Exercise 1B, page 4 - English File Studetn's book, pre-intermediate, Oxford

One point nineteen.

My name's Elspeth. I'm twenty-five. I'm a journalist. I live in Dublin and I'm single. It's not easy to meet people here. So, who can help me? My mother and a dating app. My favorite dating app called Tinder shows you photos of possible partners with a bit of information about them. You look at the photos and swipe, swipe, swipe. Swipe right if you like them and swipe left, well, swipe left if you don't. If a guy likes you and you like him, you have a match. Then you can start messaging the person and from this romance follows. Or so they say. I've tried it, but with no success. So, I decide to give my mother my phone. She can swipe all the men she likes and then look at my matches and choose the people that she likes the best. I've promised to go on a date with the men she chooses.

Date one.

My first date is with a nice guy called John. I sit at a table in a bar and wait for him to arrive. An old man walks towards the table, and for two awful seconds, I think it's all a terrible mistake, but he walks past and then my date arrives. He's very tall, one meter ninety. Well done, mum. I'm tall myself, so I always look for tall men, as my mum knows well. We start chatting and it's all very easy. Mum has good taste. He's a teacher. We get on well and it's a fun date, but sadly there isn't a spark. So, I try again.

Date two.

I arrive a bit early again, and I sit there waiting for Sebastian to arrive. Suddenly, I realize that I can't remember anything at all about him, not even where he's from. Then he comes through the door. Tall, dark, and handsome. Mum, you're amazing, I say to myself. He's from Germany, but he lives in Dublin. He's a real gentleman. At the end of the evening, he asks for a second date. Mum is very pleased. I agree to the date, but I don't really think it's going to work.

One point twenty-one.

Date three.

Date number three is George.

He suggests a bar on South William Street.

I arrive early.

I'm definitely the most punctual person in the world.

I stand outside, very confused.

The bar is closed.

For a moment I think mom has finally got it wrong.

But a few minutes later, he arrives.

He just didn't know the bar was closed.

We go somewhere else and start chatting.

He tells me he works in IT and is from just outside Dublin.

This guy is great fun.

He's very relaxed and interesting.

He's traveled a lot.

He tells a lot of funny stories.

It's all going well and I'm getting very enthusiastic, when my phone pings.

One point twenty-two.

It's all going well, and I'm getting very enthusiastic when my phone pings.

It's on the table between us and it's a text from my mother.

Well, is he lovely? Love mum.

George looks at my screen and reads the text.

I want to die!