Notice: Did you know you can get an instant definition of any word on this page, just by double-clicking on it?

Try it now! Double-click any word on page to see the definition!

Views #196 | Mid-Intermediate 5

Twins

Nicola has a twin brother. She talks about him and their similarities and differences.

Script
Vocab
Quiz

Nicola

OK, my twin brother. Well, my twin brother is called Daniel, and he is four minutes younger than me. We were both born on the 5th of January, and I think that we kind of look alike except that he's a lot taller than me and he has very dark hair but we have the same eyes and nose and smile, at least that's what people say.

I wouldn't say we are especially close, not really, maybe when we were younger but we weren't always in the same classes at school because my parents wanted us to be a bit more different. We used to be dressed when we were babies the same, me in pink and him in blue, and we used to have a birthday cake that was always, half was pink and half was blue, and mine had ballet slippers on it and his a football or a rugby ball, but I guess we are quite different personalities. He's really, really outgoing, and just very different from me. At school I was always in the top classes getting A's and he was always failing in the bottom classes, but he was really sporty and I wasn't so people said we were very different.

Learn vocabulary from the lesson!

look alike

I think that we kind of look alike.

Here, look alike, means two people look very similar to each other. Notice the following:

My father and I don't look alike at all.
These days, all new cars look alike.

At lest that’s what people say

My parents wanted us to be a bit more different

The phrase ‘at least that’s what people say’ or ‘that’s what people say’ means many people say the same thing about something. Notice the following:

That cafe has the best coffee in town, or at least that’s what people say.
There’s never a good time to start a family, or at least that’s what people say.

I wouldn’t say

I wouldn’t say we are especially close.

The phrase ‘I wouldn’t say’ shows that the speaker do not completely agree with something. It is very similar to the phrase ‘I don’t think’. Notice the following.

New York is a great city, but I wouldn’t say it is America’s best city.
Starting a business is hard, but I wouldn’t say it is impossible.

outgoing

He's really, really outgoing.

The adjective outgoing, means friendly and likes being with and talking to people. Notice the following:

She's the type of person that is very outgoing.
Due to her outgoing personality, she made a lot of friends.

Especially close

I would not say we are especially close.

When people are ‘not especially close’ that means they have a relationship, but it is not nearly as strong as other relationships. Notice the following: