Acting on Advice
Page 28
• 2. Listen to someone giving instructions. In
what situation would you expect to hear
them?
• Ans:
• It’s a supervisor giving instructions to
candidates at the beginning of an exam
• 3. Look at these examples from the listening.
Which grammatical structures are used?
a) Come into the room quietly (the imperative
form of the verb is being used)
b) Can you look for your candidates no on the
desk? (Can you is a modal verb used to front
a question)
• Can you? Could you? Would you are often
used to soften instructions and sound more
polite.
• Imperative verbs like put sound more direct.
Other structures like would you mind sound
more polite.
Modals and Semi-Modals
• Modals (e.g. could) and semi-modals (e.g.
need to) tell us something about the attitude
of the speaker. In these sentences the modals
are used for giving instructions. What is the
meaning behind each one?
1. You might try this website.
2. Could I ask for silence now?
3. You must make a decision before Wednesday
1. Might is used when making a tentative
suggestion-the speaker doesn’t want to be
too assertive, and wants to give the listener
more choice about what to do.
2. Could is used to show that the speaker is
requesting action. It shows that the listener
has some choice about whether to act in the
way the speaker wants.
• 3 Must is used here to describe an ideal or
desired situation. It is stronger than should
and shows that the listener has less choice
about what to do.
3. Discuss the difference in use between the
words in bold in each pair.
1 (a) I could get into the house by climbing
through the window.
(b) I was able to get into the house by
climbing through the window
3. Discuss the difference in use between the
words in bold in each pair.
1 (a) I could get into the house by climbing
through the window.
• The use of could suggests a general or
physical ability – the person could get into the
house by climbing through the window
(b) I was able to get into the house by
climbing through the window.
The use of was able to suggests that the person
is referring to one specific achievement/occaion.
Modals and Semi-Modals
• 2 (a) She may get there by 10 if she catches
the 8.30 train.
•
(b) May I use the office photocopier to make
a copy of my passport?
Modals and Semi-Modals
• 2 (a) She may get there by 10 if she catches
the 8.30 train.
• May is used for possibility.
Modals and Semi-Modals
• 2 (b) May I use the office photocopier to
make a copy of my passport?
• May is used for asking permission (formal)
Modals and Semi-Modals
• 3. (a) She might get there on time if she leaves
work early.
(b) Might I make a suggestion?
Modals and Semi-Modals
• 3. (a) She might get there on time if she leaves
work early.
Might is used for possibility (smaller
possibility than may)
Modals and Semi-Modals
• 3
(b) Might I make a suggestion?
• Might is used for making a suggestion, or
tentatively offering advice (formal)
Modals and Semi-Modals
• 4 (a) I must remember to e-mail Joanna.
•
(b) We have to write 5,000 words for our
project.
Modals and Semi-Modals
• 4 (a) I must remember to e-mail Joanna.
• Must is used for obligation which comes from
the speaker (internal obligation)
Modals and Semi-Modals
4 (b) We have to write 5,000 words for our
project.
• Have to is used for an obligation which is
imposed on us by someone else (external
obligation)
Modals and Semi-Modals
• 5 (a) You need to take three copies of this.
(b) You didn’t need to switch the TV off.
Modals and Semi-Modals
• 5 (a) You need to take three copies of this.
•
Need is used to express the idea that it is
necessary to do something.
Modals and Semi-Modals
• 5 (a) You need to take three copies of this.
(b) You didn’t need to switch the TV off.
Modals and Semi-Modals
5 (b) You didn’t need to switch the TV off.
• Didn’t need to is used when someone has
done something but it wasn’t necessary to do
it.
Modals and Semi-Modals
6. (a) You needn’t have posted it; I could have
picked it up later.
(b) You didn’t need to show any ID to get in.
Modals and Semi-Modals
6. (a) You needn’t have posted it; I could have
picked it up later.
•
Needn’t have is used to tell someone that
an action that they did wasn’t necessary
Modals and Semi-Modals
6. (b) You didn’t need to show any ID to get in.
• Don’t need to is used to say that an action is
not necessary.
dis
Disappear, discontinue, distrust
Non
Ill
Mis
Im
Non smoker
Illogical, illiterate
Mislead, mistrust
Immature, impersonal, impolite
Un
Unavoidable, unconventional,
unjustified
Inaccessible, insensitive,
inconclusive
Irresistible, irregular
In
Ir
able
photocopiable, countable,
employable, arguable,
recommendable, respectable,
reliable
ation
Exploration, dramatisation,
recommendation,
ency
Efficiency, frequency, tendency
ful
Ly
Deceitful, careful, respectful
ment
ness
Judgement, employment, argument
Timely, rudely, frequently,
speechless, careless, pointless
Italics means a change of spelling
Rudeness, awareness
Writing Folder – Formal Writing
1. Moreover, we are content with your staff.
Having kind and helpful personnel is
important – people expect this level of
service.
2. Lastly, I would like to say that the discount
seems rather/slightly smaller than the ten
per cent originally promised.
Writing Folder – Formal Writing
3. I am writing this letter to your newspaper
because I think there was a mistake in your
Thursday edition.
4. Interviewees’ responses depended on their
age, gender, occupation and educational
background.
Writing Folder – Formal Writing
5. With regard to other matters, I would like to
make a few suggestions, which I hope you can
take into consideration.