How to Talk About Gossip in English | Real English Conversation (B1)3:51Coming soon

Words to know

not tell other people something you know

news spreads from person to person

decide something is true before you have the facts

Step 1 of 5

Listen first

No text yet. Listen for who, where and what goes wrong.

ArjunMaya

Practice · 3 min

Take Maya's part first, then Arjun's. Maya talks fast and leans in; Arjun is calm and a little dry. Say "Maya." as one flat, warning word, then copy her small, guilty "Oh." when the phone buzzes.

  1. ArjunHey, Maya! Over here. I got you a latte.
  2. MayaOh, you're the best. Sorry I'm late. The bus took forever.
  3. ArjunNo problem. You look excited. What's going on?
  4. MayaHave you heard about Mateo and Lena?
  5. ArjunNo. And I'm not sure I want to.
  6. MayaApparently they've broken up. Nobody has seen them together in weeks.
  7. ArjunWho told you that?
  8. MayaDana, and she heard it from Mateo's cousin.
  9. ArjunSo it's a cousin of a friend of a friend. That's not exactly news.
  10. MayaHe also deleted all their photos. That's a pretty clear sign.
  11. ArjunOr he's tidying up his profile. Let's not jump to conclusions.
  12. MayaFine. But you have to admit it looks bad.
  13. ArjunMaybe. Either way, keep it to yourself. Word gets around fast here.
  14. MayaI've only told you. Well, you and my sister.
  15. ArjunMaya! You told your sister?
  16. MayaShe lives in Shanghai. She doesn't even know them. (phone buzzes) Oh.
  17. ArjunWhat is it?
  18. MayaA message from Mateo. "Dinner on Saturday? Lena and I have some news."
  19. ArjunThat doesn't sound like a breakup to me.
  20. MayaThere's a photo. She's wearing a ring.
  21. ArjunSo they deleted the old photos to post a new one.
  22. MayaOkay. I'm calling my sister right now to fix this.

Say it today

Use it once in a real conversation before tomorrow. Out loud counts, even to yourself.