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Trial and Error

Learn English meaning of 'trial and error'

Date: Aug 25 2015

Themes: How To, Romance, Soap Opera

Grammar: Future in the Past

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Intro

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

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There are very few things that you know how to do when you’re born. You can eat, breathe, and sleep. And cry! But you must learn how to do almost everything else in your lifetime. Walking, riding a bike, driving a car… you build these skills and so many more using trial and error.

If you fall off a horse, do you lie on the ground? No. You get up, you climb back on the horse, and you try again. If you fail an exam, do you stop going to class? Let’s hope not! You ask for another chance, you study harder, and you take the test again. Life is full of trial and error. We have to practice until we get things right.

How are dating and doing laundry alike? Learn more from Marni and Brian in today’s English lesson!

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.

Brian

Marni

Brian: So, what do you think of Sara?

Marni: She seems great, but I don’t really know her that well yet.

Brian: She’s pretty cute, isn’t she?

Marni: You do know that Gary has a huge crush on her, right?

Brian: What? No. I was going to ask her out.

Marni: Sorry. Dating is all about trial and error. Brian, I’m sure you’ll meet someone else.

Brian: I know. But I just… wait a minute. What happened to your shirt?

Marni: Ah. We had a little laundry disaster.

Brian: What do you mean?

Marni: John was doing laundry. He put the wrong kind of bleach in the washing machine, and it did this.

Brian: There is more than one kind of bleach?

Marni: Yes, there is.

Brian: John must feel really bad. Looks like there’s trial and error in doing laundry, too.

Marni: That’s true!

Brian: I just put everything in the washing machine at the same time.

Marni: No sorting? You daredevil.

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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Brian just learned something that upset him. His friend Gary likes Sara! Brian wanted to ask her out, but now he won’t. It’s not OK with Brian to try dating a woman that his friend has a crush on.

Marni points out that even though Sara isn’t a good choice, there are a lot of other people to date. We often have to keep trying something until it works, and dating is one of those things. Brian knows this is true, but he’s still disappointed.

Should Brian ask Sara out, even if Gary likes her? Do you agree that there’s trial and error in dating?

Comments

allenzhaojl

China

I sometimes tried to do something but fail and I felt so bad. Without reason I still wanna try it again and again.

S&W

China

Why Brian always be in a delimma with love problem?I just want to remind Brian please do not be trapped in an triangle relationship.

I believe trial and error in life,but trial and error doesn’t work that much in dating like it works in other things.Dating decided by feeling and intuition.Mistakes are a part of life and I allow myself made small mistakes especially I get some fun from my own mistake.

ola33

Japan

TriAl and error… Well, in order not to repeat the same Mistake, it depends how hard it hits you. Mostly it concerns your health. There’s nothing
Bad as being sick with something repeatedly like 5 or 6 times a year. After having gone through those miserable ordeals, you’ll get so much prepared. But still can’t stay away from what you love more then anything. I love diving, but after too much of it, I feel very sick. But I will still be diving, even more! Just will be looking for a proper ‘antidote’! :)

julito1

Argentina

All in life is about trial and error , and it is this way how we learn and mature not to commit the same mistake twice. But in my case, now that they have mentioned laundry, i am pretty much alike as Brian , when it comes to laundry ,no sorting whatsoever, all is the same colour to me. Sorry Marni .

La Princesse de la vie

Egypt

Well, if he cares about his friendship with Gary, now that he knows about his crush on her, he must leave her alone and stop hanging up on her.

I’m not sure I have to agree that also dating complies to the trial and error rule, but anything else maybe does. You will never know until you try.

Floyd88

Spain

Trial and error always worked for me :)

Djana

Algeria

Yeah,i think Marni is right,dating is all about TRIAL AND ERROR,and almost all stuff in the life are about trial and error.

sunny_ling88

China

Yes, I think Brian should ask Sara out no matter who likes her, he just does something what he wants, life is full of trail and error, if you haven’t done something how would you know what is right or wrong, don’t let yourself regret.