Shadowing Practice: The Best Brooklyn 99 Cold Opens | Brooklyn Nine-Nine - Learn English Speaking with Video
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421 sentences
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1
Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to answer an age-old question.
2
Right.
3
What's Amy's deal?
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Is she single?
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No. We're dating.
6
Come on.
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The question is, who here does the best impression of Captain Raymond Holt?
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You'll be judged on voice, body language, and overall lack of flair.
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Everyone will perform the same scenario.
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Captain Holt eating a marshmallow for the very first time.
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Let the Holt off begin!
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What is this glutinous monstrosity before me?
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The sugar in this is quite sweet.
14
Ooh!
15
Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!
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That's your Halt impression?
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I can hear him doing that.
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Looks like a sticky pillow.
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I don't care for it.
20
Classical music.
21
What's going on here?
22
What are you doing?
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Captain, hey, nothing.
24
Just.. eating some marshmallows.
25
Care for one?
26
Marshmallow?
27
I knew it!
28
Morning, Scully.
29
How was your weekend?
30
Oh, fun.
31
Kelly and I hit the park, went for a long walk, fell asleep watching TV.
32
Oh, sounds like a fun weekend with Kelly.
33
So, Kelly, is that Scully's wife or his dog?
34
Wait, no one knows Scully's wife's name?
35
I think Kelly's his dog.
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Went for a long walk.
37
That's what you do with a dog.
38
You can go on a long walk with a person at sunset, talking about nothing and everything.
39
Sounds awful.
40
Hit the park.
41
That's a dog.
42
My wife takes the babies to the park all the time.
43
All right, we're doing this.
44
Let's play wife or dog.
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Hey, so Scully, what do you do at the park with Kelly?
46
Oh, we just walk around.
47
She gets antsy if she doesn't get outside enough.
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And then it's just yap, yap, yap all day long.
49
Hey, what's Kelly's favorite food?
50
Peanut butter.
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She'll eat it right out of the jar.
52
How old is Kelly again?
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Well, she's getting up there, but she's pretty spry for her age, especially considering she got hit by that car a year ago.
54
Oh, that's so awful.
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Was she chasing something into the street or...?
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Nah.
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Just getting me the newspaper.
58
Alright, this is useless.
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Scully, is Kelly your wife or your dog?
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How can you ask me that?
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I still don't know which it is.
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Could be either.
63
Could not tell you.
64
Whoa, what's with the cast?
65
I sprained my wrist.
66
Oh no, what happened?
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Don't worry about it.
68
I'm fine.
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Yeah, geez, Amy.
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Back off.
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Leave the guy alone.
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Alright, huddle up.
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Everybody, bring it in.
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So he wouldn't say what happened, which can only mean one thing.
75
He's in a fight club.
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No, he did it doing something he's embarrassed by, like smiling.
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Only question is, how do you hurt your arm smiling?
78
Attention, everyone.
79
I can hear you speculating about the nature and origin of my injury from my office.
80
I tripped over an uneven sidewalk.
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I did not think it was relevant to your jobs, the jobs which you should all be doing right now.
82
Get to work.
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Do you want to know how I actually hurt my wrist?
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Yes.
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I was hula-hooping.
86
Kevin and I attend a class for fitness and for fun.
87
Oh, my God.
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I've mastered all the moves.
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The pizza toss, the tornado, the scorpion, the oopsie-doodle.
90
Why are you telling me this?
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Because no one will ever believe you.
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No. No. You sick son of a bitch.
93
Wait for it.
94
Wait for it.
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9-0-1, Amy Santiago is officially late for the first time ever.
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All right, let's do this.
97
Who's got theories?
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Uh, alarm didn't go up.
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All three alarms, all with battery backup?
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Come on, who wants to take this seriously?
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Ooh, she was taken in her sleep.
102
That's what I'm talking about.
103
Super dark, Boyle, but way more plausible than the Sarge's idiotic alarm clock theory.
104
I bet she tucked herself into bed too tight and got stuck.
105
Maybe she fell into another dimension where she's interesting.
106
It's 9 a.m.
107
Why is no one working?
108
Amy Santiago is a few minutes late, and we're all trying to guess why.
109
I'd like to play.
110
I'd say she's in line at the bank.
111
This is fun.
112
It is fun, but you're all wrong.
113
She clearly slipped through a subway grate and is having terrible sex with a mole man.
114
There she is, Amy.
115
Where have you been?
116
We've been worried sick.
117
Do you care to explain yourself?
118
I'm just 70 seconds late.
119
It's not a big deal.
120
Don't worry about it.
121
Santiago, you will tell us, and you will tell us now.
122
There's a problem at the bank.
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Hot damn!
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Cluck, cluck, gobble, gobble!
125
Guess who just came from the PS321 Thanksgiving Parade?
126
Charles, you actually might- Who's Charles?
127
I'm Tommy Gobbler, and I'm stuffed with Thanksgiving happiness!
128
A gobble gobble!
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Seriously, Charles- I-I-I warned ya, I'm Tommy Gobbler, you silly pilgrim!
130
Okay, Tommy Gobbler.
131
There you go!
132
These are the Davidsons.
133
They wanna know what happened to their missing grandmother?
134
I have some deeply tragic news for you.
135
Are you eating an Italian sub for breakfast?
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I am, but Amy said I should eat more veggies, so I got extra pepperonis.
137
Smart.
138
Excuse me.
139
You need to watch yourself.
140
I'm sorry, cop.
141
All right, let's everybody just stay calm here.
142
What?
143
Are you gonna arrest me for dancing?
144
You call that dancing?
145
This is dancing.
146
What is happening?
147
I'm defusing a situation Dancing happy must capture image of a life deck.
148
Why is my phone always dead?
149
I paid $13 for it.
150
Don't worry, I got it.
151
Oh, my hands are covered in butter from making butter.
152
I'm on it.
153
Must record, must record.
154
Camera on.
155
Here we go.
156
Dancing over.
157
Situation defused.
158
Nooooo!
159
Hey there, Boyle.
160
How was your weekend?
161
Well, actually, I got a little sick.
162
Oh, really?
163
Sorry to hear that, man.
164
Yeah, Bullets Over Broadway was on TV.
165
I came down with a big old Diane Weist infection.
166
Like yeast?
167
I've been going at him for six hours.
168
He won't say a word.
169
The guy's a brick wall.
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Not to worry, Sarge.
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I'll take it from here.
172
Hope you boys brought popcorn, because I'm about to put on a show.
173
Well, well, well.
174
I hear you don't like answering questions, Marcos.
175
That's fine by me, because I'm not asking.
176
Oop, handle fell off.
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Let me scrub that.
178
Nope.
179
So, looks like we're locked in.
180
That's bad news for you, because you're trapped in here with a psycho.
181
Has anyone tried it from the outside?
182
Lock's broken.
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Gotta call facilities.
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Copy that, no rush.
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As I said, I got all the time in the worst.
186
It's a little warm in here, right?
187
Do you feel any air coming out of that vent?
188
I got nothing.
189
We got an ETA on facilities?
190
At least 45 minutes.
191
They've checked all this paint for lead, right?
192
And the room for asbestos?
193
I feel like I'm sucking on a tailpipe in here.
194
Marcos!
195
Everybody get away from the mirror!
196
Come on!
197
I can't breathe.
198
I can't breathe.
199
Hey, calm down, man.
200
I'll confess.
201
Just stop freaking out.
202
What?
203
I did it.
204
I robbed him.
205
Boom!
206
And that's how it's done.
207
I was faking the whole thing to break him.
208
I could have stayed in here forever.
209
Good, because facility's gonna be a couple hours.
210
We're gonna die in here!
211
Just eating butter like a popsicle, huh, boy?
212
Yeah, I know.
213
I'm spoiling myself.
214
But I'm depressed.
215
Or have you forgotten that Jake, my best friend, is in prison?
216
Wait, Jake's in prison?
217
Yeah.
218
He and Rosa were framed for a bunch of bank robberies by Lieutenant Hawkins.
219
Oh, right.
220
And where's Gina?
221
On maternity leave.
222
We were all at her baby shower last week.
223
Okay.
224
And why am I bleeding?
225
I don't know, Hitchcock.
226
Oh, so you don't have all the answers.
227
I'm bleeding because my piece of crap son-in-law bit me.
228
Look, we all miss Jake and Rosa, which is why we have to keep working the case.
229
There has to be some way to exonerate them.
230
I've been looking, but I can't find anything, and I don't know what to do.
231
I can't find anything and I don't know what to do.
232
Title of your sex tape.
233
What is happening right now?
234
They caught Hawkins trying to flee the country.
235
She confessed to everything and they let me out.
236
Oh my god, Jake, is it really you?
237
Are you really here?
238
You know it, baby.
239
But first, I gotta hug my best friend.
240
Yeah.
241
Welcome back, Peralta.
242
I just heard from the mayor.
243
To apologize for what happened to you, they're sending you to Disney World.
244
You and one male guest.
245
As long as I don't have to go on any of the scary rides.
246
I just go for the shows.
247
I'm sorry!
248
Boil!
249
Boil!
250
Boil!
251
Boil!
252
Boil!
253
Boil!
254
Boil!
255
Were you dreaming about Jake again?
256
Why did you wake me up?
257
I told you never to wake me up!
258
Halloween.
259
Mwahaha!
260
It's heist time.
261
Thought you could get a head start on heist prep?
262
Good luck.
263
I'm already dressed.
264
I'm also dressed and I made breakfast.
265
Wait, where are my eggs?
266
In my belly.
267
Now get a move on.
268
It's heist time.
269
I love Halloween!
270
So, do you recognize any of these men?
271
I was hiding in the bathroom stall so I didn't see his face, but I heard him.
272
He was singing along to the music at the bar.
273
Do you remember what he was singing?
274
I think it was that song, I Want It That Way.
275
Backstreet Boys, I'm familiar.
276
Okay.
277
Number one, could you please sing the opening to I Want It That Way?
278
Really?
279
Okay.
280
You are my fire.
281
Number two, keep it going.
282
The one desire.
283
Number three.
284
Believe when I say.
285
Number four.
286
I want it that way.
287
Tell me why.
288
Ain't nothing but a heartache Tell me why Ain't nothing but a mistake
289
Now number five I never wanna hear you say Woo!
290
I want it that way Ah, chills.
291
Literal chills.
292
It was number five.
293
Number five killed my brother.
294
Oh my god, I forgot about that part. So, two keys, huh?
295
That's a lot of snow.
296
If you can't handle it, we're happy to find someone who can.
297
Don't worry about me, friend.
298
I can handle it.
299
Marista, baby.
300
Go get our guest something to drink, would you?
301
We don't want a drink.
302
What is this, a social call?
303
It's not a tea party.
304
We look like five-year-old girls' tea.
305
Gentlemen, please, have some patience.
306
Kooky's.
307
Pure as a Catholic schoolgirl.
308
Did you bring the cash?
309
Oh, we brought something much better than cash.
310
What's that?
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Our guns.
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NYPD, you're under arrest!
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What?
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You're a threat!
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Boss man's gone.
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Where'd he go?
317
Thank you, kind little lady.
318
Gio Costa, you're under arrest.
319
What, did I drink now, Hitchcock?
320
Don't mind if I do, Scully.
321
Don't mind if I do.
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Do-do-do-do!
323
Ah, another cold brew?
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Don't mind if I cold do.
325
Nailed it.
326
I am loving this machine that Charles brought in.
327
It is nice.
328
The trick is to let the coffee warm up the room temperature.
329
I'm already on my second cup.
330
This is my third.
331
Stop!
332
You're drinking too much!
333
Whoa, what's going on?
334
Charles, why are you talking so slow?
335
I'm not!
336
I'm normal!
337
I ain't yummy!
338
Oh my god, if you're not going slow that means we're going faster.
339
Are we going faster?
340
Can anyone tell us if we're going faster?
341
I don't think we're going fast at all in any way whatsoever.
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I feel like we're going slow in every way whatsoever.
343
Captain, how do you feel?
344
Great, excellent, amazing, I feel better in ever, I've ever felt it in one minute, my entire life.
345
So we're all fine.
346
Yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep.
347
Bottles.
348
Boil.
349
Bowl pen.
350
What are you?!
351
B-b-b-b- Bottles, boil, bullpen, bowling.
352
Behold, Brooklyn buddies.
353
Boil, bullpen, bottle, bowling.
354
Beautiful.
355
Be brave, bro. Be brave.
356
Bowl!
357
Damn!
358
Bullseye!
359
Booyah!
360
Babushka!
361
Babushka!
362
I'm here.
363
I'm here.
364
I'm here.
365
You can start the meeting now.
366
The meeting is over.
367
You're late.
368
You missed roll call and the tutorial on using the new copier.
369
Six years, and no matter how hard I try, I still can't get you to understand the importance of being punctual.
370
Maybe you should just give up and accept me for who I am?
371
No. I will break you right now.
372
Ow.
373
While you were out being tardy, I was hard at work devising a special punishment.
374
I've crafted an intricate, personal high-five with everyone in this office except you.
375
What?
376
But you hate high-fives.
377
Yes, every minute of it was hell.
378
But it'll be worse for you.
379
Squad, dismissed.
380
Goodbye, Diaz.
381
Salute into a fanny-waggle.
382
Goodbye, Boyle.
383
The snake charmer.
384
Goodbye, Jeffords.
385
That's a butt bump.
386
Goodbye, Santiago.
387
Double fist bump reverse explosion into a Pete Townsendstrom.
388
All right, that was terrible, but it's over now, and I made it through.
389
Goodbye, Leonard from Xerox.
390
What?
391
No, no, no. The copy guy?
392
Guys, I have a great idea for a prank.
393
Before Holt comes in, I'm gonna put ink on the podium where he puts his hands.
394
I don't think you'll fall for that.
395
I did.
396
How?
397
I haven't even opened this yet.
398
I guess it's unrelated.
399
Captain Holt hates pranks.
400
This is gonna backfire, man.
401
Ugh, fine.
402
I'll tone it down.
403
I'll move his podium a foot to the left.
404
What?
405
He'll be so angry.
406
Okay, five inches.
407
Five.
408
Three.
409
Three.
410
One.
411
One?
412
All right, I'll move it a half inch.
413
Fine.
414
It's your funeral.
415
Oh, my God.
416
Worst prank ever. So stupid.
417
Holt's not even gonna notice.
418
Good morning.
419
You guys, the podium is...
420
You're crazy!
421
How did you pull this off?
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 421 sentences and 2324 words to shadow. The speech runs for 14:40. The speaker talks at a natural 158 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. Only 78% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| boil verb | /bɔɪ(ə)l/ | To heat to the point where it begins to turn into a gas. |
| goodbye | /ɡʊdˈbaɪ/ | Farewell; a formula used to another person or persons when the speaker, writer, or person addressed is departing. |
| butter noun | /ˈbʌtɚ/ | A soft, fatty foodstuff made by churning the cream of milk (generally cow's milk). |
| alarm noun | /əˈlɑɹm/ | A summons to arms, as on the approach of an enemy. |
| prank noun | /pɹæŋk/ | A practical joke or mischievous trick. |
| podium noun | /ˈpəʊ.di.əm/ | A platform on which to stand, as when conducting an orchestra or preaching at a pulpit; any low platform or dais. |
| awful adjective | /ˈɔːfʊl/ | Very bad. |
| impression noun | /ɪmˈpɹɛʃn̩/ | The indentation or depression made by the pressure of one object on or into another. |
| brave adjective | /bɹeɪv/ | Strong in the face of fear; courageous. |
| breathe verb | /bɹiːð/ | To draw air into (inhale), and expel air from (exhale), the lungs in order to extract oxygen and excrete waste gases. |
| chill verb | /tʃɪl/ | To lower the temperature of something; to cool. |
| gentleman noun | /ˈd͡ʒɛn.təl.mən/ | Any well-bred, well-mannered, or charming man. |
| wrist noun | /ɹɪst/ | The complex joint between forearm bones, carpus, and metacarpals where the hand is attached to the arm; the carpus in a narrow sense. |
| whatsoever adverb | /ˌ(h)wʌtsoʊˈɛvɚ/ | In any way; at all; whatever. |
| bump noun | /bʌmp/ | A light blow or jolting collision. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| back off verb | To move backwards away from something. |
| calm down verb | To become less excited, intense, or angry. |
| come down with verb | To develop symptoms or signs of (an illness). |
| fall off verb | To become detached or to drop from. |
| get up verb | To move in an upward direction; to ascend or climb. |
| give up verb | To surrender (someone or something); to inform on (someone). |
| go up verb | To move upwards. |
| walk around verb | To walk with no planned destination; to meander. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 110 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, we're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: breathe /bɹiːð/, gather /ˈɡæðɚ/, grandmother /ˈɡɹæn(d)ˌmʌðɚ/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: impression /ɪmˈpɹɛʃn̩/, rush /ɹʌʃ/, capture /ˈkæp.(t)ʃɚ/, punishment /ˈpʌnɪʃmənt/, infection /ɪnˈfɛkʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: whatsoever /ˌ(h)wʌtsoʊˈɛvɚ/, apologize /əˈpɑləˌd͡ʒaɪz/, maternity /məˈtɜɹnəti/, ventilation /ˌvɛntɪˈleɪʃ(ə)n/, exonerate /ɪɡˈzɑnəˌɹeɪt/
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 boil, goodbye, butter.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | I've been going · I've been looking |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've mastered · have you been · We've been |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | are gathered · be judged · was taken |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | happened, which can · Rosa, which is · someone who can |
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.