Conversation Lesson 7
 
 
 
 
Lesson 7 - What Are You Doing?

In this lesson Anna is starting her work at The News. She goes around the office meeting her co-workers. She learns they are all busy.
Quick Links
Conversation
Beginner
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39
40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52
Lesson Video

Watch the video and then do the activities on this page.
Video Script

Caty: Come in.
Caty: Well, Anna, welcome.
Anna: Thank you.
Caty: I am your boss, Caty Weaver. But, please call me Caty.
Anna: Thank you, Ms. Weaver.
Caty: Just Caty.
Anna: Sure thing, Ms. Weaver.
Caty: Okay then. Are you excited?
Anna: Yes, I am excited!
Caty: So sorry, but I am busy. Please meet your co-workers. But remember, they are busy working.
Anna: Sure. Thanks, Ms. Weaver.
Anna: Hi there! I’m Anna.
Anne: Hi, Anna. I’m Anne.
Anna: Nice to meet you. What are you doing?
Anne: Um, I’m writing.
Anna: You are writing! You are writing a lot!
Anna: (Spills papers) Oh! Oh dear.
Anne: No! No! That's okay.
Anna: I am sorry!
Anne: That’s okay. Really.
Anna: I am sorry!
Anne: Please. Please. Please stop. Please.
Anna: Sorry. Sorry.
Jonathan: (in the studio) “and people all around the world are waiting to hear news about the next president…”
Anna: Jonathan, hi! Remember me? I live in your building.
Jonathan: Oh. Uh. Hi, Anna.
Anna: What are you doing?
Jonathan: I am doing my show!
Anna: Oh, sorry. Are you recording?
Jonathan: Yes! And, now I have to record again!
Anna: Sorry. Have a good show.
Jonathan: Thank you.
Anna: Sorry.
Amelia: The word of the day is social. Social -
Anna: Oh! Hi!
Amelia: - is an adjective.
Anna: Hi! I’m Anna!
Amelia: Hi. I’m Amelia.
Anna: Nice to meet you!
Anna: What are you doing?
Amelia: I’m reading.
Anna: Are you reading the news? Hi!
Amelia: No, I’m reading for my show.
Amelia: (to camera person) Can I read again?
Anna: Sorry.
Anna: This day is not going well.
Caty: Anna! Hi! What’re you doing?
Anna: I am bothering people, Ms. Weaver.
Caty: Let’s go to my office and talk.
Anna: I like to talk with you, Ms. Weaver.
Caty: It’s Caty.
Anna: Right. Thanks ... Ms. Weaver
Listening

Now practice listening to only the audio portion of the conversation.
Speaking

In this video, learn to say the new words. Also, learn how to use the Present Continuous tense and ask questions to clarify.
Pronunciation

In this video, you learn about how Americans shorten verbs in the Present Continuous tense. You will also learn a shorter form of the question phrase, "What are you doing?"
New Words
  • bossn. the person whose job is to tell other workers what to do
  • botherv. to annoy someone or to cause someone to feel annoyed
  • busyadj. actively doing something
  • excitedadj. very enthusiastic and eager about something
  • nervousadj. having or showing feelings of being worried and afraid about what might happen
  • newsn. information that is reported in a newspaper, magazine, or a television news program
  • officen. a building or room in which people work at desks doing business or professional activities
  • readv. to look at and understand the meaning of letters, words, symbols, etc.
  • recordv. to store (something, such as sounds, music, images, etc.) on tape or on a disk so that it can be heard or seen later
  • shown. a television or radio program
  • workv. to do things as part of your job
  • writev. to create (a book, poem, story, etc.) by writing words on paper or on a computer
Activity

What are you doing now? What are your friends doing? Here is an example: "I am reading and my friends are listening to music." Write about it in the Facebook Comments section below. Do the activity and practice writing the activity words. Click lesson activity to get the printable PDF version. The page opens to a new window.
Source: Voice of America
 
Additional Conversation Lessons
Conversation

English conversation lessons. 30 lessons focusing mostly on communication and grammar topics....these lessons are for intermediate students.
Conversation

This is a collection of 30 situational conversations which focus on a wide variety of communicative and natural encounters in English....these lessons are for beginning students.
Conversation

This is a collection of 36 situational conversations which focus on spoken American English in a relatively natural way....these lessons are for intermediate students.
Conversation

This is a collection of 30 situational conversations. Each conversation is accompanied by language notes....these lessons are for advanced students.