MEG: Well, hello there, Julia! Long time no see!
JULIA: Meg! Hi! What a coincidence! I haven’t seen you in ages! What 
are you doing here?
MEG: I just got a new job in the city, so I’m shopping for some 
clothes. Hey, what do you think of this shirt?
JULIA: Hmmm … well, you know how much I love blue. See? I’ve got 
the same shirt!
MEG: You always did have good taste! What a small world.



LANGUAGE NOTES
• Well, hello there … Notice the emphasis on “hello,” which shows that Meg did not 
expect to see Julia.
• Long time, no see! This is a common expression used to say hello to someone you 
haven’t seen in a long time.
• What a ___! This exclamation shows a great degree of surprise, joy, disappointment, 
etc. (What a surprise to see you here! What a joy to have you with us! What a shame 
that you have to leave so soon! What a wonderful idea that is!)
• You always did have good taste! Notice the stress on “did,” which Meg uses to 
emphasize the fact that Julia DOES have good taste! Meg says it in a joking way 
because Julia likes the same thing that she does.
• What a small world is a common expression used to describe a chance meeting or 
other such coincidence.

English Conversation practice (30-day challenge)

Day 8: Coincidences

LAYLA: Thanks for meeting with me during your lunch hour. I 
appreciate it.
MONICA: No problem. I’m happy to help. What’s going on?
LAYLA: Oh you know, the usual. Should I take this new job? Or do I 
stick with my current one?
MONICA: Well, I think it’s time for a change, don’t you? They pay you late 
and you are unhappy.
LAYLA: Do you really think so?
MONICA: I know so. And I’ve been listening to you complain for over a 
year now. Trust me. Take the job. What do you have to lose?



LANGUAGE NOTES
• In formal conversation, giving advice is often suggested through modals: ought to/ 
should / could / If I were you. In informal conversations people tend to use words such 
as I think that/ I feel that/ in my opinion.
• Listen for the emphasis on I know so and Trust me. These common phrases can be 
used to convey both positive and negative emotions. “I know so” conveys a deep belief 
or certainty. “To know” shows more certainty than “to think.”
• Notice the use of command forms: Take the job. /Trust me./ Go for it! The command 
form can be used to gently persuade someone

Day 30 (final) : Giving advice

ANGELICA: Doesn’t the bride look beautiful in that wedding dress?
MARIA: Yes. She looks amazing. And the groom is so romantic. 
I just heard the story of how they got engaged! He 
proposed to her during a candlelight dinner in London. 
Did you know that was where they went to school?
ANGELICA: Oh? Wonderful. And the honeymoon! What a great 
idea! Most people just go to the beach for a week 
after they tie the knot. But they plan on heading to 
California and cruising the coast on their motorcycle.
MARIA: Really! What a fantastic idea. This is by far the best 
wedding I’ve ever been to



LANGUAGE NOTES
• Doesn’t …? When you have a negative question, the expected answer is “yes.” As 
such, it expresses the exact opposite of what is being conveyed (i.e., the bride DOES 
look absolutely beautiful).
• Listen to the stress on honeymoon. There are three syllables in “honeymoon,” with the 
stress on the first syllable [HO-ney-moon]. This content word is culturally important, so 
it’s emphasized: It means a trip or vacation taken by a newly married couple.
• Tie the knot is an informal way of saying “get married.”
• Can you find and explain the two usages of just in this dialogue? “Just” is an adverb 
that can be used in two different ways:
 a) To indicate a very recent past (I just heard the story). When used to convey 
time, “just” is commonly used with a simple past verb because the action is 
complete. Sometimes it can also be used with the present perfect (He’s just 
finished writing a book).
 b) To indicate contrast or emphasis (Most people just go to the beach). In that 
case, “just” can be replaced by “simply” and emphasize the word it relates to 
(a verb, adjective or other adverb) by denoting contrast. Compare the following 
sentences: “They just got married yesterday” (adverb of time). “The wedding 
reception was just wonderful” (adverb of emphasis).

Day 29: Weddings

RYAN: I’m so happy this week of midterm exams is finished.
TYLER: Same here. I’m looking forward to relaxing in the mountains 
this weekend. I’ve planned a little hike in the woods. 
And I’m gonna take a canoe trip down the river if the 
weather cooperates.
RYAN: Oh, fun! I’m going to Michigan. I’m taking my camera 
because fall is coming fast. The leaves are already turning 
all shades of red and orange. It will be awesome.
TYLER: Next time you go there, I’ll join you. I’ve heard Michigan is a 
great place to go canoeing


LANGUAGE NOTES
• Midterm Students at universities in the United States often take exams midsemester, 
around October or March of every year. These exams are called midterms. Exams at the 
end of the semester are called finals or final exams and are usually in May.
• Gonna is a colloquial form of “I’m going to.” Other similar constructions include 
“wanna” [want to] or “hafta” [have to]. These are examples of transcriptions of spoken 
English and should not be used in a formal context. Some of these examples are now 
seen in text messages as a means of shortening sentences.
• Awesome: is a colloquial way of saying “excellent,” “cool,” “great.” Last night’s rock 
concert was awesome