Ah yeah!
I don't know why it took us so long to make a lesson with this classic movie from the 2000s Twilight, but the wait is finally over.
We're gonna jump right into it and watch an intense conversation between Bella and Edward in the beginning of the movie, when they're getting to know each other.
And pay attention to the advanced expressions they use, we're gonna learn all of them.
Let's go.
So when Bella Swan enters the classroom in her second week at Forks High School, she's assigned to sit next to Edward Cullen at a shared table, much to her surprise, given his earlier cold attitude toward her on her first day.
But since then he has missed class for almost an entire week, and this is the first time they're seeing each other again.
Let's check it out.
You were gone.
Yeah, I was out of town for a couple of days for personal reasons.
So you're enjoying the rain?
What?
You're asking me about the weather?
Yeah, I guess I am.
Well, I don't really like the rain.
Any cold, wet thing, I don't really... You hate the cold and the rain so much.
Why'd you move to the wettest place in the continental U.S.?
It's complicated.
I'm sure he can keep up.
My mom remarried, and, um... So, you don't like the guy?
No, I mean, that's not...
Um, Phil's really nice.
Why didn't you move with your mother and Phil?
Phil's a minor league baseball player, and he travels a lot.
And my mom stayed home with me, but I knew it made her unhappy, so I figured I'd stay with my dad for a while.
And now you're unhappy?
No.
I'm sorry.
I'm just...
I'm just trying to figure you out.
You're very difficult for me to read.
Hey, did you get contacts?
No.
Your eyes were black the last time I saw you, and they're like golden brown.
Yeah, I know.
It's the, uh, it's the fluorescence.
All right, now we're going to analyze all these advanced expressions that they used, and I highly recommend you use our app to save all these words and practice them later with our magic flashcards.
This will help you never forget what you learn and really expand your vocabulary forever.
And we make it a lot of fun for you to practice everything.
The link to download the app for free is in the description, and I'll tell you more about it in a little bit.
You were gone.
Yeah, I was out of town for a couple of days. personal reasons.
When Bella says you were gone, she means Edward was absent or away, like he wasn't there at school for a period of time.
This is a common phrase you can use in these situations.
For example, where were you?
You've been gone for three days.
Or, sorry I missed your call, I was gone all weekend.
And see this other example.
Come on, do you have any idea how worried I was?
Yeah, I do.
Now, this is what Edward says in response.
If you say you're out of town, you mean you've traveled away from the city or area you normally live.
It's a common phrase for explaining why you weren't around.
Check out this example.
Oh, man!
We can see though, that Edward is giving Bella a vague explanation for his absence, without revealing too much.
Wettest is the superlative form of wet.
Here.
It means that in the United States there is no other place that is more wet than where they are in the state of Washington.
It's the wettest place.
By the way, when forming superlatives with short adjectives that have one syllable, we typically add est at the end of the word, like big biggest hot, hottest or sad, saddest.
Also, notice that because they end in a consonant, we double it before adding EST.
And when the adjective is longer, like beautiful or special, we just need to include the word most before the adjective.
So, most beautiful or most special.
Why'd you move to the wettest place in the continental US?
The Continental US or Mainland US refers to the 48 connected states in North America, basically all the US states except Alaska and Hawaii, which are geographically separate.
The word Continental means relating to a continent or on the mainland of a continent.
This pattern is also used, for example, by British people to talk about continental Europe or the continent referring to the European mainland, excluding the British Isles, Iceland and other islands.
And these days, the more modern term is mainland Europe.
It's complicated.
I'm sure I can keep up.
Keep up means to move or understand at the same pace as someone else.
When Edward says he can keep up, he's confidently telling Bella that, no matter how complicated her explanation is, he'll be able to understand it.
He won't get lost or confused.
But you can use this expression in other situations too.
Check it out.
He also used to say things like... You're not like other girls.
You can keep up.
Now let's learn some advanced pronunciation.
Pay attention to the way Edward pronounces these first few words.
Why don't you move with your mother and self?
Well, there's several things happening there, right?
And this is so interesting for me to break down because to my ears, he's not really speaking fast.
And I know that for most learners, it sounds like he is, but he isn't.
He's just using connected speech.
He's linking, cutting, and reducing sounds.
So, let's see.
Instead of saying why didn't you, he says So first the words why and did.
When pronounced together like he did here, sounds like why did.
Why did.
Next, you should know that it's very common in American English to include a ch sound in between words that end in the letter T and begin with the letter Y.
Like that plus you could be that you.
Or what plus you could be what you.
And so didn't plus you is didn't you.
Or like you said, didn't you, didn't you.
So if you apply these two patterns we learned to this phrase, what we get is why did?
Why didn't you?
Why didn't you?
Why didn't you move with your mother and so.
Now try to repeat after Edward.
Why didn't you move with your mother and so.
Why didn't you move with your mother and so.
Nice.
And just so you know, the verb to move in this context means to change where you live, to relocate from one home or city to another.
And, by the way guys, let me just take a moment to tell you that if you don't review the expressions that you're learning today, you might forget them pretty quickly and not be able to keep up next time you're watching something in English or just having a conversation.
And so, to help you with that, we've created a set of flashcards that is available for free on our app.
It's a really fantastic tool for internalizing the vocabulary learned from our lessons.
Now the magic is in the science and the technology behind it, because the app knows the exact words you've learned from all lessons.
And just when you're about to forget a particular expression, the app brings it back to you for review and practice.
It's that easy.
And you can use it wherever you are and you'll see how it'll help you start speaking English naturally, having all these words at the tip of your tongue.
So click the link in the description below and get the real life app right now.
And I'm sure you're going to love it.
Phil's a minor league baseball player and he travels a lot.
Minor league baseball is the level of professional baseball below major league baseball, the MLB.
Players in the minor leagues are less experienced or still developing their skills, hoping to eventually get promoted to the majors, the top professional level.
Phil's a minor league baseball player, and When you say you figured something, that's like a casual way to say you thought, decided or concluded something.
For example, you could say the store was closed so I figured I'd come back tomorrow.
Or you weren't answering your phone so I figured you're busy.
And for a while means for a temporary period of time.
Not permanently, but for some specified duration.
Like an arrangement that isn't meant to be forever.
So next we see the verb figure again, but now in a phrasal verb that Edward uses.
That gives this word a more specific meaning.
I'm just trying to figure you out.
To figure someone out means to understand them, to understand their personality, their motivations and why they act the way they do.
It's like solving a puzzle about who they are.
For example, she's so mysterious, I'm still trying to figure her out.
You can also use a figure out for solving problems or understanding things in general, like when you're trying to figure out how to use an app or figure out what's wrong with your car.
Edward is admitting he's trying to understand Bella, but she's a mystery to him.
Now, what do you think this word Bella uses means?
Did you get contacts?
Contacts or contact lenses are thin lenses you wear directly on your eyes instead of glasses to correct your vision.
They're an alternative to eyeglasses.
Bella notices Edward's eyes have changed color and assumes he might have started wearing colored contact lenses.
Of course, there's a more supernatural explanation, but he won't reveal it.
Your eyes were black the last time I saw you and I'm like...
Fluorescence, which is short for fluorescent lights, are a type of artificial lighting commonly used in schools and offices.
They produce a harsh, cool toned light that can make colors look different than they do in natural light.
Edward is lying here, making up an excuse for why his eyes appear to be a different color.
He's blaming it on the lighting in the school, which is obviously not the real reason.
But Bella doesn't push it, yet.
So after biology class, you'll probably remember what happens.
Edward saves Bella in the school parking lot when a van skids toward her.
He suddenly appears beside her and stops the van with his hand, something only Bella clearly sees.
And so later at the hospital, she asks how he did it, and this is how their conversation goes.
How did you get over to me so fast?
I was standing right next to you, Bella.
No, you were next to your car across the lot.
No, I wasn't.
Yes, you were.
Bella, you hit your head.
I think you're confused.
I know what I saw.
What exactly was that?
You.
You stopped the van.
You pushed it away with your hand.
Well, nobody's going to believe you.
I wasn't going to tell anybody.
I just need to know the truth.
Then Edward's behavior toward Bella becomes hot and cold.
That is sometimes he ignores her and tells her it's better if they don't talk, and other times he's unexpectedly warm.
And so his mixed signals leaves Bella confused and unsure of what he really wanted.
Let's see the conversation they have next at the school where she confronts him.
Thanks.
You know, your mood swings are kind of giving me a whiplash.
I only said it'd be better if we weren't friends, not that I didn't want to be.
What does that mean?
It means if you were smart, you'd stay away from me.
OK, well, let's say for argument's sake that I'm not smart.
Would you tell me the truth?
No, probably not.
I'd rather hear your theories.
I have considered radioactive spiders and kryptonite.
It's all superhero stuff right now.
What if I'm not the hero?
What if I'm the bad guy?
You're not.
I can see what you're trying to put off.
But I can see that it's just to keep people away from you.
It's a mask.
Why don't we just...
Hang out.
Everybody's going to the beach.
Come.
I mean, have fun.
Which beach?
The Push.
I don't know.
Is there something wrong with that beach?
It's just a little crowded.
You know, your mood swings are kind of giving me whiplash.
Mood swings are sudden changes in someone's emotional state or attitude.
When someone has mood swings, they go from one mood to another quickly and unpredictably.
Happy to angry, friendly to cold, excited to depressed.
Whiplash is literally a neck injury caused by one's head jerking suddenly forward and backward, like in a car accident.
But Bella is using it figuratively here.
Edward's constantly changing behavior is so jarring and disorienting that it feels like she's getting emotional whiplash from trying to keep up with his shifts.
If you do an action for something's sake, you do it because of it.
Like, in consideration of it.
So she's saying, just for the purpose of their discussion, let's assume she's not smart.
That's what for argument's sake means.
You want to explore a scenario in a conversation, even if you don't believe it.
But you can hear this word being used in other phrases like, for example, when you do something for old time's sake, to honor the good old days, to bring back nostalgic memories.
Just one game.
For old time's sake.
No, probably not.
I'd rather hear your theories.
I'd rather means I prefer or I would prefer.
And the base structure is I'd rather plus base verb.
For example, I'd rather stay home tonight than go to the party.
Or I'd rather not talk about it right now.
Edward is saying he prefers to hear what Bella has figured out, that is, her theories, rather than explaining things himself.
It's all superhero stuff right now.
What if I'm not the hero?
What if I'm the bad guy?
You're not.
I can see what you're trying to put off.
But I can see that it's just to keep people away from you.
It's a mask.
To put off in this context means to project or give off, that is, to display or show a certain attitude, image or vibe.
Bella is saying she can see the intimidating or cold persona that Edward is trying to project.
However, you should know put off has multiple meanings.
It could be to project or give off, that is this usage.
For example, he's trying to put off a tough guy image.
But it could also mean to postpone or delay.
For example, let's put off the meeting until next week.
Or even to repel or discourage.
For example, his arrogance really put me off.
Now let's practice some more advanced pronunciation again, this time with Bella.
But I can see that it's just to keep people away from you.
It's a mask.
This one should be easier.
All we need to do is link some words together and cut some sounds.
Let's see.
She says, it's just two, which sounds like it's just a. Basically, she drops the letter T there.
It's just a. Then keep people away sounds like keep people away.
Keep people away.
And finally, from you also gets linked.
She says, from you.
So the entire sentence is, it's just to keep people away from you.
It's just to keep people away from you.
Now let's repeat after her.
It's just to keep people away from you.
It's just to keep people away from you.
Why don't we just hang out?
Everybody's going to the beach.
To hang out means to spend casual, relaxed time together without any specific plan or activity.
Bella is inviting Edward to join the group casually at the beach.
Not a formal date, just spending time together in a relaxed setting.
And that's the beginning of Bella and Edward's relationship as friends.
And if you're enjoying this lesson and want us to make another one with this movie and the Twilight franchise, just let us know in the comments below.
But we're not done yet.
Now comes the most important step of the lesson, the test.
We're going to watch everything again, this time without any subtitles.
And I'm going to ask you some quiz questions to check how well you've understood everything.
You ready?
Let's go.
You're gone.
Yeah, I was out of town for a couple of days for personal reasons.
So you enjoying the rain?
What?
You're asking me about the weather?
Yeah, I guess I am.
Well, I don't really like the rain.
What does he mean by keep up here?
He can think at the same speed as her.
He's intelligent enough to understand her explanation.
He can help her tell the story.
My mom remarried, and, um... So, you don't like the guy?
No, I mean, that's not... Um, Phil's really nice.
Why didn't you move with your mother and Phil?
Phil's a minor league baseball player, and, uh, he travels a lot.
And my mom stayed home with me but I knew it made her unhappy so I figured I'd What does it mean to figure someone out?
To figure someone out means to understand their personality, motivations, and behavior.
You're very difficult for me to read.
Hey, did you get contacts?
No.
Your eyes were black the last time I saw you, and they're, like, golden brown.
Yeah, I know.
It's the, uh... It's the fluorescence.
Um...
Thanks.
You know, your mood swings are kind of giving me a whiplash.
What are mood swings?
A type of dance move.
Dramatic changes in someone's emotions.
Physical movements that happen when you're angry.
I only said it'd be better if we weren't friends, not that I didn't want to be.
What does that mean?
It means if you were smart, you'd stay away from me.
OK, well, let's say for argument's sake that I'm not smart.
Would you tell me the truth?
No, probably not.
I'd rather hear your theories.
I have considered radioactive spiders and kryptonite.
In this context, what does put off mean?
In its context.
Put off means to project or give off, that is, to display a certain image or attitude.
But I can see that it's just to keep people away from you.
It's a mask.
Why don't we just hang out?
Everybody's going to the beach.
Come.
You know.
Have fun.
Which beach?
La Push.
I don't know.
Is there something wrong with that beach?
It's just a little crowded.
Hi, guys.
Great job.
Now, if you are new to this YouTube channel, you should know that every single week, we make new lessons, just like this one with your favorite movies and TV series, to help you understand fast speaking natives without getting lost, without missing the jokes and without subtitles.
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Have you ever met him?
Hamish?
You know, Canis, he is our mentor.
He did win this thing once.
Look...
You know, if you don't want to talk, I understand.
But I just don't think there's anything wrong with getting a little bit of help.
OK.
So, uh, so when do we start?
Oh, oh.
So eager.
Most of you aren't in such a hurry.
Yeah.
