passive listening
read the dialogue
Can you pick an Emergency?
Hello, I need the police please
Ok, what’s happening?
ell what happened was is there’s been a theft from outside my house.
Ok, when did this occur?
Well I’m not sure exactly because I ain’t been out to check on him for about five hous but I went out about five minutes ago to have a fag and he’s gone so it could be within the last five hours (but I know that ...)
Who’s gone, sorry?
My snowman
Right your snowman’s been stolen?
Yeah
Right ok, in the last five hours
Well four to five hours, I’m can’t be sure exactly
And what do you mean, a snowman made out of snow or an ornament?
No, he’s made out of snow, I made him myself Right ok
He had two of my teaspoons on his arms and money on his face. I'm not being funny, I know it's only a snowman but I thought he'd be fine, what with it being icy and that people ain't been walking up and down the road, it ain't a nice road but at the end of the day you don't expect someone to nick your snowman, do you know what I mean? what she said was
As you heard the caller uses natural/informal speech including slang words and phrases:
eg.to nick (to steal) ain’t (has/haven’t/isn’t)
ways she uses her language:
(note: placement of pauses ( - )
(to express seriousness)
..I’m not being funny (but)
I'm being serious (even if you don't think I should be)
..I know it’s only a snowman but
I know it doesn't seem important to you but it is to me!
(to summarise)
at the end of the day
when all is said and done
(to express suprise)
.. you don’t expect someone to nick a snowman
you don’t expect someone to do something like that
you don’t expect something like that to happen
(as a question tag and also as an ending)
do you know what I mean?
(for explanation)
..what with it being icy [and that] I ..
because it was icy [and that] I ..
...what with it being late [and that] I didn't expect any problem/anything to happen
..what with it being late [and that]
(for emphasis)
..what happened was was [that] someone nicked my money
..what someone did was nick my money
pronunciation is particularly important with these type of phrases:
remember: placement of pause ( - )
.. what happened was - was that someone ...
..what's happened is/is that - someone ...
..what with it being late [and that] - I didn't expect any problem
..what 'happened was - 'someone took my wallet
..what 'happened - was (that) 'someone took my wallet
..the thing I didn't like about it - was the way he spoke to me
..the thing is - I'm not too sure about what to do
.. the thing is/is that I'm not too sure about what to do
.. things is I´m not too sure what to do (about it/if anything)
what with two auxillaries together it's not easy to say"!
You don't really need to worry about the grammar aspect of these phrases at 1st Certificate level but can be fun to try and understand the purpose of some phrases when you hear them eg in a film, and to appreciate the pronunciation used.
and you never know, they could be useful in many situations:
How long have you been studying English?
(Well, I'm not sure exactly but) about four years.
Where did you go this summer for holiday?
Well, what with one thing or another/ what with the economic situation, I didn't/haven´t have one this year
Do you like buying presents for people?
Oh yes/Yeah, but (the thing is) it can be really difficult to decide/choose what to get
try a dialogue with a friend
Try to pronounce phrases as phrases, not as individual words (listen again to the audio).
Caller
think of something you made or bought somewhere, the last time you saw it, where it was before going missing, and a more few details ..
(some ideas for missing things: the food in the dog’s bowl, the ice cubes in your drink (or the drink!), the wood in the fire, a sock in the washing machine) ..
as serious or fun as you like
report the theft, using the phrases below.
as the caller be sincere and perhaps defensive or anxious in tone.
Operator
patiently confirm the information given, be professional (or maybe you could be fed up with getting these types of calls) and use the phrases below
Operator
Can you pick an Emergency?
Ok, what’s happening?
Ok, when did this occur?
Who/what’s gone sorry?
Right your ..... ‘s been stolen?
Right ok, in the last ...... hours
And what do you mean, a ..... made out of .... or a/an .....?
Right ok .... ( add a last comment)
Caller
Hello, I need the ..... please
Well what happened was was there’s been a theft from .....
Well I’m not sure exactly but I went out/had a look about five minutes ago and he/it’s gone
Yeah Well ... to ... hours, I’m can’t be sure exactly
No, he/she/it’s made out of/it’s from ...... , I made/bought it myself I’m not being funny, I know it’s only a .... At the end of the day, you don’t expect someone to nick a ..... do you know what I mean?
Lastly, a note on why try 'difficult' listening.
It's important for you to study outside of class; and this can be in the form of exercises or watching films and listening to music in English. Unfortunately, a native speaker isn't going to restrict themselves to a syllabus so it's natural for you to have problems understanding everything but the point is that you do not need to.
If you tried listening to the woman reporting a theft of a snowman and understood that it was about a missing snowman, that she was phoning the police and that the operator was patient with her bizarre caller then that is enough: well done
The caller speaks very quickly!
So the next time you think 'I don't understand' maybe what you really mean is that you don't understand everything,
but that is hardly ever necessary.
In the FCE exam there may well be a few words you do not know but aren't expected or need to know.
In short, don't be discouraged if you don't understand 'everything'.
Enjoy your English!
in the news
Here's how the story was reported in the 'Strange But True section' of the Sydney Morning Herald
Woman calls emergency line to report stolen snowman
An English woman has infuriated police after calling their emergency line to report the theft of a snowman. The woman, from Kent, in south-east England, reportedly thought the theft was worth telling police about because she had used £1 coins ($1.60) for its eyes and teaspoons for its arms, according to Britain's Daily Mail newspaper.
Police have released a transcript of the woman's conversation with the 999 emergency line operator in a bid to show people what does and what does not constitute an emergency.
SMH
Compare that with the story as reported in the Telegraph
Woman called 999 over 'stolen' snowman
Police said she thought it demanded their involvement because she had used pound coins for the eyes and teaspoons for the arms. The woman, from Chatham, Kent, has been ''spoken to'' by officers to advise her about what constitutes a real emergency. Kent Police issued a transcript of the ''completely irresponsible'' call which they received overnight as they fielded thousands of calls from people because of the sub-zero conditions.
Chief Inspector Simon Black, from Kent Police's force contact and control centre, said: ''This call could have cost someone's life if there was a genuine emergency and they couldn't get through. ''It was completely irresponsible. ''We have spoken to her and advised her what is a 999 call, and this clearly was not.''
Kent Police has received more than 8,000 general and 999 calls in 48 hours, double the number it normally receives.
Mr Black said: ''We do have powers to prosecute people for misusing the 999 system, but in this case the woman genuinely thought this was a theft that she should report because she'd used pound coins for the eyes and teaspoons for the arms.''
