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: Okay, so looks like we have a map here, and you circled Boston. And what do you have to say about this map?

Mark: Yes, this map is of Boston and The Cape, as it’s called. And the Google ‘A’ there is where we were headed to the next day. It was at my brother’s urging. He was like, “Ah, you got to take her to this place called Provincetown,” which is on the very tip. The Cape is that whole thing that juts out into the water. So—

Greg: Alright.

Mark: –starting wherever. I don’t know where The Cape starts, but I see a word that says like Barnestable Town. So, probably around there is where The Cape actually starts. Most people know, like, Cape Cod. But the very tip of that you have Provincetown. And it’s funny because, maybe he mentioned it…Let’s just say that there was a surprise, you can say a shock, waiting for us when we got there. Which if he…If my brother told me about it, he didn’t…he didn’t drive home the point, as you’ll see in one of the—not the next photo. But in a future photo you’ll see the surprise that I’m talking about. But, I just wanted to show, like, we took the—we took a speed—I don’t know, it wasn’t a speedboat. It was a fast ferry from Boston to where it says Provincetown. And it was forty-five, pretty bouncy minutes on some stormy seas. But I’ll continue that in the next picture where we actually see the boat.

Greg: Okay.

– – – –

Greg: Okay, so…From your description of the last scene where we had our map, this must be the ferry that you took, I guess.

Mark: Yep. This is the ferry. Offhand I cannot remember the name of the ferry but, it’s probably called the Provincetown Ferry. Probably.

Greg: The water actually looks, like, fairly smooth from the picture. But did it get bumpier as you went out? Because you were saying the water was choppy.

Mark: Yeah, it got choppy later out. And…And also it was going fast. So, whether or not the waves were all that choppy—because this is still in the harbor, you know?

Greg: Right.

Mark: But, when you got out on the open seas, it’s…it’s obviously bigger waves. And once you get out there—it was funny. I started feeling it first. I’m like, you know, “I’m not feeling too good. I better close my eyes.” And then…And Dasha was hanging in there. She was like, “You’ll be okay.” And then somehow the tables turned. I sort of got over it. One of the guys on the boat said, you know, “What you got to do is do not close your eyes. Look out the window.”

Greg: That’s the worst thing you can do. Yes.

Mark: Yeah, I didn’t know. He’s like, “Look out the window at a fixed point.” And then, this was just so funny. So…Well, it wasn’t. It was kind of sad. So, Dasha started getting really sick. And, just, it wasn’t helping her. And so she…The boat’s pretty big, you know? It could easily seat two hundred people. It’s a big boat. And so, we’re walking, you know, from the front where we were sitting, to the back where the bathroom was. And as we were walking back there, the, you know, one of the guys that works on the ship, he sees someone walking towards the, you know, the bar kind of area where they do serve food and drinks. And he hops up and runs there, thinking that were going to order something. And she looks pale as a ghost. She’s about to cry…About to vomit. And he’s like, “So, what can I get you?” You know? That’s the last thing she wanted was food! She was—you know…She went straight to the bathroom, and she actually sat in the bathroom for, you know, forty out of the forty-five minutes. And she…I mean, it was sad. She was crying. She was like, “Can you make them stop?” As if I can somehow get the ferry company to stop, or go slow.

Greg: Ouch!

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to drive home (a point) = to make sure (a point) is understood

Remember, in these four groups of sentences below, a native speaker will usually use the 2nd version. So, "drive home the point" is the advanced phrase we want to learn.

To make sure I understood the point, my father pounded the table with his fist.
To drive home the point, my father pounded the table with his fist.

You need to make sure they understand that point.
You need to drive home that point.

I guess I  didn’t make sure you understood that point.
I guess I didn’t drive home that point.

My brother didn’t make sure we understood the point.
My brother didn’t drive home the point.

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offhand = without thinking about it

Remember, the 2nd version (using "offhand") is how a native speaker will probably say these sentences.

Without thinking about it, I’d say there were thirty people there, or so.
Offhand I’d say there were thirty people there, or so.

Without thinking about it, I’d say she’s about twenty.
Offhand I’d say she’s about twenty.

Without thinking about it, I’d say we will finish the project in six months.
Offhand I’d say we will finish the project in six months.

Without thinking about it, I cannot remember the name of the ferry, but it’s probably called the Provincetown Ferry.
Offhand, I cannot remember the name of the ferry, but it’s probably called the Provincetown Ferry.

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to hang in there = to cope well

It was a difficult operation, but my grandfather is coping well.
It was a difficult operation, but my grandfather is hanging in there.

It was a stressful day but I’m coping well.
It was a stressful day but I’m hanging in there.

It was a long trip but we’re coping well .
It was a long trip but we’re hanging in there.

The boat ride was bumpy, but Dasha was coping well…at first.
The boat ride was bumpy, but Dasha was hanging in there…at first.

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the tables have turned = the situation is reversed

When my former boss got a job as my assistant, I told him, "Well, now the situation has reversed."
When my former boss got a job as my assistant, I told him, "Well, now the tables have turned."

The student became the teacher, and so the situation has reversed.
The student became the teacher, and so the tables have turned.

It seems the situation has reversed!
It seems the tables have turned!

Somehow, the situation reversed. Now I was fine, and she was sick.
Somehow, the tables turned. Now I was fine, and she was sick.

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to get over something = to recover from (to stop being sick from)

It took me two weeks to recover from the flu.
It took me two weeks to get over the flu.

My sister is at home, recovering from some food poisoning.
My sister is at home, getting over some food poisoning.

Your grandmother still hasn’t recovered from her pneumonia?
Your grandmother still hasn’t gotten over her pneumonia?

I recovered from my seasickness pretty quickly.
I got over my seasickness pretty quickly.

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to hop up = to stand quickly

When we enter the store, the clerk stood quickly and said, "Hi! How can I help you?"
When we enter the store, the clerk hopped up and said, "Hi! How can I help you?"

The doorman stood quickly to open the door.
The doorman hopped up to open the door.

My wife stood quickly to answer the phone.
My wife hopped up to answer the phone.

The guy stood quickly and ran behind the bar, "What can I get you?"
The guy hopped up and ran behind the bar, "What can I get you?"

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the last thing (needed, wanted, etc) = the thing that is absolutely NOT (needed, wanted)

I was late for work, so the thing I absolutely did NOT need was a flat tire.
I was late for work, so the last thing I needed was a flat tire.

The the thing I absolutely did NOT need was a headache.
The the last thing I needed was a headache.

The the thing I absolutely did NOT need was more homework.
The the last thing I needed was more homework.

That’s something that she absolutely did NOT want was food!
That’s the last thing she wanted was food!

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Easy: To make sure I understood the point, my father pounded the table with his fist.

Advanced: To ___ ___ the point, my father pounded the table with his fist.

Easy: Without thinking about it, I’d say there were thirty people there, or so.
Advanced: ___ I’d say there were thirty people there, or so.

Easy: It was a difficult operation, but my grandfather is coping well.
Advanced: It was a difficult operation, but my grandfather is ___  ___  ___ .

Easy: When my former boss got a job as my assistant, I told him, "Well, now the situation has reversed."
Advanced: When my former boss got a job as my assistant, I told him, "Well, now ___  ___  ___  ___ ."

Easy: It took me two weeks to recover from the flu.
Advanced: It took me two weeks to ___  ___ the flu.

Easy: When we enter the store, the clerk stood quickly and said, "Hi! How can I help you?"

Advanced: When we enter the store, the clerk ___  ___ and said, "Hi! How can I help you?"

Easy: I was late for work, so the thing I absolutely did NOT need was a flat tire.

Advanced: I was late for work, so ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  was a flat tire.