Eavesdropping on English with Rosie

How to answer questions which begin with "did".

Here are 4 ways that you can answer a question that begins with the word did. 

Questions about past activities: Did +Subject+ Present Tense Verb

In English, many times, we ask about past activities by using the verb "did+ a present tense verb. This sounds confusing. Why use a present tense verb if you are asking about the past? On this episode we explain the structure of Did+ Subject + Present Tense Verb.

Work- What do you do for a living? (present tense)

In conversation, how to describe your occupation in present tense.  The questions you might hear are?
What type of job do you have?   I am a_____.
What type of work do you do?     I work for _____.
What do you do for a living?         I am in______.      I work at______.

Customer Service: Ordering at a restaurant in the U.S.

This episode covers usual questions a server or restaurant employee might ask you in a restaurant and your answer:
What would you like? I'll have a ______.
What can I get you?  I'll take a_________.
Are you ready to order? Yes, I'll try the ____.
Do you need more time? No, I'm ready to order. I'll have_______.

Customer Service- Changing an appointment

Receiving appropriate customer service many times involves using the correct vocabulary word to express your needs accurately. 
In this episode we discuss how to reschedule an appointment time by using the word "earlier" and how to reschedule an appointment date by using the word "sooner". 

Conversation: Have you ever broken a bone? Have you ever had stitches?

This conversation is about injuries in the PAST. Notice that the verbs we use are past tense. 
Listen for the phrases " I was wondering" and "Let me ask you this". These are two common ways we can start off asking questions:
"Let me ask you this, have you ever broken a bone?
"I was wondering, if you have ever broken a bone?" 
Vocabulary:  broken, bone, stitches, wrist, toe

Conversation: How do you feel?

When we ask each other in English how we feel we are usually referring to how we feel emotionally of how we feel mentally.
Answers to this question could include- I feel excited. I feel anxious. I am feeling hopeful. I am feeling down. Things are not good. 
We usually have a follow up question- What's going on? Do you want to talk? Is everything ok?
And well wishes-
I hope things get better. I am here if you want to talk.  I am excited for you. Thank you for sharing with me. 

Conversation: How are you feeling?

How are you feeling is a usual question we ask in conversation in English.  We are asking about your physical health. It is usually asked if someone appears to be in pain or not looking like they feel well. Usual answers include -I'm fine. I feel better. I am not so good. I have a headache. etc.
We usually answer by offering concern- Oh no! What's wrong? What's the matter? How can I help? etc.
Or we offer advice- Do you need acetaminophen? You should drink water. Why don't you sit down and rest. etc. 

Describing time in the past- using "ago"

Ago is a useful word for describing events in the simple past. 
Ago will follow a noun: weeks ago, months ago, hours ago, days ago, years ago 

Conversation: Do you enjoy traveling? Where have you been?

This conversation is about a person's experiences and opinions on traveling.
Vocabulary to listen for:
formal- location, relax, explore, flight
informal/slang-vibe, awesome