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20

Unit 20: Telling stories
Narrative tenses

Select a unit

  1. 1Pop-ups
  2. 2Hidden talents
  3. 3Can't buy me love
  4. 4Travellers' tales
  5. 5The colleague from hell
  6. 6Jurassic mystery: unpacking the past
  7. 7Career changes
  8. 8Art
  9. 9Project management
  10. 10The dog ate my homework!
  11. 11The diary of a double agent
  12. 12Fashion forward
  13. 13Flat pack skyscrapers
  14. 14Extreme sports
  15. 15Food fads
  16. 16Me, my selfie and I
  17. 17Endangered animals
  18. 18A nip and a tuck: cosmetic surgery
  19. 19I'm really sorry...
  20. 20Telling stories
  21. 21Fakes and phrasals
  22. 22Looking to the future
  23. 23Becoming familiar with things
  24. 24From rags to riches
  25. 25Against the odds
  26. 26Our future on Mars?
  27. 27Where is it illegal to get a fish drunk?
  28. 28Dodgy dating
  29. 29Annoying advice
  30. 30I'll have been studying English for thirty weeks

Session 4

Your friend tells you that he got on a bus one day - and Justin Bieber was the driver! What do you say? Learn expressions to use when you hear surprising information

Wayiitiwwan marii boqonnaa kana keessaa

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Wayitii marii qabxii 4

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    Activity 1
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    Activity 2
  1. Activity 1
  2. Activity 2

Activity 1

Expressions of surprise and disbelief

Brian's incredible life

Meet Brian. He's one of those people whose life is full of incredible events – like the time he got on a bus to college one morning and Justin Bieber was the driver! Or the time he went to Paris and climbed all the way to the top of the Eiffel Tower because he couldn't afford a ticket. Or the time… hmm, perhaps Brian's just a liar…

Here's a conversation between Brian and his friend Ken. Most of the things he says are surprising, but not all of them.

To do

Listen to Brian talking about his amazing life to Ken. Listen to Ken's responses and pay attention to the way Ken responds. Mostly, he's expressing surprise - but not always! Then, test your understanding of this language in the quiz.

Learning tip: This is a listening activity - so don't read the transcript until after you've tried the activity!

Sagalee kana dhaggeefadhuu shaakala kana xumuri

Barreeffama agarsiisiBarreeffama dhoksi

1. Brian
I was waiting for the bus to college - same as every morning – but when I got on and went to show the driver my bus pass, I noticed that it was Justin Bieber driving the bus.

Ken
No way!

2. Brian
I didn't have enough money for a ticket for the Eiffel Tower so I just climbed up instead – right to the top! 

Ken
Get out of here!

3. Brian
Did you know I once swam across the Atlantic Ocean?

Ken
You're kidding!

4. Brian
I had a pizza for lunch.

Ken
Really?

5. Brian
I won the lottery and am going to buy an island in the Caribbean.

Ken
Are you for real?

6. Brian
It's my sister's birthday tomorrow.

Ken
Oh yeah?

7. Brian
I just ate a kilo of raw chili peppers.

Ken
You're not serious.

Downloads

You can download the programme and transcript from our Unit 20 Downloads page.

What did Ken say?

7 Questions

Read what Brian said - then choose the phrase Ken used to express his surprise.

Baga gammadde! Qormaata xumurteetta
Excellent!Great job!Carraa badaa!Qabxii argatte:
x / y

Next

How did you get on? In the next activity, we'll give you some more information about these expressions of disbelief.

You'll also learn how important intonation is when you use them - that's how the tone of your voice affects the meaning of what you're saying.

Wiirtuu gadi-buufatan

Qabiyyee koorsiiwwan dhihoo kanaa