第8课　AN UNUSUAL PET

Yesterday's quiz point was Gary's use of grammar. When he answered Jane's question "Have you bought any more coffee?", he should have answered in the same tense and used the right words: "I've bought some and put it away". He didn't need to use "already".

Gary is telling Nora about his weekend...

Gary: Waa! My weekend real shiok, man!

Nora: What you do, ah?

Gary: I go to zoo. I got see all the animals. I got see bear and tiger..

Jane arrives as they are talking...

Steve: Morning, Jane.

Gary: (continuing) and best of all, I got see lion..

Nora: Woah, best, y'know!

Jane: (coming over for a chat) Morning, Gary, Nora. Where do you live, then, Gary?

Gary: HDB, lor! In Ang Mo Kio.

Jane: So where do you keep your sea lion?

Gary: No, I don't have a sea lion. I was speaking Singlish to Nora.. In good English, I should say "I saw a lion"... at the zoo. I went there at the weekend... Actually, I like to keep birds.

Jane: Well done, Gary. You're learning!

Gary: (to Nora) so, anyway, you do finish those e-mails already?

Nora: I never.

Jane: (to Nora) Sorry, what did Gary ask you?

Nora: More Singlish!

Gary: Cannot say "do finish", meh?

Nora: I think you should say "Did you finish those emails yet?"

Jane: You're asking if someone has just finished something, so it would be better to say "Have you finished those e-mails?" And the answer is, "No, I haven't", not "I never".

Nora: Oh, thanks.

Gary: So if I want to ask "You drink finish already?", do I say "Have you finished drinking it?"?

Jane: That's right, and you could also say "Have you drunk it yet?"

Gary: OK, let me try something... Nora, I have finished my tea. Please make me another one.

Nora: Get lost! You make it, and you can make one for me and Jane at the same time!

Gary: Aiyou!

Narrator:　In their conversation, Gary, Nora and Jane were talking and asking about things that happened in the past and things that have just finished. Here are some Singlish ways to talk about the past:

Replay...

Nora: What you do, ah?

Gary: I go to zoo. I got see all the animals. I got see bear and tiger..

Narrator:　But he knows how to say this in good English. How should it be, Gary?

Gary: I went to the zoo. I saw all the animals. I saw the bears and the tigers.

Narrator:　And you, Nora?

Nora: What did you do?

Narrator:　That's right. Now what about things that have already happened?

Replay...

Gary: (to Nora) so, anyway, you do finish those e-mails already?

Nora: I never.

Narrator:　And how did Jane correct them?

Replay...

Jane: You're asking if something has just finished, so it would be better to say "Have you finished those e-mails?" And the answer is, "No, I haven't", not "I never".

Narrator:　So, Gary and Nora have learned to talk about things that have just finished, and can say what they did at the weekend. So, goodbye from us for today. Don't forget to call in tomorrow.

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Speak Good English Phone-in Lesson
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Speak Well, Be Understood.　好英语，利沟通。
Written by Laraine Bamrah, Paul Tolton, Delphia Choo, Alaisdair Raynham and Steve Adams for the British Council in association with the Speak Good English Movement.
©Ministry of Information and The Arts and British Council Singapore 2001

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