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Pay It Forward
Pay It Forward

Learn English meaning of ‘pay it forward’

Date: Sep 11 2017

Themes: Health, Hobbies

Grammar: Possessive Adjectives

Intro

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2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

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Has anyone ever done something nice for you that you didn’t necessarily deserve or expect, but it made your whole day? Did it inspire you to do something nice for someone else? If so, then you were practicing the concept of paying it forward. Paying it forward means that when someone is kind to you, you turn around and are kind to someone else.

The barista at your local coffee shop is probably very familiar with paying it forward. Customers sometimes buy coffee for the person in line behind them, starting a chain of paying it forward. Even just one small act of kindness, like picking some flowers and leaving them on your coworker’s desk, might make your coworker intrigued enough to do the same thing for someone else.

Someone recently bought Dominique’s coffee when she was in line at Starbucks. Listen as she and Romeo talk about paying it forward.

Dialog

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Romeo

Romeo

Dominique

Dominique

Romeo:  So, I’ve been kind of intrigued by this whole pay it forward. You’re familiar with the concept of pay it forward, right?

Dominique:  I am. So, this actually happened to me the other day.

Romeo:  No way.

Dominique:  I was in line at Starbucks. I ordered $20 worth of coffee and food…

Romeo:  Uh-huh.

Dominique:  And when I went to pay, the barista said, “Hey, it’s already taken care of. The lady in front of you took care of your…”

Romeo:  What?

Dominique:  I know!

Romeo:  No way.

Dominique:  It was so nice. So, I was going to…

Romeo:  Right.

Dominique:  Pay for the person behind me.

Romeo:  Sure. Yeah, keep it going.

Dominique:  But he was a total joke.

Romeo:  He was a total joke?

Dominique:  Joke. Yeah. He was talking on the phone…

Romeo:  Oh!

Dominique:  …and just being really, really, just, rude.

Romeo:  Yeah, yeah. For sure.

Dominique:  So, I paid for the lady behind him.

Romeo:  Oh! Heck, to the no!

Dominique:  Yeah.

Romeo:  No, you didn’t!

Dominique:  Yeah, I sure did.

Romeo:  OK. Well, I mean, I guess he’s going to have to pay it forward to someone else, right?

Dominique:  He probably doesn’t even know because it probably stopped. Or, no, it skipped him. So…

Romeo:  The chain would still go…

Dominique:  Yeah.

Romeo:  He just wouldn’t be able to be a part of it.

Dominique:  Yeah, I mean, you have to pay it forward to people that deserve it. He didn’t deserve…

Romeo:  OK. That’s fair. I can respect that.

Dominique:  …his coffee for free.

Romeo:  Yeah. So, he had to pay for that coffee.

Dominique:  Yup!

 

Grammar Point

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Discussion

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Romeo asks Dominique if she is familiar with the concept of paying it forward. She says that she is. In fact, it happened to her the other day. She was standing in line at Starbucks, and the person in front of her paid for her coffee. She was going to pay for the person behind her, but he was being rude.

Dominique decided that since this person was a joke, she would pay for the coffee for the lady behind him. The pay it forward chain skipped the rude guy. Romeo can’t believe Dominique did that. Dominique says that since this guy was rude, he didn’t deserve his coffee for free.

Has a total stranger ever paid for your coffee? What is the nicest thing that you have done for someone you didn’t know?

 

Comments

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julito1

julito1

Argentina

I was attending a wedding in a hotel, the rule was that during the first two hours drinks were free, when the permitted time was over guests should pay if they order an alcoholic drink. I didn`t know this fact and ordered a drink . The problem was that I forgot my credit card and neither had cash with me. A total stranger came forward and foot the bill.I was ashamed . If i happened to find money or whatever, and I know the owner I return it immediately. 

09:24 PM Sep 11 2017 |

DanielBorges

Portugal

I remember an episode in Starbucks too! When I arrived in NY years ago, i stoped in a Starbucks coffee where i have orderer a muffin and a capuccino. At the moment to pay, i only have 100 dolars, so the barista didn’t have change and offers me the my order. He skipped the necessity to spend a lot of coins and notes to change my note and he was nice to me!!


One day i have order an extra meal without given notice, so I took it and give it to someone else whose I’m familiar with. So I guess that I have payed forward!!

11:10 AM Sep 11 2017 |

DanielBorges

Portugal

Pay it forward! keep the chain alive!

10:51 AM Sep 11 2017 |

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