Shadowing Practice: Discover the Tools That Always Inspire Success | Suits Masterclass - Learn English Speaking with Video
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1
You come to me, you tell me, you tell me everything!
2
That's what goddamn loyalty is.
3
We talked about this, right?
4
Barging into my office?
5
I'm not leaving until you hear me out.
6
You want to bet?
7
You owe it to me.
8
Oh, I owe it to you?
9
Yeah.
10
Look, this is not my fault, all right?
11
Lewis made me do it.
12
Lewis did, right.
13
He put a gun to your head.
14
Made you smoke pot.
15
Yeah, he did.
16
He pulled out the drug test, which I failed, by the way, and then he told me that if I didn't smoke pot to help him land this new client, that he'd fire me.
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It's not so different than asking someone out for drinks, is it?
18
You and I had a deal.
19
I'm sorry.
20
And if next time Louis asks you to do something that I told you not to do, what then?
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I told you that I did not have a choice.
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Oh, because he had a gun to your head.
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Yes!
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And what are your choices if someone puts a gun to your head?
25
What are you talking about?
26
You do what they say or they shoot you.
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Wrong.
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You take the gun, or you pull out a bigger one, or you call their bluff, or you do anyone of 146 other things.
29
If you can't think for yourself, maybe you aren't cut out for this.
30
I can and I am.
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Look, I did what I had to do.
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I made the best out of a bad situation, which is what I am good at, which is what you hired me to do in the first place.
33
Yeah, I hired you and I expect your loyalty.
34
So if Lewis asks you to do something like that, you come to me first.
35
Oh, right, like when I came to you and you told me that I couldn't sit at the adult table.
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Right, I remember that.
37
Or when you told me to go file the patent by myself.
38
Like that?
39
Excuse me?
40
You know what?
41
Maybe it's time you show me some loyalty.
42
Do you know how long it was before I got to sit at the adult table?
43
It was when I brought in my first client, which I don't recall you having done.
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And when you screwed up that patent and Wyatt went apeshit on me, I didn't put that on you.
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I took it on myself because that's my job.
46
And it's your job to do what I say when I say it.
47
So if you're talking about loyalty, You better goddamn earn it.
48
I can't believe it.
49
You gave me, like, the worst advice anyone's ever given another person.
50
Take the drama down a notch, Juliet.
51
I tried to settle, and I got completely blindsided.
52
I told you to settle.
53
I didn't tell you to be stupid.
54
What do you think's gonna happen in the real world?
55
You have to be prepared for anything.
56
Well, in the real world, I won't have to be looking for someone to play my fake witness in my fake trial.
57
Wait, wait, wait.
58
What do you think?
59
You think witnesses are just gonna jump up and present themselves?
60
Because they're not.
61
And sometimes when you have one, they disappear or recant.
62
And you know what you do?
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You deal with it.
64
Mock trial is about figuring out what type of lawyer you want to be.
65
And there's only two types, winners and losers.
66
Okay, that sounds great, Harvey, but I haven't prepared.
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I don't have anyone to play my client or my witness.
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And apparently I'm going up against someone that I can't trust.
69
Figure out a way to beat them anyway.
70
Winners don't make excuses when the other side plays the game.
71
Need anything?
72
Otherwise, I'm gonna head out.
73
Celebratory drinks with the associates?
74
Yep.
75
And what exactly are you celebrating?
76
You know what, you can save the disappointment, Harvey.
77
I know what I did. Do you?
78
Because what I saw is that you backed off because you were worried about hurting your girlfriend's feelings.
79
It was a fake trial.
80
All right, I weighed the pros and the cons, and I decided it wasn't worth hurting someone for the result.
81
The result is you just told every partner in this firm, including myself, that you have a weak stomach.
82
You don't have what it takes.
83
You know, you keep telling me that I have to decide what kind of lawyer I want to be.
84
And if I were smart, I'd probably be just like you, because everybody knows you're the best.
85
But I'm also trying to decide what kind of person I want to be.
86
Sometimes I like my kind of person a lot more than yours.
87
You want to know what kind of person I am?
88
Tough.
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Tough, but fair.
90
I call it like I see it.
91
And what I see is a kid who asked for an opportunity still hasn't decided if he wants it or not.
92
You think something funny is going on?
93
You know what, here's what I think is going on.
94
You're sympathizing with Stan because you think he's you.
95
That doesn't mean that.
96
You need to learn something from what just happened.
97
Not the least of which is how anyone, no matter how valuable, can be let go.
98
I can chalk up what happened with Stan to youthful exuberance, but Jessica can't.
99
So if you want to work here, you better go home now, because if she sees you...
100
Wait, wait, did she fire me?
101
This habit of you empathizing with every client, it's not getting you anywhere.
102
You wanna work in this firm?
103
You need to deal in facts, evidence, information that can hold up.
104
That's what a real lawyer does.
105
Oh, you'll be happy to know that Stan has no idea what he's gonna do with the rest of his life.
106
That doesn't make me happy.
107
What if I tell you I have no idea what I'm doing with mine?
108
What the hell are we gonna do when I get caught, Harvey?
109
You're not gonna get caught.
110
That's your answer?
111
What else is there?
112
Why?
113
What?
114
Hire me.
115
Why would you do that to me?
116
You mean for you.
117
No, I don't.
118
No, I don't.
119
You made it perfectly clear that you only do things for yourself, so why?
120
You mean the reason why I became a lawyer?
121
Or your friend dealt drugs?
122
Or you used to cheat?
123
I cheated because I need to- You couldn't make money any other way?
124
Bullshit.
125
Life is this.
126
I like this.
127
That's not me.
128
Well, if it wasn't me, you wouldn't be here.
129
I offered Katrina Bennett a job?
130
I looked into her.
131
Turns out she's a stellar candidate.
132
You bribed her.
133
A bribe requires a clear exchange of something for something else.
134
That didn't happen here.
135
Bullshit.
136
She said she'd put the deal through if you offered her a job.
137
She said she'd put the deal through, then I offered a job.
138
Oh, right, because you needed an insurance policy.
139
Because I could see exactly what you were gonna do.
140
So you offered her a job to get her to do what you wanted.
141
That's something for something else.
142
You bribed her.
143
You bet your ass I did.
144
But what you're too stupid to understand is I did it to save you.
145
Get it through your goddamn head.
146
You're not like other lawyers.
147
You break attorney-client privilege.
148
Nothing different happens with Liam.
149
They sure s* gonna look into you, and you and I both know what they're gonna find when they do.
150
What difference does it make what they find?
151
There's such thing as right and wrong, and we're wrong!
152
You know what?
153
I have had it up to here with you blaming me for every hard choice that comes with this job.
154
Harvey, shut up!
155
Is your life better or worse than before I hired you?
156
It's both.
157
Well, maybe you should focus on the better, because the next time I have the option to cross a line to save you, I'll send you packing and not think twice.
158
Now get your shit together.
159
Look, you were giving me shit this morning because I come and go when I want to.
160
You know why I can do that?
161
Because when I got here, I dominated.
162
They thought I worked 100 hours a day.
163
Now, no matter what time I get in, nobody questions my ability to get the job done.
164
Get it through your head.
165
First impressions last.
166
You start behind the eight ball, you'll never get in front.
167
Law is about control, okay?
168
You can only control so much with a jury, judge, witnesses, and another lawyer with an ego complex.
169
What if the lawyer doesn't have an ego complex?
170
Every lawyer has an ego complex.
171
The firm has presented an exercise where there's potential for failure, okay?
172
All I'm saying is try and create a situation where that's not even a possibility.
173
Kobayashi Maru.
174
Take a card in your mind.
175
Any card.
176
What?
177
Okay, now you're gonna tell me what the card is?
178
No, I'm gonna tell you what it isn't.
179
Listen, it's not one of the 52 cards in a deck.
180
Because you think you're smarter than me, it's a baseball card or a football card or...
181
It's the Joker.
182
I told you this before, I'm gonna tell you again.
183
I don't play the odds, I play the man.
184
This isn't about William Beck or Jonathan Sidwell.
185
It's about me.
186
Mike.
187
I wanna go legit.
188
You can't.
189
Harvey, listen.
190
Do I need to state the obvious?
191
Go to law school now, all right?
192
Get a real degree.
193
Even if it didn't matter that you've already presented yourself as having gone to Harvard Law, you'd have to take the bar again.
194
Okay, I passed it once.
195
I'll pass it again.
196
Not under your own name.
197
And if you take it now, you'll draw attention to yourself in a major way.
198
Then I get Lola Jensen to hack into the bar and just put me in there, just like she did with Harvard.
199
Are you insane?
200
Hacking into the bar is twice the crime you've been committing.
201
Rule number one of not getting caught, you don't move the goddamn body.
202
You do if they're about to find it.
203
They're not about to find it.
204
They're always about to find it.
205
Mike.
206
Committing another fraud to cover your fraud isn't going legit.
207
It's just covering your ass.
208
And it doesn't undo the fact that you've already committed the crime.
209
You think I haven't thought about all of this?
210
Harvey, I'm stuck.
211
There's no way up.
212
There's no way down.
213
I can't live my whole life like this.
214
Okay.
215
You want to be legit?
216
There's only one way.
217
You go to a small town in Iowa where nobody's ever heard of Harvey Specter, Jessica Pearson, or anybody else.
218
You go to law school, hang out at your shingle, nobody will ever know.
219
I guarantee you'll be the king of the hill, but you can never come back to the mountain.
220
Not here in New York, Chicago or L.A.
221
Someone will know someone.
222
It'll all be for nothing.
223
You can't do that and you know it.
224
I do know it.
225
Mike, you're in the major leagues, and you get to go toe-to-toe with the best there is.
226
Now, I can't tell you if that's enough for a lifetime.
227
But if you want to stay, there's nothing more you can do.
228
My advice is hold on tight and enjoy the ride.
229
You want to know why I'm loyal to Ray?
230
I was taking a limo and I left $3,000 in it.
231
Ray happened to be the driver.
232
He found it and tracked me down.
233
Not a nickel of it was missing.
234
And his first reaction when this accident occurred was to ask if we were okay.
235
Now, what would Trevor's have been?
236
Cut him off.
237
Now, as far as the licensing deal goes, Just because you think I'm blowing something off doesn't mean I am.
238
Now watch and learn.
239
What makes you think I'm not fighting for you?
240
I don't know.
241
Your career, my anything.
242
Oh, you got a lot of nerve.
243
You have no idea what I've been doing for you.
244
Maybe, but you and I both know you were gonna fire me the other day, don't we?
245
Don't answer that.
246
I can see the look on your face.
247
It's the same look I can see and hear from that morning clear as a bell.
248
What I was going to do and what I did aren't the same thing.
249
like the first day I met you, when you were gonna deal drugs, and you didn't.
250
Look, I can't tell you everything that's going on here, all right?
251
But you have to trust me.
252
You are not getting fired on my watch.
253
This is your defense strategy.
254
If this doesn't work, you're gonna want to talk to a different lawyer than me.
255
Harvey, I don't care what Harold gives them on me.
256
I'm not giving them you.
257
I want to tell you a story.
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I don't want to hear a story.
259
It's about the time I decided to tell my dad about my mom.
260
You remember what I told you about her?
261
Harvey.
262
I was 20, out of the house, and I told her I would never tell him as long as she never brought anyone.
263
I came home to do laundry one day, and I heard...
264
I heard, and then I saw, and I told him that night.
265
Because sometimes it's better to tell.
266
She deserved that. So do I.
267
This whole thing was my idea.
268
I gave the go-ahead.
269
It's me what I'll want.
270
Well, he's not getting you.
271
Yes, he is.
272
I don't care what happens in that room.
273
I'm not giving you up.
274
Don't be a fool.
275
Don't be an asshole.
276
Listen to me, goddammit.
277
I'm giving you permission.
278
I don't give a shit what you're giving me.
279
I hired a frog.
280
And then we cross the line with Clifford Danner, then with Lola Jensen, and then with these witnesses.
281
And to top it all off, we suborn perjury with Edward Darby.
282
If it comes to it, you point the finger at me.
283
You got that?
284
Mr. McKernan, Harvey Specter.
285
Mr. Specter, would you mind telling me why I have two different Pearson-Hardman lawyers on my schedule today?
286
I don't know, but after this, you won't need to meet the other one.
287
You're cocky.
288
I'm right.
289
You're also traveling a little light.
290
Where's your PowerPoint presentation?
291
I don't need a PowerPoint presentation.
292
Why is that?
293
Because every lawyer in the city has tried to dazzle you, and you're still looking for a date to the big dance, because they don't know what you're looking for.
294
What exactly am I looking for?
295
Loyalty.
296
You're right.
297
I built this company from the ground up, And everybody that started with me is still here.
298
And I know why.
299
You don't downsize in the bad times, they stick with you in the good times, and no other lawyer has figured that out.
300
Not a single one.
301
Well, I'm the one, Avery, which is why I know you don't want me dumping you for a bigger client down the line.
302
How do I know you won't do that?
303
Because that's not the way I work.
304
Well, it's a hell of a nice sentiment.
305
But how do I know you're not full of sh...
306
I'm glad you asked.
307
Because here's my PowerPoint presentation.
308
Open the briefcase.
309
Where's the goddamn money?
310
That photo is a screenshot taken from my firm security video.
311
We know what you look like.
312
And if Mike Ross doesn't hear from me in the next five minutes, he's calling the police.
313
No, man.
314
You're not coming in here and threatening us.
315
You're looking at kidnapping, extortion, and drug dealing, and the district attorney happens to be number three on my speed dial.
316
Well, if we're looking all that time, you might as well add murder.
317
I got a better idea.
318
Retainer agreement.
319
If you sign right here, you'll become one of my clients.
320
I'm one of my clients, and I won't be able to testify against you, even if I wanted to.
321
What about the money?
322
This envelope contains $10,000.
323
Consider it a down payment on Trevor's debt.
324
Only here's the thing.
325
I don't do pro bono work, and my retainer agreement requires a down payment of $10,000.
326
Now, as your attorney, my job is to give you advice, so here's the deal.
327
Sign the agreement.
328
Threats like hers are a tactic.
329
They're effective because they distract you from what you're supposed to be doing.
330
Are you crazy?
331
What we should be doing is backing the hell off.
332
And how would that go, huh?
333
Jerome, you came to us with a problem.
334
We discovered that your daughter stole two million dollars from your company, and our conclusion is you're shit all up.
335
I don't really care how it would go.
336
All I care about is my life and keeping our secret.
337
I told you, it's a distraction.
338
She won't pull that trigger.
339
Why do you think she hasn't distributed that money yet?
340
Why do you think Jerome doesn't want us to go to the police?
341
I don't know.
342
It's because they both want to bury the hatchet.
343
And if any of that stuff happens, they can't.
344
Then what?
345
Figure out a way to make him reconcile.
346
It's easy.
347
It's easy.
348
You caught him rifling through some files in lieu of calling the police, want me to pay you off?
349
I never said that.
350
He didn't.
351
Well, that's great.
352
This way, if I level a charge of extortion, of extortion.
353
It's hearsay, huh?
354
Ten years working for a law firm, you'll learn a thing or two.
355
Which is good, because you sure as hell will make a lot of money doing it.
356
Somehow I think you're getting by fine.
357
Just saying to the level you guys play at.
358
Espionage happens all the time, which is why I know you'll do anything to protect your secrets.
359
Well, actually, Joe Spina of 2561 Clover Lane, Astoria, Queens, I think we all would.
360
Like those tax returns you filed jointly for the last six years while no longer living with your wife.
361
You know, the IRS can destroy you for that.
362
You think you're the first person to try to extort me, Joe?
363
Because that's the level I play at.
364
Now, you're a security guard, likes to take risks.
365
I like that.
366
Here's what we're going to do.
367
This here is a generous donation to Joey Jr.'s Little League team.
368
Now, if it gets to them, it gets to them.
369
If it doesn't, it doesn't.
370
The next time we talk, it's going to be me who wants a favor.
371
Hey, I need to talk to you.
372
Not now.
373
I know you're mad from before, but I need a favor.
374
I said not now.
375
Harvey, what's going on with you?
376
Nothing's wrong.
377
I need a glass of water.
378
What the hell is going on?
379
Okay, I'm dialing 911.
380
No, you're not.
381
Yes, I am.
382
You could be having a heart attack.
383
It's not a heart attack.
384
You don't know that.
385
It's a panic attack.
386
I hate to interrupt a special moment, but I thought you might want to take a gander at this.
387
What the hell is that?
388
If you recall, our last proposal reduced contention compensation.
389
This one wipes it out altogether.
390
What's the matter?
391
A snappy comeback?
392
I've read the bylaws.
393
You can't do that.
394
You're doing this fighting for him now?
395
I don't care what the bylaws say.
396
I have Lewis's backing.
397
So, either you give back my client, or good luck billing 2,500 hours a year like the rest of us.
398
You go right ahead and put your proposal to a vote.
399
But by the time this thing passes, I'll have your other four clients.
400
Bullshit.
401
You couldn't have gotten to them already.
402
Go goddamn check.
403
They're already in play.
404
You pass this thing, you won't be billing anything at all.
405
You're not gonna get away with that.
406
Wrong!
407
I didn't start this, but I'm gonna finish it.
408
And when you said, I only ever looked at you as competition, you were wrong.
409
I never looked at you as anything at all.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “Discover the Tools That Always Inspire Success”. This video has 409 sentences and 3424 words to shadow. The speech runs for 18:37. The speaker talks fast, about 184 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 84% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start. 80 of its 409 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| loyalty noun | /ˈlɔɪəlti/ | The state of being loyal; fidelity. |
| extortion noun | /ɪkˈstɔɹʃən/ | The practice of extorting money or other property by the use of force or threats. |
| bribe noun | /bɹaɪb/ | Something (usually money) given in exchange for influence or as an inducement to breaking the law. |
| legit adjective | /lɪˈd͡ʒɪt/ | Legitimate; legal; allowed by the rules; valid. |
| bylaw noun | /ˈbaɪ.lɔ/ | A local custom or law of a settlement or district. |
| retainer noun | /ɹɪˈteɪn.ɚ/ | Any thing or person that retains. |
| dial noun | /ˈdaɪ.əl/ | A graduated, circular scale over which a needle moves to show a measurement (such as speed). |
| cheat verb | /ˈt͡ʃiːt/ | To violate rules in order to gain, or attempt to gain, advantage from a situation. |
| patent noun | /ˈpeɪtənt/ | An official document granting an appointment, privilege, or right, or some property or title; letters patent. |
| blindside verb | /ˈblaɪndˌsaɪd/ | To attack (a person) on his or her blind side. |
| briefcase noun | /ˈbɹiːfˌkeɪs/ | A case used for carrying documents, especially for business. |
| celebratory adjective | /ˈsɛləbɹəˌtɔːɹi/ | Having the manner of, or forming part of, a celebration. |
| dazzle verb | /ˈdæzəl/ | To confuse or overpower the sight of (someone or something, such as a sensor) by means of excessive brightness. |
| downsize verb | /ˈdaʊnsaɪz/ | To reduce in size or number. |
| empathize verb | /ˈɛmpəˌθaɪz/ | to feel empathy for another person |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| figure out verb | To come to understand; to discover or find a solution; to deduce. | |
| pull out verb | To withdraw; especially of military forces; to retreat. | |
| back off verb | To move backwards away from something. | |
| get away with verb | To get away, or escape, taking (something) with one. | |
| give back verb | To return, restore (a thing to its original owner or location etc.). | |
| go ahead verb | /ˌɡoʊ əˈhɛd/ | To proceed with; to begin. |
| go up against verb | To challenge someone. | |
| head out verb | To leave, depart; to go on ahead. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- You think I haven't thought about all of this?
- What makes you think I'm not fighting for you?
- How do I know you won't do that?
- Harvey, what's going on with you?
- You're doing this fighting for him now?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result | if I were smart, I'd probably · if it wasn't me, you wouldn't be · if you take it now, you'll draw |
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | you've been committing · I've been doing |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | haven't prepared · hasn't decided · have had |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | situation, which is · kid who asked · Avery, which is |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 178 contractions and reduced forms, such as you're, don't, I'm. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: empathize /ˈɛmpəˌθaɪz/, youthful /ˈjuθfəl/, threaten /ˈθɹɛt.n̩/, altogether /ɔl.tuˈɡɛð.ɚ/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: extortion /ɪkˈstɔɹʃən/, espionage /ˈɛs.pi.əˌnɑːʒ/, shingle /ˈʃɪŋ.ɡəl/, contention /kənˈtɛnʃən/, screenshot /ˈskriːn.ʃɑt/
- Long words — get the stress right: celebratory /ˈsɛləbɹəˌtɔːɹi/, espionage /ˈɛs.pi.əˌnɑːʒ/, exuberance /ɪɡˈzjuːbəɹəns/, disappointment /ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪntmənt/, altogether /ɔl.tuˈɡɛð.ɚ/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like loyalty, extortion, bribe.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.