Plans change, things come up, and somehow the day works out anyway. These last eight words are the ones you need to talk about effort, delay and how everything finally turned out.
1. Did You Manage It?
Sara: Did you finish the report?
Nils: I managed to finish it at eleven.
Sara: Last night?
Nils: Last night. Don't ask about the coffee.
Sara: I won't. Thank you.
Nils: You owe me a Friday.
2. Don't Bother
Yara: Shall I reprint the whole set?
Cole: Don't bother. Page four only.
Yara: Sure?
Cole: Nobody reads the rest.
Yara: Page four it is.
3. Remind Me Later
Otto: Remind me to call the bank.
Ines: When?
Otto: After lunch. I'll forget otherwise.
Ines: I'll remind you at two.
Otto: Two. Perfect.
4. Keep Going
Bo: I've been learning for a year and I still stumble.
Dita: Keep on going. A year is nothing.
Bo: It feels like a lot.
Dita: You keep on comparing yourself to last week.
Bo: And I should compare to last year.
Dita: Exactly.
5. Where We Ended Up
Jonas: How was the search?
Amal: We ended up taking the second flat.
Jonas: Not the one with the garden?
Amal: Gone in a day.
Jonas: Any regrets?
Amal: None so far.
6. I Never Got Round to It
Vera: Did you fix the gate?
Sol: I never got round to it.
Vera: It's been three months.
Sol: I'll get round to it Saturday.
Vera: I've heard that before.
Sol: You have.
7. Something Came Up
Priya: You missed dinner.
Tom: Something came up at work.
Priya: Serious?
Tom: A server. It took four hours.
Priya: There's a plate in the fridge.
Tom: You're the best.
8. It Worked Out Fine
Kai: So the move was a disaster?
Lena: For two days. Then it worked out.
Kai: How?
Lena: The neighbours lent us a van.
Kai: Things usually work out.
Lena: Usually. Not always.
Words to know
| manage | to succeed in doing something difficult I managed to finish it at eleven. |
| bother | to make the effort to do something Don't bother. Page four only. |
| remind | to make someone remember something Remind me to call the bank. |
| keep on | to continue doing something Keep on going. A year is nothing. |
| end up | to be in a situation you did not plan We ended up taking the second flat. |
| get round to | to finally do something you have delayed I never got round to it. |
| come up | to happen unexpectedly Something came up at work. |
| work out | to turn out well in the end For two days. Then it worked out. |
Quick practice
Complete each sentence with an expression from the lessons.
1. A: Did you finish the report?
B: I ________ to finish it at eleven.
2. A: Shall I reprint the whole set?
B: Don't ________. Page four only.
3. A: ________ me to call the bank.
B: When?
4. A: How was the search?
B: We ________ up taking the second flat.
5. A: Did you fix the gate?
B: I never got ________ to it.
6. A: You missed dinner.
B: Something ________ up at work.
Show the answers
1. managed 2. bother 3. Remind 4. ended 5. round 6. came
Common mistakes
Not: I managed to finished it last night.
Say: I managed to finish it last night.
After to, the verb stays in its plain form. Only the first verb changes for past: managed to finish.
Not: Remind me buy milk.
Say: Remind me to buy milk.
Remind takes the person, then to and the verb. Same shape as ask me to and tell me to.
Not: We ended up to stay at home.
Say: We ended up staying at home.
End up is followed by the -ing form, never to.
Your turn
Look back at your own month. Say these five things aloud, using the words from this lesson.
- Name one hard thing you managed to do this month.
- Say one job you've never got round to, and how long it's waited.
- Describe a plan that changed because something came up.
- Tell how a difficult day ended up working out.
- Ask someone to remind you of one real thing tomorrow.
Quick review
You've reached the end of eighty words. Try this tonight: describe your whole week in five sentences using only words from this pack — how you felt, what you were fed up with, what came up, what you never got round to, and how it worked out. If you can do that, these words are yours.