Shadowing Practice: It's so sexy it becomes hostile - The Office US - Learn English Speaking with Video

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348 sentences

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I really like

Valentine's Day in this office.

It's kind of like grade school.

Everybody gives out little presents and stuff.

Like last year, Jim gave me this card with Dwight's head on it.

It was horrifying and funny.

Phyllis!

You could just sign here.

Roy and I are saving for the wedding, so I made him promise not to get me anything too big.

Happy Valentine's Day, darling.

Love, Bob Vance.

Vance Refrigeration.

Isn't he sweet?

Yeah.

Wow.

What's this?

What is this?

I don't know.

It's on your desk.

But who put it here?

And for what purpose?

It was there when I sat down.

Happy Valentine's Day.

It's me.

I'm the bobblehead.

Yes!

Ah!

Hey, Kelly.

What's up?

Nothing.

Oh, except, oh my god, Jim, last night, Ryan and I totally, finally hooked up.

It was awesome.

That's great.

I'm really happy for you.

I know.

And it was so funny, because we were at this bar with his friends, and I was sitting next to him the whole night.

And he wasn't making a move, so in my head, I was like, Ryan, what's taking you so long?

And then he kissed me, and I didn't know what to say.

So I said, Ryan, what took you so long?

And I just said it to him.

Can you believe that?

Wow.

Oh, my God, Jim, is that embarrassing?

I'm embarrassed.

No, don't be.

Oh, thank God, because I was nervous, Jim.

You will not believe.

I was so nervous.

But now, now I have a boyfriend.

All right.

I hooked up with her on February 13th.

Guess what?

Really?

Mm -hmm.

Oh, you're from barbecue.

It's great.

Hello, Angela.

Did you hear?

Somebody totally rocked the house and got me the best present I've ever gotten.

Really?

I wouldn't know anything about that, but I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Oh, I did.

I did.

I didn't get anything for Valentine's Day.

Oh, I bet you will before the day is over.

Really?

Well, I hope I do.

Ho, ho.

Phyllis slapping?

Holy God.

It's from Bob.

Man, that thing's bigger than I am.

No, it's not.

Oh, zip it.

Pam, hi.

How you doing?

Good.

Listen, may I speak with you privately?

You can't fire me, Dwight, just because Michael's not here.

No, Pam, just...

Just...

Wait.

You need to get something for your girlfriend?

Girlfriend, yes.

And the reason I didn't get anything for this particular person,

who shall remain nameless, is that she's not really the kind of person you think would be into Valentine's Day.

She's kind of...

Tightly wound.

Exactly.

Okay, well, sometimes the gift is really about the gesture.

You know, like what it means instead of what it is.

You mean like a ham?

No, not like a ham.

It's about doing something so that the person knows that you really care about her.

Okay, I get it.

That's great.

Okay, shut up.

I know exactly what to do.

100

Women are like wolves.

101

If you want a wolf, you have to trap it.

102

You have to snare it.

103

And then you have to tame it.

104

Keep it happy.

105

Care for it.

106

Feed it lovingly the way an animal deserves to be loved.

107

and my animal deserves a lot of loving hey babe you almost ready to go?

108

I guess, yeah what's wrong?

109

nothing, it's just that I had to sit here all day while Phyllis got like an entire garden delivered to her what, you're mad at me?

110

I mean, I know that we said no big gifts

111

but I was kind of hoping you'd get me something for Valentine's Day Okay.

112

Well, Valentine's Day isn't over.

113

Let's get you home, and you are going to get the best sex of your life.

114

So, I received the first

115

Valentine from a secret admirer.

116

Roses are red, violets are blue.

117

It's time for your dental cleaning, and maybe a checkup, too.

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Oh, wow, look at those.

119

How nice for you.

120

Up there front and center, beautiful.

121

I think they would look better right here.

122

They're very pretty, and I wouldn't want them to fall.

123

Just about everybody in this office is single right now, including me.

124

And everyone is experiencing an incredible amount of emotional pain.

125

especially me, because of my great capacity for emotion.

126

And it is my first

127

Valentine's Day since Holly.

128

So I think that I am well qualified to understand

129

that these people need to be protected from having love shoved into their faces.

130

Pam, really?

131

They're back?

132

I can't see them when they're on the floor.

133

They're for her to look at, Michael.

134

Can I have a word with you?

135

Yes, let's have a word.

136

Yes.

137

Um, Jim.

138

Mm -hmm?

139

Today's a very difficult day for a lot of people in this office.

140

Oh, I'm sorry.

141

Yeah.

142

And the sexy looks between you and Pam, the general sexiness, the flowers, it's creating a bit of a hostile work environment.

143

I understand.

144

Yeah, it's so sexy it becomes hostile.

145

Mm -hmm.

146

I actually thought we were keeping it pretty low -key.

147

Well, if you guys insist on having your own private little love fest...

148

We do.

149

...that none of us can be a part of...

150

You can't be a part of our relationship, Mike.

151

Then we are going to have our own private

152

Valentine's Day party.

153

Sounds fun.

154

So suck it.

155

Yeah.

156

Yes.

157

Hey, everybody.

158

I just invited Jim to suck it, and I am cordially inviting all of you to a special convention,

159

a Lonely Hearts convention this afternoon, singles only.

160

Yeah, deal with it, Pam.

161

So we may not have someone in our lives that we love, but we do have each other.

162

Hey, why don't you guys come have lunch with Bob and me?

163

We'll take all afternoon.

164

Michael is terrified of Bob.

165

What do you think?

166

I have a lot of work to do this afternoon.

167

Those minds aren't gonna sweep themselves. So...

168

We're in.

169

Everyone here who's bowled a 280, please raise your hand.

170

No way.

171

280?

172

Wow, that's impressive.

173

Okay, now everyone here who's bowled under 70 raise their hand.

174

Yikes.

175

Come on, Bob.

176

Raise your hand.

177

No, Bob, no. What?

178

One time.

179

You love bringing up that one time, don't you?

180

Yeah, I do.

181

Jim uses a six -pound ball.

182

That is a lie.

183

Yes, he bowled five frames with this pink sparkly thing until a little girl had to ask for her ball back.

184

But that girl must have had monstrous hands because the holes fit.

185

No, you just have little dainty fingers.

186

You could always model ladies' jewelry.

187

Nobody asked, Bob.

188

Okay, oh wait, what is this?

189

Is this a scorecard where someone got 68?

190

No way.

191

She actually carries it with her.

192

I do.

193

That's amazing.

194

I thought this was going to be like having lunch with my mom and dad.

195

But Bob isn't showing me his appendectomy scar, and no one's criticizing the way I hold a fork.

196

If you'll excuse me, I'm going to visit the powder room.

197

We do everything together.

198

Welcome to married life, Jimmy.

199

What's the rule about eating when people are in the bathroom?

200

I think if you ordered hot food you're allowed to eat.

201

Oh, damn.

202

They've been in there for like 10 minutes.

203

Look at that.

204

Bob ordered hot food.

205

Yes.

206

And I think they gave him too many fries.

207

We should help him out.

208

Here they come.

209

What?

210

No, just kidding.

211

Seriously, that's enough.

212

Why don't you cover it with the broccoli?

213

Oh great, I have to cover it.

214

Do you think they dined and dashed?

215

They didn't dine.

216

So, yeah, maybe they just dashed.

217

I thought we were having a nice time.

218

We were.

219

Yeah.

220

Empty.

221

Mine too.

222

Oh, boy.

223

Oh, my God.

224

Okay.

225

Okay, then. So, where were we?

226

Bowling.

227

Yep, yep, yeah.

228

You didn't eat much there, Jimbo.

229

Well, initially I did.

230

Want some meat?

231

Oh, sure, a little piece.

232

Ooh, no mushroom though.

233

Forgot.

234

Yeah, thank you.

235

There you go, thanks.

236

Thank you.

237

How much did you give him?

238

Wait, I don't have my scarf.

239

I'm missing my scarf.

240

Oh.

241

We decided to have

242

Valentine's Day lunch.

243

And then that way we could spend the entire night with Cece and not avoid the Valentine's Day dinner thing.

244

It's a whole thing.

245

Yeah, lunch was wonderful.

246

There was an amazing buffet, and there was a chocolate fondue station, and what else was there?

247

Uh, bottomless champagne?

248

Yes.

249

Never found that bottom, did we?

250

No. Michael, confession.

251

I have done PDA in the office.

252

Thank you.

253

I've had intercourse in the office.

254

All right.

255

As has Angela.

256

Dwight!

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As has Ryan.

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As has Kelly.

259

As has Meredith.

260

As has Phyllis.

261

As has Daryl.

262

As has Creed.

263

As has Michael.

264

And as has Holly.

265

As has Kevin. With who?

266

She goes to another school.

267

Okay, fine.

268

No more PDA.

269

Good.

270

Okay.

271

You win.

272

But here's what we are gonna do.

273

We are going to designate one of our closets as a hookup zone.

274

Anything goes.

275

I know.

276

Just leave it.

277

Michael, that's absurd.

278

What if two couples want to go at the same time?

279

Okay, then we have two closets.

280

No, no. We're gonna have three closets, one for each base, no homers.

281

Yes?

282

And what is the hookup zone policy on masturbation?

283

Pro.

284

Yes.

285

What?

286

Problem solved.

287

No, no, it's great.

288

I love working at Dunder Mifflin, a division of Taliban Enterprises.

289

That's weird.

290

I mean, that's weird to have sex in the office.

291

That's where you work, right?

292

Mm -hmm.

293

You're in a meeting, and nobody knows that you've had sex there except for you and him.

294

Ew.

295

Hey!

296

Hey!

297

Hey!

298

No time to chat!

299

Well, we were just looking for Ryan, so he's not here.

300

Hey!

301

You looking for me?

302

Oh, yeah!

303

We were.

304

We were just looking to say hi, so hey.

305

No, you weren't.

306

No, we weren't.

307

You wanted to have sex in my office.

308

Nope.

309

Definitely not.

310

That's disgusting.

311

It's, it's, it's cool.

312

Just, um, try to put everything back where you found it.

313

Uh, text me when you're finished.

314

I'll be out here.

315

Hey, you don't have to...

316

That was so embarrassing, I'm gonna die.

317

Yeah, that was really rough.

318

Let me make something clear.

319

Jim and I have never and will never have sex in the office.

320

No. Because the office isn't what I'd consider a romantic place.

321

Besides, we have something those other people don't have, which is a home.

322

And a bed.

323

And a shower.

324

Ladies and gentlemen, I have an announcement to make.

325

As of today, officially, Holly and I are moving in together.

326

Yay!

327

Thank you.

328

Thank you.

329

Oscar, this must be tough for you, watching this go down.

330

You could not stand in the way of true love, my friend.

331

Are you kidding?

332

I wasn't trying to break you guys up.

333

Better luck next time, pal.

334

Well, the point is, there will no longer be any need for PDA here at the office between us, because when we get home,

335

we are going to make love to and with one another.

336

And that, to me, is the best

337

Valentine's Day present that a person could receive.

338

So I bid you all adieu.

339

You do?

340

I do.

341

Go on, kiss each other already.

342

Suck it, Oscar.

343

This must kill you.

344

I just told him to do it.

345

What?

346

No. We took a walk.

347

We took a walk.

348

I'm going to go to the next video.

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This speaking lesson is built on the video “It's so sexy it becomes hostile - The Office US”. This video has 347 sentences and 1926 words to shadow. The speech runs for 14:52. The speaker talks at a steady 130 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 83% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start. 53 of its 347 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.

Key vocabulary in this video

15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
suck verb	/sʌk/	To use the mouth and lips to pull in (a liquid, especially milk from the breast).
closet noun	/ˈklɑzɪt/	A small room within a house used to store clothing, food, or other household supplies.
sexy adjective	/ˈsɛksi/	Having sex appeal; attractive.
hook noun	/hʊk/	A rod bent into a curved shape, typically with one end free and the other end secured to a rope or other attachment.
wolf noun	/wʊlf/	Canis lupus; the largest wild member of the canine subfamily.
invite verb	/ɪnˈvaɪt/	To ask for the presence or participation of someone or something.
hostile adjective	/ˈhɑstəl/	Not friendly; appropriate to an enemy; showing the disposition of an enemy; showing ill will and malevolence or a desire to thwart and injure.
dash noun	/ˈdæʃ/	Any of the following symbols: ‒ (figure dash), – (en dash), — (em dash), or ― (horizontal bar).
scarf noun	/skɑːf/	A long, often knitted, garment worn around the neck.
finger noun	/ˈfɪŋɡɚ/	A slender jointed extremity of the human hand, (often) exclusive of the thumb, and the corresponding part, irrespective of including a thumb, in many other…
impressive adjective	/ɪmˈpɹɛsɪv/	Making, or tending to make, a positive impression; having power to impress.
desk noun	/dɛsk/	A table, frame, or case, in past centuries usually with a sloping top but now usually with a flat top, for the use of writers and readers. It often has a…
romantic adjective	/ɹoʊˈmæn(t)ɪk/	Fantastic, unrealistic (of an idea etc.); fanciful, sentimental, impractical (of a person).
flower noun	/ˈfloʊɚ/	A reproductive structure in angiosperms (flowering plants), often conspicuously colourful and typically including sepals, petals, and either or both stamens…
solve verb	/sɒlv/	To find an answer or solution to a problem or question; to work out.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
bring up verb		To mention.
give out verb		To utter, publish; to announce, proclaim, report.
go down verb		To descend; to move from a higher place to a lower one.
hook up verb		To assemble the parts of a mechanism, especially by connecting wires.
shut up	/ʃʌt ʌp/	Stop talking (usually in the form of making annoying, irrelevant, or false comments, during a period of peace and quiet, or when one is not allowed to talk)…
sit down verb		To assume a sitting position from a standing position.

Sentences worth repeating

Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:

Listen, may I speak with you privately?
You need to get something for your girlfriend?
I guess, yeah what's wrong?
You love bringing up that one time, don't you?
Why don't you cover it with the broccoli?

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	I've ever gotten · They've been · have done
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	be loved · be protected
Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past	was horrifying · was sitting · wasn't making
Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group	the best

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 60 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, didn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “sh” and “zh” sounds: dash /ˈdæʃ/, emotion /ɪˈməʊ.ʃən/, champagne /ʃæmˈpeɪn/, confession /kənˈfɛʃən/, shove /ʃʌv/

How to practise with this video

Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like suck, closet, sexy.

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

Shadowing Practice: It's so sexy it becomes hostile - The Office US - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

Key vocabulary in this video

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Sentences worth repeating

Grammar in this video

Pronunciation to watch

How to practise with this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?