BBC Learning English How to ask someone out Lyrics

How to ask someone out.mp3
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[00:00.00] --BBC Learning English
[00:00.12]William: Hello there and welcome to another exciting instalment of How To - my name
is William Kremer. Now, in a previous episode we looked at how to chat someone up - that is, how to talk to someone you don't know in a way that
might make that person interested in you... in a romantic way.
[00:00.13]Well, now let's imagine that you've been chatting to this person and you've managed to get him or her interested so now it's time to ask him or her out. On a 'date'?
[00:00.45]Well, saying 'Will you come on a date with me?' is really too formal for English-speaking countries. Putting it like that is very embarrassing! Let's
hear a more natural way of doing it. Susie and Mark work together, but they don't know each other that well.
[00:01.01]Susie: I was thinking... do you want to meet up for a drink sometime?
Mark: Er... yeah, could do...
Susie: Just a beer after work or something.
Mark: Yeah - that would be nice.... Erm, let me see, I'm free tomorrow... or maybe,Thursday.
Susie: No - tomorrow's good for me.
Mark: OK - great!
William: Susie says, 'Do you want to meet up for a drink sometime?'
Susie: I was thinking... do you want to meet up for a drink sometime?
William: It's much more natural to say, 'Do you want to meet up for a drink sometime?'
than, for example, 'Do you want to meet up for a drink tomorrow?' And it's useful because it gives you options. If the other person seems to like the idea, you can arrange a time to see each other, but if they seem less sure, then you
can just leave it as a vague plan. Listen to this:
Susie: I was thinking... do you want to meet up for a drink sometime?
Mark: Er..... yeah, could do...
Susie: Just a beer after work or something.
Mark: Yeah... I'm a bit busy this week... maybe next week sometime?
Susie: Yeah - just send me an email sometime. That would be nice.
William: The next clip is quite natural English, so you might find it a little difficult, but
don't worry - we'll listen to some of the conversation again. Zach and Linda
are sitting next to each other on a long train journey - and for the last four
hours they have been talking non-stop. Now they've arrived at their destination
- but will they see each other again? Listen carefully.
Zach: It looks like we're here already - I can't believe that was four hours!
Linda: Yeah - time does fly... it didn't feel like four hours at all.
Zach: I know, I know. So um, you're meeting your friend - are you meeting straight
away or what?
Linda: Yeah my friend should be picking me up at the train station.
Zach: Oh right, and what are you up to then?
Linda: I guess we'll just go home and chill out and catch up.
Zach: Oh right.
Linda: What about you?
Zach: We're... my friend's meeting me and we're just gonna go straight out for some
beers and some food and stuff. But, you know, if you and your friend want to join
us, you know, feel free.
Linda: Yeah, maybe um tomorrow night, if you want to meet up.
Zach: Yeah, that'll be nice, yeah.
Linda: Yeah um, I'll give you my number and send me a text and let me know what you're doing tomorrow night and then we can meet up.
William: Zach and Linda are going to meet up tomorrow night. Good for them! Zach asks
Linda what she's up to that evening. 'What are you up to?' is an informal way of saying 'What are you doing?'
Linda: Yeah my friend should be picking me up at the train station.
Zach: Oh right, and what are you up to then?
William: Then, Zach tells Linda what he's doing and suggests that Linda and her friend join
him and his friend. Listen:
Zach: My friend's meeting me and we're just gonna go straight out for some beers and
some food and stuff. But, you know, if you and your friend want to join us, you know, feel free.
William: 'If you and your friend want to join us, feel free'. Feel free, means, you are very
welcome. Feel free to join us.
This is, perhaps, the easiest way to ask someone out - say what you are doing and then ask if the other person would like to join you. Let's listen to another way of doing this. Martin is asking Claire out.
Martin: So, I was thinking I might go and see the new James Bond film this weekend, if
you fancy it...
Claire: Oh, erm... yeah OK. I'm not sure about James Bond but...
Martin: Well, we don't have to see James Bond but ...
Claire: No, that would be nice. Shall I see you there or...
Martin: Well, why don't I give you my number and then you can text me with a film that
you'd like to see - and the time it's on...
Claire: Ok!
William: Martin says, 'I was thinking I might go and see the new James Bond film this
weekend, if you fancy it...'.
Martin: So, I was thinking I might go and see the new James Bond film this weekend, if
you fancy it...
William: 'I was thinking' shows Claire that Martin already has a plan to see James Bond,
but he can make room for HER in his date with 007! This is less embarrassing than arranging a special romantic date. Like Linda in the second clip, Martin offers Claire his mobile phone number.
Martin: Why don't I give you my number and then you can text me with a film that you'd
like to see...?
William: Giving your own mobile phone number is much easier than asking for someone
else's number... but of course, you should be careful who you give it to. This is
also quite a useful strategy when you're less sure if the other person likes you or
not. It gives them some time to think about it.
Just don't let them write your number on their hand... that's a classic mistake!