Money and the Game Show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Introduction
A man played a game show. He wanted to win a lot of money. This story shows how prices change over time.
Main Body
Andrew Fanko played the game. He had £500,000. He did not know the last answer. He stopped the game and kept the £500,000. He did not want to lose his money. The top prize is £1,000,000. This prize is the same as it was in 1998. But things cost more money now. This is called inflation. Now, £1,000,000 is like £505,600 from the past. A winner in 2000 got more real value than a winner today. To have the same value, the prize must be £2.2 million.
Conclusion
The top prize is the same number, but it buys fewer things now.
Learning
💰 Handling Money & Numbers
In English, we use specific words to talk about having and wanting things. Look at these patterns from the text:
1. Having vs. Wanting
- He had £500,000 → (Past: He possessed it)
- He wanted to win → (Past: He had a desire)
2. The "Not" Rule (Negatives) To say someone does NOT do something in the past, we use did not + action word:
- Did not know (opposite of knew)
- Did not want (opposite of wanted)
3. Comparing 'Then' and 'Now' Notice how the text compares time:
- Past: "It was in 1998"
- Present: "Things cost more money now"
Quick Guide: The 'Value' Logic Same Number Different Value £1,000,000 (1998) High Value £1,000,000 (Now) Lower Value