To Give a Hard Time

 I want to talk in depth about a very usual expression in American English.

I want you to remember the first video where I talked about HAVING A HARD TIME because I want to let you know there is a variation of this expression changing the verb HAVE for the verb GIVE.

TO GIVE A HARD TIME:

Giving a hard time means to make fun of someone, nagging or to telling someone repeatedly something about a particular behavior. Being hard on someone (like bullying but not as bad).

People can give people a hard time

Things like technology can give people a hard time, even animals can give a hard time!

Some scenarios (when I say scenario imagine it is happening on a scene) to explain this expression would be:

1.      Tony gets to school 10 minutes late for Ms.’s Braverman class, once he walks through the classroom door Ms. Braverman stops him in front of the class and asks him to give her and the rest of his classmates a good reason for being late.

-        A classmate later that day telling her mom about what happened in class: Ms. Braverman GIVES TONY A HARD TIME because he is always late for class.

-        Tony telling his friends later that day: I am fed up that Ms. Braverman GIVES ME A HARD TIME for being late every time. (Tony is tired that Ms. Braverman makes him explain why he is late).

-        WHY DOES MS. BRAVERMAN ALWAYS GIVE TONY A HARD TIME?

2.      Tyler and Katleen are a couple and they live together, Tyler hates doing the dishes after dinner, and Katleen yells at him saying he should clean up after himself!

-Katleen: Tyler why do you always leave your dirty dishes on the table?!?!?! If you don’t want me to GIVE YOU A HARD TIME, you should wash your dishes for God’s sake!

-Tyler: Stop GIVING ME A HARD TIME! I will wash them tomorrow!

-Katleen telling her friend next day about the night before: I GAVE TYLER A HARD TIME last night about doing the dishes after dinner, he said he would wash them today, but he didn’t!

3.      Sarah’s mom has a new phone and she doesn’t know how to use it.

-Sarah: Mom why do you take so long to reply my messages?

-Sarah’s mom: Because this phone is GIVING ME A HARD TIME when I try to use it!

Another possible answer: Because I AM HAVING A HARD TIME trying to use it!

4.      My dog IS GIVING ME A HARD TIME, he starts barking as soon as I leave the house, so I have to take him with me everywhere.