My computer has
crashed!
Aims
Learning goals:
Understanding some multi-word verbs
connected to technology
Giving information about routines and
habits
Contents
Year 9
Lesson 32
Grammar and
functions
Keywords
back up, call back, colleague, crashed,
hang up, IT help desk, key in , look up,
print out, switch on / off , turn up
Language Analysis
Understanding some multi-word verbs connected to technology
back up /bæk ʌp/
call back /kɔːl bæk/
hang up /hæŋ ʌp/
key in /kiː ɪn/
look up /lʊk ʌp/
print out /prɪnt aʊt/
switch on / off /swɪtʃ ɒn / ɒf/
turn up /tɜː(r)n ʌp/
Multi-word verbs (phrasal verbs) are made up of a verb and a particle or two.
Separable multi-word verbs
With separable verbs, the verb and particle can be apart or together – the meaning doesn't change.
I set up the computer. = I set the computer up.
key it in
look it up
print it out
switch it off
turn it up
back it up
call it back
When we use a pronoun in place of the subject it has to come between the verb and the particle in
separable multi-word verbs.
Can you set it up, please?
Can you set up it, please?
Inseparable multi-word verbs
These verbs cannot be separated by a pronoun without the meaning changing.
Get around (a problem) can't be separated by a pronoun.
Giving information about routines and habits
We use the present simple tense to talk about routines and habits. We sometimes use adverbs of
© Young Digital Planet 2015 – Core Curriculum for English – Teacher’s Guide
frequency to say how often we do it:
always, sometimes, usually, never, hardly ever, every day etc.
Every day can be used at the beginning or end of the sentences. The remaining adverbs from the list
above are used between the subject and the verbs, e.g.
I usually print out the information I need for my meetings.
You need to key in your password every morning.
colleague /ˈkɒliːɡ/
crashed /kræʃt/
IT help desk /ɪt help desk/
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Procedure
Lead-in
Audio:
Mr Smith: Oh, no. My computer’s crashed. It’s
stopped working again. I’ll have to look up the IT
help desk number and ring them for help. That’s
the second time this week!
Help desk answer phone: This is the IT help
desk. We’re all busy helping calls at the moment.
Please hang up and try calling back later.
Goodbye.
Mr Smith: Oh, no. They are always busy. I’ll hang
up and phone again.
IT help desk: Hello, good morning. This is the IT
help desk. How can I help you?
Mr Smith: My computer has stopped working.
Key:
1
2
3
4
5
C has stopped working
A shocked and worried
C speak to the IT help desk
B call back
B to help him
Ask students to listen and choose the best
answer.
Ask:What things have gone wrong with your
computer?
This presents some of the multi-word verbs in
context and starts to give a context for the last
screen.
Extension: Put students in pairs and ask to make
a list of things that may go wrong with the
computer. Ideally, this should be done as a leadin to this screen but might alternatively be done at
the end.
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Main input
Audio:
IT help desk: Hello, good morning. This is the IT
help desk. How can I help you?
Mr Smith: Hello, this is Mr Smith, my computer
has stopped working again.
Woman: Hello, Mr Smith, was everything OK
when you switched it on?
Mr Smith: Yes, it was fine. I was able to do
everything I do every day: go on line, search the
internet and go on the company website without
any problems.
IT help desk: So what went wrong?
Mr Smith: Well, I keyed in my password into the
company homepage so that I could read the blog
as I do first thing every day. It was all fine until I
tried to print out the information I need for my
daily meeting. Then suddenly the computer
crashed and it won’t let me log in again.
Woman: OK, no problem. Have you backed up
your files?
Mr Smith: No, I don’t have time to that every day.
Woman: You really must back up your files every
day.
Mr Smith: OK, I will in the future.
IT help desk: Do you usually print out
documents?
Mr Smith: Yes, of course. I need them for my
daily meetings. Now how do I get back on line? I
have to check my emails.
Woman: Have you tried switching the computer
‘off’ and ‘on’?
Mr Smith: No, it never works when I do that.
Woman: Well, please try it again.
Mr Smith: OK, I’ll try switching it off and on and
then logging in again.
Woman: Good, call us back if you have any more
Ask students to listen and choose True or False.
This models the man talking about his daily
routine using the multiword-verbs in context.
Extension: Exploit the screen by asking students
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problems. Goodbye.
to correct the false sentences.
Mr Smith: Wait, don’t hang up. Oh, no, she’s
gone. Why do they always do that when you’re in
the middle of a call? The computer still won’t let
me log in. I’ll have to call the help desk again.
2 False
Help desk answerphone: This is the IT help
desk. We’re all busy helping calls at the moment.
Please hang up and try calling back later.
Goodbye.
He could key his password and later the
computer crashed.
Mr Smith: What do I do now? I can’t work if I’m
offline. I have to send some important emails. I
am the boss of the company!
He can't switch off his computer.
5 False
6 False
He read the blog as usual.
8 False
He does not back up his files every day.
9 False
Key:
He did not want the IT girl to hang up but she did.
1 True 2 False 3 True 4 True 5 False
6 False 7 True 8 False 9 False 10 True
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Practice 1
Key:
1
2
3
4
5
Have you backed them up?
Please call us back later.
Yes, I’ve keyed it in.
Have you tried to look it up on your phone?
I can’t print it out today.
Ask students to order the sentences. Make sure
they put the pronoun in the correct place in the
multiword verb.
Extension: Put students in pairs and ask to
practise reading the conversation.
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Practice 2
Key:
1
2
3
4
5
You have to back it up every day.
You need to key it in every morning.
He needed to look it up.
Remember to switch it off every night.
Did you print it out?
Tell students to rewrite the sentences and use it
in place of the subject.
Extension: In weaker groups first act students to
point to the subject.
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Practice 3
Key:
Mr Smith switches on his computer.
Mr Smith goes online.
Mr Smith searches the internet.
Mr Smith goes on the company website.
Mr Smith keys in his password into the company
homepage.
Tell students to read the dialogue and put the
actions in order.
Extension: Exploit the screen by asking students
to work in pairs. Tell them to practise the dialogue
in pairs. When they have finished, ask them to
swap and practise again.
Give out Handouts:
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Ask students to put the sentences in the right
order:
For key see also the audioscript for the Main Input
screen.
Key:
1
Hello, good morning. This is the IT help
desk. How can I help you?
11
Do you usually print out documents?
9
You really must back up your files every
day.
4
Yes, it was fine. I was able to do
everything I do every day: go on line,
search the internet and go on the
company website without any problems.
7
OK, no problem. Have you backed up
your files?
6
Well, I keyed in my password into the
company homepage so that I could read
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the blog as I do first thing every day. It
was all fine until I tried to print out the
information I need for my daily meeting.
Then suddenly the computer crashed
and it won’t let me log in again.
2
Hello, this is Mr Smith, my computer has
stopped working again.
18
Wait, don’t hang up. Oh, no, she’s gone.
Why do they always do that when you’re
in the middle of a call? The computer still
won’t let me log in. I’ll have to call the
help desk again.
5
So what went wrong?
10
OK, I will in the future.
3
Hello, Mr Smith, was everything OK
when you switched it on?
14
No, it never works when I do that.
13
Have you tried switching the computer
‘off’ and ‘on’?
15
Well, please try it again.
12
Yes, of course. I need them for my daily
meetings. Now how do I get back on
line? I have to check my emails.
16
OK, I’ll try switching it off and on and
then logging in again.
17
Good, call us back if you have any more
problems. Goodbye.
18
No, I don’t have time to that every day.
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Practice 4
Key:
1
2
3
4
5
6
IT help desk, can I help you? [Yes, please, my
computer has crashed.]
What’s the matter with it? [It’s stopped
working.]
Was it OK when you switched it on? [Yes, the
computer was fine when I turned it on.]
Could you type in your password? [Yes, I
could key it in.]
When did the problem start? [It started when I
tried to print something out for my daily
meeting].
Have you backed up your files? [No, I don’t
have time.]
Ask students to match the questions to the
answers.
Extension: Cover the right side of the screen so
that students can only see the questions. Ask
students to work in pairs and try to answer the
questions by their own.
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English to take away
Audio 1:
Student A: Do you usually print documents out?
Audio 2:
Student B: No, I don't often print them out.
Key:
Students’ own answers.
This is a ‘free practice’ stage. The aim is
personalisation. Give students the following
instructions:
Work in pairs. Talk about the problem with your
computer.
Student A
IT help desk person: You work on the IT help
desk. Ask questions to find out what computer
user usually does and what the problem is.
• Can / help?
• What / wrong?
• What / usually do / computer?
• Suggest solution. Why don't you … ?
Student B
Person: You have a problem with your computer.
• Say there is something wrong with computer.
• Explain computer crashed (stopped working).
• Describe what you usually do with the computer
each day.
• Thank IT help desk person and say you'll try
solution.
Extension:
Students’ can write dialogue in notebook
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Handout
1
Hello, good morning. This is the IT help desk. How can I help you?
Do you usually print out documents?
You really must back up your files every day.
Yes, it was fine. I was able to do everything I do every day: go on line, search the internet
and go on the company website without any problems.
OK, no problem. Have you backed up your files?
Well, I keyed in my password into the company homepage so that I could read the blog
as I do first thing every day. It was all fine until I tried to print out the information I need for
my daily meeting. Then suddenly the computer crashed and it won’t let me log in again.
Hello, this is Mr Smith, my computer has stopped working again.
Wait, don’t hang up. Oh, no, she’s gone. Why do they always do that when you’re in the
middle of a call? The computer still won’t let me log in. I’ll have to call the help desk
again.
So what went wrong?
OK, I will in the future.
Hello, Mr Smith, was everything OK when you switched it on?
No, it never works when I do that.
Have you tried switching the computer ‘off’ and ‘on’?
Well, please try it again.
Yes, of course. I need them for my daily meetings. Now how do I get back on line? I have
to check my emails.
OK, I’ll try switching it off and on and then logging in again.
Good, call us back if you have any more problems. Goodbye.
No, I don’t have time to that every day.
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