The One That Got Away

• By: Katy Perry
• Album: Teenage Dream

Lyrics:

Vocabulary in this song:

Vocabulary	Meanings
summer /ˈsʌmər/ A1	noun - the warmest season of the year
school /skuːl/ A1	noun - an institution for educating children
birthday /ˈbɜːrθdeɪ/ A1	noun - the anniversary of the day on which a person was born
parents /ˈperənts/ A1	noun - a person's father or mother
roof /ruːf/ A2	noun - the covering top of a building
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic matter
girl /ɡɜːrl/ A1	noun - a female child or young woman
promises /ˈprɒmɪsɪz/ A2	noun - declarations assuring that one will do something
world /wɜːrld/ A1	noun - the earth, together with all of its countries and people
Cash /kæʃ/ NA	noun - Johnny Cash
pact /pækt/ B2	noun - a formal agreement between individuals or parties
music /ˈmjuːzɪk/ A1	noun - vocal or instrumental sounds combined in such a way as to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion
tattoo /tæˈtuː/ B1	noun - a permanent mark or design made on the skin by pricking it and inserting an indelible dye verb - to mark (someone or something) with tattoos
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole
machine /məˈʃiːn/ A2	noun - an apparatus using or applying mechanical power and having several parts, each with a definite function and together performing a particular task
rings /rɪŋz/ A1	noun - a circular band, especially one of precious metal worn on a finger as jewellery or a symbol of marriage or engagement
price /praɪs/ A2	noun - the amount of money expected, required, or given in payment for something

Grammar:

• Summer after high school when we first met

  ➔ Time Clause (when)

  ➔ Uses "when" to introduce a clause specifying the time the events happened. "When" connects the main clause (implicit: something happened) with the subordinate clause indicating the time (summer after high school).

• Never planned that one day I'd be losing you

  ➔ Conditional Type 3 Implied (Regret)

  ➔ The sentence expresses regret about something that happened differently from what was planned. There's an implied "If I had planned..., I wouldn't be losing you now." It's a past action with a present consequence.

• In another life, I would be your girl

  ➔ Second Conditional (Hypothetical/Unreal)

  ➔ Uses the structure "If + Simple Past, would + infinitive" to express a hypothetical or unreal situation in the present. "In another life" acts as the 'if' clause here. It describes a situation that is not currently true.

• We'd keep all our promises

  ➔ Conditional 'would' for hypothetical situations

  ➔ "We'd" is a contraction of "we would". In the context of the song and the conditional sentence, "would keep" expresses what *would* happen in the hypothetical "another life".

• I should've told you what you meant to me

  ➔ Modal Verb 'Should have' (Regret/Past Obligation)

  ➔ "Should have" + past participle expresses regret about something that was not done in the past. It implies that the speaker now believes it was important to tell the person what they meant.

• Used to steal your parents' liquor and climb to the roof

  ➔ Used to (Past Habit)

  ➔ "Used to" indicates an action or state that was habitual or common in the past but is no longer true. Here, it describes a regular activity they did together.

• Sometimes when I miss you I put those records on

  ➔ Adverbial Clause of Time (When)

  ➔ The clause introduced by "when" indicates the time or condition under which the main clause occurs. It shows that putting on the records is something she does specifically at times when she misses the person.