Here is Level 2, Lesson 19: “Movie Night” adapted from VOA Learning English.
- Listen, read, translate if needed, and practice along with the audio player and dialogue below.
Anna: Hi, can you tell me how to get to your movie theater?
(Movie theater worker on the phone gives directions.)
Anna: Oh, that’s easy. OK, thank you. Bye.
(Anna meets Pete outside of the theater.)
Anna: Hi, Pete! Thanks for the movie invitation.
Pete: Yeah, sure Anna.
Anna: I love movies. I love the plot! I love the set design! I love the costumes! I love –
Pete: Anna, I take movies very seriously. You’re not one of those people who talks during a movie, are you?
Anna: No.
Pete: Good.
Professor Bot: Anna loves movies. And..she loves talking about movies. And Pete doesn’t sound happy about that.
But he’s trying to be polite. He can do that with Indirect Questions.
We can ask a question directly: Where is your movie theater? or indirectly as Anna does:
Anna: Can you tell me how to get to your movie theater?
They have the same meaning. But indirect questions are more polite and a little more formal.
Many indirect questions begin with:
Can/Could you tell me…
Would/Do you mind…
Would it be possible…
or
Do you know…
Hmm, do you know if Anna will stop talking? I sure don’t.
Keep watching. And, this time look for indirect questions that begin with: Would you mind…
Anna: I love the smell of popcorn. I love seats that rock.
(Her chair makes noise as she rocks back and forth.)
Pete: I love when people are quiet.
(The lights go down and we see movie light on their faces.)
Anna: Ooh look, the previews are starting. I love to see what movies are coming out. Oh, this one looks good!
Pete: Anna, the previews are part of the movie experience. So, would you mind not talking?
Anna: Oh, sure, sure.
(Anna eats her popcorn loudly. Then, she begins drinking her milkshake loudly.)
Pete: Anna, I was wondering: are you almost finished with that?
Anna: No. There’s still a lot of milkshake at the bottom.
(She drinks loudly again. And again.)
Pete: Anna, do you mind not drinking so loudly?
Anna: I’ll try. But it’s really thick.
(She moves the straw around and makes even more noise.)
Pete: Anna, what are you doing?!
(A person in the audience shushes Pete.)
Person in audience: Shh!
(Pete tells the person what was happening.)
Pete: I’m not the one making all the noise.
Person in audience: Shhh!
Anna: I’m done now.
(Anna now holds many noisy boxes of candy. Finally, she chooses a candy bar.)
Pete: Anna, would you mind opening that a little bit more quietly?
Anna: I’ll try.
(She tries to open it quietly but cannot.)
Pete: Anna, just give it to me!
(He tears it open with his mouth. It makes a loud noise. Again, someone in the audience thinks he is making too much noise.)
Person in audience: Shhh!
Pete: (to the person) It’s not mine. I’m opening it for her. Here.
Person in audience: Shhhhhh!!
(He gives the candy bar quickly back to her.)
Pete: Here!
Anna: Thanks, Pete.
Pete: Now, would you mind being more quiet?
(The light of someone’s phone shines in Pete’s face. He asks the person a question.)
Pete: Excuse me, would you mind turning down your phone light?
(Then, Anna’s phone rings.)
Anna: Oh, sorry! I forgot to turn my phone off.
(She tries to turn it off but drops it under the seat.)
Anna: Oh no! I dropped it. Where is it?
(She looks under the seat in front of her.)
Pete: Anna, can you please turn off your phone?
(She speaks to the person Pete just asked to turn their phone light down.)
Anna: Excuse me, would you mind lending me your phone light for a minute?
Pete: No! I’ll get it!
Person in audience: Shhhhh!
(People shush Pete again. He finally has had enough.)
Pete: Look, people, I’m not the noisy one here! So, you all need to shush the right person. And I should know about shushing! I shush people all the time!!
Security guard: Excuse me, sir. You can’t yell in a movie theater. Would you mind coming with me?
Pete: You’re kicking me out? Me? But I’m always the quiet one in the movie!
(The security guard takes Pete out. Anna watches the movie and eats quietly from her bag of popcorn.)
Anna: Pete should know better. You have to be quiet in a movie theater. Shh, the movie’s starting!
Professor Bot: Well, that’s a surprise! I thought Anna would be the noisy one.
Well, she was … with her food. But Pete did all of the talking. At least he tried to be polite by using indirect questions.
2. Watch Lesson 19: “Movie Night” American English video lesson.
3. Take Lesson 19: “Movie Night” quiz to check your American English knowledge. Click here to take the quiz.
4. Answer the following question in the comments section below:
Write about your favorite movie and where you watched it. What did you think of the plot, the set design and the costumes?
About the Author
Hello. I’m Danijela.
We should be polite despite bed experiences. Politeness and decency are a reflection of our upbringing.
In the quiz my score was 4/4.
Thank you very much Maestro Sersea.
Hello, hind from Iraq.
– I would like the local moves because usually the simplest and cheapest since they cover a short distance.
-Plot is creative writing a plot is the sequence of event that make up a story filmed or sung , the plot is the story and more specifically .
-The set is comfortable and without noise.
-The customers adheres to the instruction everywhere them goes.
Hello Hind from Iraq.
My quiz was 2/4
Thank you
Hello maestro sersea; I went with My children yo see the Maleficient movie and wey fell in love with the story of that not si villainous villain ,I loved everithing about the movie , in the quiz I got 100 % thank You so much.
Hello everyone:
I don’t really have a favorite movie, but I can tell you what my favorite kind of movie is. These are adventure, science-fiction and suspense movies. An example, the Riddix saga which is about a man who is a good person but has many enemies. It is a futuristic movie in the best style of the classic star wars.
In the quiz I reach 4/4
Thank you Maestro
Lesson 2.19.4 Year 2
Lesson 19,” Movie night” Quiz
I got a full score.
The movie I saw a long time ago in Paris was ” Gladiator” What a movie! I fell in love with this film the first time I watched it, though it was a very violent movie. The actors are all brilliantly cast, with incredible directing, exceptional costume designs , and perfect art direction. One can watch it over and over again.
Greetings Maestro Sersea
My favorite film is The Count of Monte Christ. I saw it, in the movie theater. The historical setting tells us about an adventure of deceit and revenge. And is the story of two friends Edmond Dante a 19 years old Frenchman. He is imprisoned and accused falsely of treason by his best friend Fernand Mondego. There in prison, Edmond Dante planned his revenge against his worst enemy Fernand Mondego. For me, the movie has a good set design and the costumes were inspired in the 1800s.
I scored 100% in my quiz.
Best Regards
Hello ! I get 4/4 on the quiz, thanks for the lesson