Read this transcript from a short scene from the movie Valentine’s Day. When you finish reading, there are some questions to answer.
Woman: Why do you hate heart-shaped candy?
Man: I think because it reminds me that this is Valentine’s Day and...uh...I’m recently single. We used to be more on the same page.
Woman: Sorry.
Man: It’s OK. It’s over.
Woman: ’Nothing to be done?
Man: Nooo, no. I’ve seen the enemy and the enemy is me.
Woman: Well you could go for the the stewardess. She seems to like you.
Man: I think she likes everybody. That’s her job.
Woman: She looks over here every five seconds.
Man: No!
Woman: Ready? Five, ...
Man: } You wanna bet on it?
Woman: } ... four, ...
Woman: ... three, .... I’ll bet you a bag of pretzels.
Man: OK.
Woman: Five, four, three, two, .... Uh(p)! There it is!
Man: OK. Alright--that was a coincidence!
Woman: Five, four, three, .... Oh! It was on three; she’s gonna come over here!
Man: No!
Stewardess: Excuse me. Can I get you anything?
Man: Uh...
Woman: A bag of pretzels, please.
Man: Two, actually.
When you are done reading, discuss the following questions with your partners:
- What is happening in this scene? How long do you think this conversation lasts?
- Is this the same story that you had expected when you read the “same” dialogue with a formal version of the language? How does the difference in register change the story?
- Does the tone of this dialogue match the story better than the tone of the formal language? Why, exactly?
- Do you still think the conversation is taking place where you had expected? And do these people have the same kind of relationship as people who speak in a very formal register?
- Have you ever been in a situation like this?
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