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20

Unit 20: The subjunctive
UK vs US English

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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
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  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

There are some customers at The White Elephant restaurant who Gordon is keen to impress. Can he make the meal that they really want to eat? Watch and learn some phrases related to failure.

Sessions in this unit

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Session 5 score

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    Activity 1
  1. Activity 1

Activity 1

Drama: The White Elephant

Episode 20: Failure

The restaurant gets some customers from America who demand a meal that really puts Gordon's cooking skills to the test. Can he give them what they want or will he leave a bad impression? Find out by watching this episode and listening out for the phrases related to failure.

Watch the video and complete the activity

Show transcript Hide transcript

Gordon
Have I ever told you that I used to work in a top restaurant in New York?

Mary
No, you haven't

Ceilia
He was flipping burgers in a fast food joint.

Peter
We have some customers from America!

Gordon
Amazing! America. Americans always appreciate good food… like mine. Well, what do they want?

Peter
The lady just wants a tuna salad but the gentleman doesn't like anything on the menu and says can you knock up some 'jambalaya' and maybe some 'key lime pie' for pudding?

Gordon
Yes… of course… anything for our American cousins.

Peter
I'll go and tell them you'd be happy to do it then.

Mary
Good job you worked in America Gordon, we'd hate the customers to get the better of you!

Gordon
It's alright Mary, I know what I'm doing. Now jambalaya… where's the jam?

Ceilia
Would you like us to Google the recipe? We wouldn't want you to fall at the first hurdle.

Gordon
No it's OK. I just need some potatoes…

Ceilia
Look, why don't we just cut our loses and I'll go and tell the customers you haven't a clue what you're cooking.

Gordon
No, just tell them that we're out of 'balaya' and the 'key' for the key lime pie is locked in the cupboard.

Mary
Oh dear Gordon. I can see why you left New York.

Gordon
I can't be excellent at everything.

Mary
Let me Google it for you.

Ceilia
They've decided to leave.

Mary
You made a right pig's ear of that haven't you Gordon? Do you know how to cook a pig's ear?! What's wrong Gordon - you got a sense of humour failure?!

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You can download the drama from our Unit 20 downloads page.

Vocabulary

get the better of you
cause you to fail

fall at the first hurdle
fail right at the start of something

cut our losses
stop doing something now before it gets worse

(to make) a pig's ear out of something
(to make) a complete mess of something

a sense of humour failure
you are unable to see what is funny

White Elephant quiz

3 Questions

How much did you understand in The White Elephant: Episode 20?

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

End of Session 5

Next time, a health inspector is due to visit the restaurant, Can the team clean the place and make it spotless in time?

Session Vocabulary

  • get the better of you
    cause you to fail

    fall at the first hurdle
    fail right at the start of something

    cut our losses
    stop doing something now before it gets worse

    (to make) a pig's ear out of something
    (to make) a complete mess of something

    a sense of humour failure
    you are unable to see what is funny

View full vocabulary reference

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