Welcome to Lesson 5. Any questions or comments? Please write us at: support@realenglishnow.com

Please watch the video below. Remember: Don’t write anything. Just watch and listen. By the end of the lesson you will understand everything!

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Greg: Wow. I’ll have to check that out I’ve never…Actually, I have never been swimming in Vegas in all the times because I have always focused on the, you know, the card games and roulette and all that. I’ve never really…

Mark: The real stuff.

Greg: Yeah. I was never there for vacationing, per se, like you guys kind of were.

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Greg: Ok, so…Looks like Dasha enjoying a relaxing time in…Is this in the hotel room, or at a restaurant or a bar? Where is that?

Mark: This is in a café at the top of The Hotel. And it’s in a great location because The Hotel is at the…I think it’s the southern end of The Strip. So what you’re looking at is — I believe it’s north — at all the…What’s called the Strip. Tell us what The Strip is.

Greg: Well, The Strip is all the hotels lined up all along — I believe Las Vegas Boulevard is the main road.

Mark: Yeah.

Greg: And, it has grown gradually, over time, over the years, to get longer and longer, and longer, and longer. But if you just go down Las Vegas Boulevard on either side of the road, you have these enormous hotels. So..

Mark: Let’s look at them in the next picture because it’s a little bit clearer.

Greg: Ok. This doesn’t really look…look like a strip, per se, like a…one long thing. But when you fly in, you can kinda get a feel for it. It is just like one long stream of hotels. So, what do we have here? So you have the Luxor. And why would a pyramid-shaped hotel be called the Luxor, Mark?

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to check out something = to go and see, or go and try something

Remember, in these four groups of sentences below, a native speaker will usually use the 2nd version. So, “to check out” is the advanced phrase we want to learn.

Steve’s new car is really nice. You should go and see it.
Steve’s new car is really nice. You should check it out.

Have you seen that great new television show? You should go and see it.
Have you seen that great new television show? You should check it out.

Have you ever seen Times Square? If you ever go to New York you should go and see it.
Have you ever seen Times Square? If you ever go to New York you should check it out.

Mandalay Bay has one of the best pools? I’ll have to go there and see it.
Mandalay Bay has one of the best pools? I’ll have to check that out.

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all that = all those types of things

Remember, the 2nd version (the sentences with “all that”) is what a native speaker would say.

I don’t like mushrooms or pepperoni and all those types of things on my pizza. I just like plain cheese.
I don’t like mushrooms or pepperoni and all that on my pizza. I just like plain cheese.

I like racquet sports – Tennis, ping pong, squash and all those types of things.
I like racquet sports – Tennis, ping pong, squash and all that.

For school, I need pencils, paper, glue, and all those types of things.
For school, I need pencils, paper, glue, and all that.

In Vegas, I have always focused on the card games and the roulette, and all those types of things.
In Vegas, I have always focused on the card games and the roulette, and all that.

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real = what I think is best, that I think is best

Try to use this word “real” a lot in your conversations with Americans. It’s a “real American thing to say!”

Let’s rent a movie that I think is best, like Star Wars.
Let’s rent a real movie, like Star Wars.

Let’s go to a Mexican restaurant that I think is best, like Garcia’s!
Let’s go to a real Mexican restaurant, like Garcia’s!

Let’s go to an amusement park that I think is best, like Disney Land.
Let’s go to a real amusement park, like Disney Land.

Seeing shows in Las Vegas is fun, but what I think is best is gambling.
Seeing shows in Las Vegas is fun, but the real thing is gambling.

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per se = even though that’s what you might think

This isn’t a party, even though that’s what you might think. It’s just a gathering of friends.
This isn’t a party per se. It’s just a gathering of friends.

I’m not a vegetarian even though that’s what you might think. I just don’t eat much meat.
I’m not a vegetarian per se. I just don’t eat much meat.

This isn’t a book, even though that’s what you might think. It’s only a collection of articles.
This isn’t a book, per se. It’s only a collection of articles.

I was never there for vacationing, even though that’s what you might think. I was mostly interested in gambling.
I was never there for vacationing, per se. I was mostly interested in gambling.

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What do we have here? = What is this?

(NOTE: “What do we have here?” usually has a feeling of surprise. The person asking the question didn’t expect to see the thing he is seeing.)

The policeman said, “Well, what is this? Those look like drugs.”
The policeman said, “Well, what do we have here? Those look like drugs.”

Why doesn’t this engine work? Hmm….What is this? This bolt isn’t supposed to be in this part of the engine.
Why doesn’t this engine won’t work? Hmm… What do we have here? This bolt isn’t supposed to be in this part of the engine.

What is this? This looks similar to the gun used in the robbery.
What do we have here? This looks similar to the gun used in the robbery.

So, what is this?
So, what do we have here?

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you have = there is (used when listing things)

There are many kinds of rock music. There’s hard rock, heavy metal, grunge. I like them all.
There are many kinds of rock music. You have hard rock, heavy metal, grunge. I like them all.

In a typical salad there is lettuce, there are tomatoes, there is dressing.
In a typical salad you have lettuce, you have tomatoes, you have dressing.

There is the Atlantic, there is the Pacific, there is the Indian…
You have the Atlantic, you have the Pacific, you have the Indian…

So there is The Luxor, Caesars Palace, The Mirage.
So you have the Luxor, Caesars Palace, The Mirage.

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Easy: Steve’s new car is really nice. You should go and see it.

Advanced: Steve’s new car is really nice. You should ___ __ ___ .

Easy: I don’t like mushrooms or pepperoni and all those types of things on my pizza. I just like plain cheese.

Advanced: I don’t like mushrooms or pepperoni and __ ____ on my pizza. I just like plain cheese.

Easy: Let’s rent a movie that I think is best, like Star Wars.

Advanced: Let’s rent a ____ movie, like Star Wars.

Easy: This isn’t a party, even though that’s what you might think. It’s just a gathering of friends.

Advanced: This isn’t a party ___ __. It’s just a gathering of friends.

Easy: The policeman said, “Well, what is this? Those look like drugs.”

Advanced: The policeman said, “Well, ___ ___ ___ ___ ___? Those look like drugs.”

Easy: There are many kinds of rock music. There’s hard rock, heavy metal, grunge. I like them all.

Advanced: There are many kinds of rock music. ___ ___ hard rock, heavy metal, grunge. I like them all.