Welcome to LIVE CONVERSATIONS “ROME: Lesson 10!” 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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Mark: Mmm-hmm. And then lets skip to that next picture. Here it is at night, that same piazza. And there’s also all sorts of cafes and restaurants here, as well. And just, it was one of the >em>top two or three hangouts in Rome. There’s just…There’s always people here, there’s always groups, there’s always just an energy here.

Greg: Is this where…Is this kind of a central meeting place? Like, “Hey, I’ll meet you here,” kind of thing, where you meet your friends and then go to wherever you’re gonna go?

Mark: Mmm-hmm. Yeah. There’s a couple others like that. The Trevi fountain, as we’ll see in some later picture, as well as…One of those – yeah, key meeting spots.

Greg: You do have to like the lighting in this actually. The whole…It’s kind of….kind of subdued but, but bright enough and cozy, I think, would be the word. Pretty nice.

Greg: This looks pretty awesome And did you have any kind of tour guide information, or any information about this? Like, how long it takes to carve such a thing? And…Or carve each of these pieces to put it together? How it’s built? Any of that kind of info? Or is this just in a public area and you’re kind of on your own to guess, or search the internet for info about it?

Mark: Uhh…Public area. On your own. Search the internet. That is just like a building, you know, behind it, that they tacked on this fountain later-on. So it’s not like the fountain was here and then – I’m pretty sure, if I remember the history of it, the building was there, and the guy who owned the building said, “I want a really cool fountain!” And then — Bingo! They built this.

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1.

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top = best, most popular (depending on context)
NOTE: This is also expressed as: top two or three, top few, and so on

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

Princeton is one of the best universities in the United States.
Princeton is one of the top universities in the United States.

The car rated as one of the three best in safety.
The car rated as one of the top three in safety.

He is probably the most popular candidate for president right now.
He is probably the top candidate for president right now.

It was one of the most popular hangouts.
It was one of the top two or three hangouts.

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2.

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a hangout = a place to meet people and relax
Remember, the 2nd version (using “a hangout”) is how a native speaker will probably say these sentences.

The Starbucks on Broadway is my favorite place to meet people and relax in Manhattan.
The Starbucks on Broadway is my favorite hangout in Manhattan.

The restaurant on the beach is probably the best place to meet people and relax in the city.
The restaurant on the beach is probably the best hangout in the city.

I know a quiet place to meet people and relax on 42nd avenue.
I know a quiet hangout on 42nd avenue.

It was one of the top two or three places to meet people and relax in Rome.
It was one of the top two or three hangouts in Rome.

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3.

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an energy = a lively feeling

Marc Chagall’s paintings always have a very lively feeling.
Marc Chagall’s paintings always have a great energy.

The musicians have a lively feeling when they perform.
The musicians have an energy when they perform.

The crowd in the stadium had a lively feeling during the soccer game yesterday.
The crowd in the stadium had an energy during the soccer game yesterday.

There’s always just a lively feeling here.
There’s always just an energy here.

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4.

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key = main

Lower taxes are a main part of the President’s plan.
Lower taxes are a key part of the President’s plan.

The main part of his speech was about economics.
The key part of his speech was about economics.

The battery is a main component of making this machine work.
The battery is a key component in making this machine work.

The Piazza Navonna is one of those main meeting spots.
The Piazza Navonna is one of those key meeting spots.

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5.

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You have to ____ = I think most people would _____

I think most people would wonder, how did they build these huge pyramids?
You have to wonder, how did they build these huge pyramids?

I think most people would consider taking that job.
You have to consider taking that job.

It’s so upsetting, I think most people would cry.
It’s so upsetting, you have to cry.

I think most people would like the lighting in this photo.
You do have to like the lighting in this photo.

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6.

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pretty = very
NOTE: “Pretty” (when it means, “very”) is one of the most common words in all of American English. You will hear this many, many times each day. Try to use it often.

Your nephew goes to Harvard? He must be very smart!
Your nephew goes to Harvard? He must be pretty smart!

That car can drive 290 kilometers per hour? That is very fast!
That car can drive 290 kilometers per hour? That is pretty fast!

You paid that much for your house? That is very expensive.
You paid that much for your house? That is pretty expensive.

This looks very awesome.
This looks pretty awesome.

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7.

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awesome = (slang) great, excellent, cool, interesting, fantastic, etc

Lionel Messi is a great soccer player!
Lionel Messi is an awesome soccer player!

That food you cooked was great!
That food you cooked was awesome!

That is my favorite painting by him. I think it is great.
That is my favorite painting by him. I think it is awesome.

This looks pretty great.
This looks pretty awesome.

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8.

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on your own = left in a situation (to do something) by yourself

In Las Vegas, my parents went gambling and I was left in a situation to explore the resort by myself.
In Las Vegas, my parents went gambling and I was on my own to explore the resort.

It was my first day on the job, and I was left in a situation to learn my job by myself.
It was my first day on the job, and I was on my own to learn my job.

We left the tour guide, and we were left in a situation to find the exit by ourselves.
We left the tour guide, and we were on our own to find the exit.

Did you take a tour, or is this just in a public area and you’re kind left in a situation to guess what it is by yourself?
Did you take a tour, or is this just in a public area and you’re kind of on your own to guess what it is?

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9.

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tacked on = added

When I argued with the policeman, he added another $200 to the fine!
When I argued with the policeman, he tacked on another $200 to the fine!

They added another bathroom to the house when more people moved in.
They tacked on another bathroom to the house when more people moved in.

The salesman added another $10 to the price after I told him I really liked the shoes.
The salesman tacked on another $10 to the price after I told him I really liked the shoes.

They added this fountain afterward.
They tacked on this fountain afterward.

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10.

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later on = afterward

This house didn’t have a garage when we bought it. We added one afterward.
This house didn’t have a garage when we bought it. We added one later on.

First we ate in the restaurant. Afterward, we went to watch a movie.
First we ate in the restaurant. Later on, we went to watch a movie.

We didn’t notice the problems until afterward. By then it was too late.
We didn’t notice the problems until later on. By then it was too late.

They tacked on this fountain afterward.
They tacked on this fountain later on.

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Easy: Princeton is one of the best universities in the United States.

Advanced: Princeton is one of the ____ universities in the United States.

Easy: The Starbucks on Broadway is my favorite place to meet people and relax in Manhattan.
Advanced: The Starbucks on Broadway is my favorite ________ in Manhattan.

Easy: Marc Chagall’s paintings always have a very lively feeling.

Advanced: Marc Chagall’s paintings always have a _____ ______ .

Easy: Lower taxes are a main part of the President’s plan.

Advanced: Lower taxes are a ___ part of the President’s plan.

Easy: I think most people would wonder, how did they build these huge pyramids?

Advanced: ___ ____ __ wonder, how did they build these huge pyramids?

Easy: Your nephew goes to Harvard? He must be very smart!

Advanced: Your nephew goes to Harvard? He must be _____ smart!

Easy: Lionel Messi is a great soccer player!

Advanced: Lionel Messi is an ______ soccer player!

Easy: In Las Vegas, my parents went gambling and I was left in a situation to explore the resort by myself.

Advanced: In Las Vegas, my parents went gambling and I was __ __ ___ to explore the resort.

Easy: When I argued with the policeman, he added another $200 to the fine!

Advanced: When I argued with the policeman, he _______ __ another $200 to the fine!

Easy: This house didn’t have a garage when we bought it. We added one afterward.

Advanced: This house didn’t have a garage when we bought it. We added one _____ __.