Shadowing Practice: Sherlock Holmes Kills It With His "Best-Man Speech" - Learn English Speaking with Video
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49 sentences
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1
Done that bit, done that bit, done that bit.
2
I'm afraid, John, I can't congratulate you.
3
All emotions, and in particular love, stand opposed to the pure cold reason I hold above all things.
4
A wedding is, in my considered opinion, nothing short of a celebration of all that is false
5
and specious and irrational and sentimental in this ailing and morally compromised world.
6
Today we honour the death watch beetle that is the doom of our society, and in time one feels certain our entire species.
7
But anyway, let's talk about John.
8
Please.
9
If I burden myself with a little helpmate during my adventures, this is not out of sentiment or caprice.
10
It is that he has many fine qualities of his own that he is overlooked in his obsession with me.
11
Indeed, any reputation I have for mental acuity and sharpness comes in truth from the extraordinary contrast John so selflessly provides.
12
It is a fact I believe that brides tend to favor exceptionally plain bridesmaids for their big day.
13
There is a certain analogy there, I feel.
14
And contrast is, after all, God's own plan to enhance the beauty of his creation.
15
Or it would be if God were not a ludicrous fantasy designed to provide a career opportunity for the family idiot.
16
The point I'm trying to make is that I am the most unpleasant,
17
rude, ignorant, and all -round obnoxious arsehole that anyone could possibly have the misfortune to meet, I am dismissive of the virtuous,
18
unaware of the beautiful, and uncomprehending in the face of the happy.
19
So if I didn't understand I was being asked to be best man, it is because I never expected to be anybody's best friend.
20
And certainly not the best friend
21
of the bravest and kindest and wisest human being I have ever had the good fortune of knowing.
22
John, I am a ridiculous man, redeemed only by the warmth and constancy of your friendship.
23
But as I am apparently your best friend, I cannot congratulate you on your choice of companion.
24
Actually, now I can.
25
Mary, when I say you deserve this man, it is the highest compliment of which I am capable.
26
John, you have endured war and injury. and tragic loss.
27
So sorry again about that last one.
28
So know this, today you sit between the woman you have made, your wife, and the man you have saved.
29
In short, the two people who love you most in all this world.
30
And I know I speak for Mary as well when I say,
31
we will never let you down and we have a lifetime ahead to prove that.
32
If I try and hug him, stop me.
33
Certainly not.
34
Ah, yes.
35
Now onto some funny stories about John.
36
What's wrong?
37
What happened?
38
Why are you all doing that?
39
John?
40
Oh, sure.
41
Oh, sure.
42
Did I do it wrong?
43
No, you didn't.
44
Come here.
45
I haven't finished yet.
46
Yeah, I know.
47
So, onto some funny stories.
48
Can you wait till I sit down?
49
So onto some funny stories about John.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Sherlock Holmes Kills It With His "Best-Man Speech"”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: onto, stories, funny. This video has 49 sentences and 513 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:27. The speaker talks at a steady 149 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 80% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| contrast noun | /kənˈt(ʃ)ɹæst/ | The degree of this difference. |
| congratulate verb | /kənˈɡɹæd͡ʒ.ʊˌleɪt/ | To express one’s sympathetic pleasure or joy to the person(s) it is felt for |
| reputation noun | /ˌɹɛpjʊˈteɪʃən/ | What somebody or something is known for. |
| adventure noun | /ədˈvɛn.t͡ʃə/ | A feeling of desire for new and exciting things. |
| ridiculous adjective | /ɹɪˈdɪk.jə.ləs/ | Deserving of ridicule; foolish, absurd. |
| plain noun | /pleɪn/ | An expanse of land with relatively low relief and few trees, especially a grassy expanse. |
| friendship noun | /ˈfɹɛn(d)ʃɪp/ | The condition of being friends. |
| lifetime noun | /ˈlaɪf.taɪm/ | The duration of the life of someone or something. |
| honour noun | /ˈɑnəɹ/ | British, Canadian, Commonwealth, and Ireland standard spelling of honor. |
| extraordinary adjective | /ɪksˈtɹɔːrdɪn(ə)ɹi/ | Out of the ordinary; exceptional; unusual. |
| brave adjective | /bɹeɪv/ | Strong in the face of fear; courageous. |
| fortune noun | /ˈfɔːtjuːn/ | Destiny, especially favorable. |
| celebration noun | /ˌsɛl.ɪˈbɹeɪ.ʃən/ | The formal performance of a solemn rite, such as Christian sacrament. |
| rude adjective | /ɹuːd/ | Lacking in refinement or civility; bad-mannered; discourteous. |
| burden noun | /ˈbɝdn̩/ | A heavy load. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 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:
- Why are you all doing that?
- Did I do it wrong?
- Can you wait till I sit down?
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 | have ever had · have endured · have made |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is overlooked · being asked |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 6 contractions and reduced forms, such as didn't, I'm, can't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: contrast /kənˈt(ʃ)ɹæst/, reputation /ˌɹɛpjʊˈteɪʃən/, friendship /ˈfɹɛn(d)ʃɪp/, celebration /ˌsɛl.ɪˈbɹeɪ.ʃən/, emotion /ɪˈməʊ.ʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: congratulate /kənˈɡɹæd͡ʒ.ʊˌleɪt/, reputation /ˌɹɛpjʊˈteɪʃən/, ridiculous /ɹɪˈdɪk.jə.ləs/, extraordinary /ɪksˈtɹɔːrdɪn(ə)ɹi/, celebration /ˌsɛl.ɪˈbɹeɪ.ʃən/
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 contrast, congratulate, reputation.
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.