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

[toggle title=”Click to reveal Movie Script”]

Mark: Again, the letter A, off on the left, is where his building is. And you can see it’s a—that’s about a seven minute walk to where it says “Times Square.” Pretty much in the center of that picture.

Greg: So, from-from the A to Times Square is about a seven minute walk so, that puts him at fifteen minutes from Central Park?

Mark: Yeah, exactly.

Greg: That’s pretty cool.

Mark: Oh, it’s great. But, of course you walk slower sometimes in New York because you’re just looking and distracted. And, you know, there’s so much to look at, obviously.
Greg: Yeah, right.

Mark: But if you were hustling (moving quickly), you could definitely get there in probably less than fifteen minutes.

Greg: Ok, cool.

– – – –

Greg: Ok so, this looks like a picture of Dasha, who I have never actually met. But I have seen her in pictures, so I’m guessing that’s her.

Mark: Good guess.

Greg: And, is that the Empire State Building off to the left?

Mark: Correct, which now it gives you a sense of how damn far that building actually is.

Greg: This is at Jeff’s apartment, right?

Mark: Correct.

Greg: And…

Mark: And he is now off—he’s now off in Las Vegas on that—for that toy fair, as he
calls it.

– – – –

Mark: And in this picture—in this picture she’s looking off to the Hudson River, looking at some cruise ship that is coming up the river.

Greg: Oh, I thought she was showing her bracelet.
Mark: No.

– – – –

Mark: In the next picture, I’m on the roof of the building where the terrace (is). This is not actually the roof. It’s kinda cool. So like, I think he was on, like, the thirty-first floor and on the thirty-second floor, if you go up that, there’s a terrace that you can go out. There’s no chairs, but you can bring your own chair. Or we would just go up there and have coffee every day. And you look at the city, look at the river, watch the boats, and stuff (things) like that.

Greg: Oh, that’s cool. Awesome.

Mark: Yeah, it was a nice view.

Greg: Were there other people up there in the mornings that you’d chat with or kinda….

Mark: I guess people, like, had jobs and stuff. So, no, there weren’t. So, we were—I felt like we had the building to ourselves, not to mention just the terrace. You know, people….At nine o’clock, people were gone to work.

Greg: Yeah, actually. Yeah, that’s probably right.

– – – –

Mark: Then, one more picture. We hoofed it (walked a long way) down to the Empire State building so you could see it in person. It actually still doesn’t quite give you the sense of how big that thing is, but it is a nice picture. It’s a—it’s a great…It’s great architecture.

Greg: Yeah, that’s a great shot, actually. Kinda almost a pro (professional) picture. Yeah, when we were there we went—we went up to the top and took actually quite a long time to get there.

Mark: Wait, you mean you took just the elevator and it took a long time?

Greg: I don’t know, I just—I remember standing in a few-few different lines, or one long line at the end.

Mark: Do you remember what that cost? Just out of curiosity. (The only reason I’m asking is because I’m curious)

Greg: I have the figure of twenty-eight dollars in my head for some reason, but that could be totally (completely) wrong.

Mark: That could be wrong; I’m guess it’s wrong because to get to the top of Rockefeller, the Rockefeller building, you know where the NBC studios are?

Greg: Yeah.

Mark: That’s eighteen bucks. They have a restaurant there called…I think it’s called “Top of the World” and it’s twenty dollars. And as you walk towards the building, someone gives you a two dollar off coupon. Eighteen bucks. So, I wouldn’t imagine that this would be more than that. So, maybe unless you’re thinking it was twenty-eight for two people. That would be reasonable, I suppose.

Greg: I don’t know. That was a long time ago, and didn’t make a mental note of it so, not sure.

[/toggle]

[toggle title=”Click to reveal #1″]

pretty much = almost completely

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

I’m almost completely finished with this dessert. I can’t eat much more.
I’m pretty much finished with this dessert. I can’t eat much more.

The computer is almost completely like new.
The computer is pretty much like new.

I was at home almost completely all day.
I was at home pretty much all day.

Times Square is almost completely in the center of that picture.
Times Square is pretty much in the center of that picture.

[/toggle]

[toggle title=”Click to reveal #2″]

that puts it/him/us (etc) at = that means the total for it/him/us, etc is

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

The hotel costs $100 per night, and the plane tickets are $800, so that means the total for the trip is close to $2000.
The hotel costs $100 per night, and the plane tickets are $800, so that puts the trip at close to $2000.

With the lawyer’s fee that means the total is $5000.
With the lawyer’s fee that puts us at $5000.

The Presidential Suite for four nights means the total is...$3000.
The Presidential Suite for four nights puts you at…$3000.

He lives seven minutes from Times Square, so that means the total for him is 15 minutes from Central Park?
He lives seven minutes from Times Square, so that puts him at 15 minutes from Central Park?

[/toggle]

[toggle title=”Click to reveal #3″]

to be off in (some location)  = to be away in

My Dad is away in Egypt on a business trip.
My Dad is off in Egypt on a business trip.

My sister is away in Paris, shopping.
My sister is off in Paris, shopping.

My brother is away in Berlin, working.
My brother is off in Berlin, working.

Jeff is away in Las Vegas for the toy fair.
Jeff is off in Las Vegas for the toy fair.

[/toggle]

[toggle title=”Click to reveal #4″]

and stuff = and things like that

I like to read Stephen King and things like that.
I like to read Stephen King and stuff.

He likes sports and things like that
He likes sports and stuff.

I like movies and things like that.
I like movies and stuff.

I guess people had jobs and things like that.
I guess people had jobs and stuff.

[/toggle]

[toggle title=”Click to reveal #5″]

not to mention = and this is in addition to

The dry cleaner ruined my favorite shirt, and this is in addition to my wife’s new dress.
The dry cleaner ruined my favorite shirt, not to mention my wife’s new dress.

She’s smart, and this is in addition to beautiful.
She’s smart, not to mention beautiful.

He’s funny, and this is in addition to rich.
He’s funny, not to mention rich.

I felt like we had the whole building to ourselves, and this is in addition to the whole terrace.
I felt like we had the whole building to ourselves, not to mention the whole terrace.

[/toggle]

[toggle title=”Click to reveal #6″]

to make a mental note of =  to memorize

I don’t have anything to write down this address for you, so try to memorize it.
I don’t have anything to write down this address for you, so try to make a mental note.

I memorized her name.
I made a mental note of her name.

He memorized their address.
He made a mental note of their address.

That was a long time ago and I didn’t memorize the price.
That was a long time ago and I didn’t make a mental note of the price.

[/toggle]

Easy: I’m almost completely finished with this dessert. I can’t eat much more.

Advanced: I’m ___ ___ finished with this dessert. I can’t eat much more.

Easy: The hotel costs $100 per night, and the plane tickets are $800, so that means the total for the trip is close to $2000.
Advanced: The hotel costs $100 per night, and the plane tickets are $800, so ___  ___  ___  ___  ___ close to $2000.

Easy: My Dad is away in Egypt on a business trip.

Advanced: My Dad is ___ ___ Egypt on a business trip.

Easy: He likes sports and things like that
Advanced: He likes sports ___  ___ .

Easy: He’s funny, and this is in addition to rich.
Advanced: He’s funny, ___  ___  ___  rich.

Easy: I don’t have anything to write down this address for you, so try to memorize it.

Advanced: I don’t have anything to write down this address for you, so try to ___  ___  ___  ___.