Reflecting on a recent blog post, which showed how confusion can occur if even one word is misunderstood, I recalled an incident that happened once in class when I was teaching English to immigrants.
At break time, a young student approached me and said: I have a problem. I don't understand why people tell me to go at the store.
They tell you to leave?
Yes, he replied.
I was puzzled.
Did you do something wrong? Did you touch something you weren't supposed to?
No, he replied. I just buy my stuff. I pay for it. And then the cashier tells me to go.
Is he angry?
No, he's smiling. He gives me my change and says: "Go. You go."
I suddenly recognized the intonation in his words...
Oh! The cashier isn't saying "Go, you go." He's saying: "There you go!"
There you go? What does that mean?
There you go? It means: I'm finished. You can go now!
The student smiled, relieved that he wasn't being asked to leave the store!
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