1. Tag Along
Intro
It can feel so nice to make plans with a group of friends. You might get
together and decide that you‟re all going to go out to dinner together, or go
to the movies. You feel included in the group, and like you really belong.
Then maybe another friend comes up who wasn‟t part of the original group.
He asks if he can join your plan. He wonders, would it be OK if he tagged
along?
A tag on a piece of clothing at the store is the piece of paper hanging off the
clothing that lists the price. A tag, in general, is hanging off something else.
So when you tag along, you‟re joining on to a group. You weren‟t originally
part of the plan, and the group may or may not be happy to have you join.
Story Line:
Lily, the new intern, has her own set of friends. Find out who wants to tag along
with her in this hanging out English lesson.
Dialogue
Jeff: Thanks for putting in the long hours, Lily. Usually it‟s just me
here at the end of the day. It‟s great to have some company.
Lily: No prob. I actually stopped working a long time ago. I‟m
just killing time until my friends get here. We‟re
going clubbing and I didn‟t have time to go home before, so…
Jeff: Clubbing? You like dancing?
Lily: Uh-huh.
Jeff: Cool. Where are you guys going?
Lily: Bang.
Jeff: Bang. I‟ve heard about that place.
Lily: Oh yeah, you know it?
Jeff: I‟ve heard some good things about it. Sounds like a fun time.
Lily: Their jello shots are good. They also have karaoke.

2. Jeff: I. Love. Karaoke.
Lily: Really?
Jeff: Do you guys mind if I tag along?
Mason: Because you go out to clubs on weeknights all the time.
Lily: You wouldn‟t know any of the friends I‟m going with, so…
Jeff: No no no. I love meeting new people! Love it. Not even an issue.
Lily: Hello?
Mason: Dude, you gotta just leave it alone, bro. If she wanted you to
come, she would invite you. Stop trying to invite yourself and
tag along, man. It‟s not cool.
Lily: OK, guys, see you tomorrow. I guess it‟s alright if you tag along,
man.
Jeff: Alright!
Mason: Hats aren‟t for everyone, bro. I think she‟ll mind you tagging
along a little less without this. Knock yourself out, kiddo.
Discussion
Jeff and Lily are both working late at the office. Actually, it turns out that
Lily‟s not working. She‟s just hanging out and killing time until her friends
arrive. They‟re going to go out clubbing together.
Jeff has a crush on Lily, so he wants to come out with her and her friends.
He wants to come even more when he finds out that the club features
karaoke. He loves karaoke, and he asks if he can tag along.
Mason tells Jeff it‟s not a good idea. Lily has her own friends, and doesn‟t
need Jeff around. But Jeff can‟t leave it alone. He really wants to go out to
the club with Lily and her friends. Finally, she agrees.
What do you do if you have plans with some friends and another friend wants to
tag along?
Have you ever felt as if you were tagging along with a group?
Grammar Point
Second Conditional
Mason says to Jeff that if Lily wanted him to come to the club, she would
invite him. He uses the second conditional.
The second conditional, (also sometimes called the “present unreal
conditional”) is used to talk about a situation that is not real or is unlikely to
occur and has imagined consequences. In the example above, the point
Mason is making is that Lily doesn‟t want Jeff to come along, so the situation
he‟s describing is not real.

3. The second conditional is formed with two clauses. The first clause consists
of If + subject + past tense verb, as in, “If she wanted you to come
along.” The second clause is formed with subject + would + verb, as in,
“she would invite you.” So, all together, the sentence looks like this: “If she
wanted you to come along, she would invite you.”
Which is correct, “If I liked singing karaoke, I would sing „Born to Run,‟” or,
“If I like singing karaoke, I would sing „Born to Run‟”?
Quiz
1. Why is Lily staying late at the office?
She‟s working.
She wants to hang out with Jeff.
She‟s waiting for her friends.
She‟s practicing karaoke.
2. What is Bang?
The name of a club.
The name of a song.
The name of a dance.
Jeff‟s nickname.
3. What does Mason mean by “Hats aren‟t for everyone”?
Jeff should wear a hat.
Jeff shouldn‟t wear a hat.
Mason wants Jeff‟s hat.
Mason hates hats.
4. Which is NOT correct?
Do you want to go out tonight?
Do you want to go club tonight?
Do you want to go clubbing tonight?
Do you want to hang out tonight?

4. Lesson by English Baby: http://www.rong-chang.com/englishbaby.htm
See full lesson at:
http://www.englishbaby.com/member/signup/ad3_20min_header