Learn how to ask someone out on a date in the United States
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| INTRODUCTION |
| Jonathan: This is Jonathan. |
| Dede: And I'm Dede. English Pickup Lines. |
| Jonathan: In this lesson, we’ll learn about adverb clauses with the conditional tense, and listen to a conversation between Dave and Isabel over the phone. Dave is going to try and ask Isabel out on a date! |
| Dede: Ooh, I wonder how that goes! |
| Jonathan: The level of speech starts out a bit formally, because they still do not know each other well. However, after Dave asks out Isabel, the tone changes and becomes much more casual. |
| Dede: I think that’s it, let's listen to the conversation. |
| DIALOGUE |
| ISABEL: Hello, may I ask who’s calling? |
| DAVE: Hi… is this Officer Fuentes? This is Dave Wiseman, I spoke with you after I got mugged and you gave me your card. |
| ISABEL: Ah hi Dave, how are you? Feeling any better? Did you remember anything that might aid our investigation? |
| DAVE: I’m doing fine, thanks, it was just a few scratches and bruises. Actually… I was calling you for another reason. |
| IsabelI |
| Yes, what was that? |
| DAVE: Well, I realize that this might be a little bit inappropriate. But I was wondering… Unless it’s against your rules, would you be free to get a drink sometime? |
| ISABEL: Are you asking me out? |
| DAVE: I am unless you think I shouldn’t be. |
| ISABEL: Well, it’s a bit irregular, but it’s adorable. In case you want to meet me, I’ll be over by the pavilion at the Eastern Market around 10 on Saturday. |
| DAVE: Really? That’s great! I’ll head over then. |
| POST CONVERSATION BANTER |
| Dede: Do people really ask each other out over the phone like this? Isn’t that a bit… not OK? |
| Jonathan: Well, asking someone out over the telephone the way Dave did is certainly not the most common manner, but the language that he used is very common and it usually wouldn’t be considered bad for him to do this. I would say the most common way to ask someone out on a first date is to ask them to coffee or a drink. |
| Dede: Wait a second… You asked me out for a drink when we first met… were you asking me out? |
| Jonathan: Haha, good point! In the States, just because someone asks if you are free for a drink it doesn’t mean that they are not necessarily asking you out on a date. They could be just trying to get to know you better as a friend. |
| Dede: So how do you know the difference? |
| Jonathan: Just do what Isabel did and ask! It’s perfectly appropriate to clarify what they are asking. |
| Dede: OK… So were you asking me out on a date? |
| Jonathan: Haha, well, no… sorry. |
| Dede: That’s OK, I would have said “no” then… |
| Jonathan: Ouch! Well, let’s move onto the vocab! |
| VOCAB LIST |
| Jonathan: Let's take a look at the vocabulary for this lesson. |
| Dede: The first word we shall see is: |
| Jonathan: to aid [natural native speed] |
| Dede: to assist, to help |
| Jonathan: aid [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Jonathan: aid [natural native speed] |
| Next we have: |
| Jonathan: bruise [natural native speed] |
| Dede: a dark purple/brownish mark you get after being hit |
| Jonathan: bruise [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Jonathan: bruise [natural native speed] |
| Next is: |
| Jonathan: inappropriate [natural native speed] |
| Dede: not acceptable, should not be done |
| Jonathan: inappropriate [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Jonathan: inappropriate [natural native speed] |
| Next we have: |
| Jonathan: irregular [natural native speed] |
| Dede: abnormal, not regular, unusual |
| Jonathan: irregular [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Jonathan: irregular [natural native speed] |
| Next is: |
| Jonathan: adorable [natural native speed] |
| Dede: very cute |
| Jonathan: adorable [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Jonathan: adorable [natural native speed] |
| Next we have: |
| Jonathan: to wonder [natural native speed] |
| Dede: to think about, to speculate in an uncertain manner |
| Jonathan: wonder [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Jonathan: wonder [natural native speed] |
| Next is: |
| Jonathan: Eastern Market [natural native speed] |
| Dede: A historic market in South-East Washington, D.C. known for its wide array of food, used goods, and inexpensive clothing |
| Jonathan: Eastern Market [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Jonathan: Eastern Market [natural native speed] |
| Next we have: |
| Jonathan: actually [natural native speed] |
| Dede: as a true fact, really |
| Jonathan: actually [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Jonathan: actually [natural native speed] |
| Next is: |
| Jonathan: to head over [natural native speed] |
| Dede: to go somewhere (casual) |
| Jonathan: head over [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Jonathan: head over [natural native speed] |
| VOCAB AND PHRASE USAGE |
| Jonathan: Let's have a closer look at the usage for some of the words and phrases from this lesson. |
| Dede: The first word/phrase we’ll look at is.... |
| Jonathan: to wonder |
| Dede: In the dialogue, Dave starts one of his sentences with: “But I was wondering…” |
| Jonathan: As we saw in the vocab, “to wonder” something means to think about or speculate. We often say “I was wondering” before a question to someone to indicate that we had thought about it before asking it. Dave was doing this to show that he gave his question some thought before asking Isabel. |
| Dede: Ahh, I see... So Jonathan… |
| Jonathan: Yeah? |
| Dede: I was wondering… What’s your favorite color? |
| Jonathan: Sea-foam green of course! Hey Dede, I was wondering what kind of movies you liked. |
| Dede: I think you know that I love 1970s Italian horror films… |
| Jonathan: Haha, great! What’s the next phrase? |
| Dede: Actually |
| Jonathan: As a true fact, or really |
| Dede: Dave says: “Actually… I was calling you for another reason” |
| Jonathan: Dave says this before he changes the topic from his mugging to trying to ask Isabel out. “Actually” means “really”, but we often use it as a transition from one topic to another when we are trying to guide the conversation or express an opposite opinion in response to a question. Ready for the grammar explanation? |
| Dede: Actually, I was wondering if you could give me another example of these phrases! |
| Jonathan: Haha, we’ll sure! Try and ask me a question. |
| Dede: Uhm, ok. Do you want to get lunch soon? |
| Jonathan: Actually, I already ate lunch. OK, ready now? |
| Dede: Absolutely. |
Lesson focus |
|---|
| Jonathan: Our lesson focus is on using adverb clauses with the conditional tense. |
| Dede: Dave says “Unless it’s against your rules, would you be free to get a drink sometime?” |
| Jonathan: Adverb clauses, like noun clauses, are phrases that take the place of an adverb in a sentence. Can you think of any, Dede? |
| Dede: Sure… uhm… “I will get that to you when I have free time” |
| Jonathan: Right, the adverb clause is “when I have free time” |
| Jonathan: Adverb clauses answer the questions “When?”, “How?”, or “Why?”. |
| Dede: But this lesson focuses on using adverb clauses with the conditional tense. We use these regularly with the conditional tense to express the conditions. Often, we see “if” being used for the beginning of an adverb clause in this case. |
| Jonathan: Exactly, like “If I didn’t have work Sunday, I would go play golf” |
| Dede: The adverb clause is “if I didn’t have work” |
| Jonathan: Another example is “They would love to eat a slice of pizza if there are any left.” |
| Dede: The adverb clause there is “if there are any left.” |
| Jonathan: We can also express conditional tense, as this dialogue showed, by using “unless” as the beginning of the adverb clause. |
| Dede: “Unless” is a somewhat tricky word that is easy to confuse with “if”. Essentially, we use “Unless” for negative statements in questions. |
| Jonathan: So we can say something like: “Unless there is rain, the picnic will be tomorrow.” |
| Dede: This means:“If there is no rain, the picnic will be tomorrow.” |
| Jonathan: We could also say: “I’m going to relax unless I have to work.” |
| Dede: That means “If I don’t have work, I’m going to relax.” |
| Jonathan: By using this structure, Dave asks Isabel out, but gives her the opportunity to decline if it is against the rules of being a police officer. This is a very polite and timid way for Dave to ask her out. |
| Dede: Unless you have anything else to say, I would like to finish the lesson. |
| Jonathan: Sounds good! |
Outro |
| Dede: Thanks so much for joining us for this lesson. |
| Jonathan: Thanks for listening. Unless you’re busy, we hope you’ll be back soon. |
| Dede: Bye-bye for now! |
Comments
HideHello Listeners! What is your favorite pickup line?
Hello Nelia,
Thank you for your lovely message! It's always a pleasure to hear from our students. 😄❤️
You've made a great point about the importance of creativity in communication, and I'm glad to hear that you're finding the lessons useful and enriching.
Now, let's look at a few suggestions to help you improve your English:
1. "As I am a woman, I don’t pickup anybody in my everyday life." - It would be more accurate to say, "As I am a woman, I don’t pick up anybody in my everyday life." Remember, "pickup" is a noun, whereas "pick up" is a verb.
2. "But I think a man, who wants to attract me, has to be really creative in his efforts." - This sentence is correct, but you can also say, "But I think a man who wants to attract me has to be really creative in his efforts." In English, we often omit the commas in relative clauses when the information is essential to understand the sentence.
3. "You’ve made me to wonder.." - The correct phrase is, "You've made me wonder..." In English, after "make someone do something", we use the base form of the verb without 'to'.
4. "But one thing, that I know exactly, is I’m on the right way in my life, spending every evening and studying English here, with you." - This sentence would be better as, "But one thing I know for sure is that I'm on the right path in my life, spending every evening studying English here with you."
I hope these suggestions are helpful. Keep up the good work and continue exploring new words and phrases. You're doing a fantastic job! 😄👍
Thank you!
Éva
Team EnglishClass101.com
Hello!
Thank you for your informative lesson!
As I am a woman, I don't pickup anybody in my everyday life.😆 But I think a man, who wants to attract me, has to be really creative in his efforts.😉
I discovered the word "unless" for myself. Of course, I knew it but I've never used it before in my speech and I even don't know why. I found that my speech was poor. Whereas, I can talk to other person any topic I want. You've made me to wonder.. But one thing, that I know exactly, is I'm on the right way in my life, spending every evening and studying English here, with you.😄 Thank you!
Hello Abdoulaye,
Thank you for your positive attitude! 😄😄😄
That's the spirit we love to see. Remember, every effort you make brings you one step closer to fluency. Keep practicing and don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions.
We're here to help!
Thank you!
Éva
Team EnglishClass101.com
Thank you Éva. I'll try to do the best next time. 👍
Hello Abdoulaye,
Thank you so much for your message and I'm thrilled that you're finding our lessons helpful and interesting! I'm always here to assist you with your English learning journey. 😄😄
Now, let's go through your sentences:
1. "I never bilieved in love at first sight before I saw you."
Correction: "I never believed in love at first sight until I saw you."
Reason: The correct spelling is "believed," not "bilieved." Also, "until" is more appropriate here, as it indicates that something changed when you saw the person.
Adverb clauses:
2. "When I have free time I’ll go to the beach."
Correction: "When I have free time, I’ll go to the beach."
Reason: We use a comma after an introductory clause to improve readability.
3. "Unless I have to work on Saturday, I’ll be at the party."
This sentence is perfect. Well done!
4. "Every day I’ve learned a lot of new and interesting words with you."
Correction: "Every day, I learn a lot of new and interesting words with you."
Reason: When we talk about habitual actions, we use the simple present tense, not the present perfect.
Keep up the good work. Remember, practice makes perfect, so don't hesitate to keep writing and improving. 👍
Thank you!
Éva
Team EnglishClass101.com
My favorite pickup line?
I never bilieved in love at first sight before I saw you.
Adverb clauses:
1.When I have free time I'll go to the beach.
2.Unless I have to work on Saturday, I'll be at the party.
Every day I've learned a lot of new and interesting words with you.
Thanks 👍❤️
Hello Paola,
Thank you for taking the time to write to us.
Glad to hear that our examples in the vocabulary section are helpful to you.
You could say either of those statements and have the same meaning.
Don't hesitate to let us know if you need anything! 😄
Cheers,
Éva
Team EnglishClass101.com
I didn´t notice that in every Vocabulary section there ir an Example atached to every word, and I find that very helpfull.
Also I was wondering, it would be correct to say "I'm going unless I have to work." Instead of "I'm going to go unless I have to work."?
Hello Ahmadi,
Thank you for getting in touch with us!
The example you left uses the contraction "was not." The statement might have said something along the lines of, "If I wasn't so tired, I would join you after work." In this case, the word "join" would be the verb.
I hope this is helpful to you. 😄👍 Enjoy your studies with us!
If you ever have any questions, let us know here or through your Premium Plus teacher messenger.
Kindly,
Éva
Team EnglishClass101.com
Hi
The fifth conditional question seems to be : " If wasn't so tired, I _________ after work. "
1. The subject is missing.
2. If the subject spposed to be ''I'' ,then the modal verb would sppose to be '' weren't '' .
thanks.❤️️❤️️❤️️❤️️❤️️❤️️
Hello Gary,
Thanks for taking the time to post and share. 👍
Please feel free to ask us any questions you have throughout your studies.
Sincerely,
Éva
Team EnglishClass101.com
A: Unless it is against your rules, would you be free to get a drink with me sometime?
B: That sounds fabulous. I will meet you at the main entrance to the train station on Saturday at around ten o'clock.
A: That sounds great. See you there!
Hello Alba,
You're very welcome. I'm happy to know you're finding EnglishClass101 so useful, and I wish you the best in your studies.
Don't hesitate to let us know if you need anything! 😄
Cheers,
Éva
Team EnglishClass101.com
Unless I do not dedicate time to studying I am no going to learn a lot.
Thanks for the amazing lesson.
Hi again Green,
You're very welcome! Glad to have you on board! 😄
The sentence you have noted is written in mixed conditional tense.
Chat to you soon!
Regards,
Éva
Team EnglishClass101.com
Thank you for your reply.
You can find the sentence in the lesson note.
- They would love to eat a slice of pizza if there are any left.
My question is:
Is this a sentence grammatically correct if we review it strictly?
Hello Green,
Thank you for your comment!
I'm hope you're finding EnglishClass101 useful, and I wish you the best in your studies.
Don't hesitate to let us know if you need anything! 😄
Cheers,
Éva
Team EnglishClass101.com
First conditional:
- They would love to eat a slice of pizza if there are any left. --> They will love to eat a slice of pizza if there are any left.
Second conditional:
- They would love to eat a slice of pizza if there are any left --> They would love to eat a slice of pizza if there were any left.
Hello Akira,
Thanks for writing to us.
A 'conditional tense' is not one of the 12 basic tenses (e.g. Present Simple, Present Continuous, Present Perfect, Present Perfect Continuous, Past Simple, Past Continuous, Past Perfect, Past Perfect Continuous, Future Simple, Future Continuous, Future Perfect, Future Perfect Continuous). It is used to show what could happen, what might happen or something that someones wishes would happen.
Conditional tenses are used to speculate about what could happen, what might have happened, and what we wish would happen. The word 'if' is mainly used to show conditional tense.
I hope this makes sense and helps with your understanding.
Sincerely,
Éva
Team EnglishClass101.com
In this lesson, the phrase “the conditional tense” is used. Then this is my question: Is a conditional one of the tenses?
I do not think it makes sense to say “the conditional tense” since the word conditional itself has nothing to do with tense, namely present or past.
According to Cambridge Grammar of English, “Tense A grammatical category to indicate the relationship between the form of the verb and the reference of an event or action. English has two tenses, present, and past: …” (p926)
Thank you!