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Unit 2: Reported speech in 90 seconds!
Move the tense back

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  1. 1 Go beyond intermediate with our new video course
  2. 2 Reported speech in 90 seconds!
  3. 3 If or whether?
  4. 4 5 ways to use 'would'
  5. 5 Let and allow
  6. 6 Passive voice
  7. 7 Unless
  8. 8 Mixed conditionals
  9. 9 The zero article - in 90 seconds
  10. 10 The indefinite article - in 90 seconds
  11. 11 The. That's right - the! Learn all about it in 90 seconds
  12. 12 The continuous passive
  13. 13 Future perfect
  14. 14 Need + verb-ing
  15. 15 Have something done
  16. 16 Wish
  17. 17 Word stress
  18. 18 Different ways of saying 'if'
  19. 19 Passive reporting structures
  20. 20 The subjunctive
  21. 21 When and if
  22. 22 Inversion
  23. 23 Phrasal verbs
  24. 24 The future
  25. 25 Modals in the past
  26. 26 Narrative tenses
  27. 27 Phrasal verb myths
  28. 28 Conditionals review
  29. 29 Used to - review
  30. 30 Linking words of contrast

Session 5

The staff at The White Elephant restaurant continue to wait for their first customer. When one finally arrives, they have to work quickly to make sure he doesn't get away - but do they succeed? Watch the story and learn some phrases to do with being quick!

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Session 5 score

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    Activity 1
  1. Activity 1

Activity 1

Drama: The White Elephant

Episode 2: Quick!

Welcome back to The White Elephant. The staff at the restaurant are still waiting for their first customer but when one eventually arrives they have to work quickly to make sure this one doesn't escape. Will the clueless waiter, Peter get the order right - and will Gordon, the chef who believes he is a genius, be able to prepare the perfect dish?

Watch the video and complete the activity

Show transcript Hide transcript

Peter
Quick! Quick!

Gordon
What?! Is it a fire? Everybody calm down! Calm down!

Peter
What? It's not a fire. We've got a customer…

Ceilia
A customer?! At last.

Gordon
Well, what does he want? I haven't got all day.

Peter
He wants the… 'Spatchcocked peasant with lemon and herbs.'

Gordon
Pheasant, not peasant. Call yourself a waiter? Honestly...

Ceilia
Come on then Gordon, get a move on, we can't let another customer get away.

Gordon
I know, I know. Now where did I put the pheasant…

Mary
I'll give you a hand if you like.

Gordon
You stick to washing up, love. Cooking pheasant is a job for a professional chef… now where is that stupid pheasant?

Peter
…the customer says 'pull your finger out' – he's off to the theatre soon.

Gordon
I'll tell him where he can stick his finger…

Ceilia
Gordon, stay here and cook – come on, quick as a flash.

Gordon
I need a pheasant!

Mary
I've found the pheasant - and it doesn't smell too fresh.

Ceilia
Can't we get a fresh one A.S.A.P.?

Gordon
Where are we going to get a pheasant at this time of night? – anyway, I cook, not go shopping.

Mary
OK, I'll go and tell the customer shall I? 

Ceilia
We need a quick fix… can't we use a chicken?

Gordon
Chicken isn't pheasant.

Mary
Listen, listen… we don't need a pheasant.

Ceilia
Why?

Mary
He's gone.

Download

You can download the drama from our Unit 2 downloads page.

Vocabulary

I haven't got all day
do it quickly; hurry up

get a move on
do it more quickly

pull your finger out
start working harder (and more quickly)

as quick as a flash
very quickly

A.S.A.P.
(abbreviation) as soon as possible

a quick fix
fast and easy solution

To do

See how much you understood from the story by answering these questions...

Quick! Answer these questions!

3 Questions

How much did you understand in The White Elephant: Episode 2?

Congratulations you completed the Quiz
Excellent! Great job! Bad luck! You scored:
x / y

Credits

Gordon Grater: Neil Frost

Ceilia Spatula: Amina Zia

Peter Peppermill: Darren Benedict

Marigold Marcelo (Mary for short): Stacha Hicks

Written, produced and directed by: Rob Carter

More

You can find our other BBC Learning English dramas on our Drama page.

End of Session 5

Next time, Gordon is about to finally cook his signature dish when something goes wrong. Find out what the problem is in episode 3 of The White Elephant.

Session Grammar

View full grammar reference

Session Vocabulary

  • I haven't got all day
    do it quickly; hurry up

    get a move on
    do it more quickly

    pull your finger out
    start working harder (and more quickly)

    as quick as a flash
    very quickly

    A.S.A.P.
    (abbreviation) as soon as possible

    a quick fix
    fast and easy solution

View full vocabulary reference

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