Understanding Grammar: Making New Year's Resolutions

Jack: What are you doing?

Rich: I’m writing my new year's resolutions... This year, I think I will take up scuba diving.

Jack: Really? But you live in the mountains.

Rich: Well, maybe I’ll take up scuba diving.

Jack: That’s no good Rich – if you’re going to make a resolution, you need to be confident – you need to be sure. You have to say I’m going to… or even, if you’re really sure I will.

Rich: OK OK - I’m going to take up squash. What about you? Have you made any New year’s resolutions?

Jack: No. I don’t believe in them. In fact, I think New Year’s resolutions are a bad idea.

Rich: What do you mean? It’s a New Year - a fresh start. It’s the perfect time to make some plans.

Jack: I’m all for self-improvement, but I think New year’s resolutions don’t work. I mean, what was your resolution last year?

Rich: Hmmm. Perhaps you’re right.

Welcome

Rich: Hello my name’s Rich

Jack: and I’m Jack

Rich: and welcome to this week’s Premier Skills English podcast

Jack: Where we talk about football and help you with your English.

Jack: What’s happening this week, Rich?

Rich: Well, it’s the New Year. 2018 is about to arrive or maybe it’s already arrived depending on when you are listening to this podcast. So, we’re going to talk about our New Year’s resolutions and the language you need to tell people about them.
Jack: That’s right. We’re going to focus on the grammar you need to talk about resolutions, we’ll also look at some phrasal verbs and how we use the word likely to describe the probability of something happening.

Rich: And don’t forget to listen to the end of the podcast because we have another football phrase for you to guess.

Topic Focus

Jack: At the beginning of the podcast I was asking you about your New Year’s resolutions Rich …

Rich: That’s right, I think I’ll take up squash. You’re right. That’s a much better idea than scuba diving.

Jack: No, not you think you’ll take up squash.

Rich: Alright, I’m going to take up squash.

Jack: No, you WILL take up squash. That’s the point of New Year’s resolutions. Resolutions are stronger than plans. It’s like a promise to yourself. Something that you will do.

Rich: OK, so I’m going to take up squash. What about you Jack? What’s your New Year resolution?

Jack: To be honest, I think they are a bit silly. People always say I will give up this I will take up that. but By the middle of January these resolutions are often forgotten.

Rich: That’s a bit negative Jack. Come on! Where’s your will power?

Jack: OK, maybe I do have a New Year resolution but I think it’s a bad idea to tell people. You should keep it a secret. If you tell someone, you are less likely to achieve them.

Rich: So, you do have a New Year resolution. What is it then?

Jack: Like I said I’m not telling.

Rich: Mmm let me think. Is it to give up smoking?

Jack: I don’t smoke.

Rich: Is it to give up bacon, sausage and fried egg sandwiches.

Jack: Disgusting!

Rich: I know. It’s to take up a new hobby. You’re going to take up stamp collecting!

Jack: NO

Rich: Trainspotting? I give up.

Jack: I do have one plan that I don’t mind telling you about.

Rich: Go on then.

Jack: We’re going to move house.

Rich: I didn’t know that. Cool! But it’s not a resolution is it? It’s a plan!

Jack: I tell you what. I’ll challenge you to a game of squash at the end of January. If you beat me, I’ll tell you my New Year’s resolution.

Rich: You’re on!

Language Focus

Jack: We’ve just used lots of useful language for talking about resolutions and future plans.

Rich: Let’s start with two phrasal verbs with up.

Jack: If you start a new hobby, you take up a new hobby.

Rich: And if you stop doing something that is bad for you, you give up. So you could take up a sport - like me, I’m going to take up squash or you could give up a bad habit. Like Jack.

Jack: I told you I don’t smoke. I gave up smoking 10 years ago. Let’s get back to the language.

Rich: OK - another useful expression that we used was ‘likely’. We can say that we think things are likely if we think that they are going to happen.

Jack: But I think the phrase is more commonly used to say that things are not likely - that is, to say that we don’t think that something is going to happen. Earlier, I said that I don’t believe in resolutions because when you tell someone your plans, it makes them less likely to come true.

Rich: Or maybe more likely because you don’t want to be embarrassed if they don’t come true!

Jack: You could be right. The last bit of language to talk about is some grammar. When Rich and I were talking about New Year’s resolutions, we used different future forms to talk about plans.

Rich: We used three future forms. All of them can be used to talk about plans, but they are a bit different because they express different levels of confidence.

Jack: If you are not really sure about something, you can say I think I will or I probably will.

Rich: I think I will take up gardening. I have a nice garden, but I’ve never really been interested in plants and flowers. I think I’ll spend more time on the garden this year.

Jack: That sounds like a good plan. If you are more confident about a plan - you might say I’m going to ... So I could say I’m going to give up smoking.

Rich: But you don’t smoke?

Jack: It’s just an example. If I did smoke, it would be a good resolution.

Rich: If you make a really strong resolution – and you want to express it – like it’s written on your heart, you can say I will.

Jack: But we just said that you use that when you’re not sure about something.

Rich: Not quite, If you’re not sure you should say I think I will or I hope I will, but if you just say I will, it sounds like it’s something you really care about. Listen to these examples:

Jack: I think I’ll go on a diet and lose some weight this year.

Rich: I’m going to go on a diet and lose some weight this year.

Jack: I will go on a diet and lose some weight this year.

Rich: Hmmm ... I see what you mean – it’s very dramatic. I don’t think I ever talk like that.

Jack: No. Me neither, I’m just giving an example.

Rich: Actually, Jack. I think you do. You are quite dramatic.

Jack: Really Rich? You always make fun of me. I can’t take it anymore.

Rich: Jack?

Jack: I was just being dramatic.

Rich: OK – on a more serious note – when you are talking about plans, it’s best to use going to.

Jack: I’m going to stop being dramatic.

Rich: I’m going to stop making fun of you.

Jack: Ha ha – I don’t think that’s very likely.

Task

Rich: Your task this week is to tell us some New Year’s resolutions.

Jack: We want you to tell us one New Year’s resolution for yourself. Can you think of something that you want to give up or take up?

Rich: We also want you to write two more New Year’s resolutions. One for someone you know - it could be a family member or a friend.

Jack: And another New Year’s resolution for a football player, manager or football club.

Rich: You have to use your imagination a little bit here and you can write the resolution and the name of the person.

Jack: Write the resolutions in the comments section.

Football Phrase

Rich: Have you got a football phrase for us this week?

Jack: Yes, I have, but first, last week’s football phrase. The phrase was festive football. Festive football is the phrase we use to describe the matches that are played close to the Christmas holidays. In the UK, there are more matches than normal during the festive period.

Rich: Well done if you got the answer right! We recorded this podcast before the holidays so no names this week but we’ll be back from our holidays soon! What’s this week’s phrase Rich?

Jack: The phrase is ******** **** ****. This is what the referee gives if a player is obstructed - when a player gets in the way of another player. When an ******** **** **** is given you can’t shoot at goal. You know that it’s an ******** **** **** because the referee puts his hand in the air when the ball is played.

Rich: Right, that’s all we have time for this week! Don’t forget to write your answers to our questions and make a guess at our football phrase in the comments below.

Jack: Bye for now and enjoy your football!