Speakers: Sarah Davison and Alex Warner (Standard British accent), Molly Malcolm (Standard American accent)

Susan

Michael, it’s nearly one o’clock. Shall we go out for lunch?

Michael

Oh, sorry, Susan. I’d love to, but I brought lunch with me today.

Susan

No problem. What did you bring?

Michael

I made a salad and some pasta. And some lovely, home-made chocolate cake. I’ve got enough cake for two, if you want some.

Susan

Oh, yes, please, I never say ‘no’ to chocolate! I’ll just pop out to buy a sandwich and join you in the kitchen, ok?

Michael

Great! Shall I make you a cup of tea?

Susan

No, thanks, I really fancy a coke. I’ll be back in 10 minutes.

Michael

OK, but I have to be fairly quick. I have a meeting at half one.

NOW LET’S REVIEW THE VOCABULARY!

Go out for lunch means leaving the office to eat somewhere else, like a restaurant or a café.

‘I’d love to’ is a common way of saying ‘I would like to do that very much’.

Home-made means exactly that: it was made by hand at home; not bought in a shop, ready-made.

When Susan says, I never say ‘no’ to chocolate, she means that she always accepts an offer of chocolate, because she cannot resist!

Pop out is a colloquial British phrase for leaving for a short time to do or to get something.

There are many ways to use the verb fancy. Here, Susan uses it to say that she really wants something (a coke) at that moment.

The adverb fairly is used here before an adjective to indicate how much. It means quite, but not very (quick).

In the UK, half one means 1.30pm or 13.30h. It is the same as ‘half past one’, but without the ‘past’. The same applies to other times: half seven is 7.30, half eleven is 11.30, etc.