Why is Mark in trouble? 😬 Speak English like a native

Hi English learners! 👋 

Welcome back to English made simple by ChatBubble. The newsletter that delivers weekly English practice directly to your inbox! 💌 

Today I’m going to try something a little bit different. This is the first part of a new series of lessons called “What did you say?”.

You’ll learn important phrases that native speakers use all the time, and if you don’t know them, they can leave you feeling confused and thinking, well….

Have fun with the games below to improve your comprehension, and make your English sound a little more authentic today.

Let’s go! 🚀 

Oh dear! It looks like Mark’s in trouble! 😬 

📊 Upper intermediate B2 🔤 Vocabulary 📖 Reading

Mark’s girlfriend, Sarah, looks really upset about something. Let’s read their conversation and see what’s happening… (don’t worry about the phrases in bold for now).

“You know, Mark, you spend a great deal of time playing video games.”

“I beg to differ, Sarah. It's called practicing my strategic skills.”

“Strategic skills? What does that have to do with anything? I just want you to help me with the housework!”

“Well, you see, my dear, I'm improving my multitasking, so I’ll be able to play video games, lead an army, and vacuum all at the same time.”

“Oh, really? Impressive, but right now, there's no point in having a perfect virtual battlefield when our living room looks like a war zone!”

“Fair point. How about this? For every level I complete, I'll clean something in the house. Deal?

“Deal. But don't be surprised if I start giving you advice on virtual warfare tactics!”

“Hey, as long as it keeps us laughing, I'm in.”

“Alright, you silly gamer. You’re terrible at this game anyway, move over and let me show you how it’s done! In fact, if I beat you, you can clean the whole house!”

“You’re on!”

What did you say?

Did you notice these 9 phrases in bold? Click them to match the phrases on the left to their meanings on the right. Can you get them all correct'? I bet you can! 😀 

Let’s practice!

Are any of the phrases from Mark and Sarah’s conversation new for you? The best way to remember them is to use them! Complete the conversations with the correct phrases. 3, 2, 1, go!