When Will My Life Begin?

• By: Mandy Moore
• Album: Tangled

Lyrics:

Vocabulary in this song:

Vocabulary	Meanings
clean /kliːn/ A1	adjective - free from dirt, marks, or stains verb - to make free from dirt, marks, or stains
polish /ˈpɒlɪʃ/ B1	verb - to make the surface of something smooth and shiny by rubbing it
read /riːd/ A1	verb - to look at and understand the meaning of written or printed matter
play /pleɪ/ A1	verb - to engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose
cook /kʊk/ A1	verb - to prepare food by heating it
wonder /ˈwʌndər/ B1	verb - to be curious or in doubt about something
begin /bɪˈɡɪn/ A2	verb - to start; to initiate
lunch /lʌntʃ/ A1	noun - a meal eaten in the middle of the day, typically one that is lighter or less formal than an evening meal.
bake /beɪk/ A2	verb - to cook (food) by dry heat without direct exposure to a flame, typically in an oven.
paint /peɪnt/ A1	verb - to apply paint, color, or coating to (a surface).
stretch /stretʃ/ B1	verb - to extend one's limbs or body, or to extend something elastic from its original size
sketch /sketʃ/ B1	verb - make a rough drawing representing something
sew /soʊ/ A2	verb - join, fasten, or repair (something) by making stitches with a needle and thread or a sewing machine.
brush /brʌʃ/ A1	verb - to clean or tidy (something) with a brush.
glow /ɡloʊ/ B1	verb - to give out a steady light without flame

Grammar:

• Start on the chores and sweep 'til the floor's all clean

  ➔ Temporal clause with "'til/until"

  ➔ The phrase "'til the floor's all clean" indicates an action (sweeping) continues up to a specific point in time (when the floor is clean). It's a shortened, informal version of "until".

• Sweep again, and by then it's like 7:15

  ➔ Time marker: "by then"

  ➔ "By then" means at or before that particular time. It indicates that the subsequent event (it being 7:15) occurs before or at that point following the previous sweep.

• Just wonder when will my life begin?

  ➔ Embedded question with subject-verb inversion *after* "when"

  ➔ This line demonstrates an embedded question. Normally, an indirect question would be "when my life will begin". However, the form used here, "when will my life begin?", emphasizes the sense of uncertainty and longing. Though grammatically unusual, the artistic use makes it work

• Stuck in the same place I've always been

  ➔ Present Perfect Continuous aspect implied: "I have always been"

  ➔ The line implies a continuous state from the past until the present. Although it doesn't explicitly state "I have been", the word "always" in conjunction with "been" suggests this ongoing situation. It indicates a feeling of being stuck for a prolonged period.

• Mother might just let me go

  ➔ Modal verb "might" expressing possibility

  ➔ "Might" indicates a possibility, but it is less certain than "may" or "will". Here, it suggests that the speaker is hopeful but not entirely sure that her mother will allow her to leave.