1–13 Cast list looks good, just one fix: L (Lucas) L (Luke) - the boy's name is Luke, not Lucas. ✓
15 C: kids, breakfast ✓
16 C: kids ✓
17 C: so, would you get them?
Phil, would you get them?
You missed the name "Phil" at the start. Claire is calling her husband. 18 P: yeah, just a sec ✓
19 C: kids ✓
20 P: ???
Actual: "That is- Okay." (mumbled, very hard to catch)
21 P: kids, get down here ✓
22 H: why are you guys yelling at us when we are way upstairs? just text me ✓
23 C: alright, that's not gonna happen, and, wow you are not wearing that outfit ✓
24 H: what's wrong with it? ✓
25 C: honey, do you have anything to say to your daughter about her skirt? ✓
26 P: sorry, oh yeah, that looks really cute, sweetheart ✓
27 H: thanks ✓
28 C: no, it it's way too short, people know you're a girl, you don't need to prove it to them Missing the contraction: "it's" = "it is".
29 A: Lucas' Luke got his head stuck in the baister banister again • Name is Luke, not Lucas.
• banister = the railing on a staircase. Note the "n" in the middle.
• You dropped the verb - "Luke got his head stuck..."
• banister = the railing on a staircase. Note the "n" in the middle.
• You dropped the verb - "Luke got his head stuck..."
30 P: I got it, where is the baby oil? ✓
31 C: it's on the our bedside tab... i don't know, find it, come on Claire says "our bedside table" (their shared bedroom).
• bedside = next to the bed. A "bedside table" (or "nightstand") is the small table beside a bed where you put a lamp, book, water glass, etc.
• bedside = next to the bed. A "bedside table" (or "nightstand") is the small table beside a bed where you put a lamp, book, water glass, etc.
33 C: i was out of control growing up. . there, you know, i said it. and i just don't want my kids to make the same bad mistake mistakes i made. if Heley Haley never wakes up on a beach in Florida half naked, i've done my job • Plural: mistakes (she made more than one).
• Daughter's name is spelled Haley.
• I was out of control growing up - "out of control" = wild, undisciplined, unable to be managed. "Growing up" = during my childhood / teenage years. So the whole phrase means: "When I was young, I behaved wildly and couldn't control myself."
• Daughter's name is spelled Haley.
• I was out of control growing up - "out of control" = wild, undisciplined, unable to be managed. "Growing up" = during my childhood / teenage years. So the whole phrase means: "When I was young, I behaved wildly and couldn't control myself."
34 P: our job ✓
35 C: right, i've done our job ✓
37 G: baba? body? Vamos, Manny! kick it, kick it, don't let him, kick it. Manny go. ..., ... A la derecha! A la derecha! He tripped him, Jay. where is the penalty? Gloria speaks Spanish often. Vamos = "Let's go"; A la derecha = "to the right". Listen for these whenever Gloria gets excited!
38 J: Gloria, they are o 0 (zero) and 6, let's take it down a notch • Sports scores: "0–6" is said "oh and six" - but written as the number 0. Also you missed "let's" before "take it down".
• take it down a notch = calm down, reduce the intensity / volume / emotion a little. A "notch" is one small step on a scale (like a notch on a belt). Jay is telling Gloria to stop yelling so loudly at a kids' soccer game - the team is losing badly (0–6), so being intense doesn't help.
• take it down a notch = calm down, reduce the intensity / volume / emotion a little. A "notch" is one small step on a scale (like a notch on a belt). Jay is telling Gloria to stop yelling so loudly at a kids' soccer game - the team is losing badly (0–6), so being intense doesn't help.
40 G: we're very different, he's Jay's from the city, he has a big business, i come from a small village, very poor but very very beautiful, it's the number one village in all Columbia Colombia for all the ... what's the word? • She uses his name "Jay's" not "he's".
• Missing article: "a big business".
• The country is Colombia (with an o). Columbia is the US district / a university - common spelling mistake!
• Missing article: "a big business".
• The country is Colombia (with an o). Columbia is the US district / a university - common spelling mistake!
41 J: murders ✓
42 G: yes, the murders ✓
44 G: Manny, stop it him, stop it him, you can do it She's telling Manny to stop the other player (a person → him), not a thing.
45 ?: damn it Manny ✓
46 ?: Come on coach, you gonna gotta take that kid out Important difference!
• gonna = "going to" (future) → "I'm gonna leave"
• gotta = "got to" / "have to" (obligation) → "You gotta do it"
• gonna = "going to" (future) → "I'm gonna leave"
• gotta = "got to" / "have to" (obligation) → "You gotta do it"
47 G: you wanna take him out, how about I take you out? ✓
48 J: honey, honey ✓
49 G: why don't you worry about your son, he's spending he spent his the first half with his hands hand in his pants • Past tense: spent (the first half is already over).
• the first half (specific half of the game).
• Singular hand - only one hand in his pants!
• he spent the first half - "spend" with time means "to pass / use that time doing something". Example: "I spent the morning reading." A soccer game has two halves; "the first half" = the first part of the game. So: "He used the entire first half of the game with his hand in his pants" (i.e. he wasn't paying attention to the game).
• the first half (specific half of the game).
• Singular hand - only one hand in his pants!
• he spent the first half - "spend" with time means "to pass / use that time doing something". Example: "I spent the morning reading." A soccer game has two halves; "the first half" = the first part of the game. So: "He used the entire first half of the game with his hand in his pants" (i.e. he wasn't paying attention to the game).
50 Josh: i want to tell her out I've wanted to tell her off for the last 6 weeks, i'm Josh, Ryan's dad Phrasal verb: tell (someone) off = to scold or criticize them angrily. NOT "tell out".
Also use present perfect "I've wanted" - the desire started in the past and continues now.
Also use present perfect "I've wanted" - the desire started in the past and continues now.
51 G: I'm Gloria ???? Pritchett, Manny's mother Pritchett is Jay's family name (and now Gloria's married name).
52 Josh: oh, this must be your dad ✓
53 Jay: her dad? no, it's that's funny, actually no, i'm her husband, don't be fooled by the ..., give me a second here. Small one: native speakers say "that's funny" much more than "it's funny" in this context.
55 M: ??? Who is a good girl? who's that? who's that? Classic baby-talk - adults speaking softly to a baby.
56 ?: oh, she's adorable ✓
57 M: thank you ✓
58 ?: hi, precious ✓
59 M: we just adopted her from Vietnam, and we're bring bringing her home for the first time Present continuous: we're bringing - the action is happening right now (they are on the plane!).
60 ?: she's a an angel, you and your wife must be thrilled • Rule: Use an before a vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u): an angel, an hour, an MBA. Use a before a consonant sound: a university (sounds like "you-").
• thrilled = extremely happy, very excited. Stronger than "happy" or "glad". Often used for big positive news. Examples: "I'm thrilled you got the job!" / "She was thrilled with her birthday present." Here the stranger assumes Mitchell and his (imagined) wife must be overjoyed about their new baby.
• thrilled = extremely happy, very excited. Stronger than "happy" or "glad". Often used for big positive news. Examples: "I'm thrilled you got the job!" / "She was thrilled with her birthday present." Here the stranger assumes Mitchell and his (imagined) wife must be overjoyed about their new baby.
61 C: sorry, sorry, sorry, daddy need a snacks needed snacks, so what are we talking about? • Past tense: needed (he already got them).
• No article "a" before plural "snacks". Either "a snack" (one) or "snacks" (some).
• No article "a" before plural "snacks". Either "a snack" (one) or "snacks" (some).
63 M: we have been together for ... god guh ... five five years now? and we just redecide decided that we really want wanted to have a baby, so we initially asked one of our lesbian friends to be a surrogate, then we figure figured Lots of past tense issues here:
• "decided" - you accidentally merged "we decided" into the non-word "redecide".
• "wanted to have" - past tense + full phrase.
• "figured" - past tense -ed ending.
The -ed sounds are often very soft. Train your ear to catch them!
• guh - NOT a real word. It's a filler sound, like "uh", "um", "er". Mitchell makes this sound while thinking about how long they've been together. In transcripts these hesitation sounds are written many ways: uh, um, er, hmm, guh. They mean nothing - just thinking out loud.
• surrogate (here: "surrogate mother") = a woman who carries and gives birth to a baby for another couple who cannot have one themselves. From the adjective "surrogate" = substitute / acting in place of someone. Mitchell and Cameron (a gay couple) first asked a lesbian friend to be their surrogate - i.e. to be pregnant on their behalf - before deciding to adopt instead. Related words: surrogacy (the practice), biological mother (genetic mother), birth mother (the one who gives birth).
• "decided" - you accidentally merged "we decided" into the non-word "redecide".
• "wanted to have" - past tense + full phrase.
• "figured" - past tense -ed ending.
The -ed sounds are often very soft. Train your ear to catch them!
• guh - NOT a real word. It's a filler sound, like "uh", "um", "er". Mitchell makes this sound while thinking about how long they've been together. In transcripts these hesitation sounds are written many ways: uh, um, er, hmm, guh. They mean nothing - just thinking out loud.
• surrogate (here: "surrogate mother") = a woman who carries and gives birth to a baby for another couple who cannot have one themselves. From the adjective "surrogate" = substitute / acting in place of someone. Mitchell and Cameron (a gay couple) first asked a lesbian friend to be their surrogate - i.e. to be pregnant on their behalf - before deciding to adopt instead. Related words: surrogacy (the practice), biological mother (genetic mother), birth mother (the one who gives birth).
64 C: they are already mean enough, can you image imagine one of them pregnant? no thank you • image (noun, /ˈɪmɪdʒ/) = a picture
• imagine (verb, /ɪˈmædʒɪn/) = to picture in your mind
Different stress, different word!
• imagine (verb, /ɪˈmædʒɪn/) = to picture in your mind
Different stress, different word!
66 M: I think you saw that right? everybody fawning at below it over Lily and he you walk on and suddenly and saw oo skymock it's all, "Ooh, SkyMall. i am gonna buy a motorbike tire rock motorized tie rack, oh" you know, im gonna give a the speech This line was the hardest! Let me unpack:
• fawning (verb, from "to fawn over") = to give someone exaggerated love and attention, almost like a dog wagging its tail. "Everyone was fawning over the new baby" = everyone was making a big fuss, smiling, cooing, etc. Often used negatively when the attention is too much or insincere.
• walk on = to continue walking past someone/something without stopping. Here: "you walk on" = "you keep walking by" (the strangers just walk past Mitchell without paying attention to him). Not to be confused with "walk in" (enter) or "walk away" (leave).
• SkyMall = a famous in-flight shopping catalog (with funny gadgets)
• motorized tie rack = an electric rack to hang neckties (a silly gadget)
Mitchell is mocking the people who fussed over the baby Lily but then ignored him - they just opened the SkyMall catalog instead!
• fawning (verb, from "to fawn over") = to give someone exaggerated love and attention, almost like a dog wagging its tail. "Everyone was fawning over the new baby" = everyone was making a big fuss, smiling, cooing, etc. Often used negatively when the attention is too much or insincere.
• walk on = to continue walking past someone/something without stopping. Here: "you walk on" = "you keep walking by" (the strangers just walk past Mitchell without paying attention to him). Not to be confused with "walk in" (enter) or "walk away" (leave).
• SkyMall = a famous in-flight shopping catalog (with funny gadgets)
• motorized tie rack = an electric rack to hang neckties (a silly gadget)
Mitchell is mocking the people who fussed over the baby Lily but then ignored him - they just opened the SkyMall catalog instead!
67 C: you are not giving a the speech, you are gonna be stuck with these people for the next 5 hours "The speech" - they both know which specific speech he means.
68 M: you're right, you're right, ok, i'm sorry ✓
69 ?: honey, honey, look at that baby with those cream puffs • No "honey, honey" here - you added words that weren't said.
• cream puffs - two meanings, both active in this joke:
1. Literal: A cream puff is a small round French pastry (also called profiterole) - light golden dough filled with whipped cream or custard. The strangers are literally looking at a baby (Lily) holding pastries.
2. Slang (derogatory): "cream puff" is an old insult meaning a soft, weak, effeminate man - often used as a slur against gay men. Like "wimp" or "sissy", but extra sugary/feminine.
• The double meaning is the whole joke. The stranger on line 69 is innocently pointing at the actual pastries the baby has. But Mitchell (line 70) hears it as a slur against him and Cameron (a gay couple) and explodes in an angry speech defending "us cream puffs" - using the insult ironically, reclaiming it. Then the punchline: Cameron has to tell him "she's got the cream puffs" (line 71) - meaning literally, the baby has the pastries. Mitchell was paranoid; nobody was actually insulting him. This is why Claire pays for everyone's headsets (line 72) - out of embarrassment.
• Other related slurs/insults reclaimed by the LGBTQ+ community: queer, fairy, fag(got). Mitchell does this same ironic reclaim with "fairies" later in the episode.
• cream puffs - two meanings, both active in this joke:
1. Literal: A cream puff is a small round French pastry (also called profiterole) - light golden dough filled with whipped cream or custard. The strangers are literally looking at a baby (Lily) holding pastries.
2. Slang (derogatory): "cream puff" is an old insult meaning a soft, weak, effeminate man - often used as a slur against gay men. Like "wimp" or "sissy", but extra sugary/feminine.
• The double meaning is the whole joke. The stranger on line 69 is innocently pointing at the actual pastries the baby has. But Mitchell (line 70) hears it as a slur against him and Cameron (a gay couple) and explodes in an angry speech defending "us cream puffs" - using the insult ironically, reclaiming it. Then the punchline: Cameron has to tell him "she's got the cream puffs" (line 71) - meaning literally, the baby has the pastries. Mitchell was paranoid; nobody was actually insulting him. This is why Claire pays for everyone's headsets (line 72) - out of embarrassment.
• Other related slurs/insults reclaimed by the LGBTQ+ community: queer, fairy, fag(got). Mitchell does this same ironic reclaim with "fairies" later in the episode.
70 M: ok, excuse me, excuse me, but this baby would grow up have grown up in a crowded orphanage if it wasn't for us cream puffs, and you know what, note to all of you who judge. here hear this. , love knows no race, creed or gender, and shame on you, you small minded ignorant few • would have grown up = hypothetical past (third conditional). "If X hadn't happened, Y would have happened."
• Hear (listen) vs here (location/place) - homophones! "Hear this" = "Listen to this".
• if it wasn't for us - fixed expression meaning "without us" / "if we did not exist or help". Example: "If it wasn't for you, I would have failed the exam" = "Without your help, I would have failed." Here "us" refers to gay parents like Mitchell and Cameron - he's saying the baby would have stayed in the orphanage without them.
• note (here used as a noun = "a small announcement / message") - "Note to all of you who judge" = "Here is a message for everyone who is judging us". Like writing "Note: …" before an important statement. Compare: "Note to self: don't forget the keys."
• creed = a set of religious beliefs, or more broadly, what someone believes in. The phrase "race, creed, or gender" is a fixed legal/formal expression meaning "no matter your ethnicity, religion, or sex" - often used in anti-discrimination contexts.
• (ignorant) few - "the few" used as a noun = a small group of people. "You small-minded, ignorant few" = "you small group of narrow-minded, uninformed people". Small-minded = unable to accept new ideas. Ignorant = lacking knowledge. Mitchell is angrily addressing the small group of strangers who judged him.
• You missed "note to all of you who judge".
• Hear (listen) vs here (location/place) - homophones! "Hear this" = "Listen to this".
• if it wasn't for us - fixed expression meaning "without us" / "if we did not exist or help". Example: "If it wasn't for you, I would have failed the exam" = "Without your help, I would have failed." Here "us" refers to gay parents like Mitchell and Cameron - he's saying the baby would have stayed in the orphanage without them.
• note (here used as a noun = "a small announcement / message") - "Note to all of you who judge" = "Here is a message for everyone who is judging us". Like writing "Note: …" before an important statement. Compare: "Note to self: don't forget the keys."
• creed = a set of religious beliefs, or more broadly, what someone believes in. The phrase "race, creed, or gender" is a fixed legal/formal expression meaning "no matter your ethnicity, religion, or sex" - often used in anti-discrimination contexts.
• (ignorant) few - "the few" used as a noun = a small group of people. "You small-minded, ignorant few" = "you small group of narrow-minded, uninformed people". Small-minded = unable to accept new ideas. Ignorant = lacking knowledge. Mitchell is angrily addressing the small group of strangers who judged him.
• You missed "note to all of you who judge".
71 C: she's got the cream puffs ✓
72 C: we would like to pay for everyone's headsets ✓
Overall feedback
Great effort! You captured the meaning of most lines correctly, even when the dialogue moves fast. Modern Family has overlapping speech and accents (Gloria's Colombian Spanish, mumbled lines), so this is genuinely difficult listening practice.
Patterns to focus on next time:
- Past tense -ed endings: - often very soft: needed, decided, wanted, figured, spent. Train your ear to listen for them.
- Articles (a / an / the): - frequently dropped in your dictation. They are usually unstressed but always present.
- Contractions: - "it's" vs "it", "we're" vs "we", "that's" vs "it's".
- Phrasal verbs: - tell off, fawn over, take out. The little preposition changes the whole meaning!
- gotta vs gonna: - different meaning (obligation vs future).
- Homophones: - hear/here, a/an based on sound.
- Proper nouns: - Luke (not Lucas), Haley (not Heley), Pritchett, Colombia (not Columbia), SkyMall.
Score estimate: Around 75–80% accuracy on a difficult 4-minute clip. That's solid! Keep doing dictations - your listening will keep improving.