Welcome to our new series of posts dedicated to informal conversation! In this series, we’ll be joined by Chad (👨🏽) and Ivy (👩🏼), a married couple who discuss all kinds of topics in their typical informal and lighthearted style. These two are chill, effective communicators, and there’s so much English we can learn from them.
Since it’s almost Christmas, let’s see what plans they’re making to celebrate one of the most fun holidays of all!
👨🏽: So, what’s the game plan for Christmas this year? Are we hosting, or are we sneaking off somewhere?
👩🏼: Sneaking off? Dream on. We’ve got the kids now—Christmas is a really big deal now..
👨🏽: Alright. So, what’s on the to-do list?
👩🏼: First off, we need to sort out the tree. Do we stick with the artificial one, or do we get a real one this year? You know, the kind that makes the house smell like a pine forest.
👨🏽: Real sounds nice, but remember the needle apocalypse we had last time? They were still vacuuming out of the carpet in June.
👩🏼: True. Artificial it is. But I want to upgrade the decorations this year—our baubles are looking a bit tired.
👨🏽: Oh no, not the baubles! They’ve served us faithfully for years. You’re really going to demote them?
👩🏼: They’ve earned their retirement. I’m thinking we go with a new theme—maybe something classy, like gold and white?
👨🏽: What about the lights? Are we sticking with the twinkly ones that randomly blink, or are you upgrading those too?
👩🏼: Twinkly ones stay. They add a bit of magic. Speaking of magic, I was thinking we could finally attempt a gingerbread house with the kids.
👨🏽: Ambitious. Remember last time we tried baking with them? The kitchen looked like a flour bomb went off.
👩🏼: Yeah, but it’s Christmas. Chaos is part of the charm.
👨🏽: Alright, gingerbread house it is. What about the food situation? Are we doing the traditional turkey?
👩🏼: I was actually considering beef wellington this year. Something a bit different, you know?
👨🏽: Ooh, breaking with tradition! You’re feeling bold. What about dessert? Can we keep the Christmas pudding, or is that getting replaced too?
👩🏼: Relax, pudding stays. It’s a classic. But I do want to try making a yule log.
👨🏽: Wow, you’re going all out. Anything else on the list?
👩🏼: Stocking stuffers. We need to get those sorted early—no more last-minute scrambling.
👨🏽: And by “we,” you mean me, right?
👩🏼: Naturally. Oh, and we should take the kids to see Santa.
👨🏽: Sure, as long as we don’t end up with another photo meltdown.
👩🏼: It’s all part of the memories, isn’t it?
👨🏽: Memories, chaos, and maybe a little mulled wine to survive it all.
👩🏼: Now that’s the Christmas spirit!
Functions: Asking About Plans
The dialogue begins with Chad asking Ivy about her Christmas plans. “What’s the game plan for Christmas?” is a natural substitute for “What’s the plan for Christmas?” Here are a few additional alternatives:
- What are you getting up to this Christmas?
- Got anything fun going on for Christmas?
- What are you up to this Christmas?
- Got any plans in the works for Christmas?
- What’s the vibe for Christmas?
- Got anything lined up for Christmas?
Let us help you memorize the phrases with a couple of exercises. Click this link to match the parts of the sentences, and click this link to fill in the blanks with the correct words.
Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal verbs are an important part of informal conversation, and the dialogue above features quite a few of them. Here’s the breakdown:
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Examples |
| to sneak off | to leave secretly or quietly, often to avoid being noticed | 1) Are we hosting, or are we sneaking off somewhere? 2) I had to sneak off to the kitchen to grab more cookies before the kids found out. |
| dream on | = your hopes are unrealistic | 1) Sneaking off? Dream on. We’ve got the kids now. 2) You think you’ll get a new bike for Christmas? Dream on, buddy. It’s not happening this year. |
| to sort something out | to organize, arrange, or deal with something in a way that makes it tidy or functional | 1) We need to sort out the Christmas tree (= We need to get the Christmas tree ready.) 2) We need to sort out the Christmas tree decorations before the guests arrive tonight. |
| to stick with something | to continue doing something, or to not change it, even if it may be challenging or less exciting | 1) Do we stick with the artificial Christmas tree? 2) We’ve always stuck with the same old Christmas decorations, and I think this year we’ll do the same. |
| to go with something | to choose or select something | 1) I’m thinking we go with a new theme. 2) We decided to go with a red-and-gold color scheme for our Christmas decorations this year. |
| to break with something | to stop doing something that has been a habit or tradition, often in favor of doing something different | 1) You’re breaking with tradition! 2) I decided to break with my usual morning routine and try something new for the holidays. |
| to go all out | to put in maximum effort or to do something in a very extravagant way | 1) You’re going all out. 2) For Christmas, we’re going all out this year with lights, decorations, and a huge dinner! |
| to end up with something | to eventually have or result in something, often after a process or series of actions | 1) I hope we won’t end up with another photo meltdown. 2) We went to five stores for a tree, and we ended up with the biggest one they had. |
To practice the phrasal verbs, click the link here and choose the right words to complete the sentences.
Grammar
Have you noticed how yes/no questions are sometimes formed in conversational English? What should be “Do you remember the needle apocalypse we had last time?” is often shortened to “Remember the needle apocalypse we had last time?” A rule of thumb is that in conversational English, you can often skip the auxiliary do (and the subject you) in yes/no questions. Here’s a list of common verbs that allow you to do it:
| Verb | Example |
| Remember | Remember the last time we went ice skating? |
| Know | Know where my keys are? |
| Understand | Understand what I mean? |
| Think | Think they’ll like the gift? |
| See | See where I put the wrapping paper? |
| Want | Want to go ice skating later? |
| Need | Need a ride to the party? |
| Feel | Feel ready for Christmas? |
| Wish | Wish you had more time for the holiday prep? |
This is what happens when we use the verb to be: “Are you ready to celebrate?” becomes “Ready to celebrate?”; “Are you leaving already?” becomes “Leaving already?” ❗When you shorten yes/no questions like this, remember the importance of context—you should be referring to the present, not the past.
Do you still have questions about anything in the dialog? If there’s something we haven’t covered or if something is unclear, feel free to drop us a line in the comments below. We’d be happy to get back to you!
Enguroo Online English School 