Lesson 11 - Love and Marriage

Are you married?

Yes.

How long have you been married?

We got married in 2001.

Do you remember how you pop the question?

Yes. I took my then girl friend to the beach. And we walk out to the rocky point and I got down on one knee as best as I could and I pull out the ring and I asked her "Will you marry me?"

"pop the question". This expression means

a. to ask someone on a date

b. to ask someone to marry you

c. to ask someone his/her age

d. to ask someone to kiss you

This expression means

b. to ask someone to marry you.

Example: He got down on one knee, pull out a ring and popped the question.

Watch and Listen: In the following video clip, you will hear a new expression: "exchange vows".

Try to understand what it means.

Where did you two exchange vows?

We got married on a lovely island in the bay in Massachusettes.

Exchange vows. This expression means:

a. to look at each other with love

b. to give each other phone numbers, addresses, etc.

c. to kiss each other.

d. to get married, to have a wedding ceremony.

This expresion means

d. to get married, to have a wedding ceremony

"vow" is a solemn promise, a very special promise. So when you exchange vows, you're exchanging the promises.

How you will love each other and how you will care for each other for the rest of your life.

So here is another example:

"They exhanged vows on a beautiful island"

In other words "They held the wedding ceremony on a beautiful island".

Watch and listen:

In the following video clip, you will hear a new expression "honeymoon".

Try to understand what it means.

- Did you have a honeymoon?

- Yes. We had a honeymoon in Martha's Vineyard.

Honeymoon. This expression means

a. beautiful weather

b. a wedding dress

c. a wedding trip/vacation

d. a romantic dance

This expression means (c) a wedding trip/vacation.

So this is a trip or vacation that people take just after they get married.

Example: They went to Martha's Vineyard for their honeymoon.

Note: We can use "honeymoon" with different verbs. Let's look at the following phrases:

- You can go somewhere on your honeymoon.

- You can spend your honeymoon somewhere.

- You can have your honeymoon somewhere.

- And you can take your honeymoon somewhere.

So now let's try an exercise:

Complete the statement with one of the new expressions. Each expression will be used only once.

1. Read the statement to yourself then I'll tell you the answer.

Answer: Ellen and David decided to go to Hawaii on their honeymoon. They'll spend 10 days travelling to the different islands.

2. Answer: Did you know that in Las Vegas you can exchange vows in a helicopter over the city. How many people can say that they had their wedding in the air?

3. Answer: Benjamin was ready to pop the question. He had been practicing what he was going to say to his girlfriend every day for over a week.

Thanks for watching and happy studies.