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Learning English Conversations

Pull the plug

Learning English Conversations

BBC

Education, Language Learning

4.61.1K Ratings

🗓️ 3 March 2014

⏱️ 3 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Rob is having serious problems with a project. Li wants to help him. But how? Listen to the programme to find out.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

This is a feature from BBC learning English.

0:03.0

For more information and our terms of use go to BBCworldservice.com

0:09.0

forward slash podcasts.

0:11.0

The English We Speak broadcasts. Good morning Rob. Oh, hi Lee.

0:23.0

I wish the morning was good, but it's not.

0:26.0

Oh, why not?

0:28.0

Well, I came to the office very early today to write a program about art.

0:33.0

Interesting.

0:34.0

Yeah, but it's giving me a headache because I don't really understand art.

0:39.0

I think I'm going to pull the plug on this idea.

0:42.0

Pull the plug?

0:44.0

Yes, if I pull the plug on this one, I'll be more relaxed and inspired to write a program about technology.

0:51.0

They're the ones I like the best. I love new gadgets. No problem. I can do it for you.

0:58.3

Oh, my computer's been switched off. What's happened? Here's the plug. I've just pulled it out. You can be more relaxed

1:07.0

now. There you go. Oh Lee, I didn't literally mean pull the plug out. In English, when we tell someone we're going to pull the

1:16.4

plug on something, we mean we're going to stop spending time or money on it.

1:21.7

Let's listen to some examples.

1:24.0

Research on the new product was becoming very expensive

1:31.0

so the company pulled the plug on the project.

1:35.0

The play got really bad reviews and almost no one came to see it.

1:40.0

But the theatre owner said he wouldn't pull the plug on it.

1:46.0

Okay, so you don't want to spend time on a program you don't enjoy writing?

...

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