Lily asks
What did you want to be when you grew up?
How to build your answer
Opinion: four moves, about a minute.
- 1Your viewAnswer straight away. “Honestly, I think…”
- 2One reasonYour main reason, not five.
- 3An exampleFrom your own life.
- 4The other sideShow you see it. “That said…”
Lily's answer, three ways
The same story, from easy to advanced. Tap a highlighted phrase to learn it.
Easy
Lily's voice note
Ha, a vet! I loved animals, but we didn't have a pet when I was small, so I think that's why. I used to pretend to be a vet with my teddy bears. I gave them bandages and little check-ups on the kitchen floor. Then at school I found out you need to be really good at science, and I wasn't. So that dream didn't last long. I still get excited when I see a dog in the street, though. My neighbour's cat, Pepper, is basically my patient now.
Phrases to borrow
pretend to be something
/prɪˈtend tə bi ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
act as if you're someone or something else, often in a game
The kids love pretending to be pirates.
not last long
/nɒt ˈlɑːst ˈlɒŋ/
end quickly, after a short time
The sunshine didn't last long, it rained all afternoon.
get excited
/ɡet ɪkˈsaɪtɪd/
start to feel happy and full of energy about something
I always get excited before a holiday.
Natural
Lily's voice note
A vet, for years. I loved animals, but we didn't have a pet when I was small, so maybe that's why. I'd line up my teddy bears on the kitchen floor and give them bandages and little check-ups. Then at school I found out you need to be really good at science, and I wasn't, so I went off the idea. But I've still got a soft spot for animals. If I see a dog in the street, I can't help it, I have to say hello. And my neighbour's cat, Pepper, comes round so often she's basically my patient now.
Phrases to borrow
go off something
/ɡəʊ ɒf ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
stop liking something you used to like
I went off coffee for a while last year.
have a soft spot for something
/hæv ə ˈsɒft ˈspɒt fə ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
have a special liking for someone or something
I've always had a soft spot for old films.
can't help it
/kɑːnt ˈhelp ɪt/
you can't stop yourself doing something
Sorry I keep laughing, I can't help it.
Advanced
Lily's voice note
Good question. A vet, from about five until I was eleven. I was mad about animals, probably because we never had a pet. I'd set up a little surgery on the kitchen floor and treat my teddy bears, bandages, check-ups, the lot, with my mum's reading glasses on to look professional. Then science got serious, and it turned out I was hopeless at it. So the dream never came to anything. But I'm still a softie whenever I see a dog in the street, and my neighbour's cat, Pepper, is basically my patient now. She puts up with me checking her paws, bless her.
Phrases to borrow
be mad about something
/bi ˈmæd əˈbaʊt ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
like something very, very much
My brother's mad about football.
it turned out
/ɪt tɜːnd aʊt/
you discovered something later that you didn't know before
I thought the café was closed, but it turned out it was open.
come to nothing
/kʌm tə ˈnʌθɪŋ/
not have any result or success
All our plans for the trip came to nothing.
put up with something
/pʊt ʌp wɪð ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
accept something annoying without complaining
I don't know how you put up with that noise every night.
Your turn: answer Lily
What did you want to be when you grew up?
Answer out loud, in your own words. Try one phrase you just borrowed.
Memories & childhood
go off something
stop liking something you used to like
“I went off coffee for a while last year.”
heytardy