[ti:Grammar and Christmas]
[al:Everyday Grammar]
[ar:VOA]
[dt:2024-12-20]
[by:www.voase.cn]
[00:00.00]Many Americans experience surprise (or disappointment) when they wake up on Christmas Day.
[00:09.79]They might be surprised or disappointed by a family member's actions. 
[00:15.92]They might be happy or unhappy about a Christmas gift.
[00:21.49]Imagine a child expects to get an Xbox or PlayStation for Christmas.
[00:28.83]On Christmas morning, they quickly open their gift .... Inside is an English grammar book.
[00:36.24]They might feel disappointed.
[00:39.49]The Everyday Grammar team would prefer the new English grammar book.
[00:44.83]But if you are like most young people, you would probably rather have a new videogame system.
[00:52.01]Today, we are going to explore those feelings - feelings of surprise and disappointment.
[01:00.19]In other words, we are going to explore how speakers show that reality was better or worse than their expectations.
[01:12.06]Many languages use words to express expectation. 
[01:18.28]Speakers also use words to express how events are not happening as expected.
[01:27.91]This idea is known as "counter expectation."*
[01:32.16]Do not worry about the term.
[01:35.80]Just remember that it means that speakers use words to show that reality is going against (or countering) their expectations.
[01:48.63]English has many words that serve this purpose.
[01:54.30]Three of the most common are the words "even," "still," and "actually."
[02:02.29]You will often hear them in casual, everyday speech.
[02:07.94]Speakers use these words to show surprise or disappointment. 
[02:14.55]The pitch of their voice tells you what they mean.
[02:19.55]Let's study examples of each word.
[02:23.65]Speakers often use the word "even" to show disappointment or surprise.
[02:31.17]Imagine a young child that expects a phone call from a family member - perhaps an uncle or grandparent.
[02:40.93]The phone call never comes.
[02:44.07]The child might say the following:
[02:47.06]What's wrong with him? He didn't even call me on Christmas day.
[02:53.60]​Here, the child is expressing disappointment. 
[02:58.65]She could have expressed the same idea in a much longer statement, such as: "I was expecting him to call on Christmas Day, but I didn't hear from him. Why didn't he give me a call?"
[03:14.31]"Even" highlights the child's disappointment because it emphasizes that the family member did not try to call.
[03:22.55]"Even" does not always have a sad meaning. 
[03:26.79]It can have a happy meaning too.
[03:29.63]Imagine a man named Ted. Ted is a forgetful man. He forgets to send letters or gifts to his parents.
[03:40.03]Ted's parents might have the following talk after they get a Christmas letter from him:
[03:46.95]Did you see Ted's letter?
[03:49.40]Yeah - he even sent us a gift!"
[03:52.91]Here, the word "even" shows a pleasant surprise. 
[03:58.13]Ted's mother did not expect a gift from him.
[04:01.91]By saying "he even sent us a gift" she is suggesting that Ted has gone beyond her expectations.
[04:11.70]Americans sometimes use "still" for showing how reality does not quite meet their expectations.
[04:22.93]Consider this example, from the 1986 film, Ferris Bueller's Day Off. 
[04:31.17]At the end of the film, Ferris says the following lines. 
[04:37.04]A different speaker might say similar lines after a lengthy, tiring, and disagreeable family Christmas party:
[04:48.06]You're still here? It's over! Go home. Go!
[04:58.97]In the film, you can see the surprised look on Ferris' face.
[05:05.90]When he says, "You're still here," you can tell he did not expect people to still be around. He is a little disappointed.
[05:18.00]Now, imagine a different situation.
[05:21.64]A family is having a Christmas dinner. 
[05:24.95]They are looking for one family member, Uncle Bob. 
[05:30.42]They wonder if he left without saying goodbye.
[05:34.35]Have you seen Uncle Bob?
[05:36.84]No. Did he leave? Wait! There he is! He's still here!
[05:42.99]The way the final speaker says "still" shows that she is surprised to learn he was still at the dinner. She expected otherwise.
[05:56.38]A third common word that shows surprise or disappointment is "actually."
[06:02.81]"Actually" suggests something is true - even when it differs from what might have been thought or expected.
[06:13.70]Remember Uncle Bob? Bob has always been a nice guy.
[06:20.39]Imagine Uncle Bob sees a Christmas present he likes, and then runs away with it.
[06:28.89]A speaker might say:
[06:31.01]I can't believe it! Uncle Bob actually stole her Christmas gift.
[06:38.52]Here, the speaker uses "actually" to emphasize the unexpectedness of a happening - Uncle Bob stealing the present.
[06:51.08]She does not sound very happy!
[06:54.16]Speakers can use "actually" to show positive feelings, too.
[07:00.47]Think back to our character Ted - the guy who always forgets to give gifts for Christmas.
[07:09.82]His parents could have shown their surprise at receiving a gift from Ted by saying the following:
[07:18.54]Ted actually gave us a gift!
[07:21.09]Here, the word "actually" shows that they are pleasantly surprised at this strange happening: Ted remembered Christmas!
[07:33.44]The next time you are listening to an English speaker, try to find examples of words that show "counter expectation." 
[07:42.82]Is the speaker expressing surprise or disappointment?
[07:48.38]How does the speaker change the pitch of their voice?
[07:52.82]By answering these questions, you will start to learn how English speakers communicate emotions in subtle ways.
[08:02.41]Excuse me, John, are you still recording your show?
[08:06.22]Yes!
[08:07.06]You're still recording? We have to go to the Christmas party!
[08:12.50]Oh no! I had actually forgotten about that! And that's Everyday Grammar.
[08:18.83]I'm John Russell.
[08:20.08]I'm Anna Mateo.
[08:22.42]And I'm Ashley Thompson.