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I came across this video and it has some great advice about things to not say in a job interview. If you're looking for a new job or preparing for a job interview, this is a must-listen. You will see notes and additional comments below.
1. Don't Talk Bad About Your Past Jobs
If somebody talks bad about others to you, they are talking bad about you to others.
This is something employers know, and complaining about your past or current jobs, boss, co-workers, etc. just makes you sound like a negative person. One thing employers don't want in their companies are negative people to bring everybody down. INSTEAD When asked why you're leaving or have left your last job, focus on yourself and the future. Say something like:
2. Don't Act Desperate
I'll do anything = I don't have any specific skills.
If you act desperate, and you'll take anything they will give you, there are two possible outcomes: 1) you won't get anything 2) you will get anything (and you probably won't like it, and you probably won't get paid a lot). Employers want people with specific skills and ideas. Even if you are desperate, show confidence and positive energy with a vision. INSTEAD When you go into a job interview, say something like:
3. Don't Be Vague
You're a quick learner. What does that mean? How do I know?
A common mistake on resumés and job interviews is being too vague. Jesse talks about this on episode 38 of the More Than English Podcast called Best and Worst Words to Use on a CV. These also apply to job interviews.
If you describe yourself with vague terms like- I'm a natural leader, or I'm task-oriented, or I'm a go-getter- a future employer doesn't have any context to base this on.
Why should they believe you? INSTEAD Use verbs to specifically describe things you've done or accomplished in your career or life. Use words like:
The more specific you can be with your experience, the more evidence you are giving them to hire you. Listen to the podcast above to get the full list. (From Forbes.com) 4. Don't Say You Don't Know How
If you've never done something, does that mean you can't do it?
You will probably be asked if you can perform a specific task, or be asked how you would perform a specific task or handle a specific problem. It might not be a good idea to immediately say, "I don't know." or "I can't do that." This isn't to say that you should lie to your interviewer, but if you've never done a specific task, does that mean you can't? If you say you can't do something or show no level of understanding about a question, that is obviously a big negative against you. He mentions two words I'd like to highlight. 1. Competency questions - questions to know what you know. 2. Wipe out - a phrasal verb meaning 'to eliminate' INSTEAD Be honest... and highlight your strengths. When faced with a question you don't know, try saying something like:
5. Don't Ask What Their Company Does
Do your research on the company.
Know what the company does before sending your resume. Know what job you are applying for. Know what your responsibilities will be. If you don't know what the company does that you're applying for, why would they want to hire you? It's that simple. Do not ask what they do. INSTEAD Ask specific questions about what you might face. Some great questions students have shared during our lessons is:
More Help!
Jesse Sweed has a video where he shares a story of his last job interviews as well as a trick to be more confident when going into your next job interview. Your mindset is essential to your confidence and performance in your job interview. This is from Episode 9 of the More Than English Podcast.
Good luck and let me know how your interview goes!
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Class Objectives What’s your most embarrassing moment? This is a common question people often ask in games or to have fun. We normally don’t have an answer right away, do we. But after this lesson, you will have thought about your go-to story for this question and be able to control your story in English… and then your own language. By the end of the class, you will have:
Difficulty:Blue Belt and above MODEL: Most Embarrassing Moment At some point in your life, you’ve been asked about your most embarrassing moment. Many times, we don’t have an answer off the top of our heads, so in this lesson, I’m going to ask you to think about your most embarrassing moment, at least the one you’re comfortable sharing, and tell about it. Mine happened when I was about 23 years old when I was living back in the United States, and like most stupid stories of young men, this story involved a girl. I remember one Saturday night, a group of friends and I had made plans to go to a night club in a nearby city to celebrate one of our friend’s birthdays. I never really liked going to clubs, but that’s what our friend wanted to do, so that’s what we did. There was a girl I liked in our group of friends, and let’s call her Stacy. I was always nervous and awkward whenever I talked to Stacy, so I would talk to one of our mutual female friends about how to approach and win over this girl that I had a crush on. You know what that’s like, I’m sure. As I said before, I was quite shy and awkward around girls I liked. Anyway, we were at the club, and everybody was doing their own thing; drinking, dancing, talking, etc. I was walking around, talking to some friends, and doing whatever it is that you do in night clubs aside from dancing. I wasn’t a big dancer at the time. (I’m still not, but at least I enjoy it a bit more now.) There were just so many people at this club, and it was so hot that I started to feel nauseous and dizzy, so I decided to go outside for a breath of fresh air and a cigarette. (I know the irony of that sentence, but that’s what I did.)  I went outside of the club and Stacy happened to be outside as well. We saw each other, so I had to walk over and start talking. She was on the phone talking to somebody, which was a relief since I was feeling sick, and it gave me time to settle down. Photo: Italia 2012 by Salva Dugo When she finished talking on the phone, we started talking. I was a bit nervous because I was still feeling nauseous, so as we were talking, I was trying to focus on my breathing. She was talking about something, and I couldn’t control it anymore. I suddenly felt a little vomit come up into my mouth and I turned to spit it out, and then quickly turned back to finish listening to what she was talking about. Perfect! She didn’t notice anything, and I immediately felt a lot better! I wanted to show that I was listening -even though I wasn’t-, so I started adding to the conversation without skipping a beat, but she interrupted me and asked, “Did you just throw up?” I said, “No.” Then she started laughing and said, “Then what’s THAT?!”, and pointed at my chest. Apparently, when I tried to spit, some of it dropped down onto my shirt. How embarrassing! I calmly said, “Yeah, that happens.” But inside, I was dying. Just then, to make matters worse, our group of friends all came out of the club to see what we were doing. One of my friends, Shawn, yelled over, “Jesse, what’s going on?” And Stacy yelled laughing out loud, “Jesse just threw up on his shirt!” They all started laughing. I don’t remember what happened the rest of that night, but this story will be with me forever. #BreakingMiarma Ok, it wasn’t horrific, but at the time, it was pretty embarrassing. What about you? What would you say if somebody asked about your most embarrassing moment? Tell me about it at the end of this lesson. VOCABULARYTake notes about the following words so you can understand the meaning deeper. Use context, dictionary definitions, synonyms, explanations, example sentences, pictures,or any other creative way to learn the new words and phrases. NOTE: Try NOT to use your language to understand the concept. At least– Use this to talk about the minimum for whatever A Night Club/ A Club – A place with loud music where people go to drink and dance. A girl I like – When you like a girl or a boy, it normally means a romantic kind To win over (somebody) – (Phrasal Verb) To cause somebody to like you. To win their heart. To have a crush (on)– To like somebody Aside from – Besides/ Other than A big dancer/ drawer/ dancer/ fan of ____. – A big + ____er = somebody who is very interested in that thing. To settle down (my stomach) – (Phrasal Verb) To relax; To make calm Vomit (n)(v) / To throw up(Phrasal Verb) – You do this when you’re sick To spit (out)–To project saliva out of your mouth To yell– To talk loudly at somebody VOCABULARY ACTIVITY:Write a few sentences using the vocabulary words above. Write at least 5 sentences. FLUENCY BUILDERS and EXPRESSIONS These expressions will help you sound more fluent. Brainstorm and see how you can use these in your presentation. off the top of your head – to know something without thinking about it Let’s call him/her/it _____- Use this when you are trying to protect the identity or details, or you can’t remember this particular detail of a story. You call this person or thing by a different name in the story. Everybody was doing their own thing– when everybody is doing something different … happened to be… – Use this when you’re showing two actions are a coincidence Without skipping a beat- Use this when somebody continues something smoothly and with no long pauses. There is a smooth transition in conversation. Just then…– Use this to show something happened IMMEDIATELY after something else To make matters worse…– Use this to build anticipation. When a bad situation gets worse. GRAMMARBuilding longer sentences is something everybody would like to be able to do when learning another language. I’ll show you some tricks and tips to make compound and complex sentences. Let’s look at some grammar from the text. She was talking to somebodyon the phone, which was a reliefsince I was feeling sick, and it gave me time to settle down. How to build longer sentences. Base sentence: S + V + O She was talking to somebody | on the phone. It was a relief. I was feeling sick. It gave me time to settle down. Relative clauses: To condense two small sentences into one complex sentence who, which, that, where, whom, when She was talking to somebody on the phone, whichwas a relief. Connectors: To combine two smaller sentences into one compound sentence To get + action + past participle I was happy about it since I was feeling a bit nauseous. I was feeling a bit nauseous, and it gave me time to settle down. Assignment: Combine these simple sentences together to create more complex sentences. NOTE: You may change the order of the simple sentences. (Example: Rachel is so excited. She just got accepted into university. She had always wanted to attend this university. Option 1: Rachel is so excited because she just got accepted into the university she had always wanted to attend. Option 2: Rachel just got accepted into the university she had always wanted to attend, so she is so excited.)
PREPAREBrainstorm and write down ideas for your story of your most embarrassing story. Remember what happened in the story and tell it in the appropriate order. Use the techniques above to build longer sentences. YOUR TASK: When You Were Embarrassed Now it’s your turn to tell your embarrassing story. Include the techniques, vocabulary, and expressions above to make your story sound more natural.
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By the end of the class, you will have:
Difficulty:Blue Belt and above MODEL: Ordering FoodServer:Hi, welcome to _____, I’m Mike and I’ll be serving you tonight. Can I get you a drink to start (out with)? Customer:Yes, could I have a ______, please?/ What do you have on tap?/I’d like a white wine please. Server: I’ll be right out with your drinks. Customer: Can I get you some appetizers while you’re deciding? Server: Yes, these nachos look amazing. Can I order that, please? Customer: Sure, that’ll be right out. Server: (After coming back out) Have you decided? Customer: Yes, I’d like the _____, please. Server: (For steaks or hamburgers) How would you like that done? Customer: Medium rare, please. Server: Of course. What would you like on the side? Customer: (If you don’t know) What do you have? Server: Well, you can choose from mashed potatoes, french fries, mixed vegetables, or rice. Customer: Mixed vegetable sounds great! Server: Will there be anything else? Customer: No, that’s all for now. Thank you. (hand the menu back) (Server brings food) Customer: Everything looks |amazing!| Excuse me, do you have any hot sauce? |incredible| |fantastic| |great| Server: Sure, I’ll go get you some. Anything else? Customer: No, that’s all. Thank you. (Cultural help: Server comes to check throughoutthe meal.) Server: How is everything? Customer: Everything is great! Can I have some more tea, please? Server: Of course. I’ll bring that right out. (After eating) Server: Can I get you guys anything for dessert? Customer: What do you have? Server: I’ll bring you the dessert menu. (Brings the menu) Customer: I’ll have the chocolate brownie. Server: Excellent. I’ll bring that right out. (After eating dessert.) Server: Will there be anything else? Customer: No, |we’ll have the check, please.| |can you bring the check whenever you’re ready?| (Cultural help:Check your bill. If it says “GRATUITY”, that means tip. Usually for tables more than 6 or 8 people, the restaurant adds this. A standard tip is usually 20%of your bill total. – If your bill is $100, a good tip is $20. You can add more tipif the service was exceptional, or lessif it was bad service.) VOCABULARYTake notes about the following words so you can understand the meaning. Use context, dictionary definitions, synonyms, explanations, example sentences, pictures,or any other creative way to learn the new words and phrases. NOTE: Please do NOT use your language to understand the concept. Positive Adjectives |
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| Learn these words before we create the story because I will present them in your outline. If you need adjectives when you tell your story, look them up in the dictionary or in Word Reference. Write your new words or expressions in the space below. | |
Path – a walking road (typically in the woods or a field)
Stick – a long or short piece of wood that has fallen or been cut off a tree
Fallen tree – a tree that has fallen down
Fork in the road – when you can go either right or left
Wall – the sides of a building or a barrier
up ahead – a short distance in front of you
come across – (phrasal verb) to encounter or to find something by chance
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Stick – a long or short piece of wood that has fallen or been cut off a tree
Fallen tree – a tree that has fallen down
Fork in the road – when you can go either right or left
Wall – the sides of a building or a barrier
up ahead – a short distance in front of you
come across – (phrasal verb) to encounter or to find something by chance
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THE STORY
I’m going to give you the outline to your story, and I want you to fill in the details. Be as descriptive as possible. Remember, this is to build your use of adjectives.
You’re walking down a path. Describe the path. (What does it look like? What do you see? What do you hear? How do you feel?)
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You come across a stick in the path. Describe the stick, and what do you do with it?
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You come to a fallen tree in the path. Describe the tree, and what do you do when you get to it?
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Up ahead, you see a fork in the path. Describe what you see in both directions. Which way do you go? Why?
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Up ahead, you see a bear. Describe the bear. What is the bear doing? How do you feel? What do you do?
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Up ahead, you come to a wall. Describe the wall. (Its color, its height, what it’s made of, etc.)
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There is a sound behind the wall. Describe the sound.
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You’re walking down a path. Describe the path. (What does it look like? What do you see? What do you hear? How do you feel?)
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You come across a stick in the path. Describe the stick, and what do you do with it?
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You come to a fallen tree in the path. Describe the tree, and what do you do when you get to it?
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Up ahead, you see a fork in the path. Describe what you see in both directions. Which way do you go? Why?
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Up ahead, you see a bear. Describe the bear. What is the bear doing? How do you feel? What do you do?
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Up ahead, you come to a wall. Describe the wall. (Its color, its height, what it’s made of, etc.)
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There is a sound behind the wall. Describe the sound.
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THE MEANING
Each mark in the story represents something different in the way you see your life. Let me share with you what each of the steps in your story means.
The path represents your life and how you see your life. Did you see many colors, life, or did you see a dark and scary path?
The stick represents small problems in your life. How do you handle those?
The fallen tree represents big problems in your life. How do you handle those?
The fork in the road represents your political or social bend. How did each side look? Which way did you go?
The bear represents the opposite sex. What did it do? What did you do?
The wall represents how you see death. What did the wall look like?
The sound behind the wall represents how you view the afterlife. What did you hear?
#BreakingMiarma
The path represents your life and how you see your life. Did you see many colors, life, or did you see a dark and scary path?
The stick represents small problems in your life. How do you handle those?
The fallen tree represents big problems in your life. How do you handle those?
The fork in the road represents your political or social bend. How did each side look? Which way did you go?
The bear represents the opposite sex. What did it do? What did you do?
The wall represents how you see death. What did the wall look like?
The sound behind the wall represents how you view the afterlife. What did you hear?
#BreakingMiarma
YOUR TASK: Your Reflection
How did you feel about this psychological test? In this section, I’d like you to write your reflection of this test. Include what you agreed with and disagreed with based on your results and what you generally think of with these tests.
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Future tenses can be a tricky animal. There are so many different ways to talk about the future- going to, will, we can even use present simple or present continuous to talk about future events! If that's not difficult enough, we can also use FUTURE PERFECT to talk about future events from a reference even farther in the future.
A Simple Rundown of the FUTURE
FUTURE SIMPLE
will + verb
Marty will go to a football match this weekend.
is/are going to + verb
I'm going to make a phone call. Please try to be quiet.
FUTURE CONTINUOUS
will be + (verb)ing
This time next year, I will be living in a house in the country.
is/are going to be + (verb)ing
He isn't going to be in the city very long, so be sure to make an appointment to see him.
FUTURE PERFECT
will have + past participle
is/are going to have + past participle
By this time next year, I will have moved out into the country and be living in a house with a yard.
will + verb
Marty will go to a football match this weekend.
is/are going to + verb
I'm going to make a phone call. Please try to be quiet.
FUTURE CONTINUOUS
will be + (verb)ing
This time next year, I will be living in a house in the country.
is/are going to be + (verb)ing
He isn't going to be in the city very long, so be sure to make an appointment to see him.
FUTURE PERFECT
will have + past participle
is/are going to have + past participle
By this time next year, I will have moved out into the country and be living in a house with a yard.
Future PerfectSIMPLE: will have + pp is/are going to have + pp CONTINUOUS: will have been + (verb)ing is/are going to have been + (verb)ing |  |
PRACTICE
Form a sentence with the given words in the future perfect (simple or continuous)
1. Jim / 2024 / graduate
2. Next year / Apple / create
3. In 5 years / robots / do
4. By next week / learn
5. By the end of this lesson / practice
1. Jim / 2024 / graduate
2. Next year / Apple / create
3. In 5 years / robots / do
4. By next week / learn
5. By the end of this lesson / practice
CREATIVE PRACTICE
It's the year 2019. I'd like you to think about what the world and your life will look like in the year 2029. Use all different forms of future tense that you can. FIRST, outline your ideas. NEXT, write your paragraphs.
The World | Your Life |
| Possible topics: - Technology - Medicine/Health Care - Robots - Politics/Social policy - Space Exploration - Etc. | Possible topics: - Family - School/Jobs - Where you will be living - Success - Lifestyle - Etc. |
My Example:
The year 2029 will be 10 years from now, and since technology is advancing so rapidly, I see it continuing to do so. Technology might advance a bit too quickly for us to handle. Scientists will have created fully functioning robots and taken them to the next level. I believe some people will fall in love with robots, and this is going to have great consequences on society, and governments won't know how to make policies for this sort of thing.
TV will be completely different than what we see now. It will continue to be moving more and more to an online platform like Netflix, Hulu, Youtube, WWE Network, UFC Fight Pass, and so on. This is why I'm working mostly online.
As far as medicine, I believe people will be wearing chips under their skin for their identity, and even to cure some diseases. Some people won't like this idea, and they will choose to not participate in this activity, much like vaccinations today. I'm not sure how this is going to affect society, I guess we will have to wait to find out.
As for my life, I will have gotten into something new, and tried new challenges. I will have expanded Sweed Academy, and will be working on my new project. Either way, I'm sure I will be working for myself. My daughter will be 13 years old by then, and my son will have just turned 11, which I know I won't be able to believe. I don't know which country my family and I will be living in, but I'm sure we will be together and happy... most of the time ;).
TV will be completely different than what we see now. It will continue to be moving more and more to an online platform like Netflix, Hulu, Youtube, WWE Network, UFC Fight Pass, and so on. This is why I'm working mostly online.
As far as medicine, I believe people will be wearing chips under their skin for their identity, and even to cure some diseases. Some people won't like this idea, and they will choose to not participate in this activity, much like vaccinations today. I'm not sure how this is going to affect society, I guess we will have to wait to find out.
As for my life, I will have gotten into something new, and tried new challenges. I will have expanded Sweed Academy, and will be working on my new project. Either way, I'm sure I will be working for myself. My daughter will be 13 years old by then, and my son will have just turned 11, which I know I won't be able to believe. I don't know which country my family and I will be living in, but I'm sure we will be together and happy... most of the time ;).
Your Assignment: What do you see in the future?
I'd like you to write about what you see in the future. What will your life look like in the year 2029? You are to use the different forms of the future tense that we've studied in this lesson and write what your life and the world will look like in the future. (150-200 words)
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Class Objectives
Do you know the feeling when one thing reminds you of another thing that seems completely unrelated? In this lesson, you’re going to think about that.
By the end of the class, you will have:
Difficulty: Blue Belt and above
Do you know the feeling when one thing reminds you of another thing that seems completely unrelated? In this lesson, you’re going to think about that.
By the end of the class, you will have:
- learned and used new vocabulary
- practiced expressions and grammar to tell better stories and longer sentences
- improved your use of 'would' for the past
- told of when something reminded you of something completely unrelated
Difficulty: Blue Belt and above
MODEL: Baby Food Reminds Me of When I Broke My Jaw
This is me riding on a bull named Titanic. This was the largest bull I've ridden. I was feeding my 7-month-old son today, and he was eating some baby food of chicken and rice. As I was looking at the baby food, I thought back to when I would eat blended up food for a month because my jaw was wired shut after I had broken it bull riding in the American rodeo.
I spent the years of 2004-2005 riding bulls in the rodeo circuit around Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia, West Virginia, New Jersey, and Ohio. At a rodeo in Canton, Ohio, I had a wreck on a bull and my face collided with the back of the bull’s head, and the bull won this one. (Fortunately, I was wearing a helmet with a face mask, so the damage was minimal.)
I say the damage was minimal, but actually I had broken my jaw in two places, and I needed metal plates to hold it together (which I still have to this day), and I needed to get my jaw wired shut. There were four weeks where I couldn’t eat any solid food because I couldn’t open my mouth.
When your jaw is wired shut, it’s just like having braces on your teeth except there is a piece of wire that weaves through the braces to lock your mouth into place so you can’t open it. This allows the jaw to heal… It sounds a lot worse than it really is… kinda.
I spent the years of 2004-2005 riding bulls in the rodeo circuit around Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia, West Virginia, New Jersey, and Ohio. At a rodeo in Canton, Ohio, I had a wreck on a bull and my face collided with the back of the bull’s head, and the bull won this one. (Fortunately, I was wearing a helmet with a face mask, so the damage was minimal.)
I say the damage was minimal, but actually I had broken my jaw in two places, and I needed metal plates to hold it together (which I still have to this day), and I needed to get my jaw wired shut. There were four weeks where I couldn’t eat any solid food because I couldn’t open my mouth.
When your jaw is wired shut, it’s just like having braces on your teeth except there is a piece of wire that weaves through the braces to lock your mouth into place so you can’t open it. This allows the jaw to heal… It sounds a lot worse than it really is… kinda.
This wasn't the bull that broke my face.
"I had broken my jaw in two places, and I needed metal plates to hold it together."
Since you can’t open your mouth, you obviously can’t eat, so you’re stuck to drinking protein shakes, milk shakes, smoothies, and any other liquid food you can find. After a while, you begin to get tired of milk shakes, so you start to get creative. I remember one of my favorite meals to eat was meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and baked beans. I used to eat this almost every Sunday at my grandmother’s house. I’ve heard of other people, who had broken their jaws before, putting food, like hot dogs, spaghetti, and other food into a blender and drinking it, so I figured I’d give it a try. I asked my mother to make meatloaf and mashed potatoes with baked beans for me to put into a blender. She thought it sounded weird, but this whole situation was weird, so she did it. I put it into the blender and made it into a puree. It surprisingly tasted pretty good! Don ‘t get me wrong, I wouldn’t do it again unless I need to, but it was good enough to make several times. Since that went so well, I tried it with spaghetti and tomato sauce.
#BreakingMiarma
What about you? Is there something in your life that reminds you of another thing that seems unrelated?
#BreakingMiarma
What about you? Is there something in your life that reminds you of another thing that seems unrelated?
VOCABULARY
Take notes about the following words so you can understand the meaning. Use context, dictionary definitions, synonyms, explanations, example sentences, pictures, or any other creative way to learn the new words and phrases. NOTE: Try NOT to use your language to understand the concept.
To remind me of - Something causes you to remember something
7-month-old - Used as a noun or an adjective
Thought back (to) - (Phrasal Verb) To remember an event
Blended up - (Phrasal Verb) To make a solid food into a liquid
To have a wreck - To have an accident
To be wired shut - To not be able to open your mouth because a metal wire is keeping it closed
To weave through - (Phrasal Verb) To weave is to go in and out in a pattern
To be stuck (to) doing something - (Expression) To be stuck to + ~ing
To get/be tired of (something) - To not want to do something because you've done it a lot
Pretty good - Normally less than 'very good'
To remind me of - Something causes you to remember something
7-month-old - Used as a noun or an adjective
Thought back (to) - (Phrasal Verb) To remember an event
Blended up - (Phrasal Verb) To make a solid food into a liquid
To have a wreck - To have an accident
To be wired shut - To not be able to open your mouth because a metal wire is keeping it closed
To weave through - (Phrasal Verb) To weave is to go in and out in a pattern
To be stuck (to) doing something - (Expression) To be stuck to + ~ing
To get/be tired of (something) - To not want to do something because you've done it a lot
Pretty good - Normally less than 'very good'
FLUENCY BUILDERS and EXPRESSIONS
Most of the Fluency Builders from this lesson are in the phrasal verbs. I suggest you review the phrasal verbs above, AND USE THEM, to build your fluency.
ASSIGNMENT: Finish the sentences below with creative endings.
- A) As I was washing…
B) ... the glass, it slipped out of my hand and broke. - A) As I was saying…
B) … ____________________________________________________________________________. - As I was watching…
B) … ____________________________________________________________________________. - A) As I was waiting...
B) … _____________________________________________________________________________.
... to this day -
So I figured...
To give it a try.
Try them together: So I figured I'd give it a try.
I wouldn't do it again unless...
GRAMMAR
Building longer sentences is something that is very important when we learn different language. Follow my model and make longer complex sentences in your story.
Let’s look at some grammar from the text.
Let’s look at some grammar from the text.
Since you can’t open your mouth, you obviously can’t eat, so you’re stuck to drinking protein shakes, milk shakes, smoothies, and any other liquid food you can find.
Since A, B: Use this to describe a cause and result of something.
Since + cause, result.
Since it’s raining, we can’t play football.
Example:
“Since you can’t open your mouth, you obviously can’t eat.”
Subject A, so B: Use conjunctions to connect two ideas and put them together.
Subject 1 + verb 1, so subject 2 + verb 2
We can’t play football today, so we’re very bored.
Expression:
“You obviously can’t eat anything, so you’re stuck to drinking shakes.”
Since + cause, result.
Since it’s raining, we can’t play football.
Example:
“Since you can’t open your mouth, you obviously can’t eat.”
Subject A, so B: Use conjunctions to connect two ideas and put them together.
Subject 1 + verb 1, so subject 2 + verb 2
We can’t play football today, so we’re very bored.
Expression:
“You obviously can’t eat anything, so you’re stuck to drinking shakes.”
Assignment: Combine these simple sentences in creative ways
- I don’t like to drink coke. I do drink it sometimes. I drink it when I eat pizza.
- I learn English. I need a certificate. My dream is to live in New York.
- Paula went to class. She fell asleep. She didn’t get the information for the exam.
would + verb.
‘Would’ For Past Habits: use these for actions of past habits.
‘Would’ For Past Habits: use these for actions of past habits.
| Example: I used to sleep at my grandmother’s house every Friday. On Saturday mornings, I would wake up early, and then I would watch wrestling until 1pm. Then I would go outside to play. Assignment: Tell me something you used to do, and then something you would do there. ____________________________________________________ |  Used to & Would |
PAST PERFECT
had + past participle
the past of the past
had + past participle
the past of the past
Example:
“I had broken my jaw in two places.”
My story is about what I said about my jaw (I say the damage was minimal),
I broke my saw BEFORE that (I had broken my jaw). The past of the past.
“I had broken my jaw in two places.”
My story is about what I said about my jaw (I say the damage was minimal),
I broke my saw BEFORE that (I had broken my jaw). The past of the past.
PREPARE
Brainstorm and write down ideas for your story of something that reminds you of another thing. Think about the W questions (who, what, where, when, why, how). Also think about the transition words, phrasal verbs, and fluency builders you will use in your story.
YOUR TASK: Tell Your Story
Now it’s your turn to tell your story of something that reminds you of another thing. It will be better if the two things seem to be unrelated, but they don’t have to be. Use the grammar and expressions from this lesson if it’s applicable.
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Share your story:
Class Objectives
Let’s go out and order some food. Where do you want to go? Let’s get some fast food. FAST FOOD?! You mean like McDonalds??? Yes. Ok, let’s look at some typical conversations to order fast food.
By the end of the class, you will have:
Difficulty: Blue Belt and above
By the end of the class, you will have:
- learned and used new vocabulary
- practiced expressions to become more fluent
- become more confident when ordering fast food
- created ordering food conversations
Difficulty: Blue Belt and above
MODEL: Ordering Fast Food
Server: Hi, welcome to McDonalds, how can I help you?
Customer: Yes, could I have a |Big Mac, please?|
|number 1 please?|
|number 4 with cheese, please|
|number 3 no tomatoes|
Server: Would you like |to upsize| for $0.99 (99 cents)?
|to super size|
|a large size|
Customer: No, thank you.
Server: |What drink would you like?|
|What would you like to drink?|
Customer: Iced tea, please.
Server: Anything else?
Customer: No, that’s all.
Server: That’ll be $5.44.
Customer: Here you are.
Server: Out of 10? 4 dollars and 56 cents is your change. Your number is 48, thank you have a good day.
Customer: Thank you.
Customer: Yes, could I have a |Big Mac, please?|
|number 1 please?|
|number 4 with cheese, please|
|number 3 no tomatoes|
Server: Would you like |to upsize| for $0.99 (99 cents)?
|to super size|
|a large size|
Customer: No, thank you.
Server: |What drink would you like?|
|What would you like to drink?|
Customer: Iced tea, please.
Server: Anything else?
Customer: No, that’s all.
Server: That’ll be $5.44.
Customer: Here you are.
Server: Out of 10? 4 dollars and 56 cents is your change. Your number is 48, thank you have a good day.
Customer: Thank you.
VOCABULARY and EXPRESSIONS
Take notes about the following words so you can understand the meaning. Use context, dictionary definitions, synonyms, explanations, example sentences, pictures, or any other creative way to learn the new words and phrases. NOTE: Please do NOT use your language to understand the concept.
Single order – Big Mac, cheeseburger, fish sandwich, chicken nuggets, etc.
A number of the menu -
An order with ____ - extra cheese, pickles, etc.
An order no _____/ hold the _____. - you don't want something included in the order
Single order – Big Mac, cheeseburger, fish sandwich, chicken nuggets, etc.
A number of the menu -
An order with ____ - extra cheese, pickles, etc.
An order no _____/ hold the _____. - you don't want something included in the order
GRAMMAR
FORMING QUESTIONS with nouns and verbs.
Ask “what” or “which” questions using n
Question with a NOUN
What <noun> would you like?
|What drink would you like?|
What sport do you like best?
What music do you like?
Which shoes do you want?
What ideas do you have?
Question with a VERB
What would you like <to verb>?
|What would you like to drink?|
What sport do you like to play?
What do you like to listen to?
What shoes do you want to wear?
What ideas did you come up with?
Ask “what” or “which” questions using n
Question with a NOUN
What <noun> would you like?
|What drink would you like?|
What sport do you like best?
What music do you like?
Which shoes do you want?
What ideas do you have?
Question with a VERB
What would you like <to verb>?
|What would you like to drink?|
What sport do you like to play?
What do you like to listen to?
What shoes do you want to wear?
What ideas did you come up with?
PRACTICE: Ask Questions
Ask “what” or “which” questions using nouns and verbs.
Question Speak Play Color
Go Ask Do Food
Question Speak Play Color
Go Ask Do Food
- _______________________________________________________________?
- _______________________________________________________________?
- _______________________________________________________________?
- _______________________________________________________________?
- _______________________________________________________________?
- _______________________________________________________________?
- _______________________________________________________________?
- _______________________________________________________________?
YOUR TASK: Create Your Conversation
Now it’s your turn to practice these expressions to create a conversation of somebody ordering fast food. Create several conversations to practice different expressions.
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| Ordering in a Coffee Shop eWorkbook |
Class Objectives
Let’s go out and order some food. Where do you want to go? Let’s go to a café. Sounds good.
By the end of the class, you will have:
Difficulty: Blue Belt and above
By the end of the class, you will have:
- learned and used new vocabulary and natural expressions
- become more confident when ordering in a cafe
- created ordering food conversations
Difficulty: Blue Belt and above
MODEL: Ordering at a Cafe
Server: Hi, welcome to Starbucks, can I take your order?
Customer: Yes, |could I have a caramel macchiato, please?|
|I would like a cappuccino with soy milk, please?|
|can I have a tall Americano black with no sugar to go, please?|
Server: For here or to go?
Customer: To go, please.
Server: What size would you like?
Customer: A tall, please.
Server: Would you like it hot or cold?
Customer: Hot, please.
Server: Will there be anything else?
Customer: |No, thank you. That’s all.|
|Yes, can I have a chocolate muffin?|
Server: |That’ll be $4.76.|
|Sure, anything else?|
Customer: |Here you are.|
Server: Out of 5? 24 cents is your change. Your name, please?
Customer: Jesse.
Server: Thank you. |You can wait at the end of the counter.|
|You can have a seat, and we’ll call you when it’s ready.|
Customer: Thank you.
Customer: Yes, |could I have a caramel macchiato, please?|
|I would like a cappuccino with soy milk, please?|
|can I have a tall Americano black with no sugar to go, please?|
Server: For here or to go?
Customer: To go, please.
Server: What size would you like?
Customer: A tall, please.
Server: Would you like it hot or cold?
Customer: Hot, please.
Server: Will there be anything else?
Customer: |No, thank you. That’s all.|
|Yes, can I have a chocolate muffin?|
Server: |That’ll be $4.76.|
|Sure, anything else?|
Customer: |Here you are.|
Server: Out of 5? 24 cents is your change. Your name, please?
Customer: Jesse.
Server: Thank you. |You can wait at the end of the counter.|
|You can have a seat, and we’ll call you when it’s ready.|
Customer: Thank you.
VOCABULARY & EXPRESSIONS
Take notes about the following words so you can understand the meaning. Use context, dictionary definitions, synonyms, explanations, example sentences, pictures, or any other creative way to learn the new words and phrases. NOTE: Please do NOT use your language to understand the concept.
Can I take your order? – Normal greeting for a server in a café.
Could I have a… -
I would like a… -
Can I have a… -
To go (American) / Take away (British)
Here you are
___ out of___
Your change
At the end of ____ -
Have a seat –
We’ll call you when it’s ready.
Can I take your order? – Normal greeting for a server in a café.
Could I have a… -
I would like a… -
Can I have a… -
To go (American) / Take away (British)
Here you are
___ out of___
Your change
At the end of ____ -
Have a seat –
We’ll call you when it’s ready.
MONEY and NUMBERS
Money and numbers are something that seem basic, but they can be a bit difficult. How would you say these prices and numbers? Say them out loud and write them down.
$0.89 – 89 cents/ eighty-nine cents
$4.76
$9.99
$12.55
$49.45
$314.75
$4,925.38
$27,366.69
$420,666.01
$0.89 – 89 cents/ eighty-nine cents
$4.76
$9.99
$12.55
$49.45
$314.75
$4,925.38
$27,366.69
$420,666.01
YOUR TASK: Write a Conversation
Write a conversation between a customer and cashier in a coffee shop. Get as detailed as you can. Send your conversation to Facebook.com/SweedAcademyEnglish for correction.
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