Shadowing Practice: Reading Pride and Prejudice Part 1 - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Chapter 1.
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It is a truth universally acknowledged
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that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.
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However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood,
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This truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families
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that he is considered the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters.
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My dear Mr. Bennet, said his lady to him one day, have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at last?
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Mr. Bennet replied that he had not.
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but it is replied she for mrs long has just been there and she told me all about it
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mr bennett made no answer do you not want to know
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who has taken it cried his wife impatiently you want to tell me
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and i have no objection to hearing it this was invitation
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enough why my dear you must know Mrs Long says
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that Netherfield is taken by a young man of large fortune from the north of England, that he came down on Monday in a chaise and four to see the place,
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and was so much delighted with it that he agreed with Mr Morris immediately, that he is to take possession before Michaelmas,
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and some of his servants are to be in the house by the end of next week.
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What is his name?
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Bingley.
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Is he married or single?
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Oh, single, my dear, to be sure, a single man of large fortune, four or five thousand a year.
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What a fine thing for our girls.
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How so?
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How can it affect them?
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My dear Mr. Bennett, replied his wife, how can you be so tiresome?
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You must know that I'm thinking of his marrying one of them.
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is that his design in settling here design nonsense how can you talk
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so but it is very likely
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that he may fall in love with one of them
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and therefore you must visit him as soon as he comes now i see no occasion for
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that you and the girls may go or you may send them by themselves
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which perhaps would be still better for as you are as handsome as any of them mr bingley may like you, the best of the party.
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My dear, you flatter me.
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I certainly have had my share of beauty, but I do not pretend to be anything extraordinary now.
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When a woman has five grown-up daughters, she ought to give over thinking of her own beauty.
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In such cases, a woman has not often much beauty to think of.
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But my dear, you must go and see Mr Bingley when he comes into the neighbourhood.
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It is more than I engage for, I assure you. But consider your daughters.
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Only think what an establishment it would be for one of them.
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Sir William and Lady Luke are determined to go, merely on that account, for in general you know they visit no newcomers.
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Indeed, you must go, for it will be impossible for us to visit him if you do not.
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You are over-scrupulous, surely.
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I dare say Mr Bingley will be very glad to see you, and I will send a few lines by you to assure
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him of my hearty consent to his marrying whichever he chooses of the girls.
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Though I must throw in a good word for my little Lizzie.
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I desire you will do no such thing.
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Lizzie is not a bit better than the others, and I am sure she is not half so handsome as Jane, nor half so good-humoured as Lydia,
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but you are always giving her the preference.
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They have none of the much to recommend them, replied he.
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They're all silly and ignorant like other girls, but Lizzie has something more of a quickness than her sisters.
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Mr. Bennet, how can you abuse your own children in such a way?
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You take delight in vexing me.
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You have no compassion for my poor nerves.
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You mistake me, my dear.
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I have a high respect for your nerves.
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They are my old friends.
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I have heard you mention them with consideration these last twenty years at least.
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Oh, you do not know what I suffer.
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But I hope you will get over it
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and live to see many young men of four thousand a year come into the neighborhood.
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It will be no use to us if twenty such should come since you will not visit them.
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Depend upon it, my dear,
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that when there are twenty I will visit them all." Mr. Bennett was so odd a mixture of quick parts,
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sarcastic humour, reserve and caprice, that the experience of three and twenty years had been insufficient to make his wife understand his character.
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Her mind was less difficult to develop.
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She was a woman of mean understanding, little information, and uncertain temper.
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When she was discontented, she fancied herself nervous.
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The business of her life was to get her daughters married.
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Its solace was visiting and news.
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Chapter Two Mr. Bennet was among the earliest of those who waited on Mr. Bingley.
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He had always intended to visit him, though to the last always assuring his wife that he should not go.
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Until the evening after the visit was paid, she had no knowledge of it.
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It was then disclosed in the following manner.
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Observing his second daughter employed in trimming a hat, he suddenly addressed her with, I hope Mr. Bingley will like it, Lizzie.
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"'We are not in a way to know what Mr Bingley likes,' said her mother resentfully, "'since we are not to visit.' "'But you forget,
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Mama,' said Elizabeth, "'that we shall meet him at the assemblies,
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and that Mrs Long promised to introduce him.' "'I do not believe Mrs Long will do any such thing.
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"'She has two nieces of her own.
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"'She is a selfish, hypocritical woman,
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and I have no opinion of her.'" No more have I,
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said Mr. Bennet, and I am glad to find that you do not depend on her serving you.
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Mrs. Bennet, deigned not to make any reply, but unable to contain herself, began scolding one of her daughters.
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Don't keep coughing so, Kitty, for heaven's sake!
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Have a little compassion on my nerves.
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You tear them to pieces.
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Kitty has no discretion in her coughs, said her father.
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She times them ill.
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I do not cough for my own amusement, replied Kitty fretfully.
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When is your next ball to be, Lizzie?
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Tomorrow a fortnight.
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Aye, so it is, cried her mother.
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And Mrs Long does not come back till the day before, so it will be impossible for her to introduce him, for she will not know him herself.
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Then, my dear, you may have the advantage of your friend and introduce Mr Bingley to her.
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Impossible, Mr Bennet, impossible!
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When I'm not acquainted with him myself, how can you be so teasing?
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I honour your circumspection.
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A fortnight's acquaintance is certainly very little.
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one cannot know what a man really is by the end of a fortnight.
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But if we do not venture, somebody else will, and after all Mrs Long and her daughters must stand their chance, and therefore, as she will think it an act of kindness,
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if you decline the office I will take it on myself.
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The girls stared at their father.
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Mrs Bennet said only nonsense, nonsense!
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What can be the meaning of that emphatic exclamation, exclamation, cried he.
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Do you consider the forms of introduction and the stress that is laid on them as nonsense?
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I cannot quite agree with you there.
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What say you, Mary?
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What say you, Mary?
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For you are a young lady of deep reflection, I know, and read great books and make extracts.
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Mary wished to say something sensible, but knew not how.
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While Mary is adjusting her ideas, he continued, let us return to Mr Bingley.
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I am sick of Mr Bingley, cried his wife.
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I am sorry to hear that.
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But why did you not tell me that before?
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If I had known as much this morning, I certainly would not have called on him.
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It is very unlucky, but as I have actually paid the visit, we cannot escape the acquaintance now.
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the astonishment of the ladies was just what he wished that of Mrs Bennet perhaps surpassing the rest though
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perhaps surpassing the rest
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though when the first tumult of joy was over she began to declare
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that it was what she had expected all the while
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how good it was in you my dear Mr Bennet but I knew I should persuade you at last
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I was sure you loved your girls too well to neglect such an acquaintance.
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Well, how pleased I am.
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And it is such a good joke, too, that you should have gone this morning and never said a word about it till now.
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Now, Kitty, you may cough as much as you choose, said Mr. Bennett.
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And as he spoke, he left the room, fatigued with the raptures of his wife.
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What an excellent father you have, girls, said she when the door was shut.
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I do not know how you will ever make him...
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What?
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I do not know how you will ever make him amends for his kindness, or me either, for that matter.
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At our time of life, it is not so pleasant, I can tell you, to be making new acquaintances every day.
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But for your sakes, we would do anything.
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Lydia, my love, though you are the youngest, I dare say Mr Bingley will dance with you at the next ball.
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Oh, said Lydia stoutly, I am not afraid, for though I am the youngest, I'm the tallest.
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The rest of the evening was spent in conjecturing how soon he would return Mr Bennet's visit,
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and determining when they should ask him to dinner.
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Do we want another one or are we done?
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What do you think?
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Let me know.
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Maybe we'll take a break.
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And then I'll do some more later.
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Thank you guys for being here.
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Quarantine?
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Where do I end this thing?
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “Reading Pride and Prejudice Part 1”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: bingley, Bennet, dear, visit, daughter. This video has 142 sentences and 1711 words to shadow. The speech runs for 11:27. The speaker talks at a natural 150 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 83% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| acquaintance noun | /ʌˈkweɪn.təns/ | A state of being acquainted with a person; originally indicating friendship, intimacy, but now suggesting a slight knowledge less deep than that of friendship… |
| cough verb | /kɔf/ | Sometimes followed by up: to force (something) out of the lungs or throat by pushing air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound)… |
| assure verb | /əˈʃʊɹ/ | To make sure and secure; ensure. |
| nerve noun | /nɝv/ | A bundle of neurons with their connective tissue sheaths, blood vessels and lymphatics. |
| exclamation noun | /ˌɛkskləˈmeɪʃn̩/ | A loud calling or crying out, for example as in surprise, pain, grief, joy, anger, etc. |
| surpass verb | /sɚˈpæs/ | To go beyond or exceed (something) in an adjudicative or literal sense. |
| humour noun | /ˈhjuːmɚ/ | The quality of being amusing, comical, funny. |
| neighbourhood noun | /ˈneɪbə.hʊd/ | British standard spelling of neighborhood. |
| compassion noun | /kəmˈpæʃ.ən/ | Deep awareness of the suffering of others that people have to the point of them being motivated to relieve such states. |
| delight noun | /dəˈlaɪt/ | Joy; pleasure. |
| kindness noun | /ˈkaɪnd.nəs/ | The state of being kind. |
| youngest adjective | /ˈjʌŋ.ɡɪst/ | Most recently begun or formed. |
| depend verb | /dɪˈpɛnd/ | To be contingent or conditioned; to have something as a necessary condition |
| acquaint verb | /əˈkweɪnt/ | To furnish or give experimental knowledge of; to make (one) know; to make familiar. |
| astonishment noun | /əˈstɑːnɪʃmənt/ | The feeling or experience of being astonished; great surprise. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| come back verb | To return to a place. |
| come down on verb | To punish or criticize (someone). |
| get over verb | To overcome. |
| give over verb | To entrust (something) to another. |
| grow up verb | To mature and become an adult. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Bennett, replied his wife, how can you be so tiresome?
- Bennet, how can you abuse your own children in such a way?
- Do we want another one or are we done?
- What do you think?
- Where do I end this thing?
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 we do not venture, somebody else will · if you decline the office I will take |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is considered · is let · is replied |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | has just been · has taken · have heard |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 7 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, I'll. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: assure /əˈʃʊɹ/, exclamation /ˌɛkskləˈmeɪʃn̩/, compassion /kəmˈpæʃ.ən/, astonishment /əˈstɑːnɪʃmənt/, chaise /ʃeɪz/
- Long words — get the stress right: astonishment /əˈstɑːnɪʃmənt/, circumspection /ˌsɚkəmˈspɛkʃən/, hypocritical /hɪpəˈkɹɪtɪkəl/, impatiently /ɪmˈpeɪʃəntli/, universally /ˌjunɪˈvɝsəli/
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 acquaintance, cough, assure.
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.