Go All Out

Intro

Think about this. It’s your birthday, and your girlfriend has a party for you. The party is in public, at a restaurant. She invites all of your friends and family members. There’s a band, and the singer reads a birthday poem for you into the microphone. Your girlfriend orders lots of food and a big birthday cake. There is a hidden gift in the cake. Later, she gives you more gifts. Your girlfriend went all out for your party.

Some people love to go all out. They work very hard and do more than is necessary. The average person might give you one or two birthday gifts, tops, but a person who goes all out will give you many. When people go all out, they really want to give others their best work or ideas. Sometimes, they do too much. They might forget to do other things because they are trying to go all for someone. A person who goes all out for you cares a lot about you.

Jessica is telling Marni about her secret admirer. Learn how he has gone all out in today’s English lesson.

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Dialogue

Marni : What is this? Do you have a secret admirer?

Jessica : I think so. This is my third time getting flowers this week.

Marni : This week? How long has this been going on?

Jessica : Not long. Two weeks, tops.

Marni : What else have you gotten?

Jessica : Just a few flowers. And a poem.

Marni : A poem? Whoever this is likes to go all out.

Jessica : It’s true. But Marni, I don’t know if I’m interested.

Marni : Seriously? If I got a poem from someone, I would definitely go on a date with him. At least once!

Jessica : Really? What if he’s weird?

Marni : Well, you don’t have to go out with him again. Just meet him in public, and you’ll be fine.

Jessica : Do you want to come?

Marni : What? You’re talking crazy.

Jessica : No, come on! It’ll be fun. You can find a table near us and check him out.

Marni : No… I don’t know. That seems a little strange.

Jessica : I can put a hidden microphone in my shirt.

Marni : Wow. When you make a plan, you really go all out, don’t you?

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Discussion

Jessica has a secret admirer who likes to go all out. He has been sending her flowers, and he even gave her a poem. Marni wants to know all about this mystery man. Jessica tells her that he began giving her gifts almost two weeks ago. But she’s not sure that she wants to go on a date with someone.

Marni says that she would go on a date with someone who gave her a poem. Jessica is worried because she doesn’t know her secret admirer. Marni says that she should meet him in public. Then, Jessica has an idea. She asks Marni to come with her and check him out, but Marni tells her that she is talking crazy.

When did you go all out? Did you ever get gifts from a secret admirer?

Grammar Point

Second Conditional

Jessica and Marni are talking about going on a date with a secret admirer. Marni says, “If I got a poem from someone, I would definitely go on a date with him.” She uses the second conditional.

We use the second conditional (also sometimes called the “present unreal conditional”) to talk about a situation that is not real or is unlikely to happenand what might happen as a result.

For example, I might say, “If I had a million dollars, I would go on a trip around the world.” I don’t have a million dollars. That situation is unreal. But if I did have a million dollars, an around-the-world trip might happen.

The second conditional is formed with two clauses. The first clause consists ofif + subject + past-tense verb, as in “If I loved her….” The second clause is formed with “subject + would + verb, as in ”...I would marry her.” All together, the sentence looks like this: “If I loved her, I would marry her.”

When Marni says, “If I got a poem from someone,” she is using if + subject + past-tense verb to talk about an unreal condition. Then she says, “I would definitely go on a date with him.” She uses subject + would + verb to talk about the unreal result of this condition.

You can also use should, could, or might instead of would with the second conditional.

Which is correct, “If I won the lottery, I will buy a big house,” or, “If I won the lottery, I would buy a big house”?

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Vocab

tops expr.

Definition

maximum; at most

Example

Malaga isn’t far from Gibraltar. It’s 100 kilometers away, tops.

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secret admirer n.

Definition

person who likes another person but does not say so

Example

I have a secret admirer, and I want to know who it is!

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date n.

Definition

romantic event for two people

Example

I really liked Mary, but she never called me after our first date.

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talk crazy expr.

Definition

not make sense; say something that is not logical

Example

My sister likes to talk crazy. She tells stories that aren’t true.

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in public expr.

Definition

around other people; not private

Example

I hate speaking in public. I get so nervous!

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poem n.

Definition

beautiful piece of writing that is like a song

Example

William Shakespeare wrote many wonderful poems.

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microphone n.

Definition

electric device for making sound louder; device that helps to record sound

Example

The musicians used many microphones to record their music.

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hidden adj.

Definition

not able to be seen

Example

There’s a hidden room in this hotel.

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go all out expr.

Definition

do one’s best, work hard to get something

Example

Steve gave me chocolates, flowers, and jewelry for my birthday. He really went all out.

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check out expr.

Definition

look at, listen to, try; investigate, look into

Example

Please, come visit me. You can check out my new apartment.