英語日常口語 Unit46:A day at the beach

本單元是關於海灘一天的對話

Michal: I'm so glad we decided to come to Brighton!
Helen: Yeah, so much better than going to the poxy World Cup in Germany.
Michal: Let's sit here on the beach. What a perfect spot for an ice-cream!
Helen: Oh, look at that guy over there. He looks nice and handsome.
Michal: Ahem, I thought you were here with me!
Man: Excuse me?
Helen: Oh, hello can we help you?
Man: I wonder if you could tell me where Brighton Pier is?
Michal: It's right over there!
Man: Oh, course it is, silly me. Thanks, bye.
Michal: Helen, how about that ice cream now?
Helen: Oh no! I can't find my purse!
Michal: It must have been that man!
Helen: Oi you! Stop!
Michal: I'll get him!

Vocabulary:（字彙）

a pier :（碼頭）
a large platform which sticks out into the sea and which people can walk along

poxy (informal):（非正式用語，毫無價值的）
rubbish, not good

a spot:（地點，場所）
a place

本單元的語言點是直接引語和間接引語，在英語中有兩種問句的句型 - 直接問句和間接問句。兩種句型意義相同，但是間接問句比較客氣, 正式 或比較沒有 質問的口氣。 可以使用直接問句 - Where is Brighton Pier? 也可以使用比較正式和比較客氣的間接問句 - I wonder if you could tell me where Brighton Pier is?

Indirect questions

There are two main ways of asking questions - directly and indirectly. Both have the same meaning but we use indirect questions when we want to be more polite, more formal or less confrontational.

We can ask a direct question - Where is Brighton Pier? Or to be more formal or polite, we can ask an indirect question - I wonder if you could tell me where Brighton Pier is?

Word order（字的順序）

When we create indirect questions, the question (What time is it?) becomes part of a longer sentence or questions (Do you know?) and the word order changes from the order of a direct question. For example:

Direct: What time is it?
Indirect: Do you know what time it is?

Direct: Why was he late?
Indirect: Can you tell me why he was late?

Direct: What is that?
Indirect: Would you mind telling me what that is?

Using 'do'（'do'的使用）

When there is no auxiliary verb (be, do have, can, will etc) in a sentence, we need to put in do, does or did when we create a direct question. When we make this into an indirect question however, we don't use the verb 'do'. For example:

Direct: When does the lesson end?
Indirect: Could you tell me when the lesson ends?

Direct: What car does she drive?
Indirect: Can you tell me what car she drives?

Direct: How did you make that cake?
Indirect: Would you mind telling me how you made that cake?

Using 'if' or 'whether':（'if' 或 'whether'的使用）

If there is no question word (who, what, when, why, how) in a direct question, we need to use if or whether in the indirect question. For example:

Direct: Did she make it on time?
Indirect: Can you tell me if she made it on time?
or
Can you tell me whether she made it on time?

Direct: Is this the right bus for Oxford Street?
Indirect: Do you have any idea if this is the right bus for Oxford Street ?

Direct: Is she French?
Indirect: Do you know whether she is French (or not)?