The Crown

what we’re seeing now is history in the making. Britain’s first woman prime minister a conviction politician who’s made no secret of the fact she believes the country has to change from top to bottom, going to the palace, presumably to tell her queen exactly that.

What’s up everyone? Today we’re learning English with the hits Netflix series The crown!

We’ve selected this really interesting scene for you where Margaret Thatcher and the queen meet for the first time just after Margaret Thatcher is elected as the first female Prime Minister.

You’ll learn lots of vocabulary and pronunciation if you keep watching.

what we’re seeing now is history in the making. Britain’s first woman prime minister a conviction politician who’s made no secret of the fact she believes the country has to change from top to bottom, going to the palace, presumably to tell her queen exactly that.

The leader of the opposition, Your Majesty.

Mrs. Thatcher.

Your majesty.

Your party has won the election.

It is my very great pleasure to invite you to form a government in my name.

Congratulations, Prime Minister.

Thank you, ma’am.

Please.

Your family must be very proud. You’ve two children?

Yes, but grown-up now and out of the house.

And your husband is retired. Is that right?

Yes, but won’t get in the way, if that’s what you’re asking.

Denis is very good at talking care of himself.

His golf clubs will be in the hallway. He will come and go as he pleases.

He knows how busy I will be, and how hard I invited to work.

To business then.

Have you decided on your first Cabinet?

I have.

it may surprise you to learn that I enjoy predicting ministerial comings and goings.

It is like the races. I like to study from and odds. Who’s in. who’s out. I also like to predict cabinets. my best so far was Mr. Wilson’s second reshuffle.

I got 90%.

would you like to hear my predictions for yours?

I’m assuming no women.

Women?

In cabinet.

Oh, certainly not.

Well, not just because there aren’t any suitable candidates, but I found the women in general tend not to be suited to high office.

Oh? why’s that?

Well, they become too emotional.

I doubt you’ll have that trouble with me.

what we’re seeing now is history in the making. Britain’s first woman prime minister we might describe something as history in the making if it’s an event happening now that will be remembered in the future because it’s very important.

for example, you could say that’s Obama winning the presidential election in 2008 was history in the making, as he was the first African-American to be elected president. a similar expression is to make history.

in this example clip, we also see this in the passive voice “history being made.”

I’m a history student

I like watching history being made.

There you are.

Roger Wakefield.

Gillian Edgars.

there’s another big rally later, near here.

we’ll be making history.

Cheers.

the reason why this was a history-making moment is because Margaret Thatcher was becoming Britain’s first woman prime minister, which is the equivalent to president in other countries.

This is indeed a proud and happy moment to be elected for the second time as your Prime Minister.

What this nation needs is several years of strong, steady, experienced administration.

a conviction politician who’s made no secret of the fact she believes the country has to change from top to bottom,

a conviction is a very strong belief or opinion.

conviction politics refers to when a politician makes a decision based on his or her own fundamental ideas rather than attempting to represent an existing consensus or simply take positions that are popular in polls. Margaret once famously said: “I am not a consensus politician. I am a conviction politician.”

a conviction politician who’s made no secret of the fact she believes the country has to change from top to bottom,

if someone makes no secret of something, they make it perfectly clear; or they’re not afraid to hide it.

Let her marry Robert Martin, and she is safe and respectable forever.

but if you teach her to expect to marry greatly nobody within our reach will ever be good enough for her.

your pants for Harriet are best known only to yourself.

but as you make no secret of your love of matchmaking, it is fair to suppose that plans you have.

her conviction of changing the country from top to bottom means that there are going to be modifications in every level of government, from how things are done to the people who have roles in it.

she believes the country has to change from top to bottom, going to the palace, presumably to tell her queen exactly that.

Presumably is a formal alternative to probably.

standing still, looking pretty and putting a sword on a few people’s shoulders?

and presumably making speeches?

Which will be written for her.

And turning up on time.

We also use the verb form, to presume, as a synonym of think.

And, also, a pen has been stolen from my desk. By one of you, I presume.

and in the passive voice, it’s means “it is believed that”

I hate to be a downer here, but there are two DEA agents missing.

presumed dead.

The leader of the opposition, Your Majesty.

Mrs. Thatcher.

Your majesty.

Your party has won the election.

Majesty is used to address monarchs, usually Kings or Queens. in politics, a party is an organization with particular beliefs and aims, which you can vote for in elections.

Your Majesty.

The people have spoken.

Your party has won the election, and as – As their Sovereign, I invite you to form a government in my name.

in the UK, there are several parties, like the Labour Party, the Conservative Party, the Liberal Democrat Party etc.

if one of these parties is in control of the government, then the other party with differing beliefs would be called the opposition.

We’ve been waiting for this for too long, Harold.

Thirteen years in opposition and now we’re finally in power, in government.

she’s presented as the leader of the opposition here, because Labour was in governments but now the Conservatives, the opposition party, has one the election and will be in power.

Congratulations, Prime Minister.

Thank you, ma’am.

In this US, people say ma’am to address a woman in a polite and respectful way.

in the UK, this word is used to address the Queen or another woman in authority.

ma’am, you’re requests to participate in the funeral has been denied.

you’ll have to stay in the back of the mosque with the woman.

They’re waiting in the green drawing room, ma’am. Right.

Where’s grandpapa?

Your family must be very proud. You’ve two children?

Yes, but grown-up now and out of the house.

A grown up is an adult person.

for the last six years I was in a relationship with a married man. I am very, very ashamed of myself.

I appreciate you sharing. But – I don’t care.

Really?

we’re both grown-ups.

I’m not strong enough

that’s why you have two grown-up daughter to step in for you in situations like this.

Your family must be very proud. You’ve two children?

Yes, but grown-up now and out of the house.

Regarding pronunciation, note that this is said as one word: grown up

There’s also linking here:

grown-up now and out of the house.

she says out of. her speech is particularly careful, meaning, she pronounces her words very clearly and fully.

other people would probably also link and and drop the d: grown-up now and out of the house.

Yes, but grown-up now and out of the house.

and your husband is retired. is that right?

Yes, but won’t get in the way, if that’s what you’re asking. If a person or something gets in the way, it interrupts what you’re doing or makes it more difficult.

The U.S. and China are business partners in the South China Sea just as often as they’re rivals.

You’re not gonna let little things like the health of the planet and food security for millions of people get in the way of all that money.

how do you feel?

Like a nuisance.

you could never be that.

I mean it, Matthew.

Don’t ever let me be a nuisance.

Don’t ever let me get in the way, please.

Yes, but won’t get in the way, if that’s what you’re asking.

Denis is very good at talking care of himself.

His golf clubs will be in the hallway. He will come and go as he pleases.

here she says come and go as one word.

he will come and go as he pleases.

Also notice that the final ‘s’ here being articulated as a clear [z] sound.

Normally, when a word ends in an ‘s’ and is after a vowel (or voiced consonant) it is usually pronounced as a [z] sound, not an ‘s’

He knows how busy I will be, and how hard I invited to work.

To business

to intend means to have something in your mind as a plan or purpose.

hove you ever studied verb patterns?

These are the different words that follow a specific verb. Some of the patterns with this verb are:

intend to do something

I certainly intend to do it well.

intend someone or something to do something

Robert, Matthew intended Mary to be his sole heiress.

that would mean a great deal to her whether or not it’s legal.

Intend that.

Well, I only intended that she be ticked off, not beheaded.

intend doing something.

if you can’t protect our supply lines against militia.

how do you intend doing so against the colonial Regulars or the French when they arrive?

He knows how busy I will be, and how hard I invited to work.

To business then.

in this case, business means things to be done or discussed.

After some chit chats about Margaret’s family, she says to business to mean that she now intends to talk about the things that they really need to discuss.

More commonly we say this as let’s get down to business.

I understand that you have three children, Elizabeth.

I do. I have two girls and I have a boy who’s 13.

just about your age, I bet, yeah?

not quite yet?

Secretary McCord and I should get down to business.

Hey, don’t you boys have homework, huh?

have you decided on your first Cabinet?

I have.

it may surprise you to learn that I enjoy predicting ministerial comings and goings.

cabinet is a group in the government of the UK consisting of high-ranking state officials.

comings and goings can mean people are arriving and people leaving a place, position in a job, or role in an organization or government.

Margaret had just used this phrase in describing what her husband does.

she said she comes and goes as he pleases. And Queen Elizabeth uses a similar expression: who’s in, who’s out.

It is like the races.

I like to study form and odds. Who’s in. Who’s out.

Odds means probability or how likely it is that something will happen.

she mentions that the races because this is a word that originally comes from horse racing.

in wagers (bets) or competitions if any sort, we described probabilities in terms of odds. the odds are 10-1 that England will beat Wales in the rugby match”

Ma’am, the odds of all this being counterfeit are very slim.

how deadly is Marburg, Doctor?

Well, depending on the other co-morbidities such as the person’s general health and access to quality medical care, the Case Fatality Rate is between 24 in 90%.

The key to boosting the odds of survival is early and intensive medical intervention.

I also like to predict cabinets.

my best so far was Mr. Wilson’s second reshuffle.

I got 90%.

The reshuffle is the act of changing around the job roles of people who work in an organization, especially in a government.

I’m assuming no women.

Women?

in cabinet.

Oh, certainly not.

Certainly is used like the word absolutely or indeed to emphasise a point. this is mostly used in formal contexts.

They’re late.

They certainly are.

I’m so relieved the secretary is feeling more like herself.

please convey my warm regards.

I certainly will and thank you again for your understanding and for stopping by.

Think nothing of it.

Well, not just because there aren’t any suitable candidates, but I have found women in general tend not to be suited to high office.

if a person is suitable for a certain and situation, or as we also say, is suited to something, he or she is capable of doing a certain job, acceptable or convenient.

They’ve found someone more suited for the post and better qualified.

We use to this word in many ways.

for example, “this car will suit your needs” or “this restaurant suits all tastes.”

pronounced this word with the same vowel in root.

suits

but I have found women in general tend not to be suited to high office.

by “women are not generally suited to high office” she means to be capable of handling high roles in the government.

In the time when this is set, in the late 1970s, people were behind the times in terms of the role of women in society.

but I have found women in general tend not to be suited to high office.

Oh? why’s that?

Well, they become too emotional.

I doubt you’ll have that trouble with me.

to get or become emotional means to show strong feelings, especially by crying.

Before the race, he was asked if his mother worried about him.

All mothers worry about their boys. It’s hard for them to get past that maternal instinct, isn’t it?

They get emotional.

By “I doubt you’ll have that trouble with me” The Queen means that she won’t become emotional and can control her feelings and reactions.

what we’re seeing now is history in the making. Britain’s first woman prime minister a conviction politician who’s made no secret of the fact she believes the country has to change from top to bottom, going to the palace, presumably to tell her queen exactly that.

The leader of the opposition, Your Majesty.

Mrs. Thatcher.

Your majesty.

Your party has won the election.

It is my very great pleasure to invite you to form a government in my name.

Congratulations, Prime Minister.

Thank you, ma’am.

Please.

Your family must be very proud. You’ve two children?

Yes, but grown-up now and out of the house.

And your husband is retired. Is that right?

Yes, but won’t get in the way, if that’s what you’re asking.

Denis is very good at talking care of himself.

His golf clubs will be in the hallway. He will come and go as he pleases.

He knows how busy I will be, and how hard I invited to work.

To business then.

Have you decided on your first Cabinet?

I have.

it may surprise you to learn that I enjoy predicting ministerial comings and goings.

It is like the races. I like to study from and odds. Who’s in. who’s out. I also like to predict cabinets. my best so far was Mr. Wilson’s second reshuffle.

I got 90%.

would you like to hear my predictions for yours?

I’m assuming no women.

Women?

In cabinet.

Oh, certainly not.

Well, not just because there aren’t any suitable candidates, but I found the women in general tend not to be suited to high office.

Oh? why’s that?

Well, they become too emotional.

I doubt you’ll have that trouble with me.