JULIE: I just bought a ticket to New York City. I’m so 
excited to see the city!
SOPHIE: Good for you! Traveling is so much fun. I love 
discovering new places and new people. When 
are you leaving?
JULIE: Next week. I’m taking the red eye. It was cheaper. 
Hopefully, I’ll be able to sleep on the plane.
SOPHIE: I wish I could go with you! New York City is a magical 
place. You will have so much fun.
JULIE: I hope so. I’m going to visit my brother who lives 
there. I will stay for a week and then take the train 
down to Washington, D.C.
SOPHIE: That sounds like a great vacation. I’m looking 
forward to a week at the beach for my summer 
vacation. I just want to relax.


LANGUAGE NOTES
• Ticket can refer to many different types of transportation (metro, bus, train, plane, etc.). 
In general, you can guess the means of transportation by the context.
• When discussing airplane travel, a red eye is a flight that leaves at night to arrive early 
the next morning. This is in reference to how red your eyes become when you don’t get 
a full night’s sleep

English Conversation practice (30-day challenge)

Day 25: Taking vacations

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