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Lesson 239 of 240

New here? This is lesson 239 of a free 240-lesson English course.

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Everyone around the counter in English

Everyone is at the Blue Plate counter this morning. Ana wants to thank Dee, Murray, Danny, and Tasha, one person at a time.

She will also say she will keep coming in. The jukebox still clicks over to B7 and plays nothing.

By the end, you thank people one by one, say what you will keep doing, and name a change you notice.

By the end of this lesson

Thank people one by one and say what you will keep doing.

  • I wanted to thank you each, one by one.I want to say thanks to every person here.
  • I'll keep coming in.I will still eat here often.
  • You never let my cup go empty.You always take care of me.
  • I will miss these mornings.I will feel sad without these mornings.
  • There's something I never asked.I have one question I kept inside.
  • You didn't change. I did.You stayed the same, and I became different.

Scene — everyone at the counter

The Blue Plate is full at the counter. Dee holds the coffee pot. Murray sits on two stools with eggs he has not finished.

Danny stands by the pie case with a dish towel. Tasha has a bakery box. Ana is ready to thank each of them.

The jukebox by the door clicks over to B7 and plays nothing.

Ana faces Dee and Murray across the crowded Blue Plate counter as the morning gets underway.

Learn — thank you one by one

Six lines help you thank people one by one and say you will keep coming in.

You also name a care they gave you, a morning you will miss, and a change you see.

  1. Ana opens a hand toward Dee and Tasha as she begins thanking everyone at the counter.

    I wanted to thank you each, one by one.

    I want to say thanks to every person here.

    When to use it: Say this when you thank a whole group, person by person.

    Wanted is past tense. Here, it makes the thanks sound gentle.

    Say it: Thank and you can link.

  2. Murray sits comfortably on two stools beside his unfinished eggs and looks toward Dee with the coffee pot.

    I'll keep coming in.

    I will still eat here often.

    When to use it: Say this to promise you will still visit this place.

    I'll is I will as one piece, and keep plus the -ing form means you will not stop.

    Say it: I'll is a reduced sound.

  3. From behind Ana, Dee pours a coffee refill into a cup at the counter.

    You never let my cup go empty.

    You always take care of me.

    When to use it: Thank someone who always takes care of you.

    Never let means she always makes sure your cup stays full.

  4. Ana pauses near the sunlit window while Tasha holds the bakery box between them.

    I will miss these mornings.

    I will feel sad without these mornings.

    When to use it: Say this when a regular morning with people may end.

    Will miss names a sad feeling that sits in the future.

  5. Ana pauses with her hands on the counter edge and looks toward Murray before asking her question.

    There's something I never asked.

    I have one question I kept inside.

    When to use it: Use this to open a question you held back.

    There's is there is as one piece, and never asked is past tense for a question you kept inside.

    Say it: Something has the stress.

  6. Ana faces Murray across a short gap as he remains seated beside his unfinished eggs.

    You didn't change. I did.

    You stayed the same, and I became different.

    When to use it: Say this when they stayed the same and you grew.

    Didn't is did not as one piece, and I did means I changed, without saying the word again.

    Say it: Change and did both take stress.

Story — she thanks them

Watch Ana thank each person at the counter. B7 clicks and still plays nothing.

The highlighted words are the lines you just learned.

  1. The counter is full. Dee has the pot. Murray is on two stools.
  2. DeeSit, hon. Everybody's here.She wants Ana to sit with the group.
  3. AnaI wanted to thank you each, one by one.I want to say thanks to every person here.
  4. TashaOne at a time is fine.She says Ana can thank people slowly.
  5. AnaYou never let my cup go empty.You always take care of me.
  6. DeeThat's just coffee, sweetie.She treats the refill as a small, normal thing.
  7. AnaThank you.you say this when someone helps you
  8. DeeYou're welcome.you say this after someone thanks you
  9. AnaDanny, thanks for the hot dogs. And for knowing everybody.She thanks Danny for the food and for knowing the block.
  10. DannyAnytime. So, we'll keep seeing you here?He accepts the thanks, then asks if Ana will still visit.
  11. AnaI'll keep coming in.I will still eat here often.
  12. DannyGood. I often come here too.He is glad, and he visits this diner a lot.
  13. AnaTasha, thanks for Milwaukee. And for the long voice memos.She thanks Tasha for the trip and for the long voice notes.
  14. TashaOf course. These mornings go fast, though.She accepts the thanks, and says these mornings pass quickly.
  15. AnaI will miss these mornings.I will feel sad without these mornings.
  16. TashaYeah. I will too, you know.She will also feel sad without these mornings.
  17. Ana looks at Murray. His cup is still full.
  18. AnaMurray, thanks for sitting here with me all year.She thanks him for his company this year.
  19. AnaThere's something I never asked.I have one question I kept inside.
  20. MurrayWhat is it?He asks her to say the question.
  21. AnaHave you always been like this?She asks if he has stayed the same the whole time.
  22. MurrayPretty much. That wasn't in the song.He says he has mostly stayed the same, then mentions the old song.
  23. AnaYou didn't change. I did.You stayed the same, and I became different.
  24. MurrayI'm still on these two stools.He says he is the same, and he is still sitting here.
  25. The jukebox by the door clicks over to B7 and plays nothing.
  26. DannyAny day now.He still thinks the empty slot will play soon.
  27. DeeDon't start, hon. Nobody is opening that thing.She does not want talk about the jukebox, and she will not let anyone open it.

Practice — keep coming in

Ten quick exercises wait here. You'll listen, pick, match, fill a gap, and build a line.

They stay short, so you can check each thanks before you say it out loud.

0 of 10 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    English

    I wanted to thank you each, one by one.Drop the Simple English here
    You never let my cup go empty.Drop the Simple English here
    There's something I never asked.Drop the Simple English here
    You didn't change. I did.Drop the Simple English here

    Simple English

    Drag a Simple English line onto its English, or tap one and then the other.

  3. What do you say?

    You look at Dee. She has refilled your coffee all year without asking.

  4. What does it mean?

    There's something I never asked.

  5. Fill the gap

    I will feel sad without these mornings.

    I will ____ these mornings.

  6. Build the line

    I will still eat here often.

    .

    Tap the words in order.

  7. Pick the reply

    Tasha says:

    Thank you.

    you say this when someone helps you

    And you reply with:

  8. Swap the word

    Murray is the same as last year. You grew. Tell him that.

    You didn't ____. I did.

  9. True or false?

    This means you almost never visit this place.

  10. What do you say?

    Dee hands you a fresh coffee. You want to thank her in a simple way.

Say it — say the thanks

Now you're Ana at the counter. When it's your turn, tap the microphone and speak the line.

Tap play first if you want to hear the line. Your recording stays on your device.

  1. DeeSit, hon. Everybody's here.She wants you to sit with the group.
  2. Ana (you)Thank every person here, one person at a time.

    I wanted to thank you each, one by one.

    I want to say thanks to every person here.

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

EnglishSimple English
I wanted to thank you each, one by one.I want to say thanks to every person here.
I'll keep coming in.I will still eat here often.
You never let my cup go empty.You always take care of me.
I will miss these mornings.I will feel sad without these mornings.
There's something I never asked.I have one question I kept inside.
You didn't change. I did.You stayed the same, and I became different.
Next: lesson 240The last morning

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