Ad Blockers

Intro

Browsing on the internet is a fun way to relax. However, if you see ads on every web page, this activity becomes very frustrating. Internet advertisements are now very smart. Companies can learn about your personal interests, and then they can begin targeting you with ads for your favorite products. How creepy!

You don’t need to be inundated with clickbait every time you get on the internet. Why not try an ad blocker? These little pieces of computer software work with your web browser. They stop ads from popping up so that you just see the information you want to see. Then, you can enjoy browsing the internet in peace again.

Kelsey is frustrated with all of the ads on her social media newsfeed. Listen as Gary helps her to find a good ad blocker in today’s English lesson.

Dialogue

Gary: Hey, what are you looking at online?
Kelsey: I’m just trying to look at my newsfeed on Facebook, and I just keep on getting all these ads, like, popping up on my feed. And I’m getting really annoyed by it.
Gary: Right?! Facebook is inundated with ads now. They’re everywhere.
Kelsey: Yeah, and it’s weird. The ads are actually targeting me. It’s showing off things that I like. Like, a pair of shoes I looked at the other day is right there.
Gary: Oh, man!
Kelsey: It’s really creepy!
Gary: It is so frustrating. Can I make a recommendation?
Kelsey: Yeah! Help me!
Gary: An ad blocker for your web browser.
Kelsey: An ad blocker?
Gary: An ad blocker. So, it is this awesome method of stopping those annoying and frustrating ads from showing up. So, you don’t see any clickbait ads that are trying to get your personal information. It’s so much more efficient to browse Facebook because you can see everything that your friends have shared and only that.
Kelsey: Yeah, that sounds amazing. Where do I sign up?
Gary: OK, I see the web browser. So, let’s just go ahead and add on this extension. There’s something call uBlock, and it will stop everything.
Kelsey: Awesome!
Gary: So, let’s go ahead and get that installed. We’re going to save you so much time.
Kelsey: Wow!
Gary: You’re going to love this.
Kelsey: This sounds great! Let’s do it.
Gary: I can’t live without it. You’re going to feel the same way.
Kelsey: OK.

Discussion

Kelsey is trying to look at her Facebook newsfeed, but all she sees are advertisements. She tells Gary that it’s very frustrating to have ads popping up all over her web browser. One ad even showed her a pair of shoes that she recently looked at online. Kelsey thinks that being targeted like this is really creepy.

Gary understands Kelsey’s frustration. He suggests that she install an ad blocker. Kelsey has never used this type of software before. Gary tells her that it will remove annoying ads and clickbait. Then, he helps her to search for and install an ad blocker extension. Kelsey is excited to browse the internet without being inundated by ads.

Do you use an ad blocker? Which types of ads target you?

Grammar Point

Present Progressive Tense

Kelsey is telling Gary how frustrating online ads are. She says, "The ads are actually targeting me." She uses the present progressive tense.

The present progressive tense (also sometimes called the "present continuous") is formed with the present tense of the verb to be + a main verb + -ing, as in, "He is constantly calling me," or, "The neighbors are playing their music really loudly."

We use the present progressive tense to 1) describe an action that’s continually repeated, 2) talk about an on-going action that’s happening right now, or 3) talk about an event in the near future.

When Kelsey says, "The ads are actually targeting me," she is talking about an action that is repeated. In the past, she saw ads that targeted her. Today, she has seen more ads that target her. And it’s likely that, in the future, she will see more ads that target her.

Which sentence uses the present progressive to describe a repeated action, "My little brother is annoying me," or, "My little brother is running"?