Tom: John Blake was trying to find out more about a pendant. The pendant had been stolen from a museum. With his friend, Mary Green, he went to the shop of the bookseller, Mr. Egg. They talked to his assistant. Suddenly Mr. Forset, a collector of old things came in. He said he had been talking to Mr. Egg in his room over the shop. John wanted to go upstairs, but the assistant said no. “Then we’ll leave a message for Mr. Egg,” Mary said.
Woman: (telephone ringing) Can I speak to Mr. Reed?
Man: I’m afraid he’s out.
Woman: Can I leave a message?
Man: Of course, Madam.
Woman: Have you got a paper and pencil to take it down?
Man: Yes, Madam.
Woman: And will you give him my message as soon as he arrives?
Man: Of course, Madam, just leave the message with me, and I’ll pass it on to him.
Woman: Tell him, please, that I’m expecting a message from him.
Tom: By the way, Cathy, what about discussing the verb “to leave”? It’s used in so many expressions.
Cathy: A good idea. But I don’t know very many of them.
Tom: It doesn’t matter. Leave it to me. Just listen.
(lion roaring)
Woman: Oh, my God! The lion!
Man: Oh, it’s nothing. Somebody has left the cage open.
(sobbing)
Woman1: What’s the matter?
Woman2: Nothing. Leave me alone, please.
Woman1: But is anything wrong?
Woman2: I had some bad news.
Woman1: Oh, I am sorry. Can I help?
Woman2: No, thanks. Just leave me alone. I want to be by myself. So, leave me alone, if you don’t mind.
(train puffing)
Man: Porter! Put these cases on the Exeter train for me.
Porter: Yes, sir. Have you a reservation?
Man: Yes. Here is the ticket. I’ll buy a paper before the train leaves.
Porter: Hurry, sir, it leaves in three minutes.
(train leaving)
Man: Porter! Porter!
Porter: My goodness, sir! The train has just left.
Man: And left me behind.
Porter: And your cases have left with it.
Woman1: Hello, Mary. How nice to see you. I haven’t seen you for ages.
Woman2: My goodness. I don’t think we’ve met since we left school.
Woman1: Fantastic. Twenty years. Yes, it’s just twenty years.
Woman2: How time flies. My son’s about to leave school. He’s 18. He finishes school in July.
Woman1: Do you mean to say you have a son who is leaving school? I didn’t know you were old enough.
Woman2: But darling, we’ve left school together. We’re the same age.
Woman1: Oh, don’t be silly.
Cathy: Oh, I think that’s enough. Let’s leave it at that, shall we?
Tom: Leave it at that? I won’t leave it at that. There’re lots of other expressions with “leave”.
Cathy: Tom, take it or leave it, I’m not going to talk about it any longer.
Tom: What a determined young lady you are. Take it or leave it – hah! But what can I do?
Cathy: Do you know what? Let’s return to Mary, who wanted to leave a message for Mr. Egg.
Tom: OK. Listen then.
Mary: Then we’ll leave a message for Mr. Egg. Tell him we were sorry he was out. We’ll see him at seven o’clock tonight. Tell him we’ll be here at seven.
Assistant: Very well.
Mary: Now, let’s go. I need some fresh air. These old books smell so dusty. John, don’t you think they smell dusty?
John: Hm, yes, I do.
Mary: Good morning, Mr. Forset. Say goodbye to Mr. Egg for me. I’m so sorry he couldn’t see us. Come on, John.
Tom: John and Mary left the shop. They took leave of Mr. Forset, but they couldn’t say goodbye to Mr. Egg, as he wasn’t there, so Mary asked Mr. Forset to do so instead of her. “Say goodbye to Mr. Egg for me,” she said.
Child1: Mickey, why are you sitting all by yourself? Come and play.
Child2: Mummy said I can’t go to play until I’ve drunk my milk.
Child1: Oh, Mickey, drink it up quickly and come.
Child2: But I can’t, I simply can’t. You know I hate milk. Jill, you’re such a nice sister. Drink it for me.
Child1: Drink it for you? Do you want me to drink it instead of you?
Child2: Yes, please drink it for me.
Child1: All right. (swallowing) Mum is coming.
Mother: Now, let me see, Mickey. Good little boy. I don’t know why you were making such a fuss about drinking your milk.
Tom: John and Mary left Mr. Egg’s bookshop. John went home. You remember Mrs. Cave, his landlady, don’t you? You met her when Mr. Egg paid a visit to John. Well, Mrs. Cave was waiting for John. She was very angry. She was holding a newspaper. “Where have you been?” she asked. “I’ve been out, Mrs. Cave,” John answered. He meant he had not been at home, he had gone away. He had been out. Then Mrs. Cave said “It says in the paper that you’ve been in the museum.”
Woman: Hello, Charley, darling, what a fantastic dinner, pet. Imagine, Margaret said that—
Man: (without looking up) Hello, darling. I’m reading my newspaper.
Woman: (peering over) Oh, what does it say in the newspaper?
Man: (reading gravely) It says there is heavy fighting in the East.
Woman: (dismissive) As usual.
Man: It also says that a plane crashed. A hundred and twenty people died.
Woman: (shaking head) You see these planes—
Man: (interrupting) There’s an article saying that the Prime Minister of—
Woman: (mock surprise) You don’t say so.
Man: (turning page) Oh, well… (brightening) And it says that the most fashionable colours this summer will be navy blue with lemon yellow.
Woman: (delighted) Oh, lovely. And what does it say about the length of skirts?
Man: (smirking) The mini-skirt is still in fashion.
Woman: (pleased) Marvellous. I needn’t hide my nice legs under a long skirt.
Man: (dryly) As Shakespeare says, “Frailty, thy name is woman.”
Tom: Well, Mrs. Cave was waiting for John with a newspaper in her hand.
Mrs. Cave: Ah, there you are! Where have you been?
John: I’ve been out, Mrs. Cave.
Mrs. Cave: You’ve been to the museum, haven’t you?
John: The museum? No, I haven’t been to the museum today. I’ve been to see a friend.
Mrs. Cave: It says in the paper that you’ve been to the museum.
John: In the paper?
Mrs. Cave: Have you seen the paper?
John: No.
Mrs. Cave: I have. I’ve just seen it. Look at it.
John: Well…
Mrs. Cave: I’ve just been looking at it. It says a jewel has been stolen – a valuable pendant.
John: Well, yes—
Mrs. Cave: It’s been stolen from the museum.
John: But that was yesterday. I went to the museum yesterday.
Mrs. Cave: This is today’s paper, I’ve just been reading it. It says you have been questioned by the police.
John: I have been helping the police.
Mrs. Cave: It says you have, oh yes. It says more than that. It says you live here.
John: But I do live here.
Mrs. Cave: Listen to this: “John Blake of 42, Alberts Road…”
Tom: Mrs. Cave said to John: “It says in the paper that you’ve been to the museum.” “But that was yesterday,” John answered. “This is today’s paper,” the landlady replied.
Cathy: Wait a minute, Tom. Today’s paper? That’s an interesting form. The ’s is normally only used with living things, isn’t it?
Tom: Oh, yes. But there are always exceptions to the rule with nouns expressing time, distance or measurement, for instance. Let’s have a few examples.
Cathy: Well, it says in today’s paper.
Tom: Yes, but it’s yesterday’s news.
Cathy: I need a few minutes’ thought.
Tom: And I need a mile’s walk.
Cathy: Are you mad? After a week’s rain?
Tom: No, Cathy, after a hard day’s work.
Cathy: Tom, I give up. I’m tired.
Tom: All right, Cathy. Let’s listen to the last part of today’s story then.
Cathy: Thank you, Tom. I’m listening.
Tom: Well, Mrs. Cave was terribly upset. The paper had mentioned her house. “I don’t like my house mentioned in the paper. It’s a decent house.” A decent house, one that everybody thinks is nice, quiet and respectable. A house that everybody has a good opinion about.
Mrs. Cave: “John Blake of 42, Alberts Road…” That’s my house.
John: Yes, it’s this house.
Mrs. Cave: It’s my house, Mr. Blake, my house.
John: Yes, Mrs. Cave, it’s your house.
Mrs. Cave: Listen: “John Blake of 42, Alberts Road is helping the police with their inquiries.”
John: Yes, I am. I was at the museum, and this man came up to me and…
Mrs. Cave: The police, Mr. Blake.
John: The police were called when the pendant was stolen. I am helping them.
Mrs. Cave: Mr. Blake, my house has been mentioned in the paper. The police have been mentioned.
John: Yes. Isn’t it exciting?
Mrs. Cave: Exciting? I don’t like to see my house mentioned in the paper. It’s a decent house, we are decent people.
John: Of course we are.
Mrs. Cave: Decent people aren’t mentioned in the paper.
Tom: Mrs. Cave didn’t like the fact that her house had been mentioned in the newspaper. “Isn’t it exciting?” John said, but Mrs. Cave didn’t agree with him. “I don’t like to see my house mentioned in the paper. Decent people aren’t mentioned with the police,” she said.
Cathy: Well, Tom, I know you have a lot more to tell us, but I’m afraid it’s time to exercise our English.
Tom: You’re right, Cathy. It’s really time for a few minutes’ exercise. So now,
EXERCISE YOUR ENGLISH.
Exercise 1
Listen to the example:
A: Have you been to the museum today?
B: No, I haven’t, I went to the museum yesterday.
Listen, speak, listen.
A: Have you been to the museum today?
[Your response]
B: No, I haven’t, I went to the museum yesterday.
A: Have you been to the bookshop today?
[Your response]
B: No, I haven’t, I went to the bookshop yesterday.
A: Have you been to the hospital today?
[Your response]
B: No, I haven’t, I went to the hospital yesterday.
A: Have you been to the garage today?
[Your response]
B: No, I haven’t, I went to the garage yesterday.
Exercise 2
Listen to the example:
A: A jewel has been stolen from the museum.
B: When did they steal it?
Listen, speak, listen.
A: A jewel has been stolen from the museum.
[Your response]
B: When did they steal it?
A: The thief has been questioned at the police station.
[Your response]
B: When did they question him?
A: Miss Haverel’s house has been mentioned in the paper.
[Your response]
B: When did they mention it?
A: A picture has been damaged at the exhibition.
[Your response]
B: When did they damage it?
A: This letter has been written in a hurry.
[Your response]
B: When did they write it?
A: Our proposition has been discussed in detail.
[Your response]
B: When did they discuss it?
A: The work has been done perfectly.
[Your response]
B: When did they do it?
Exercise 3
Listen to the example:
A: I’m sorry I couldn’t say goodbye to him.
B: Never mind, I’ll say goodbye to him for you.
Listen, speak, listen.
A: I’m sorry I couldn’t say goodbye to him.
[Your response]
B: Never mind, I’ll say goodbye to him for you.
A: I’m sorry I didn’t congratulate him.
[Your response]
B: Never mind, I’ll congratulate him for you.
A: I’m sorry I won’t be here to help them.
[Your response]
B: Never mind, I’ll help them for you.
A: I’m sorry I couldn’t say hello to her.
[Your response]
B: Never mind, I’ll say hello to her for you.
Tom: And here is today’s story once again. John and Mary left Mr. Egg’s shop. John went back to the house where he lived. He found his landlady, Mrs. Cave, waiting for him. She was very angry.
Mary: Then we’ll leave a message for Mr. Egg. Tell him we were sorry he was out. We’ll see him at seven o’clock tonight. Tell him we’ll be here at seven.
Assistant: Very well.
Mary: Now, let’s go. I need some fresh air. These old books smell so dusty. John, don’t you think they smell dusty?
John: Hm, yes, I do.
Mary: Good morning, Mr. Forset. Say goodbye to Mr. Egg for me. I’m so sorry he couldn’t see us. Come on, John.
Mrs. Cave: Ah, there you are! Where have you been?
John: I’ve been out, Mrs. Cave.
Mrs. Cave: You’ve been to the museum, haven’t you?
John: The museum? No, I haven’t been to the museum today. I’ve been to see a friend.
Mrs. Cave: It says in the paper that you’ve been to the museum.
John: In the paper?
Mrs. Cave: Have you seen the paper?
John: No.
Mrs. Cave: I have. I’ve just seen it. Look at it.
John: Well…
Mrs. Cave: I’ve just been looking at it. It says a jewel has been stolen – a valuable pendant.
John: Well, yes—
Mrs. Cave: It’s been stolen from the museum.
John: But that was yesterday. I went to the museum yesterday.
Mrs. Cave: This is today’s paper, I’ve just been reading it. It says you have been questioned by the police.
John: I have been helping the police.
Mrs. Cave: It says you have, oh yes. It says more than that. It says you live here.
John: But I do live here.
Mrs. Cave: Listen to this: “John Blake of 42, Alberts Road…” That’s my house.
John: Yes, it’s this house.
Mrs. Cave: It’s my house, Mr. Blake, my house.
John: Yes, Mrs. Cave, it’s your house.
Mrs. Cave: Listen: “John Blake of 42, Alberts Road is helping the police with their inquiries.”
John: Yes, I am. I was at the museum, and this man came up to me and…
Mrs. Cave: The police, Mr. Blake.
John: The police were called when the pendant was stolen. I am helping them.
Mrs. Cave: Mr. Blake, my house has been mentioned in the paper. The police have been mentioned.
John: Yes. Isn’t it exciting?
Mrs. Cave: Exciting? I don’t like to see my house mentioned in the paper. It’s a decent house, we are decent people.
John: Of course we are.
Mrs. Cave: Decent people aren’t mentioned in the paper. Decent people aren’t mentioned with the police.
John: But I’m helping them.
Mrs. Cave: You’ll have to find another place.
(theme music)