Lily asks
Tell me about something that surprised you recently.
How to build your answer
Tell a story: four moves, about a minute.
- 1Set the sceneWhen and where. “A few months ago, I…”
- 2What happenedTwo or three moments, in order.
- 3How it feltYour reaction. “I was mortified.”
- 4How it endedThe ending, or what you'd do now.
Lily's answer, three ways
The same story, from easy to advanced. Tap a highlighted phrase to learn it.
Easy
Lily's voice note
Ooh, last weekend. I was at home in my pyjamas, eating toast, and the doorbell rang. It was my little brother Sam! He'd come down to London out of nowhere, without telling anyone. My mum didn't even know! He just said, 'Surprise! Can I sleep on your sofa for two nights?' I couldn't believe it. We went out for a curry and talked till midnight, like when we were kids. He's normally terrible at planning, so I was really touched, ha.
Phrases to borrow
out of nowhere
/ˈaʊt əv ˈnəʊweə/
suddenly and with no warning
A cyclist came out of nowhere and nearly hit me.
can't believe it
/kɑːnt bɪˈliːv ɪt/
be very surprised
I won the prize, I can't believe it!
really touched
/ˈrɪəli ˈtʌtʃt/
feeling grateful and emotional because someone was kind
I was really touched by her message.
Natural
Lily's voice note
Last weekend my little brother Sam turned up at my flat in London without telling anyone. Not even my mum knew! I was in my pyjamas, eating toast, when the doorbell rang. He asked if he could sleep on my sofa for two nights. It's totally made my week. We went for a curry and stayed up late, talking till midnight, just like old times. Sam's usually useless at planning, so I was really impressed he'd organised it all himself.
Phrases to borrow
make someone's week
/ˈmeɪk ˈsʌmwʌnz ˈwiːk/
make someone very happy for the whole week
Your visit really made my week.
stay up late
/ˈsteɪ ˈʌp ˈleɪt/
go to bed much later than usual
We stayed up late watching old films.
like old times
/ˈlaɪk ˈəʊld ˈtaɪmz/
the same as it was in the past, in a happy way
We played cards all night, just like old times.
Advanced
Lily's voice note
Last weekend, completely out of the blue. I was slobbing about in my pyjamas, eating toast, when the doorbell went. And there on the doorstep was my little brother Sam, grinning, with a rucksack. He'd come down to London without telling a soul, not even Mum, and wanted to crash on my sofa for two nights. It caught me completely off guard. We went for a curry and talked till midnight. Sam can't plan a thing, so the fact he'd done this himself made me well up a bit, honestly.
Phrases to borrow
not tell a soul
/nɒt ˈtel ə ˈsəʊl/
without telling anybody at all
She planned the whole party without telling a soul.
crash on someone's sofa
/kræʃ ɒn ˈsʌmwʌnz ˈsəʊfə/
sleep at someone's home for a night or two, often not in a real bed
You can crash on my sofa if you miss the last train.
catch someone off guard
/kætʃ ˈsʌmwʌn ɒf ˈɡɑːd/
surprise someone who isn't ready
His question caught me off guard.
well up
/wel ʌp/
have tears coming into your eyes
Her speech made me well up.
Your turn: answer Lily
Tell me about something that surprised you recently.
Answer out loud, in your own words. Try one phrase you just borrowed.
Memories & childhood
make someone's week
make someone very happy for the whole week
“Your visit really made my week.”
heytardy