Welcome to English as a Second Language podcast number 1219.
Expressing Disapproval This is English as a Second Language podcast, episode 1219.
I'm your host, Dr Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L.
Los Angeles, California.
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This episode is a dialogue between Lucinda and Thomas about expressing disapproval when you don't like something.
Let's get started.
Maggie and Jerry are moving in together.
They want to start a family.
I don't approve of that.
They're not married and it's a disgrace.
Shame on them.
I understand your objections, but they love each other and need our support, not our condemnation.
If I were their parents, I'd give them an earful should take them to task for making such irresponsible decisions.
They know what they're doing and it's not our place to criticize their decision.
But I don't have to like it.
I'm not sending them a housewarming gift.
That's for sure.
You did what?
How will they know I disapprove of what they're doing when you go behind my back and do that?
I think your reproach will come through loud and clear.
Lucinda begins the dialogue by saying to Thomas, Maggie and Jerry are moving in together.
They want to start a family.
Maggie and her boyfriend, Jerry, are going to move in together.
That means they're going to live in the same place, the same house, the same apartment.
They want to start a family.
Thomas says he doesn't approve of that.
To approve A-P-P-R-O-V-E is to agree that something is correct or really, that something is good or acceptable.
To accept what someone is doing.
If I approve of your decision, I agree with your decision or I say your decision is okay.
Approve can mean both to say something is good or acceptable, as well as to give permission for someone to do something.
Your boss approves your plan for a new project.
Here, the verb to approve means that you agree with it, that you agree it is correct.
Thomas doesn't think the fact that Maggie and Jerry are moving in together is a good thing.
He points out that they're not married, and it's a disgrace.
A disgrace.
D-I-S-G-R-A-C-E is something that you should not be proud of, something that is considered what we would call shameful or dishonorable, something that is perhaps immoral or unethical to do.
Thomas says, shame on them.
This expression shame S-H-A-M-E on someone is used to show how very much you disapprove of something, how you do not approve of what another person is doing and in fact think that the person doing what you don't agree with should be embarrassed by his or her actions.
You think this person should feel bad about what he or she is doing.
Lucinda says, An objection, O-B-J-E-C-T-I-O-N, is when you say that you disagree with something.
It's a statement to show that you...
Think someone is wrong.
Usually it's a reason why you think someone is wrong, although it could just be a statement showing that you oppose or disagree with another person.
Someone may say, I have objections to this, meaning I have reasons why I think this is wrong.
Lucinda says, however, that Condemnation, C-O-N.
M-N-A-T-I-O-N is when you disagree with another person and criticize them for their actions, especially when you think their actions are immoral or unethical or simply wrong and harmful either to themselves or to others.
Lucinda thinks that Maggie and Jerry need Lucinda and Thomas's support.
She's saying that Lucinda and Thomas should help Maggie and Jerry not condemn them, not criticize them.
Though I'm not exactly sure why.
I guess it's because they love each other.
Thomas says, To give someone an earful E-A-R-F-U-L means to tell someone that you are very angry with that person.
To perhaps yell at someone, to tell someone why you think he or she is wrong, but to do so in an angry way.
Thomas is saying that if he were Maggie and or Jerry's parents, he'd give them an earful, he'd yell at them, he'd tell them in an angry way why they were wrong.
He says someone should take them to task for making such irresponsible decisions.
To take someone to task, T-A-S-K.
Means to criticize someone For something he has done wrong or to hold someone responsible for his mistakes, to say well, you did this wrong and therefore you have to take responsibility for being wrong.
To take someone to task is to tell the person why he or she is wrong.
Thomas thinks this decision to move in together without being married and to start a family is irresponsible.
I-R-R-E-S-P-O-N-S-I-B-L-E.
To be irresponsible is to be not responsible.
That is, to not behave in a way that is necessary according to some rules or simply is a good idea.
To be irresponsible means not to do what you are supposed to do.
Lucinda says however, that they know what they're doing And it's not our place to criticize their decision.
To say something is not your place to do something means it's not your responsibility.
It's not for you to do.
It's not your duty.
It's not your role.
Lucinda says it's not Thomas and Lucinda's place to criticize Maggie and Jerry's decision.
To criticize means to show why someone is wrong, to show why someone has problems with something.
Thomas says, but I don't have to like it.
I'm not sending them a housewarming gift, that's for sure.
A housewarming gift is a present you give to someone who has moved into a new home or apartment.
It's sort of a way of congratulating someone, perhaps of giving someone something he will need in his new place.
Lucinda says too late.
Meaning it's too late not to send them a housewarming gift because Lucinda just sent one and signed both our names.
Meaning she said the gift was from both Thomas and Lucinda.
Thomas is not happy about this.
He says, you did what?
To disapprove, of course, is the opposite of to approve.
To go behind someone's back is to do something secretly without another person knowing.
In this case, Lucinda went behind Thomas' back.
She didn't tell Thomas what she was doing.
We often use this expression when it affects the person you didn't tell.
So here, Lucinda sent a gift and signed both her and Thomas' name.
She did this without telling Thomas.
She did it behind his back.
Thomas wonders how Maggie and Jerry will know that he disapproves of what they have done after she sent this gift with his signature on it.
Lucinda says, I think your reproach will come through loud and clear.
A reproach.
R-E-P-R-O-A-C-H is a statement of disapproval, criticism and disappointment in another person.
It's a somewhat formal word describing when someone criticizes you, disapproves of what you did, often because of some ethical or moral failing on your part, meaning the person believes you did something wrong morally or ethically, not just because you broke a rule.
Lucinda thinks that Thomas's reproach The phrase, to come through loud and clear, means to be easily understood by others.
In this case Lucinda thinks that Maggie and Jerry will know that he disapproves of their actions, despite the fact that Lucinda sent them a gift with Thomas's signature on the card.
Now let's listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.
Maggie and Jerry are moving in together.
They want to start a family.
I don't approve of that.
They're not married, and it's a disgrace.
Shame on them.
I understand your objections, but they love each other and need our support, not our condemnation.
If I were their parents, I'd give them an earful.
Someone should take them to task for making such irresponsible decisions.
They know what they're doing, and it's not our place to criticize their decision.
But I don't have to like it.
I'm not sending them a housewarming gift, that's for sure.
Too late.
I sent one and signed both our names.
You did what?
How will they know I disapprove of what they're doing when you go behind my back and do that?
I think your reproach will come through loud and clear.
The most responsible thing you can do to improve your English is to continue listening to ESL Podcast and to our wonderful scripts by Dr Lucy Say.
From Los Angeles, California, I'm Jeff McQuillan.
Thanks for listening.
Come back and listen to us again right here on ESL Podcast.
English as a Second Language podcast is written and produced by Dr Lucy Say, hosted by Dr Jeff McQuillan.
Copyright 2016 by the Center for Educational Development.
