Lily asks
Tell me about something you used to dislike but now enjoy.
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
Black coffee, definitely. At uni I couldn't drink it without loads of milk and two sugars. Plain coffee just tasted bitter and a bit burnt to me. Then I started a job where I had to be in really early, and there wasn't always milk in the office fridge. So I just drank it black, because I needed it. The first week was awful. But slowly I got used to it, and now I actually prefer it. I can taste the difference between a good one and a cheap one, which is a bit sad, ha. And milky coffee feels way too sweet now. My flatmate thinks I've gone a bit mad. Maybe I have. But I'm not going back to sugar now.
Phrases to borrow
get used to something
/ɡet ˈjuːst tə ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
slowly feel normal about something that was new or strange
It's cold here, but you'll get used to it.
way too (sweet / big / much)
/ˈweɪ ˈtuː (ˈswiːt | ˈbɪɡ | ˈmʌtʃ)/
much too sweet
This tea is way too sweet for me.
/ɡəʊ ˈmæd/
become a little crazy or strange (said jokingly)
My brother thinks I've gone mad because I wake up at five.
Natural
Lily's voice note
Black coffee. At uni I couldn't drink it without loads of milk and two sugars. Plain coffee just tasted bitter and burnt to me. Then I started a job where I had to be in really early, and half the time there was no milk in the office fridge. So I drank it black, because I needed the caffeine. The first week was awful. I pulled a face at every sip. But I pushed myself to keep going, and slowly something changed. Now I actually prefer it, and I can taste the difference between a good one and a cheap one. Milky coffee tastes far too sweet now. My flatmate thinks I've gone a bit mad. But there's no going back.
Phrases to borrow
pull a face
/pʊl ə ˈfeɪs/
make an expression that shows you don't like something
My brother pulled a face when he tasted the soup.
push yourself
/pʊʃ jɔːˈself/
make yourself try harder than is comfortable
I pushed myself to speak more in class.
there's no going back
/ðeəz nəʊ ˈɡəʊɪŋ ˈbæk/
you can't return to how things were before
Once you've tried fresh bread, there's no going back.
Advanced
Lily's voice note
Black coffee, believe it or not. At uni I took it with loads of milk and two sugars, and I'd always thought anyone who drank it black had lost the plot. It tasted bitter and burnt, like licking an old pan. Then I started a job where I had to be in at the crack of dawn, and the office fridge was nearly always out of milk. So I gritted my teeth and drank it black. The first week wasn't pretty. But I stuck with it, and somewhere along the way it grew on me. Now I can taste the difference between a decent cup and a cheap one, which makes me sound like a snob. Milky coffee feels sickly sweet these days. My flatmate thinks I've gone a bit mad. Maybe I have.
Phrases to borrow
lose the plot
/luːz ðə ˈplɒt/
become crazy or stop thinking sensibly
When the bus didn't come again, I nearly lost the plot.
at the crack of dawn
/ət ðə ˈkræk əv ˈdɔːn/
very early in the morning
We had to leave at the crack of dawn to catch the flight.
stick with something
/stɪk wɪð ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
continue doing something even when it's hard
Learning guitar is hard, but if you stick with it, it gets easier.
grow on someone
/ɡrəʊ ɒn ˈsʌmwʌn/
slowly start to like something you didn't like at first
I hated the new song at first, but it grew on me.
Your turn: answer Lily
Tell me about something you used to dislike but now enjoy.
Answer out loud, in your own words. Try one phrase you just borrowed.
Daily life
pull a face
make an expression that shows you don't like something
“My brother pulled a face when he tasted the soup.”
heytardy