Close menu
22

Unit 22: Inversion
Changing the emphasis

Select a unit

  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 restaurant is holding a special sushi night. What can possibly go wrong with a dish that doesn't need cooking? Watch and learn some disaster-related phrases.

Sessions in this unit

12345

Session 5 score

0 / 3

  • 0 / 3
    Activity 1
  1. Activity 1

Activity 1

Drama: The White Elephant

Episode 22: Disaster

It's a special 'sushi night' at the restaurant and Gordon is keen to make a good impression on the customers. But his best efforts don't quite go to plan and he runs out of an important ingredient. Is the evening going to be a disaster or can someone save the day? Watch and learn phrases used to talk about very unsuccessful events.

Watch the video and complete the activity

Show transcript Hide transcript

Peter
This is all very exciting. Everybody wants the sushi...

Gordon
That's because tonight is our special 'Sushi Night', idiot - a chance for me to cook something really special for people with appreciation of real exotic food.

Mary
It's raw fish isn't it Gordon? No cooking required.

Peter
Sounds like a recipe for disaster. Well, at least you can't burn it.

Gordon
You wouldn't understand. The only fish you eat is deep fried with chips. Now out of the way.

Peter
Oh dear! Let's just put them on the plate shall we... no one will notice.

Mary
I'll help you.

Gordon
It's ruined now. Why don't you go and do some waiting while I work out what to do next?

Ceilia
How's our 'Sushi Night' coming on - got everything under control Gordon?

Gordon
No - we're up the creek without a paddle! Peter has just made me drop my sushi and I've got no more sushi rice - I can't make any more.  

Ceilia
Oh dear, is our Sushi Night on the brink of disaster?

Gordon
I need more sushi rice - I'm going to have to go and buy some - you wouldn't know what to get. Mary why don't you entertain the customers by reading your... philosophy thesis?

Mary
Hang on Ceilia, isn't this the rice Gordon was using?

Ceilia
I think so.

Mary
OK, leave it to me.

CAPTION: 10 MINUTES LATER

Gordon
I've told him before, if he does this again... what kind of Asian supermarket doesn't sell sushi rice?! This whole evening is a disaster... oh... Where'd you get that?

Ceilia
Disaster averted! Mary made these and saved the day again. Peter!

Peter
Yes?

Ceilia
Can you take these out to the customers and apologise for the delay?

Peter
That was a close shave. 

Gordon
Yes, good thing I always make a point of having some spare ingredients.

Download

You can download the drama from our Unit 21 downloads page.

Vocabulary

a recipe for disaster
something that will obviously go very wrong

up the creek without a paddle
in a difficult situation with no way of making it better

on the brink of disaster
about to go wrong

disaster averted
a bad situation has just been avoided

a close shave
(also) a bad situation has just been avoided

White Elephant quiz

3 Questions

How much did you understand in The White Elephant: Episode 22?

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

End of Session 5

Next time, the team go to a restaurant awards ceremony and Gordon gets an unexpected last-minute prize. What can it be?

Session Grammar

View full grammar reference

Session Vocabulary

  • a recipe for disaster
    something that will obviously go very wrong

    up the creek without a paddle
    in a difficult situation with no way of making it better

    on the brink of disaster
    about to go wrong

    disaster averted
    a bad situation has just been avoided

    a close shave 
    (also) a bad situation has just been avoided

View full vocabulary reference

Download centre

Latest course content