Covid-19: Will vaccine be for all?: BBC News Review

Hello and welcome to News Review from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil. We have  

a story that the whole world's talking about. Joining me is Tom. Hi Tom.

Hi Neil. And yes, the whole world is talking about our story today,  

which is coronavirus vaccines and when we are going to get them.

Don't forget that if you want to test yourself on the vocabulary  

you learn today, there is a quiz on our website: bbclearningenglish.com.

Now, let's hear some more about that story from this BBC World Service news bulletin:

So, the story is about the occasion when the leaders of the countries  

with the biggest economies in the world met at the G20 summit, which was this weekend.

Some leaders were concerned or worried  

about their ability to spread coronavirus vaccines to countries all around the world.

The summit ended with an agreement to  

make sure that the G20 could help to spread the coronavirus vaccines to other countries.

So, Tom, you've been looking at this story and the way that the media is reporting it,

and you've got three words and expressions that people can use. What are they?

Three words and expressions that people can use: 'pledge', 'make moves on' and 'get left out'.

'Pledge', 'make moves on' and 'get left out'.

Right, let's go with your first headline now, please.

My first headline is from The Guardian in the UK – it says:

'Pledge' – promise seriously.

Now, first of all, it's quite a funny-sounding word, isn't it? 'Pledge'.

'Pledge' – yes, it's a funny-sounding word  

with a serious meaning because we'd often use it to describe serious promises.

OK. So, we're not talking about Rob here, are we?

We're not talking about Rob saying, 'Well, you know what? I'm gonna stop stealing biscuits.'

No, it's probably – we'd use it for things that are more important than that, Neil.

So, for example, climate change or coronavirus vaccines and not Rob's biscuits.

OK. Often used also as a noun. In the example it's a verb, but we can use it as a noun too.

Same as 'promise', yes. We 'take a pledge' or we 'make a pledge'.

It's spelt exactly the same way and it's a countable noun.

OK. We often see this as well in combination with the word  

'allegiance', especially in the United States.

Yes. In the US – the USA – they take a 'pledge of allegiance'.

Correct me if I'm wrong, to our US audience, but I... the best way I can  

describe this is when you, kind of, make a serious promise to care about your country.

OK. Sometimes also known as an 'oath of allegiance'.

Yeah. In the UK we would probably say 'oath' rather than 'pledge'.

OK. Going back to this word 'pledge' – what words often go with it?

We can 'take a pledge' or 'make a pledge', so you  

'take the pledge of allegiance' and then you 'make the pledge of allegiance' – you say it.

If you break it... well, that's the word:  

we can also 'break a pledge' as well – the same as we can break a promise.

OK. Fantastic! Let's have a summary of that word:

OK. We were talking about 'pledges' there – promises for the future.

If you'd like to know more about the future, we have the perfect video for you, don't we Tom?

We do. And you can access it by clicking the link.

OK. Let's now have your second headline.

My second headline is from breakingnews.ie – this is an Irish website. It says:

'Make moves on' – take actions on.

So, we've got a multi-word expression here  

and it's helpful, I think, to think about chess. Do you play chess, Tom?

Sometimes and not very well, but I do play chess, yes.

So, in chess you have to think tactically and you have to literally  

move – 'make a move' – with a piece in order to carry out your strategy.

Yeah. So, 'making a move' in chess is almost an event;

it's an action where you take steps to move towards your goal.

So, in chess the goal is to win the game of chess.

The... with reference to the title – the article – these European countries

are 'making moves' on the Covid-19 vaccine. So, they are taking steps in a plan:

the goal is to spread the Covid-19 vaccine around the world

and they're 'making moves' on that plan. They're, sort of, coming towards it.

OK. Now, there's another very different meaning of the same expression,

when you use it to talk about someone: 'making a move on someone'. Tell us about that.

I will, Neil. Before I do, I'd just like to say:

you said 'making a move on' – the title says 'moves'.

So, we can use this with 'moves' or 'a move'. It can be a plural or a singular expression.

If we 'make a move on someone',  

it's very different: we'd use this in the context of romance or dating.

Ah! So, if you 'make a move' on someone,  

you might ask them out for a date or maybe even give them a kiss?

You might, yeah. If my friend said, 'Oh, I like this girl. I don't know what to do!'

I could say, 'Go – make your move!' You know,  

introduce yourself, or ask her out for a coffee or something like this.

OK. Another quite different meaning, especially used in the UK,  

is connected to announcing that you're going to leave.

Yeah, we can use this expression to say that we're going to leave, but we don't use 'on'. OK?

'Make a move' – we'd say it to  

tell someone that we're going to 'make an exit' – is another way you could look at it.

OK. So, you might be at a party with some friends – it's time to go and you want to kind of say,  

'I'm going... in the next 30 minutes or so,' you might say...

Yeah, exactly. ...it's time for me to 'make a move'.

Exactly, yes. So, time... I should 'make a move' around now – we should be  

'making a move' means: I'm announcing my intention to leave in the near future.

And one more meaning is about going from living in one place to another.

Exactly, yes. So, we can 'make a move' or 'make the move'.

For example, I started work for the BBC in London.

I lived in Manchester; I 'made the move' from Manchester to London to begin my job.

OK. Well, it's time that we 'made a move' and had a look at the summary of that word and expression:

We just spoke about 'making a move' on someone. If you would like  

to watch a video about dating, we have the perfect one for you, don't we Tom?

We do. You can watch Bad Dates and you can watch it by clicking the link.

OK. Time for your next headline.

My next headline is from back home, Neil, from the BBC News website. It says:

'Get left out' – not be included.

Now, within that expression we can see a phrasal verb: 'leave out'.

We can: 'to leave out' means to exclude or to not include someone or something.

OK. So, you might have a party or something and decide that someone you don't want  

to be there... you decide to 'leave them out'.

Yeah. So, if I had a party I would probably leave out Rob,

because he's going to come and eat all my biscuits.

He is. Rob would 'get left out'.

Yeah. So, in spoken English this verb 'get' is very common with  

this expression. Rob 'got left out' of my party.

Yeah and it carries this sense of 'became',  

although we don't say 'became left out' – that sounds strange but it has that sense...

Yeah. That does sound weird: we'd say 'get left out' or 'got left out'.

Have you ever 'got left out' of anything, Tom?

Well, let me ask you a question, Neil: were you good at playing football at school?

Oh, I was OK. You know – scored a few goals.

I was terrible. I'm bad at chess;  

I'm really bad at football. So, when it was time to play football I always 'got left out'.

That's a very sad story. I hope it doesn't affect you still today.

...

I think... I think I'll leave that.

OK. Let's have a summary:

Time now for a recap of the vocabulary, please Tom.

A recap of today's vocabulary: 'pledge' – to promise seriously.

'Make moves on' – take actions on.

And 'get left out' – not be included.

Don't forget to take that quiz on our website bbclearningenglish.com  

and you can also find us all over social media. Join us again next time.

Bye for now. Bye!