, but I did just come back from the doctor. And I didn’t want to take the chance at disappointing you, so I…

Mason: I like where this is going.

Amanda: It’s official. We’re going to have a baby.

Mason: What? Are you serious? When are you due? Have you called your mom yet?

Amanda: We’re due in April, and no, I haven’t told my mom yet because I thought you should know first.

Mason: OK, well, that’s great! We should tell everybody! We should have a meeting when we get back to the office, and…

Amanda: Can’t we just slow it down a little bit? Let it process and sink in, you know?

Mason: OK, but we totally have to call our moms, right?

Amanda: I guess.

Mason: OK, you call your mom and I’ll call my mom.

Amanda: I can call my mom.

Mason: Sounds great. I’m so excited, sweetie. This is such a big deal!

Amanda: I know. It worked.

Mason: Hey, Mom? You’ll never guess what happened! I did it!

Amanda: Hi, Mom?

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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Amanda has exciting news for Mason, but she’s making him work for it. She makes him sit down with her and guess what it is. Mason lists all of the things he’d like in his life: a new car, money, a home in Hawaii… even a new tattoo. Her news is much more important: Amanda’s pregnant!

Mason is absolutely thrilled. He wants to tell everyone in his life as soon as possible. Amanda, on the other hand, wants time to let the news sink in. After all, it’s a big change in their life together. Mason isn’t patient and asks Amanda to please call her mom. She agrees to call, but it’s clear that she isn’t happy about it.

Do you think it was smart for Amanda to wait and not get Mason’s hopes up? How do you feel about the way that Mason is acting? Have you ever gotten your hopes up about something that didn’t happen?

Comments

Padena

Ukraine

I think Mason behaves like little child, when he hears a pretty good news. He will be an older brother for theirs baby)) Amanda was smart to wait and not get Mason’s hopes up, becаuse she know the character of she’s husband))

leilahavaneh

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

i don’t like to get myself hope up for anything in vain but at times i do it to get myslef hopeful especially when i think about my health problem

Kaaty

Serbia and Montenegro

Mason is very excited.He heart good news but he don;t know how behave.Amanda did the right thing, and i think that everbody women should to tell man when she is pregnant.

missing_big

Viet Nam

I think it is sink in because Amanda met doctor before. But it might be common thoughts of women, they are always more carefull than men. And everything must be ensured before telling to others especially critically important news like this

DanielBorges

Portugal

To whipiry: Let it process and sink in, in this particular, could mean: You should take it easy, take some time to think alone and with the person that is sharing the news with you and see the emotinal effects of that, the implicattions to the couple, as well as being aware to the begining of the pregnancy developement. Before you start saying to close family and friends.

DanielBorges

Portugal

I think Amanda did the right thing. Normally, women tend to be colder and plan how and when tell a god or bad news. I think that is also related to the fact of being more sensitive, especially in something such important as generate life and having a child. On the other hand, I think, Mason reaction’s a little bit silly and careless. Amanda has given him god clues and he didn’t find it for him self. Women’s hate that, I also consider that Mason should gave time to sink in. Having a first child can change a lot of things in a couple’s life. In a first pregnant it also exist a higher risk of losing the baby, so if Mason starts to spread the news, more people may be disappointed.

Normally persons don’t get my hopes up about something that doesn’t take place.

DanielBorges

Portugal

I think Amanda did the right thing. Normally women tend to be colder and plan how and when tell a god or a bad news. I think that is also related to the fact of being more sensitive, especially in something such important as generate life and having a child. One the other hand, I think that Mason reaction’s a little bit silly and careless. Amanda has given him god clues and he didn’t find it for him self. Women’s hate that, I also consider that Mason should gave time to sink in. Having a first child can change a lot of things in a couple’s life. In a first pregnant it also exist a higher risk of losing the baby, so if Mason starts to spread the news, more people may be disappointed.

Normally persons don’t get my hopes up about something that doesn’t take place.

Jasonlongo

Congo, Democratic Republic Of The

Honestly I’ve been gotten my hopes up many times waiting for my dad to get some bucks for a new English center but …

But personally when I’ve something good to tell someone I just get real informations about that instead of getting their hopes up !

that was a good expression ! Get someone’s hopes up ! EnglishBaby !

am.h768

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

I’ve done it before several times and sometimes still I regret some of them.So try to not do that.

Odyssee

China

to be honest , i have been gotten my hopes up several times when i sought for a job . likewise, i have been disappointed for several times . it’s really bad . so i think

if Amanda isnt sure that she is pregnant , she can tell Mason first . then go to hospital to make sure of that . no matter what the result is , Mason should know and accept everything, after all , he is Amanda’s husband .

also she can share the news with everyone after she clearly knows that she is pregnant .

but i think Mason should slow down and not get others’ hopes up including their mom before Amanda lets the news sink in . if the news isnt true . only Mason disappointed is better than all friends disappointed .