Learn English with English, baby!

Join for FREE!

Social_nav_masthead_logged_in
 
Held Up
简体
Held Up English, baby! Video Lesson
受阻

Learn the Past Progressive Tense

Date: May 08 2012

Themes: Soap Opera, Time

Grammar: Past Progressive Tense

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

The big day is here. Jason and Devan are going to get married. But, um, has anyone seen Devan?
All of the guests are ready for the wedding, but no one can find the bride. What could have gone wrong? She must have gotten held up somehow.
When you are held up, you are delayed. If your meeting lasts longer than it was supposed to and you are late to the next meeting, you can say you got held up. People are often held up by traffic.
But there is another, much more scary meaning of the term “hold up.” Find out what it is and find out where Devan really is.

重要的一天已经到来。詹森和德凡马上要结婚了。但是,有人看见德凡吗?
所有宾客都在等待婚礼开始,但却没有人可以找到新娘。出了什么状况?她一定因为某事受阻了。
当你受阻时,你就被耽搁了。如果你参加的会议比预定持续时间长,你参加下个会议就会迟到,你可以说自己受阻了。人们常常因为交通受阻。
但短语“hold up”(受阻)还有另一个更惊人的意思。找出它是什么意思,看看德凡究竟在哪里。

3. Watch - Watch the video without reading the dialog.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

Log in to Listen

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Jason

Jason

Marni

Marni

Devan

Devan

Mason

Mason

Jason:  Where is Devan? The wedding was supposed to start five minutes ago!

Marni:  She’ll be here. Have patience. You waited your whole life to find the right person. You can wait a few minutes more to marry her.

Jason:  I’m gonna call her.

Marni:  No, don’t. It’s bad luck.

Jason:  She’s calling me! Look at that. Everyone is waiting. Where are you?

Devan:  I’m at the jewelry store. I had to pick up my earrings and…

Jason:  You’re picking up your earrings? Oh my God. You’re holding everything up!

Devan:  Will you listen to me? I had to pick up my earrings and I got held up.

Jason:  I’ll say, you’re an hour late!

Devan:  No, I mean there’s gunmen here and they’re holding the place up. They’re robbing it. I’m hiding in the back room right now.

Jason:  What? Why didn’t you say something?

Devan:  I was trying to! Anyway, if something happens, I want you to know, I…I love you.

Jason:  I love you too. I’m sorry I got upset.

Mason:  Hey buddy, what’s the hold up?

Jason:  I guess there’s a hold up. Devan’s at the jewelry store, and it’s being robbed!

Mason:  You keep everyone calm. I’ll take care of this.

Jason:  Thank you. So you’re real?

 

Grammar Point

Go Super to learn "Past Progressive Tense" from this lesson Go Super!

Quizzes

Go Super to take Quiz Go Super!

 

Lesson MP3

Go Super to download full lesson MP3 Go Super!

The iTEP® test

  • Schedule an iTEP® test and take the official English Practice Test.

    Take Now >

Discussion

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

Everyone is ready for the wedding start, but Devan has not arrived. Jason is very upset and tells Marni that he is going to call Devan. Then Devan calls him.

She says she is at the jewelry store and got held up. Jason thinks she just means that she is late, but actually Devan is late because there is a hold up at the jewelry store. People are robbing it and she is hiding in a back room!

Devan tells Jason she loves him and Mason rushes off to rescue her. Jason gets his first look at Mason’s girlfriend. Now he knows she is real.

Have you ever been held up on your way to something important? Why were you late?

 

Comments

Log in to Comment

ErinDong

ErinDong

United States

arrrgh! the word hold up gives me the creeps! i wonder after i read the lesson:” will Devan be okay?” and ” who is that mysterious lady chewing the bubblegum next to mason? is she the reborn devan? 

09:30 PM Jul 19 2012 |

Prakash1990

India

I am held up with lot of work today

07:12 AM May 28 2012 |

tutorheatherSuper Member!

United States

Kukuka – Absolutely.



You can say that you’ve been held up because your passport hasn’t come through.


Or “I’m held up at the doctor’s office because the doctor is running behind.”



“I’ve been held up because of my boyfriend. He wanted me to stay and watch a movie with him.”


Hope that helps!


Heather

06:23 PM May 11 2012 |

fabsir

fabsir

Brazil

Yes, I´ve been held up on my way to something important before. I had a doctor´s appointment and got held up at work because something came up 5 minutes before I was about to leave.

03:47 PM May 10 2012 |

kukuka

kukuka

Ukraine

I don’t remeber any specific case when I was held up but I’m sure there was one.
I also wonder if you can be held up by other people’s deeds or also by circumstances? Like “I’ve been held up because my visa was not ready” or something, is that correct?

01:13 PM May 10 2012 |

tutorheatherSuper Member!

United States

LOve it Ola!


I so agree. I turned 40 this year and I felt fine about it. The older I get, the more at peace I am. Wisdom accumulates, and not just academic. What you learn about how to overcome life’s struggles and challenges with grace is priceless and can be learned no other way but through experience.


I hope you become a diving instructor before then if that’s a dream of yours! That’s quite a long time to wait.

10:43 PM May 08 2012 |

ola33

ola33

Japan

Aging is how you take it. My goal is to be a diving instructor at the age of 95! Laughing


 

10:26 PM May 08 2012 |

tutorheatherSuper Member!

United States

Julito…they sure do. Aging is a huge industry.


Oh, another phrase I have heard to refer to a “hold up” - the robbery kind - is a “stick up.”

10:07 PM May 08 2012 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

 Dear heather, I, as everyone else appreciate  your  ”updates”  on your course of life  and  our lessons , we really have a lot of fun  discussing the subject  of the lessons. It is true that when people  get old they  keep    doctors  and the insurance company  on “business”lol.


interesting that also in my country some people can forecast rain  because their  joints are hurtingCry

09:33 PM May 08 2012 |

tutorheatherSuper Member!

United States

Hi everyone!


It was fun reading everyone’s replies, especially the discussion about tuxedos, otherwise called “penguin suits.” Tuxedos are worn for very formal occasions. It used to be that almost all grooms wore a tux on their wedding day, but now men are much less formal. If people wed in a church, however, a tux is usually worn. Many people now marry outside, or on a beach, or in a hotel, so a man might wear a suit or else something more casual.


Anyhow, I have been crazy busy. My 75 year old dad just had knee replacement surgery so he has needed a lot of my help. In this kind of surgery, doctors remove the original damaged knee/joint and replace it with a metal and plastic implant.


My mom is next in line to have surgery, but she is having her hip replaced. There is a lot of arthritis (inflammation of a joint, usually accompanied by pain, swelling, and stiffness) on both sides of my family (my mom’s relatives and my dad’s).


I was diagnosed wtih severe arthritis at age of 30, which is very young for the condition. Some days, like today, are extremely painful due to the weather. When there is any type of precipitation (rain or snow), people with arthritis often notice increased pain. This is due to the change in barometric pressure. So, I can usually forecast rain better than some computerized systems. If my joints really start hurting, I know we will have rain within 48 hours!


In regard to “hold up,” the thought of experiencing a hold up is very scary. I am a bit of a paranoid person (meaning I am always worried something bad is about to happen), so each time I walk into a bank, for example, I feel nervous. Another common place for hold ups/robberies in the US is in a convenience store, especially at night. I have a friend who has managed a convenience store for about 10 years. He had never been robbed until five years ago when two men in masks ran into the store and asked for the money in the cash register. There were no customers in the store. My friend, worried about his life, complied (obeyed) and handed over all of the money. Even though he did what they wanted, one of the robbers put a gun up to my friend’s head, but he did it just to scare him. Thankfully, the robber didn’t shoot him; instead, they ran from the store and drove away. Unfortunately, the two men have not been caught, and probably never will. My friend hasn’t felt safe at his job ever since, which is natural. He tries not to obsess over it.


I work from home, which has its advantages. I keep the doors locked and always feel safe. Plus, my state (Maine) has a low crime rate, unlike many other states.

07:11 PM May 08 2012 |

kotlesya

kotlesya

Belarus

Don’t be embarrassed. People around aware about your behaviour. I just reminded about it ;)

05:46 PM May 08 2012 |

1 person likes this

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

Please, Lesya don’t acknowlegde me  in public, you’ll make me shrink in my shoes Embarassed


05:44 PM May 08 2012 |

1 person likes this

kotlesya

kotlesya

Belarus

I have deleted my comment. because I have found the translation. 


Snoopy, what a supportive and cooperative boy you are. THANK YOU!!!

05:39 PM May 08 2012 |

1 person likes this

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

a bow tie, looks like a buttafly


: )


where;s butta Cry


  ; )

05:37 PM May 08 2012 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

My friend , later,   I have to go  to work…    see yaaa.

05:34 PM May 08 2012 |

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

the term “bow tie” had slipped my mind. Tuxedos don’t go well with regular ties, it’ll give the impression that you had borrowed it  : )


thanks Julito, a bow tie

05:33 PM May 08 2012 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

LESYA,   is not a business suit , men wear it on special ocasions , wedding, prom. 

05:33 PM May 08 2012 |

1 person likes this

kotlesya

kotlesya

Belarus

Julito, tell me briefly the origin of tuxedo here.


I have just seen the picture of tuxedo.


No. My male colleagues wear not tuxedo…. just business outfit 

05:32 PM May 08 2012 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

snooooopy  ..  a bow tie

05:30 PM May 08 2012 |

1 person likes this

kotlesya

kotlesya

Belarus

As I can guess “tuxedo” is a business suit for men. All men in the company I work wear “tuxedo” ;)

05:29 PM May 08 2012 |

Likes (26):

See all >

Share this lesson:

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Bebo
  • Share on Myspace
  • Share on Twitter
  • Email this to a friend
  • Share on Sina

Post Ebaby! lessons on your blog:

Ebaby! Cast