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Best Friends

Learn English meaning of 'best friends'

Date: Jun 19 2020

Themes: Friend, Time

Grammar: Direct vs. Reported Speech

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Intro

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There is nothing like having a friend who has been with you through all of the stages of your life. Some people are lucky enough to have made a best friend when they were in primary school, and then continue to be friends with them for the rest of their lives.

But as we grow older, it can be difficult to keep in contact as we move away and begin different lives. Even so, even best friends who have not spoken in many years might be able to maintain a relationship just because of their shared history.

Kellie and Brian talk about the best friends of their lives. Learn more in today’s English lesson about staying in touch.

Dialog

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

Kellie

Brian

Kellie: Hey, Brian.

Brian: Yeah, Kellie?

Kellie: You know what? It’s my best friend’s birthday today.

Brian: Oh, that’s great. Do you have big plans?

Kellie: No. He lives in Florida, actually.

Brian: Oh, wow.

Kellie: But I called him to say, “Happy Birthday.” I’ve had the same best friend for a long time… about 15 years.

Brian: I’ve moved around a lot. And I found that I’m still really close to all of my best friends. But everywhere that I move, I usually acquire a new best friend in that area that I can actually spend time with physically and enjoy hobbies together.

Kellie: That’s good.

Brian: I still keep in contact with my other friends. But it gets harder, as I go through stages of my life, to maintain one really strong friendship.

Kellie: Have you drifted away from some of your old best friends?

Brian: We do try to maintain contact at least once a year. And I realize, “Oh, that’s why I really like this guy.” He’s a really good friend because we get along so well.

Kellie: I think the great thing about having a best friend for a long time is you get to see each other go through these different stages. My best friend has seen me go through a lot of stages in life.

Brian: You have that shared history. And you can be supportive of each other.

Kellie: Exactly.

Brian: Be there for one another. Tell him I said, “Happy Birthday.”

Kellie: Oh, thank you. I will.

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Discussion

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Kellie tells Brian about her best friend, whom she has known for 15 years. Even though they don’t live in the same city, she still works to maintain a friendship. She asks Brian about how he keeps in touch with his best friend.

Brian says that he has moved around a lot, and has made a best friend in each new place. He says that it’s difficult to keep in contact with his friends after he has moved away. But he does try to get in touch with his friends at least once a year, and at that time he can see why they were such great friends.

Do you have a best friend? Is it difficult to keep in contact with your friends?

Comments

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Nadija

Ukraine

I have two best friends. One of them I met at the university on the first day, on the first minute when I went into the audience. Second buddies, I met at my work. She is the smartest woman that I know. We may not see each other more time but feel life others every day.

NIJ321655

United States

I like best friends but i never had one.

Sahar9891

Morocco

To find a friend is one of the most difficult things I have ever experience.l have one best friend ,but l ddon’t see her just l call her on phone.

La Princesse de la vie

Egypt

“Out of sight, out of mind” I somewhat believe in this, ‘cause distances weaken bonds between people. I experienced this with a lot of people in my life.

Now I have two best friends, one from high school, but she is now in a different college. We can spend days with no see, even sometimes no phone talk, but in a blue we meet and spend some time with each other to make up for the time we spent apart. I think she is the only one I might keep in touch with in the long run.

The other best friend is a colleague. I can’t stand being in a place alone, so the first thing I do when I join a new place is to search for a mate, and here we are friends for 3 years. I don’t know if we can keep this friendship, or it’s just happened because we both don’t like to be alone, but I’m sure there’s harmony between us. Who knows? Maybe we can keep this friendship for longer than I think.

caglass

Turkey

I have a best friend and I love her so much we were in the same school last year but now we are not we still talk each other but not like the last year I guess

shararsh

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

during my life, i ‘ve made many good friends. i keep in touch with some of them through e mail – viber…. i suppose a good friend is a valuuable gift from God. and she or he canbe a effective role every body ‘live.

shararsh

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

hi my best friend was Afsan who died 18 years ago when she was 22 years old. she had a terrible accident . i really miss her

NIJ321655

United States

Have a best friend can be fun. you can tell friend something.

Rutty

Costa Rica

My besy friend is my daughter, she is 13 years old and Ifeel so good because we have fun each other a lot .

naira71

Azerbaijan

I have the best friend in e-baby and I am happy that we met ,even if in on-line.Its important that there is a person you really appreciate for his inner qualities.

Wuthering

United States

Best friend is the one who walks in and the rest walk out when you’re in difficult situition .

nasrin jojo

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

that is good…I have so many friends but i just can say a few of them are best or in orther to real freinds to me!!! they are who keep in touch with me in all of situations (difficult,joy,sorrow).although i have been living onother place and i am far from them and we can see eachother at leadt once in year,but we are friendly like primary time of our friendship..

THANKS A MILION FOR BEST TOPIC,EBABY@

NIJ321655

United States

Haveing a best friend is cool. They like pratting with you. going to Dacne. soooooo cool.:)

s11211s

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

I have made some friends in my life, they are very good friends but going through stages of our life separate each other, so we couldn’t as we were close friends.

Being in a same situation like school, high school and university could cause making strongly friendship between two or three, you see, the most important item to making friend is being in a same situation or place for while or more, or having same aim, Otherwise there is no friendship or any friend! I and my friends are changing, our aims, our situations, our job, every thing is going to chang. It is roughly possible to change friends alike! Therefore, our friendship is changing or ending!

I try to keep in contact with my old or new friends, but it is difficult when our situations are changing, sometimes I am so busy or might they are busy, even we couldn’t contact with a phone!

ola33

Japan

Best, worst… I have people who I enjoy talking, going on weekends, BDs, gathering at holidays. I feel comfortable and happy in their company. And that’s everything for me. I try to stay away from claims such as ‘friends forever’.

Gizem1318

Turkey

I have three best friends and two of them my cousins.Other my best friend is in high school .l love them very much and they are always near at me.We don’t meet frequently but we always chat in mobile phone so I know when they are in bad event and they know.This way we can help each other.

julito1

Argentina

I don`t have such a thing as “best friends”. I, in a good way, envy those who can tell another story, that they keep strong the bonds with friends that were made in early stages of their lifes. It may be that unexpectedly i could come across in the street with an old friend from our school days or a co worker and after exchanging a few conversation to realise that we have nothing in common , that we are total strangers. Yes, Kellie is right when she says that she works to maintain alive a bond .

Seiyf_khawas

Turkey

” How beautiful its to find someone who asks for nothing but your company “

ScienceBoy

Turkey

I have a few best friends, some from college some are colleagues and some from internet. Yes, you can have a best friend online, why not. People even date online.

I am on touch with 2 of them but that doesnt mean the others ate not my best friends anymore. They are. We are just not in touch frequently but whever we speak it’s like we were together just yesterday. If someone is your real friend, there is no enough time to make you drift apart.

Shoba

Sri Lanka

I had 3 best friends in my school days, and one of them was very close to me. But as we grew older things changed. Me moving to another country and the importance I gave to my family and my studies made everything else pale into insignificance. We gradually drifted apart. I still exchange pleasantries with them and I have made some new friends too, but no one close to me as those 3 used to be.

Friendship is like a plant. If you want to keep it green forever you must water it regularly. Watering this friendship plant on a regular basis is not that easy to me when I have to attend to the needs of my family and other interests. Moreover, in our culture, a married woman is not allowed to mix freely with her friends like a man could do.

Despite all this, I do my best to keep in contact with my friends and let them know that I care about them.