Hound of the Baskervilles
Friends discuss a scary dog next door. The Grammar focuses on Demonstrative Determiners.
Ravenna: “Did you see that dog next door?“
Lark: “It must be the new owner’s dog. They just moved in.”
Ravenna: “It’s a monster. I jumped out of my skin when I saw it. I can’t let my children play near that thing.”
Lark: “I’m sure they’ll have it locked up soon. That’s not a dog, it’s something else again.”
Ravenna: “Soon isn’t soon enough.”
Lark: “I hear you. But I’m sure they’ll take care of it.”
Ravenna: “Why would they? What kind of person owns a killer dog like that?”
Lark: “A drug dealer? A member of the Russian mafia?”
Ravenna: “This is not good.”
VOCABULARY WITH IDIOMS
Move in means to move one’s things into a particular location so as to make it one’s new residence or place of business. See online Idioms Dictionary.
Something else again means the reality of the dog is something much more extreme than some other, less problematic situation. See online Idioms Dictionary.
Locked up means to confine or exclude something or someone as if by means of a lock. See online Idioms Dictionary.
ENGLISH GRAMMAR
Suggested Topic for Comments: Demonstrative Determiner
“Did you see that dog next door?” Again, “that” is used as a demonstrative determiner, not a pronoun or a conjunction.
INTERMEDIATE-ADVANCED DIALOGUE
New Idioms are “Barrel of fun” and “Have them over.” The Grammar focuses on Demonstrative Determiners.
Garrick: “I can’t believe that rottweiler running around free like that.”
Sam: “That’s the scariest looking dog I’ve ever seen. How much did he weigh?”
Garrick: “He was huge. Maybe two hundred pounds.”
Sam: “Hound of the Baskervilles, that’s for sure.”
Garrick: “Seriously, can you imagine taking your little kid for a walk and running into that thing?”
Sam: “The owners should always keep him on a leash.”
Garrick: “Ah, that sweet little puppy would never hurt anybody.”
Sam: “Yeah sure, and I sip battery acid when I have a sore throat!”
Garrick: “Seriously, they’re banana-heads for letting that dog loose like that.”
Sam: “Are you sure it was a dog?”
Garrick: “That’s a good question. But I’m sure those people are a barrel of fun at parties!”
Sam: “I know I’m going to have them over as soon as I can.”
VOCABULARY WITH IDIOMS
Banana-head means a stupid person. See online Idiom Dictionary.
Barrel of fun means a person or thing that is very enjoyable (often used sarcastically). See online Idiom Dictionary.
Have them over means to invite someone to come to one’s home for a meal, party, etc. See online Idiom Dictionary.
ENGLISH GRAMMAR
Suggested Topic for Comments: Uses of the word “that.”
“That rottweiler,” “that thing,” “that sweet little puppy,” “that dog.” Here that is used as a demonstrative determiner. That has other uses, including various functions as a relative pronoun and a conjunction.
Some other demonstratives are this, these and those.
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