Shadowing Practice: 'That Cat Can't Stay' read by Haley Lu Richardson - Learn English Speaking with Video
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140 sentences
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Hi!
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Welcome to Storyline Online, brought to you by the SAG-AFTRA Foundation.
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I'm Haley Lou Richardson, and today I'm going to read That Cat Can't Stay,
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written by Thad Krasniewski and illustrated by David Parkins.
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When Mom brought home astray one day, Dad said, That creature cannot stay.
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There's no use begging.
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Don't say please.
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I don't like cats.
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They scratch my knees.
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And I don't want to have to shout.
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So kindly put, that cat thing out.
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Mom said, I'll put him back outside.
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I'm sure he'll find some place to hide.
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away from all the rain and hail which just might drench him nose to tail.
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I see you do not want this pet, though he might get completely wet.
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Your mind's made up, dear, I can tell.
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I'll put him out.
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But Dad said, well...
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The rain is coming down so hard, there's not a dry spot in the yard.
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I guess the cat can stay in here until this rainstorm starts to clear.
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But no one pet him.
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Do not play.
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My mind's made up.
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That cat can't stay.
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The day mom found a calico, dad said, that thing has got to go.
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One cat was more than I could take.
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Two cats would be a big mistake mistake.
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There's no use begging.
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Don't say please.
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I don't like cats.
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They scratch my knees.
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They carry fleas.
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They make me sneeze.
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They're always getting stuck in trees.
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I want it gone.
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Vamoose!
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Away!
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I'm telling you, that cat can't stay.
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All right, said Mom.
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She's She's beautiful.
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But you're quite right, our house is full.
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I'll put her back out on the street She'll have to scrounge for things to eat, but she'll survive.
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Yes, I can tell I'll put her out
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But dad said well We'll feed her for a day or two But after that I'm warning you
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When she has gained a little weight she's out of here.
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There's no debate We cannot keep another stray.
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You mark my words, that cat can't stay.
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When we were in the parking lot, Mom called, Hey kids, look what I've got.
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Dad said, Don't show me what you've found.
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We don't need one more cat around.
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There's no use begging.
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Don't say please.
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I don't like cats.
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They scratch my knees.
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They carry fleas.
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They make me sneeze.
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They're always getting stuck in trees.
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They eat my cheese.
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They hairball wheeze.
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Their licking makes my stomach queeze.
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Free cats!
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We do not have the space.
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She'll have to find another place.
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You're right again, Mom said to Dad, and I won't cry or get too sad,
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just thinking of this little cat and how a car might squish her flat.
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Abandoned in this parking lot, slim chance to none is all she's got.
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Poor cat, just go, you heard the boss.
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But look both ways before you cross.
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It won't help to meow or yell.
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watch for traffic.
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Dad said, well, perhaps we'll drive her out a bit to someplace where she won't get hit.
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We'll even show her picture round and put up posters saying found.
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Now kids, sit down and stop that yaying.
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This cat's not, you hear, not staying.
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One night, my mom rushed in the door from doing errands at the store.
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This ginger kitty has been hit, so I got out and rescued it.
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Dad said, unrescue it, my dear.
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We have no room for four cats here.
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There's no use begging.
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Don't say please.
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I don't like cats.
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They scratch my knees.
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They make me sneeze.
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They carry fleas.
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They're always getting stuck in trees.
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They eat my cheese.
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They hairball-weaves.
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Their licking makes my stomach-queeze.
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I'm sure that everyone agrees.
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We can't have any more of these.
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Mom softly said, I'm sure you're right.
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I'll send him back into the night.
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His leg is broken.
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He can't walk.
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He's easy pickings for a hawk.
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Poor thing.
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It'll be over soon.
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I doubt he'll make it through till noon.
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So best of luck there, little fella.
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Go outside now.
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Dad said, well, uh, if his leg is truly broken,
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maybe I've too harshly spoken.
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Take him to the vet tonight to see if she can set it right.
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But when he's well, without delay, that cat moves out.
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That cat can't stay!
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When I was coming home from school, I broke the no more kitties rule.
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I hid the tabby in my hood because I knew my father would not let me bring her in the house.
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Though she was tiny as a mouse.
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I knew just what my dad would say.
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Another cat?
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That cat can't stay.
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There's no use begging.
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Don't say please.
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I don't like cats.
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They scratch my knees.
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They carry fleas.
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They make me sneeze.
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They're always getting stuck in trees.
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They eat my cheese!
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They hairball-weez!
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Their licking makes my stomach-weez!
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I'm sure that everyone agrees.
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We can't have any more of these!
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So, I kissed Dad, and I said,
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please, could you just give her one small squeeze?
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That week, Dad said, look what I found, all sad and lonely at the pound.
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and we were happy to discover
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daddy is a doggy
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lover i love this book
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because i'm a big cat lover my cat is my favorite thing about my life i miss him very much
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and i can't wait to go home to him but i also love this story because
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it shows how someone can change for the better.
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And I love that the dad starts out all angry and closed off to cats,
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but then his heart grows bigger with every single cat he allows in his home.
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And he sees the joy it brings his family and it brings them together.
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It makes him a happier man.
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Whee! That was so fun!
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Thank you for watching Storyline Online.
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Make sure to check out all of our stories, keep watching, and keep reading.
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Meow meow!
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This A1 speaking lesson is built on the video “'That Cat Can't Stay' read by Haley Lu Richardson”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: cat, dad, mom, begging, scratch. This video has 140 sentences and 1003 words to shadow. The speech runs for 8:48. The speaker talks at a steady 114 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.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| knee noun | /ni/ | In humans, the joint or the region of the joint in the middle part of the leg between the thigh and the shank. |
| scratch verb | /skɹæt͡ʃ/ | To rub a surface with a sharp object, especially by a living creature to remove itching with nails, claws, etc. |
| stomach noun | /ˈstʌmək/ | An organ in animals that stores food in the process of digestion. |
| lick verb | /lɪk/ | To stroke with the tongue. |
| lover noun | /ˈlʌvɚ/ | One who loves and cares for another person in a romantic way; a sweetheart, love, soulmate, boyfriend, girlfriend, or spouse. |
| kitty noun | /ˈkɪti/ | A young cat; a kitten. |
| rescue verb | /ˈɹɛs.kjuː/ | To save from any violence, danger or evil. |
| rush verb | /ɹʌʃ/ | To hurry; to perform a task with great haste, often not properly or without thinking carefully. |
| picking noun | /ˈpɪkɪŋ/ | A gathering to pick fruit. |
| delay noun | /dɪˈleɪ̯/ | A period of time before an event occurs; the act of delaying; procrastination; lingering inactivity. |
| discover verb | /dɪˈskʌvə/ | To find or learn something for the first time. |
| daddy noun | /ˈdædi/ | Also used as a term of address: a father; one's father. |
| tail noun | /ˈteɪ̯l/ | An object or part of an object resembling a tail in shape, such as the thongs on a cat-o'-nine-tails; a strand of material hanging from something. |
| pound noun | /ˈpaʊ̯nd/ | A unit of weight in various measurement systems. |
| mouse noun | /maʊs/ | Any mammal of the many rodent families (especially Muridae) that have a small body and a long tail. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| make up verb | /ˌmeɪk ˈʌp/ | To constitute, to compose. |
| check out verb | To record the departure or withdrawal of someone or something (such as guests, employees, books, etc.). | |
| come down verb | To descend, fall down, collapse. | |
| get out verb | To leave or escape. | |
| move out verb | To leave one's present location; to leave somewhere for another place. | |
| put up verb | To place in a high location. | |
| sit down verb | To assume a sitting position from a standing position. | |
| start out verb | To emerge suddenly; to jump out. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Mom said, I'll put him back outside.
- I'm sure he'll find some place to hide.
- Your mind's made up, dear, I can tell.
- I'm telling you, that cat can't stay.
- You mark my words, that cat can't stay.
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 | has gained · you've found · has been hit |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | has been hit · is broken |
| Possibility with “might / may” might/may + verb — something that is possible but not certain | might drench · might get · might squish |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | I'll put · he'll find · We'll feed |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 59 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, can't, I'm. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: rush /ɹʌʃ/, shout /ʃaʊt/, harshly /ˈhɑːʃli/
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 knee, scratch, stomach.
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.