Coffee Break English, season one, episode six.
Hello, and welcome to Coffee Break English.
My name's Josie. And I'm Mark, and we're delighted to be back with you for another episode.
Yes, we are. How are you today, Mark?
I'm very well. How are you?
I'm also very well, thank you.
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In this episode, we're off to the USA, and Kate is telling us about a very famous place there.
Okay, and is there a language point that we're going to be focusing on?
Yes, there is. Today we're focusing on the verbs, must and mustn't, and should and shouldn't.
Okay, let's listen to Kate's text.
The Grand Canyon is one of the seven natural wonders of the world.
It is a canyon made by the Colorado River in the state of Arizona in the USA.
It is huge, 446 kilometres long, 29 kilometres wide, and 1 ,857 metres deep.
You should definitely visit the Grand Canyon.
Because it is so big, there are different ways to visit it, and lots of things to do there.
First, everyone who wants to visit a part of the canyon must buy an entrance pass, which is valid for seven days, so you have plenty of time to explore.
You can enter the Grand Canyon National Park by car or on foot, depending on what you want to do.
If you want to drive around the canyon, you must drive carefully, and you mustn't go faster than 45 kilometres an hour.
Driving slowly also allows you to appreciate the beautiful scenery, so you shouldn't rush.
You can also hike inside the canyon.
There are short paths and long paths to follow, including walking from the popular South Rim to the less visited North Rim through the middle of the canyon.
This is a difficult walk, so you should take lots of food and water with you, and you must stay on the paths.
If you don't, you could get lost.
The Grand Canyon is home to lots of different plants and animals.
If you're lucky, you could meet lizards and deer, but there are more dangerous animals too, like poisonous spiders, snakes, and mountain lions.
If you see any animals, you shouldn't get too close to them, for your safety and theirs.
You also mustn't feed them, because this can be bad for the animal's health.
But the most important thing you must do if you visit the Grand Canyon is have fun and enjoy your time in this incredible place.
Thank you, Kate. Mark, have you ever visited the Grand Canyon?
I have. I visited the part of the Grand Canyon at Eagle Point, and it was amazing.
Have you visited the Grand Canyon?
No, I haven't, but I would love to, of course.
Okay, let's go back through the text now.
Okay, sounds good. The Grand Canyon is one of the seven natural wonders of the world.
Yes, the seven natural wonders of the world are seven natural things, places in the world, which are considered to be amazing and beautiful.
Some other natural wonders of the world are Mount Everest, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, and the Northern Lights.
Very good. Shall we continue?
Yes, let's continue.
It is a canyon made by the Colorado River in the state of Arizona in the USA.
Yes, so a canyon is like a big valley with very steep sides that you can look down into.
Okay, and this canyon was made by the Colorado River.
It's huge, 446 kilometers long, 29 kilometers wide, and 1 ,857 meters deep.
Yes, so it is huge.
It is very big. And these words, wide and deep.
Well, what does wide mean, Mark?
It's like the horizontal measurement from one point to another.
That's right. So, we could talk about a wide street, for example, or a wide road.
And we use the word deep usually to talk about a hole or about water.
So, if you're swimming in a swimming pool and you can't touch the bottom of the pool, you would say it is very deep.
Okay, so it's like the vertical measurement.
That's right. Okay, now I said 446 kilometers and 1 ,857 meters, but Kate said them differently.
That's right. Kate said 446 with no and.
Both are correct. It's more common in American English to not include the and in numbers.
And because we're British, we include the and, but both ways are correct.
Okay, so Kate continues.
You should definitely visit the Grand Canyon.
Yes, so Kate is giving us some advice.
She thinks the Grand Canyon is a good place to visit, so she uses this word should.
Now should is a verb which is used to give advice, to say that something is a good idea.
Okay. Because it is so big, there are different ways to visit it and lots of things to do there.
First, everyone who wants to visit a part of the canyon must buy an entrance pass, which is valid for seven days.
So you have plenty of time to explore.
Yes. So everyone who wants to visit the canyon must buy an entrance pass.
Must is a verb of obligation.
It shows that something is necessary and we often use it when we talk about rules or laws.
So it means if you don't buy an entrance pass for the Grand Canyon, you can't visit it.
It's not possible. It's the rule.
Now both must and should are what we call modal verbs.
Isn't that right? Exactly.
And a modal verb is a verb that we put before a main verb to add some meaning.
So here, for example, the main verb is buy, and we put must before buy to show that it is an obligation to buy this entrance pass.
Okay. Could we also say you have to buy an entrance pass?
We can, yes. This is another way of saying must, but we'll save that for another episode, I think.
That sounds good. Okay.
So this entrance pass is valid for seven days.
So you have plenty of time to explore.
Yes. So it's valid.
It's accepted for seven days.
You can use it for seven days.
So you have plenty of time to explore.
What does plenty mean, Mark?
Plenty is similar to lots of you have enough time to explore.
There's plenty of time to explore.
That's right. Exactly.
Okay. You can enter the Grand Canyon National Park by car or on foot, depending on what you want to do.
Yes. So notice here that when we talk about traveling by car, we use the preposition buy.
We use this for all forms of transport, by car, by train, by taxi, by bus.
But when we travel on our feet, using our feet, we use the preposition on, on foot.
Good. If you want to drive around the canyon, you must drive carefully and you mustn't go faster than 45 kilometres per hour.
Yes. So here we have two more examples of must and also mustn't.
So you must drive carefully.
This is a rule. It's obligation.
You must drive carefully and you mustn't go faster than 45 kilometres an hour.
Mustn't is the negative form of must.
So mustn't is still obligation, but this time it's telling you what you must not do.
It's what you are not allowed to do.
That's right. Exactly.
And mustn't is a contraction of must not.
Notice though, when we say mustn't, there is a silent letter in there, isn't there?
That's right. You say mustn't not mustn't.
That's right. So that T is silent.
We don't pronounce it.
Driving slowly also allows you to appreciate the beautiful scenery.
So you shouldn't rush.
Yes. So the beautiful scenery, what is scenery, Mark?
Scenery is all the natural things you can see around you.
That's right. So mountains, rivers, and the Grand Canyon in this case.
Exactly. In the word scenery, we have another silent letter.
So scenery is spelt S -C -E -N -E -R -Y, but the C is silent at the beginning.
So we don't say scenery.
We say scenery. Good.
And because of all this beautiful scenery, you shouldn't rush.
Yes. So shouldn't is the negative form of should.
So it's giving advice.
It's giving a recommendation, but it's a recommendation for something that we should not do.
So should you? One more thing about shouldn't and should is that they contain another silent letter, don't they?
There is a silent L in there.
S -H -O -U -L -D, should.
That's right. We've got lots of silent letters today.
So you shouldn't rush.
What does rush mean?
Rush means to go fast.
Basically to do something fast.
So for example, when I get up in the morning and if I'm late for work, sometimes I have to rush.
I have to move very fast to get there on time.
Okay. You can also hike inside the canyon.
There are short paths and long paths to follow, including walking from the popular South Rim to the less visited North Rim through the middle of the canyon.
Yes. So the South Rim and the North Rim, these are the official names for these places.
But a rim? Well, what's a rim, Mark?
The rim is normally the edge of a container, like something round the edge of a jar or a cup.
Exactly. It's just another way to say the edge.
And when you visited the Grand Canyon, did you visit the South Rim or the North Rim, Mark?
Actually, I didn't visit the North Rim or the South Rim.
I visited the western part of the canyon because I was actually in Las Vegas and it was the closest part to Las Vegas.
And that was the only place I could get to.
Ah, okay. That's fair.
I hope to visit the other parts of the Grand Canyon someday.
Well, the Grand Canyon is very big.
So you have a lot of different places to choose from.
Indeed. Okay. What about hike?
You can also hike inside the canyon.
What does hike mean?
Yes. So hike means when you go for a walk, usually in nature.
If you are walking up to the top of a mountain, you are hiking.
Okay. This is a difficult walk.
So you should take lots of food and water with you and you must stay on the paths.
If you don't, you could get lost.
Yes. So you should take lots of food and water with you.
This means it's a good idea to take food and water with you.
It's not an obligation, but it's a good idea.
A very good idea. Hmm.
And you must stay on the paths.
This is a rule. It's an obligation because if you don't do this, you could get lost and you don't want to get lost in the middle of the Grand Canyon.
I don't think. Certainly not.
Certainly not. Okay.
Let's take a short break and we'll be back very soon to finish off this text.
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Okay. So we are in the Grand Canyon today and finding out about this amazing natural wonder of the world.
Yes. And before we continue with the text, let's have a little review of the verbs that we're looking at today.
Should, shouldn't and must and mustn't.
So remember that should is used to give recommendations to say that something is a good idea.
So, Mark, when people visit Scotland, what should they do?
They should visit Glencoe and Loch Ness and they should also try Haggis.
Yes. We're going to talk about Haggis in the next episode.
So we won't give you any spoilers for now.
Okay. Is there anything that people shouldn't do when they visit Scotland?
They shouldn't forget to bring an umbrella.
That's right. Definitely.
And when people visit Scotland, they must drive on the left side of the road.
That's right. You mustn't drive on the right.
If you visit Scotland, that would cause a terrible problem.
Yes, definitely. Very dangerous.
Okay. Let's continue our text.
The Grand Canyon is home to lots of different plants and animals.
If you're lucky, you could meet lizards and deer.
But there are more dangerous animals too, like poisonous spiders, snakes and mountain lions.
Yes. So here we have a lot of animals to talk about.
So you could meet lizards.
They are a type of reptile.
Some of them have long tongues to catch flies.
Okay. And deer. What are deer, Mark?
Deer are large animals.
They sometimes have antlers if they are male, like horns.
And they are sometimes hunted for food.
That's right. Yeah.
And make sure as well that deer doesn't really have a plural form.
So we say one lizard, two lizards with an S, but one deer, two deer.
It's the same. Okay.
That's like sheep and fish as well, isn't it?
Absolutely. Okay. And you may also see dangerous animals like spiders, snakes and lions.
And these spiders may even be poisonous.
What does that mean?
Yes. So poisonous means that these animals could harm you in some way because they can put poison or venom into your body, which could be very dangerous.
That's right. If you see any animals, you shouldn't get too close to them for your safety and theirs.
Yes. So you shouldn't get close to them.
It's a very good idea not to get close to them.
And Josie, can you explain theirs for your safety and theirs?
Yes. So theirs is a possessive pronoun, which replaces a noun.
So for your safety and theirs means for your safety and their safety too.
But because we've already mentioned safety, we don't want to repeat it.
So we just say theirs.
Good. You also mustn't feed them because this can be bad for the animals' health.
Yes. So it's a rule.
It's an obligation.
You can't feed them.
And what does feed mean, Mark?
Give food to the animals.
That's right. So if you have a pet like a dog or a cat, you have to feed them every day.
You have to give them food.
Okay. So if you feed these animals, it can be bad for their health.
Yes, it can be bad for their bodies.
It could be harmful to them.
But the most important thing you must do if you visit the Grand Canyon is have fun and enjoy your time in this incredible place.
Yes. So you must have fun.
This is a rule. I suppose it's not really a rule, but it's very important to have fun in the Grand Canyon.
Good. Okay, Josie, one question.
Here we've seen lots of examples of you should, you shouldn't, you must, you mustn't.
What happens if it's he or she in the third person?
Do we add an S? Good question.
So as I said before, all of these verbs are modal verbs, and modal verbs are quite special because they never change form.
So even in the third person, we never add an S.
We don't say he, shoulds, or she musts.
We just don't say that.
And also, when we make questions with these verbs, we don't need to use an auxiliary.
So we simply change the subject and the verb.
For example, should you visit the Grand Canyon?
So it's quite easy to make questions with these verbs.
Good. Okay, let's listen again to the whole text and listen out for every time we hear a should, shouldn't, must, or mustn't.
The Grand Canyon is one of the seven natural wonders of the world.
It is a canyon made by the Colorado River in the state of Arizona in the USA.
It is huge. 446 kilometers long, 29 kilometers wide, and 1 ,857 meters deep.
You should definitely visit the Grand Canyon.
Because it is so big, there are different ways to visit it, and lots of things to do there.
First, everyone who wants to visit a part of the canyon must buy an entrance pass, which is valid for seven days, so you have plenty of time to explore.
You can enter the Grand Canyon National Park by car or on foot, depending on what you want to do.
If you want to drive around the canyon, you must drive carefully, and you mustn't go faster than 45 kilometers an hour.
Driving slowly also allows you to appreciate the beautiful scenery, so you shouldn't rush.
You can also hike inside the canyon.
There are short paths and long paths to follow, including walking from the popular South Rim to the less visited North Rim through the middle of the canyon.
This is a difficult walk, so you should take lots of food and water with you, and you must stay on the paths.
If you don't, you could get lost.
The Grand Canyon is home to lots of different plants and animals.
If you're lucky, you could meet lizards and deer, but there are more dangerous animals too, like poisonous spiders, snakes, and mountain lions.
If you see any animals, you shouldn't get too close to them for your safety and theirs.
You also mustn't feed them, because this can be bad for the animal's health, but the most important thing you must do if you visit the Grand Canyon is have fun and enjoy your time in this incredible place.
Now, Mark, just one other thing I thought about as we were listening to Kate there.
Did you notice anything about her pronunciation of the word mountain in mountain lions?
Yes, she said mountain lion.
That's right, she kind of didn't pronounce the T.
This is quite common in English, isn't it?
A lot of people, when they're speaking, especially when they're speaking fast, will not pronounce a lot of Ts.
This is just an alternative way to pronounce it.
We can say mountain, mountain, or for example water, some people say.
That's right, and there's more about that as well as should, shouldn't, must, mustn't in the lesson notes for this episode, and they are part of the premium version of the course, so if you'd like to find out more about that, then head to coffeebreakacademy .com.
Of course, if you're already using that premium version, you can use those lesson notes immediately and enjoy our bonus audio episode which will help you practice this language more.
That's right, Mark, and if you'd like to practice your English even more, you can also do so on social media.
Just search for Coffee Break English on Facebook and on Instagram, where we post regular language challenges and cultural information, and this week, we'll be asking you about rules and advice in your country.
Excellent. Okay, that's it for this episode.
As Josie mentioned, next time, we're returning to Scotland to find out more about Haggis.
Until then, thank you and goodbye.
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