BBC LEARNING ENGLISH
12 uses of 'go'
Cinderella
Mariam
Hello, I'm Mariam. Today's story is a very well-known fairy tale involving ugly sisters, glass
slippers, a very big party and a girl called… Yeah, you’ve guessed it it's Cinderella.
Cinderella – as you may know – has a tough life. Her mother died and her father remarried
and now she lives in a big house with her step-mother and her two ugly daughters. Cinders
does all the cooking, cleaning and washing up, while her step-sisters pamper themselves, eat
cake and go shopping.
One day a postman delivers some invitations to a ball – a sort of posh party that’s being
held by the King of the land. Sounds good – but things go downhill. When the ugly sisters
get hold of the invites they rip up the one for Cinders telling her that she's ''too common'',
she hasn't any fashionable clothes to wear – and anyway, she has far too much housework
to do. It goes without saying: her step-sisters are very cruel. And Cinders is obviously
very, very upset.
The day of the party arrives and Cinders' step-sisters, step-mother and her father – he's
been very quiet, hasn't he? – head off to the party, leaving her all alone. So there she is
sitting alone, crying by the fire, when out of the blue appears a woman claiming to be her
fairy Godmother. She says, ''Don't cry Cinderella: you shall go to the ball.'' I won't go into
detail but she turns a pumpkin into a fancy carriage, she turns a rat into a coachman, two
mice into footmen and four grasshoppers into white horses – impressive!
Then she points her wand at Cinderella's dress and changes it into a beautiful ball gown, and
her old shoes become a glittering pair of glass slippers which shine like diamonds. She tells
Cinders to get moving and have a great time but remember one thing – the fairy magic ends
at midnight: she must leave the party by then…
Does she remember this important instruction or will she be revealed as plain old Cinderella? You'll
have to wait ‘til part 2 to find out. Join us then.
Hello again. I'm Mariam. Let's catch-up with Cinderella, who's about to arrive at that big party the
King is holding. She's all dressed up thanks to the Fairy Godmother – let's find out what happens
next…
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The party is amazing – incredible food, wonderful music, lots of smartly dressed people –
but when Cinders walks in, everyone's head turn – they've never seen such a beautiful
woman and such fancy clothes. The prince asks her to dance and they spend the whole
evening together – time goes by quickly and she soon forgets about the fairy magic ending
at midnight. With only seconds to go she runs off before her clothes turn back to rags and
her sisters discover who she is. But in the rush, one of her glass slippers falls off but there's
no time to pick it up so she has to go without it.
The prince says, "I shall marry the beautiful girl whose foot fits this slipper and only her." In
the morning the prince goes from house to house with the glass slipper and every woman
tries to squeeze her foot into it. But it doesn't fit any of them.
It's touch and go whether he'll ever find the rightful owner but then he arrives at Cinders’
house – the step-sisters are keen to have a go but of course it doesn't fit. They don't think
about asking Cinders because they didn’t believe she’d been at the party – but the prince
insists she give it a go – and sure enough it fits.
Well you know how the rest of the story goes, they get married and live happily ever after
– however, Cinders makes sure the prince isn't marrying her just because of her fancy
clothes and money, and he assures her it is for true love. As for the step-sisters – well they
live with them working as their servants.
Wouldn't it be good if some fairy tales came true? Although I wouldn't fancy wearing a pair
of glass slippers – too uncomfortable – and they wouldn't go with my outfit! Well that's all
for today but please join me next time for another story. See you next then.
Definitions
go shopping (A1)
visit shops to buy things
go downhill (C2)
become worse
it goes without saying (B2)
it is obvious
go to (A2)
attend
go into detail (B2)
talk about all the facts
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goes by (B2)
passes
to go (C1)
remaining
go without (C1)
not have something that you need or usually have
touch and go (C2)
uncertain
give it a go (B2)
try something
goes (B1)
develops
go with (B1)
match; look good next to
KEY
A1 = Beginner
A2 = Elementary
B1 = Lower Intermediate
B2 = Higher Intermediate
C1 = Towards Advanced
C2 = Advanced
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