Video!
Hi, it’s Andy here. Now, we’re going to watch a video. This will show you the language from this lesson in action! It’s also a great way to see native speakers speaking naturally in realistic situations. Good luck!
Crime stories!
Viewing 1
You’re going to watch a conversation with two people exchanging stories about crimes. Watch the video completely without stopping or pausing. How many stories do they tell in total? answers below
a) three b) four c) five d) six
Viewing 2
Watch the video again (this time pausing where you want or replaying bits). Then, answer the questions.
- What was stolen from a friend’s handbag?
- Where was the friend at the time?
- What weapon did the robber at the ATM machine have?
- What electronic device was stolen by the thief who broke into the house?
- What did the girl and her cousin want to buy in the shop?
- What weapon did the guy who came into the store have?
- Why didn’t the girl have to go to court to testify?
Viewing 3
Now, watch the video and read the script at the same time. This is great for your listening skills. If you find any words you aren’t sure of, look them up in a dictionary.
Video script
Jennifer: So, you’re not going to believe this. Last night, my friend was going home on the tube and she got pickpocketed!
Michelle: No way!
J: She had her handbag just over her shoulder and someone just reached in and took her purse.
M: Only her purse?
J: Luckily only her purse! You know? She went to the police afterwards, but, you know, all they can do is check CCTV, but the tube is so busy, they just didn’t have a chance.
M: That’s so bad, you know, that reminds me, you know, like, this one time that… I think it was around 10 or 11… I just went to an ATM to get some cash…
J: At night?
M: Yeah… I know, I know, I know it was a terrible idea, you know, but I just went there and all of a sudden I just felt something right on my back and when I realised it was this guy with a knife and he told me to give him the money. So, I didn’t have any other choice, you know.
J: Of course!
M: You know, so I mean… I think… I don’t know, I gave him like, I don’t know, $80 or a hundred bucks. I don’t know… I can’t remember anymore.
J: That’s crazy…
M: But yeah, I just went straight away to the police station afterwards to file one of these crime reports, you know. But nothing really changed, you know.
J: What can they do?
M: That’s it, you know…
J: I tell you what… I used to live in this two-storey house, and one morning, we came downstairs and our entire living room had been robbed.
M: What?
J: So, yeah. A thief had come in during the night, they’d forced the front door…
M: While you were sleeping?
J: While we were sleeping upstairs! So, they took my backpack. They took our television. They took my brother’s wallet, my purse… everything that was worth anything, yeah.
M: So, what did you do? Did you have any insurance or… ?
J: Luckily… luckily, we did have insurance. So, once the police had come down in a police car and they’d looked at the scene…
M: Mmm…
J: …we got a crime number and then we could file an insurance claim form. And we did actually get some money back…
M: Oh OK!
J: …But it’s not the same as having somebody downstairs in your house.
M: Did you leave the house afterwards?
J: We left the house pretty soon after that!
M: Ha, ha… Thank God! I wouldn’t have stayed! Yeah… I don’t know… I sometimes think of this story when I was like around 8 years old… you know.
J: Tell me it’s worse than this!
M: Hmmm… sort of… I don’t know, I was just a child, you know…
J: Tell me, tell me!
M: … Yeah, and my, and my cousin and I went to buy some candy, you know, just across the road because our auntie just gave us, you know, like some money, you know… and, and while, we were there, you know, this guy came in, and you know, with a gun… and we were… and I just froze! You know, I couldn’t move! You know, and, erm, my cousin, he was a year younger than me and he was right in front of me!
J: Oh no!
M: … and I was like “ahhh!”
J: Did the shop assistant have like an alarm?
M: Yeah, thank god, you know, and so, the police came in… it was just like very stressful.
J: Did the guy go willingly, or did he resist arrest?
M: No, you know, he resisted arrest and they had to hit him with a truncheon!
J: No way!
M: Yes!
J: Oh my gosh… and, then, afterwards, did you have to go to court and give evidence? Because you were a witness!
M: Well, I didn’t because I was very young, you know. But, the girl in the shop… she had to go.
J: Wow! That’s terrible!
M: I know!
J: I don’t think I can beat that story! I’m sorry!
M: Yeah! No more candy for me, you know.
Answers
Viewing 1
Option b – they tell four stories in total.
Very good! Now try the quiz to check your answers to exercise 2!
