Neil Hello. I'm Neil. In this programme, we're going to talk about movies. Now, what kind of movies do you like, Feifei?
Feifei I love romcoms, Neil! 'Romcom' is a word which takes the first two halves of the words 'romantic' and 'comedy'. And what about you, Neil, what sort of movies do you like the most?
Neil Well, I can't resist a 'whodunnit'. 'Whodunnit' is short for 'who has done it'. The point of these films is for the audience to try to guess who committed a serious crime – usually murder.
Feifei Ah, you like detective movies! In a 'whodunnit' you can try to beat the detective and work out who committed the crime. That's the fun of it! Sherlock Holmes is a perfect example.
Neil Yes, 'romcom' and 'whodunnit' are today's expressions in The English We Speak. And ... there's one more. See if you can guess this one now Feifei: 'Hello. I'm a robot sent from the future to prevent war and destruction!'
Feifei A sci-fi movie! 'Sci-fi is a word which takes the first two halves of the words 'science' and 'fiction.' These films usually feature robots, aliens and inventions from the future. I love sci-fi too. But sometimes it's scary!
Neil Well, there's no need to be scared of BBC Learning English - because we explain everything to you so clearly. Let's hear some examples of today's three movie-related expressions.
Examples
My favourite sci-fi movie is Star Wars. I can't wait for the next film in the series!
I'm catching a movie with my friends after work. We're going to watch the latest romcom.
Alfred Hitchcock was the master of the whodunnit. Nobody makes better films in that genre than he did!
Feifei That's it! I am fetching the popcorn!
Neil And I'm going to get some drinks!
Feifei Let's catch a movie! A sci-fi?
Neil Yes, indeed! We're going to catch a movie… I am a robot who came from the future to catch a movie with you, Feifei.