Conversation Welcome

The conversation/dialogue section tests your ability to use the following aspects of English language correctly:  tense  Grammatical structures  Pronunciation  Understanding implicit messages

John: Are you going to Sue’s party tonight? Mike: Hmmmm. Its been a long day and I am drop dead tired. Question: Do you think that Mike will go to Sue’s party? a. Mike is tired. b. Mike will go to the party. c. Mike will not go. Choice c is correct. Mike is not explicitly saying that he is not going; there is in implicit negative response to the question since he is so tired.

Jenny: Andy, how do I get to Woodlands Hospital? Andy: Ask Mary. She lives in Georgetown. 1)What is Andy assuming about Mary? a. She always carries a map of Georgetown. b. Mary will know how to get to Woodlands Hospital because she lives in Georgetown Something to think about

Sandy: I forgot my dictionary. Dr. Singh said we could look at our dictionaries during the test. Tom: I have a dictionary that I’m not using. 1)What is Tom suggesting to Sandy? a. Borrow his dictionary for the test. b. Go home so she can get her dictionary Something to think about

 Idioms are commonly used in conversations. To understand the speaker’s implicit meaning, it is necessary to recognize any idiomatic expressions they may be using.

What are idioms?  Idiomatic expressions are words that mean something other than the literal meaning.

 Keep your ears open means to listen for information on a particular issue/topic, for example, “Keep your ears open for Giftland’s next big sale.”  boil down: means the summary of a story/issue/report, for example, “It boils down to the fact that Mark has to get a job soon.”  catch up: to complete something belatedly/to meet a friend, for example, “I need to catch up on my reading.” “We have to catch up soon; it’s been almost two years since I last saw you.” Popular idioms

 drop off: deposit or deliver, for example, “Aria dropped off the empty water bottle to the store for me.”  find out: discover, learn, for example, “ I will find out if Giftland is still hiring; I will let you know as soon as I get word from my friend that works there.”  get down: give one’s attention to; depression, for example, “Let’s get down to dealing with this issue for once and for all.” (to give one’s attention to)  “This constant quarreling is getting Amrita down.”(depression)

 have on: wear, for example, “The three of them have on the new uniform.”  jump in: begin or enter eagerly, for example, “Amrita ignored my warning, she just jumped right in.”  make up your mind: settle, decide, for example, “I made up my mind to the gym three times a week.”

 put off: to hold back to a later time, for example, “I have to put off buying a new outfit until I get paid.”  show up: arrive, appear, for example, “Anil is always late—he would show up late to his own funeral!”  sleep on it: delay in making a decision, for example, “She decided to sleep on it and told him that she will give him an answer in the morning.”  take place: happen, occur, for example, “ Giftland’s big sale will take place on the 20 th December.”