MANUAL E TEXTOS DE APOIO

0354
Lngua Inglesa Atendimento
25 de maro a 6 de maio
Tatiana Lima

































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INDEX

The English World ................................................................................ 3
Introductions and Greetings Formal and Informal ......................................... 4
Personal Titles .................................................................................... 5
Personal Subject and Object Pronouns........................................................ 6
Subject Pronouns .............................................................................. 6
Object Pronouns ............................................................................... 6
Possessive Adjectives and Pronouns ........................................................... 6
Possessive Adjectives ......................................................................... 6
Possessive Pronouns ........................................................................... 6
Question Words or Wh- questions ........................................................... 7
Possessive Case ................................................................................... 7
Articles the, a / an ............................................................................. 8
The verb to be Present Simple ............................................................ 8
Making Nouns Plural.............................................................................. 9
Countable versus Uncountable Nouns ........................................................ 10
Demonstrative Pronouns ....................................................................... 11
The verb to have / have got Present Simple ........................................ 12
Present Simple ................................................................................... 13
Present Continuous ............................................................................. 14
Past Simple ....................................................................................... 16
Future Tenses: Will / Going to ................................................................ 18
Adjectives ........................................................................................ 19
Prepositions of Place ........................................................................... 20
Prepositions of Time ............................................................................ 20
Linking Words or Coordinating Conjunctions ................................................ 21
English idiomatic expressions.................................................................. 21
Asking and Giving Directions How do I get to? .......................................... 24
Shopping Vocabulary ............................................................................ 25
Asking and telling the price.................................................................... 27
Telephone skills using a phone .............................................................. 28
Dealing with customer complaints ............................................................ 29
Receiving and answering a Letter of Complaint ............................................ 30
Bibliography ...................................................................................... 32

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The English World

Welcome to English lessons!

As you probably know English is one of the most spoken languages in the world as it is
spoken as a first language by around 375 million and as a second language by around
430 million speakers in the world (but it is thought that this number has risen).

It is spoken as a first language in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada,
Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and a number of Caribbean nations; and it is an
official language of almost 60 sovereign states (most of them are former territories
of the British Empire).
Picture 1 English around the world

The British Islands are constituted by the Great Britain, Ireland, Isle of Wight, Isle of
Man and other smaller islands. The Great Britain is the biggest island having England,
Scotland and Wales as countries. These three
countries plus the Northern Island structure The
United Kingdom. They are all politically united
and the capital is London.
The Union Jack, the UKs flag, is the union of
the patron saints of England (Saint George),
Scotland (Saint Andrews) and Ireland (Saint
Patrick).
Picture 2 United Kingdoms Flag
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Introductions and Greetings Formal and Informal

The first thing you need to know is how to introduce or to greet someone correctly in
English.

Introducing yourself Introducing others
My name is
I'm
Nice to meet you; I'm
Pleased to meet you; I'm
Let me introduce myself; I'm
I'd like to introduce myself; I'm
Jack, please meet Nicolas.
Jack, have you met Nicolas?
I'd like you to meet Liza.
I'd like to introduce you to Betty.
Leila, this is Barbara. Barbara this
is Leila.
Useful responses when introducing yourself or other people
Nice to meet you.
Pleased to meet you.
Happy to meet you.
How do you do?



*How do you do? is a very formal way of greeting someone and it isn't really a
question, it just means "Hello". Normally, the answer for this is How do you do?.


Greetings


Formal


Day Afternoon Night
Good morning!
Good
afternoon!
Good
evening!
How do you do?*
Informal
Hello!
Hi!
How are you?
Farewells
Formal
Day Afternoon Night
Goodbye! Goodbye!
Good
evening!
Good
night!
I will see you later on!
I will see you tomorrow!
Informal
Bye-bye!
Bye!
See you!
See you later!
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In the following chart you have some examples of how to greet someone in English.

A: Good morning! How are you?
B: Hello. Im fine, thank you. And you?
A: Im fine, too.
A: How do you do?
B: Im very well, thank you.
A: Hello. How are you?
B: Hello. Not very well. / Not too good.
A: Hi. Im all right, thanks. And you?
B: Im O.K., thanks. / Not too bad, thanks.
A: Have a nice day.
B: Thanks. The same to you.
A: Have a nice weekend.
B: Thanks. The same to you.
Personal Titles

Titles for women
Miss Used with complete name when address a card, letter to a young girl or to a
young unmarried woman.

Ms. Used when a marital status is not important, or when marital status is
unknown.

Maam Used when workers are older than you. Or when the woman you are
speaking to is older than you or to a woman who has a position of authority.

Mrs. In general it is used for married woman.

Title for men
Mr. Used for both married and unmarried men.
















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Personal Subject and Object Pronouns

The personal pronouns are divided into subject and object pronouns. We use the
subject pronouns as subject of sentences (before the verb) and the object pronouns
as object of sentences (after the verb). Take a look at the following charts and
examples:

Subject Pronouns Object Pronouns
I
You
He
She
It
We
You
They
I kicked the ball
You like to study.
He eats green cheese.
She likes ice cream.
It bit John.
We enjoy going to the movies.
You are the best students.
They are not happy.
Me
You
Him
Her
It
Us
You
Them
John kicked the ball to me.
John wants to talk to you.
Mary doesnt like him.
Philip kissed her.
Jane cooked it.
The politician lied to us.
I wouldnt lie to you.
Mary didnt invite them.
Possessive Adjectives and Pronouns

Possessive pronouns and adjectives are two different ways to show possession in
English. But, possessive adjectives go before the noun and possessive
pronouns go after the noun.

Examples:
This is my car.
The car is mine.
Is that your pen?
Is that pen yours?

Possessive Adjectives Possessive Pronouns
My
Your
His
Her
Its
Our
Your
Their
My house is big.
Your car is new, isnt it?
His pen friend lives in London.
Her mother is a teacher.
Its main colour is blue.
Our dog is so funny!
Your friends are over there.
Their children are twins.
Mine
Yours
His
Her
Its
Ours
Yours
Theirs
This book is mine.
Its not my fault. Its yours.
The luggage is his.
The ring is hers.
In our garden is a bird. The nest is its.
This airplane is ours.
Our car is big but yours is better.
This house is theirs.

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Question Words or Wh- questions

Wh- questions ask for information. They are different than Yes/No questions.
There are six different Wh- question words:

Question Answer Example
What Thing What is that?
When Time When is the game?
Who Person Who do you live with?
Where Place Where do you live?
Why Reason Why are you happy?
How Directions/Feelings How are you?


Examples:
Wheres the station?
In Baker Street.
What are you doing?
Im writing a novel.


This type of questions in the Simple Present use do or be:

* Where do you work?
* When does she wake up?
* Who is your brother?
* Where are you from?
* Who is that man?
* When is your class?

Possessive Case

The possessive case is used to show ownership. Use it with a person to talk about
relatives and possessions:
Johns mother NOT the mother of John
Use s with irregular plural people, men, women, children, people.
Thats my childrens school NOT thats my childrens school.
Use s with regular plural people.
Theyre my parents friends NOT theyre my parents friends.
Dont use s with things (use of)
The end of the film NOT the films end

Be careful with s.
Johns mother s = of John
Johns German s = is
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Articles the, a / an

There are two types of articles:
the = definite article
a/an = indefinite article

For example, if I say, "Let's read the book," I mean a specific book. If I say,
"Let's read a book," I mean any book rather than a specific book.
Here's another way to explain it: The is used to refer to a specific or
particular member of a group. For example, "I just saw the most popular
movie of the year." There are many movies, but only one particular movie is
the most popular. Therefore, we use the.
"A/an" is used to refer to a non-specific or non-particular member of the
group. For example, "I would like to go see a movie." Here, we're not talking
about a specific movie. We're talking about any movie. There are many
movies, and I want to see any movie. I don't have a specific one in mind.
Remember, using a or an depends on the sound that begins the next word. So...
a + singular noun beginning with a consonant: a boy; a car; a bike; a zoo; a
dog
an + singular noun beginning with a vowel or silent h: an elephant; an egg;
an apple; an idiot. We say a house but an hour because the h in hour is
silent
a + singular noun beginning with a consonant sound: a user (sounds like 'yoo-
zer,' i.e. begins with a consonant 'y' sound, so 'a' is used); a university; a
unicorn
The verb to be Present Simple

The verb to be is one of the most important or the most important verb in the
English language. It can be used as a main or an auxiliary verb.

Look at the following examples:

I am a nurse.
Mary is a nurse. = She is a nurse.
My dog is cute. = It is cute.
Mary and her sister are teachers = They are teachers.
We are engineers in Brazil.
It is 4 oclock.
You are from Braga.

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Form and use:

Positive
Short/Contracted
form
Negative
Negative short
form
Interrogative

I am
You are
He / she / it
is
We are
You are
They are

Im
Youre
Hes / shes / its
Were
Youre
Theyre
I am not
You are not
He / she / it
is not
We are not
You are not
They are not
Im not
Youre not
Hes / shes/
its not
Were not
Youre not
Theyre not
Am I?
Are you?
Is he / she / it?
Are we?
Are you?
Are they?
Im not
You arent
He / she / it
isnt
We arent
You arent
They arent


Use capital I. Im your teacher. NOT im.
You = singular and plural.
Use he for a man, she for a woman, and it for a thing.
Use they for people and things.
In contractions = a missing letter, e.g. m = am.
Use contractions in conversations.
Put not after the verb to make negatives.
Are not can be contracted in two ways:
You are not British. Youre not British
She is not American. Shes not American
In questions, put be before you, he, etc.
Are you British? NOT You are British?
Where are you from? NOT Where you are from?
Dont use contractions in positive short answers.
Are you Scottish? Yes, I am. NOT Yes, Im.

Making Nouns Plural

Most nouns make their plurals by simply adding s to the end (e.g. cat/cats,
book/books). Some do change their endings, though. Study the following chart:

Singular Plural Spelling
a book
a key
books
keys
add s
a watch
a box
watches
boxes
add - es if noun ends in:
ch, sh, s, x
a country
a dictionary
countries
dictionaries
add ies if noun ends in
consonant + y. The y is
substituted by i .
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Countable versus Uncountable Nouns

In English, nouns can be countable and uncountable. Study the rules so that youll be
able to use them correctly.
Countable nouns are easy to recognize. They are things that we can count. For
example: "pen". We can count pens. We can have one, two, three or more pens. Here
are some more countable nouns:
dog, cat, animal, man, person
bottle, box, litre
coin, note, dollar
cup, plate, fork
table, chair, suitcase, bag
Countable nouns can be singular or plural:
My dog is playing.
My dogs are hungry.
We can use the indefinite article a/an with countable nouns:
A dog is an animal.
When a countable noun is singular, we must use a word like a/the/my/this with it:
I want an orange. (not I want orange.)
Where is my bottle? (not Where is bottle?)
When a countable noun is plural, we can use it alone:
I like oranges.
Bottles can break.
We can use some and any with countable nouns:
I've got some dollars.
Have you got any pens?
We can use a few and many with countable nouns:
I've got a few dollars.
I haven't got many pens.
Uncountable nouns are substances, concepts etc that we cannot divide into separate
elements. We cannot "count" them. For example, we cannot count "milk". We can
count "bottles of milk" or "litres of milk", but we cannot count "milk" itself. Here are
some more uncountable nouns:
music, art, love, happiness
advice, information, news
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furniture, luggage
rice, sugar, butter, water
electricity, gas, power
money, currency
We usually treat uncountable nouns as singular. We use a singular verb. For example:
This news is very important.
Your luggage looks heavy.
We do not usually use the indefinite article a/an with uncountable nouns. We cannot
say "an information" or "a music". But we can say a something of:
a piece of news
a bottle of water
a grain of rice
We can use some and any with uncountable nouns:
I've got some money.
Have you got any rice?
We can use a little and much with uncountable nouns:
I've got a little money.
I haven't got much rice.
Demonstrative Pronouns

The demonstrative pronouns are used to show the relative distance between the
speaker and the noun. Look at the following:

this (este/esta) / that (aquele/aquela) = singular
these(estes/estas) / those (aqueles/aquelas) = plural
Use this / these for people/things near you.
Use that / those for people/things far away.

Whats this? Its a book.
That car is Japanese.
These cars are French.
What are those? Theyre chairs.




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The verb to have / have got Present Simple

Form

Positive
I
We
You
They

have/ ve got


two sisters.
He
She
It

has / s got

two sisters.

Negative
I
We
You
They

dont have
havent got

any money.
He
She
It
doesnt have
hasnt got
any money.

Question

Do
I
we
you
they

have a car?

Have
I
we
you
they

got a car?

Does
he
she
it

have a car?

Has
he
she
it

got a car?


Short answer

Have you got a camera?
- Yes, I have. / No, I havent.
Do you have a camera?
- Yes, I do. / No, I dont.

Use
- Have and have got mean the same. Have got is more informal. We use it a
lot when we speak, but not when we write.
Have you got a light?
- Have and have got express possession.
Ive got / I have a new car.
When have + noun means an activity or a habit, have and the do/does/dont/doesnt
forms are used. Have got is not used.
- I have lunch at 13:00 NOT I have got lunch at 13:00.

NOTE: The Past Simple of the verb Have is Had.
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Present Simple

We use the Present Simple:
for habits and actions that we do regularly:
He visits his friends every Sunday.
She goes to school by bus.
for general truths:
The sun rises in the East.
for permanent situations:
He lives in Athens.

The third person singular (he/she/it) is different from the others:

We add s to the verb to form the third person singular (he, she, it).
I drink he drinks
I run he runs

BUT
We add es to verbs that end in ss, -sh, -ch, -x, -o.
I watch he watches

With verbs ending in consonant + y, we change the y to ies.
I cry he cries
But with verbs ending in vowel + y, we just add s as usual.
I play he plays

Expressions used with the Present Simple

Frequency adverbs: always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely, never (they are
placed before the main verb)
Time expressions: every day / week / Friday/ on Mondays / Sundays/ at the
weekend
in the morning / afternoon/ in winter / spring/ once a day / week

Form

Positive and negative

I
We
You
They

live
dont live
near here.
He
She
It

lives
doesnt live

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Question


Where do

I
we
you
they

live?

Where does
he
she
it


Short answer

Do you like Maria?
Yes, I do. / No, I dont.
Does he speak English?
Yes, he does. / No, he doesnt.
Present Continuous

The Present Continuous tense is formed from the present tense of the verb to be
and the present participle (-ing form) of a verb:
Use
1. We use the Present Continuous to talk about the present:
- for something that is happening at the moment of speaking:
Im just leaving work. Ill be home in an hour.
Please be quiet. The children are sleeping.
- for something which is happening before and after a given time:
At eight oclock we are usually having breakfast.
When I get home the children are doing their homework.
- for something which we think is temporary:
Michael is at university. Hes studying history.
Im working in London for the next two weeks.
- for something which is new and contrasts with a previous state:
These days most people are using email instead of writing letters.
What sort of clothes are teenagers wearing nowadays? What sort of music
are they listening to?
- to show that something is changing, growing or developing:
The children are growing quickly.
The climate is changing rapidly.
Your English is improving.
- for something which happens again and again:
Its always raining in London.
They are always arguing.
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Note: We normally use always with this use.
2. We use the Present Continuous tense to talk about the future:
for something which has been arranged or planned:
Mary is going to a new school next term.
What are you doing next week?

Form

Subject + to be (Present Simple) + main verb + -ing

Affirmative Negative Interrogative
I am walking
You are walking
He is walking
She is walking
It is walking
We are walking
You are walking
They are walking
I am not walking
You are not walking
He is not walking
She is not walking
It is not walking
We are not walking
You are not walking
They are not walking
Am I walking?
Are you walking?
Is he walking?
Is she walking?
Is it walking?
Are we walking?
Are you walking?
Are they walking?

Formation of the present participle (ing form)
With most verbs we add ing to the verb.
talk talking go going

With verbs ending in consonant + e, we delete the e and add ing.
take taking come coming

With one syllable verbs ending in one vowel + one consonant, we double the
final consonant and add -ing.
run running stop stopping

But: we dont double letter x: mix mixing

With verbs with two or more syllables ending in one vowel + one consonant, we
double the final consonant if the last syllable is stressed, and add ing.
begin beginning BUT visit visiting

With verbs ending in one vowel + l, we double the l and add ing.
travel travelling BUT sail sailing

With verbs ending in ie, we change the ie to ying.
lie lying die dying




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Past Simple

With most verbs, the Simple Past is created simply by adding -ed. However, with
some verbs, you need to add -ed or change the ending a little.
Here are the rules:
Verb ending in... How to make the simple past Examples
e Add -D
live - lived
date - dated
Consonant + y Change y to i, then add -ED
try - tried
cry - cried
One vowel + one consonant (but
NOT w or y)
Double the consonant, then
add -ED
tap - tapped
commit -
committed
[anything else] Add -ED
boil - boiled
fill - filled
hand - handed
The three most important irregular verbs
The three most important irregular verbs are BE, HAVE, and DO. BE is the most
difficult, because its forms are different depending on the subject:
Pronoun Verb
I Was
You Were
He / she / it Was
We Were
They Were
HAVE and DO are more simple:

Base form Past Tense
have Had
do Did
Other irregular verbs
Other irregular verbs fall into three main categories:
Category Examples
Verbs which don't change
cut - cut
hit - hit
fit - fit
Verbs which change their vowel
get - got
sit - sat
drink - drank
Verbs which change completely
catch - caught
bring - brought
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Forming a negative
Negatives in the Simple Past are formed by adding didn't (informal) or did not
(formal) before the simple form of the verb. The verb BE is an exception to this; in
the case of BE, we just add n't (informal) or not (formal) after "was" or "were":
Simple past statement Informal negative Formal negative
I had a car. I didn't have a car. I did not have a car.
You ate my toast. You didn't eat my toast. You did not eat my toast.
He was here yesterday. He wasn't here yesterday. He was not here yesterday.
They were in the park. They weren't in the park. They were not in the park.
Forming a yes/no question
Yes/no questions are also created using the auxiliary did. This time, the auxiliary is
placed before the subject. The verb BE is an exception; in this case, we move BE
before the subject. Here are the rules:
Simple Past statement Yes/no question
He brought his friend. Did he bring his friend?
They had a party. Did they have a party?
You were here. Were you here?
She was sick. Was she sick?
Forming a WH- question
WH- questions (using words such as "what", "when", "where" etc.) are also created by
putting the auxiliary did before the subject (or moving BE, as explained above).
Then, you add the WH- word at the beginning. Here are some examples:
Statement Yes/no question WH- question
The building fell down. Did the building fall down?
Why did the building fall
down?
They lived in Vancouver. Did they live in Vancouver? Where did they live?
The store was closed. Was the store closed?
Why was the store
closed?
They were wolves. Were they wolves? What were they?
Structure of past simple
I saw him yesterday.
I didn't (did not) see him
yesterday.
Did you see him?



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Common Mistakes
Past Simple - common mistakes
Common mistakes Correct version Why?
He worked in
London?
Did he work in
London?
The helping verb 'did' is used in past
simple questions.
Worked he in
London?
Did he work in
London?
The helping verb 'did' is used in past
simple questions.
Did he wrote a
letter?
Did he write a letter?
The main verb is used in the infinitive
form in questions and negatives.
He didn't wrote a
letter.
He didn't write a
letter.
The main verb is used in the infinitive
form in questions and negatives.
Future Tenses: Will / Going to

In English there are two ways of talking about the future. Observe the following
charts and find the differences:


Subject + to be + going to + infinitive of the main verb
e.g. She is going to leave.

We use the going to form for:
- plans and intentions:
We're going to move house next year. (= the plan is in our minds
now.)
- predictions based on present evidence:
Look at those clouds - it's going to pour with rain! (= It's clear
from what I can see now.)


Subject + will + infinitive of the main verb
e.g. I will be there.

We use the will form for:
- future actions that happen without the speaker's
intention:
The sun will shine tomorrow.
Peter will be 15 next Tuesday.
- predictions, assumptions: ( I think, I hope, Im
sure, Im afraid)
I think Sue will arrive in Paris at 6 pm.
I hope youll be OK.
Im afraid I wont be able to make it.
- promises:
Dont worry. Ill be there on time.
Will you marry me?
- offers:
- Im so hungry! - Ill make you a sandwich.
- when we do/decide to do something
spontaneously:
Hang on! Ill have a word with you.
Mum is not home. Ill call her to the office.



Future will
Future going to
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Adjectives

Some Adjective Rules

The English adjectives have the same gender and number. If the noun that follows
the adjective is plural or singular, feminine or masculine, the adjective doesnt
change at all.

An adjective is a word that tells us more about a noun. (By "noun" we include
pronouns and noun phrases.) because it "qualifies" or "modifies" a noun (a big dog).
Adjectives can be used before a noun (I like Chinese food) or after certain verbs (It
is hard).

Degrees of Adjectives

COMPARATIVE
Equality Superiority Inferiority

as as
not as/so as

Ex.: John is as nice as
you.


-er + than (one syllable)

Ex.: Jane is taller than Susan.

two syllables words

Ex: happy - happier
pretty prettier
friendly friendlier

less than

Ex.: Charles is less
intelligent than
Helen.

more than (two or more
syllables)
Ex.: Peter is more intelligent than
Carol.

SUPERLATIVE
Superiority Inferiority

the -est (one syllable)

Ex.: Charles is the biggest liar in the world!

two syllables words

Ex.: Kate is the prettiest girl of all.


the least

Ex.: John is the least intelligent of
all.


the most (two or more syllables)

Ex.: Pater is the most beautiful boy in his
class.
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Prepositions of Place
Prepositions can be used to show where something is located.
We use at to show a specific place or position.
For example:
Someone is at the door.
They are waiting at the bus stop.
I used to live at 51 Portland Street.
We use on to show position on a horizontal or vertical surface.
For example:
The cat sat on the mat.
The satellite dish is on the roof.
We also use on to show position on streets, roads, etc.
For example:
I used to live on Portland Street.
We use in to show that something is enclosed or surrounded.
For example:
The dog is in the garden.
She is in a taxi.
Put it in the box.
We also use in to show position within land-areas (towns, counties, states, countries,
and continents).
For example:
I used to live in Nottingham.
Prepositions of Time

Prepositions can also be used to show when something happened.
We use at for specific times.
For example:-
I start work at 7.00 a.m.
I don't work at night.
We use on for specific days and dates.
For example:
My birthday is on Monday.
We're having a party on 7th September.
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We also use on for some special days.
For example:
On Christmas day.
We use in for nonspecific times during a day, a month, a season, or a year.
For example:
In summer it's too hot to work.
I started this web site in 1999.
She woke up in the night.
Linking Words or Coordinating Conjunctions

Why using them?
We use linking words to join two sentences. They make one longer sentence
from two shorter sentences.

Learning the rules:

EXAMPLE USE SPECIFIC USE
I like swimming and running
at weekends.
We use and to join two sentences. Addition
I enjoy going to the beach,
but I never go at midday.
We use but to show contrast
between two parts / clauses of a
sentence.
Contrast
The football match was
cancelled because of bad
weather.
We use because to express a reason
for something happening.
Reason
It was raining, so I didnt go
jogging.
We use so to express a result; it is
preceded by a comma.
Result
I dont mind going to the
cinema or to the theatre.
We use or to introduce an
alternative.
Alternative
I loved history when I was at
secondary school.
We use when to refer at which time
something happened.
Time


English idiomatic expressions

An idiom is a manner of speaking that is natural to native speakers of a language.
Every language has its own collection of wise sayings. They offer advice about how to
live and also transfer some underlying ideas, principles and values of a given
culture/society. These sayings are called "idioms" - or proverbs if they are longer.
These combinations of words have (rarely complete sentences) a "figurative meaning"
meaning, they basically work with "pictures". This list of commonly used idioms and
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sayings (in everyday conversational English), can help to speak English by learning
English idiomatic expressions.

A hot potato - Speak of an issue (mostly current) which many people are talking
about and which is usually disputed
A penny for your thoughts - A way of asking what someone is thinking
Actions speak louder than words - People's intentions can be judged better by
what they do than what they say.
Add insult to injury - To further a loss with mockery or indignity; to worsen an
unfavorable situation.
An arm and a leg - Very expensive or costly. A large amount of money.
At the drop of a hat - Meaning: without any hesitation; instantly.
Back to the drawing board - When an attempt fails and it's time to start all over.
Ball is in your court - It is up to you to make the next decision or step
Barking up the wrong tree - Looking in the wrong place. Accusing the wrong person
Be glad to see the back of - Be happy when a person leaves.
Beat around the bush - Avoiding the main topic. Not speaking directly about the
issue.
Best of both worlds - Meaning: All the advantages.
Best thing since sliced bread - A good invention or innovation. A good idea or
plan.
Bite off more than you can chew - To take on a task that is way to big.
Blessing in disguise - Something good that isn't recognized at first.
Burn the midnight oil - To work late into the night, alluding to the time before
electric lighting.
Can't judge a book by its cover - Cannot judge something primarily on appearance.
Caught between two stools - When someone finds it difficult to choose between two
alternatives.
Costs an arm and a leg - This idiom is used when something is very expensive.
Cross that bridge when you come to it - Deal with a problem if and when it becomes
necessary, not before.
Cry over spilt milk - When you complain about a loss from the past.
Curiosity killed the cat - Being Inquisitive can lead you into an unpleasant situation.
Cut corners - When something is done badly to save money.
Cut the mustard - To succeed; to come up to expectations; adequate enough to
compete or participate
Devil's Advocate - To present a counter argument
Don't count your chickens before the eggs have hatched - This idiom is used to
express "Don't make plans for something that might not happen".
Don't give up the day job - You are not very good at something. You could definitely
not do it professionally.
Don't put all your eggs in one basket - Do not put all your resources in one possibility.
Drastic times call for drastic measures - When you are extremely desperate you need
to take drastic actions.
Elvis has left the building - The show has come to an end. It's all over.
Every cloud has a silver lining - Be optimistic, even difficult times will lead to better
days.
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Far cry from - Very different from.
Feel a bit under the weather - Meaning: Feeling slightly ill.
Give the benefit of the doubt - Believe someone's statement, without proof.
Hear it on the grapevine - This idiom means 'to hear rumors' about something or
someone.
Hit the nail on the head - Do or say something exactly right
Hit the sack / sheets / hay - To go to bed.
In the heat of the moment - Overwhelmed by what is happening in the moment.
It takes two to tango - Actions or communications need more than one person
Jump on the bandwagon - Join a popular trend or activity.
Keep something at bay - Keep something away.
Kill two birds with one stone - This idiom means, to accomplish two different things
at the same time.
Last straw - The final problem in a series of problems.
Let sleeping dogs lie - Do not disturb a situation as it is - since it would result in
trouble or complications.
Let the cat out of the bag - To share information that was previously concealed
Make a long story short - Come to the point - leave out details
Method to my madness - An assertion that, despite one's approach seeming random,
there actually is structure to it.
Miss the boat - This idiom is used to say that someone missed his or her chance
Not a spark of decency - Meaning: No manners
Not playing with a full deck - Someone who lacks intelligence.
Off one's rocker - Crazy, demented, out of one's mind, in a confused or befuddled
state of mind, senile.
On the ball - When someone understands the situation well.
Once in a blue moon - Meaning: Happens very rarely.
Picture paints a thousand words - A visual presentation is far more descriptive than
words.
Piece of cake - A job, task or other activity that is easy or simple.
Put wool over other people's eyes - This means to deceive someone into thinking well
of them.
See eye to eye - This idiom is used to say that two (or more people) agree on
something.
Sit on the fence - This is used when someone does not want to choose or make a
decision.
Speak of the devil! - This expression is used when the person you have just been
talking about arrives.
Steal someone's thunder - To take the credit for something someone else did.
Take with a grain of salt - This means not to take what someone says too seriously.
Taste of your own medicine - Means that something happens to you, or is done to
you, that you have done to someone else
To hear something straight from the horse's mouth - To hear something from the
authoritative source.
Whole nine yards - Everything. All of it.
Wouldn't be caught dead - Would never like to do something
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Your guess is as good as mine - To have no idea, do not know the answer to a
question.
Asking and Giving Directions How do I get to?

Pay attention to the following pictures and study the vocabulary related to
directions.



Go straight
on/Go along/
Go down/
Follow Elm
Street.

The bookshop is
in front of the
church.

Turn left into
Oxford Street.

The bookshop is
behind the
church.

Turn right into
Oxford Street.

The bookshop is
next to the
church.

Take the first
turning on the
right.

The bookshop is
beside the
church.

Go past the pet
shop.

The bookshop is
near the church.

Go along the
river.

The bookshop is
opposite the
church.

Go over the
bridge.

The bookshop is
between the
church and the
pet shop.
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Go through
the park.

The bookshop is
on/at the
corner.

Go towards
the church.

Go down the
hill.

Go up the hill.

Cross Oxford
Street.
Picture 3 Vocabulary on directions
Shopping Vocabulary

Lets first look at some important vocabulary connected to shopping.
department store a shop that sells
many different items in different
departments. Harrods is probably the
world's best known department store.
supermarket a large shop that sells
mostly food and household items.
grocer (UK) / grocery store (US) a shop
that sells food.
greengrocer sells fresh fruit and
vegetables.
butcher - sells fresh meat.
baker sells fresh bread and cakes.
fishmonger sells fresh fish.
chemist (UK) / drugstore (US) sells
medicines and toiletries.
pharmacy (US) sells medicines.
newsagent - sells newspapers and
magazines.
stationer sells paper goods.
optician sells glasses / contact lenses.
DIY store sells things for home
improvement.
hardware shop / hardware store /
ironmonger hard goods, such as nails
and screws.
corner shop (UK) a shop on the corner
of your street, selling a range of basic
goods food, newspapers, sweets,
bread, etc.
delicatessen (deli) sells specialist food
not normally found in supermarkets. For
example, an Italian deli, an Asian deli.
market market traders (people who
work on a market) have stalls that sell
fruit and vegetables, clothes, household
items and so on.
flea market a group of stalls selling old
furniture or clothes.
tea shop (UK) like a cafe, but sells tea
and cakes.
petrol station (UK) / gas station (US)
sells petrol, car products and sometimes
food.
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Using s
When we talk about shops, we often put an 's on the end. For example, "I'm going to
the chemist's / greengrocer's / butcher's / baker's / newsagent's / fishmonger's /
optician's."
We don't use an 's with these shops: supermarket, hardware store, petrol station,
department store.
Sales vocabulary
December 26 (or Boxing Day) is traditionally the start of the winter sales in the UK,
when items are heavily discounted. In fact, bargain hunters can find some items
reduced up to 50% off their pre-sale price.
An unbeatable offer / prices slashed (= cut) or give-away prices mean very low
prices.
Clearance Sale / Everything must go! = signs in shop windows advertising the sales
snap up a bargain = to buy something cheaply

Asking for things
"Do you have any?"
"I'm looking for"
"I wonder if you could help me?"
What the shopkeeper says
"I'm sorry, we're out of stock."
"I'm sorry, that's the last one."
"I'm sorry, that's all we have left."
What a sales person says
"Can I help you?"
"Are you looking for anything in
particular?"
Your reply
"I'm just looking, thank you."
"I'm just browsing, thank you."

Asking about things
"Do you have this in another size?"
"Do you have this in another colour?"
"Is this made of leather / silk / plastic?"
"Does this come with a guarantee?"
"Is this fully refundable?"
"Can I bring this back if it's not the right
size?"
"Can I bring this back if it doesn't fit?"
Paying what the shopkeeper says
"Do you have anything smaller?" (If you
pay with a large denomination note.)
Paying what you say
"I'm sorry, I don't have any small change."
"I don't have anything smaller."
"Would you have change for this?"
"Can I have the receipt, please?'
"Can I pay by credit card?"
"Can I pay in cash?"
"Is this on sale?"

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Asking and telling the price

Study these rules about asking for the price of something.












PAY ATTENTION:
* 1 = l-se: one euro.
* 10 = l-se: ten cents .
* 1,10 = l-se: one euro and ten cents.

Talking about the bill:
Get a discount.
Leave a tip.
With tax.
Come to a total.
I think its expensive / reasonable /
cheap.

Useful questions to use when buying a
product:
How much is it?
Do you take credit cards?
Do you give credit?
Do you have a loyalty card?
Does it have a warranty?
Can I pay by cheque?
Do you offer a discount?
May I have a receipt, please?

LANGUAGE NOTE: When we are having polite conversations, whether in shops, cafs,
hotels, we have to use the MODAL VERBS. These are verbs that work as auxiliary to
main verbs. For example: Would you like to book a single or a double room? or
Could I have a bottle of water, please?

Could can be used to make a request.
Could is more polite than can.

Could / Can you open your window?
Could / Can you help me move this
sofa?
Would followed by like is a polite way of
stating a preference.
I would like white wine with my
fish.
In questions, would + subject + like is a
polite request for a choice to be made.
Would you like soup or salad with
your meal?

IS the pink dress? Its _______
IT
HOW MUCH

ARE the white sneakers? They are ______
THEY

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Telephone skills using a phone


Look at these rules of behaviour for using the phone.

Observe these useful telephone vocabulary and phrases in English.

Making contact :
Hello / Good morning / Good afternoon ...
This is John Brown speaking
Could I speak to ......... please?
I'd like to speak to ..... .....
I'm trying to contact ..........
Giving more
information:
I'm calling from Tokyo / Paris / New York /
Sydney ...
I'm calling on behalf of Mr. X ...
Taking a call :
X speaking.
Can I help you?
Asking for a name /
information :
Who's calling please?
Who's speaking?
Where are you calling from?
Are you sure you have the right number / name?
Asking the caller to wait
:
Hold the line please.
Could you hold on please?
Just a moment please.
Connecting :
Thank you for holding.
The line's free now ... I'll put you through.
I'll connect you now / I'm connecting you now.
1. Have all the DOCUMENTS you need before you dial the number.
2. Speak CLEARLY so that the other person can understand you easily.
3. Always CONFIRM each point of information you are given. Don't pretend that you have
understood when you haven't.
4. Speak in a POLITE and FRIENDLY voice.
5. Behave in an EFFICIENT way, even if you're just taking a message.
6. Make NOTES during a call don't rely on your memory.
7. Let the other person FINISH what they want to say don't interrupt them.









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Dealing with customer complaints

Unfortunately, mistakes sometimes happen. When this is the case, customer service
representatives need to handle consumers' complaints. It's also important for
customer service reps to gather information to help resolve the problem. Observe the
following useful vocabulary you may use:

Apologizing:
Im sorry
Im sorry to hear that
I apologize
I apologize for the problem
I apologize for the inconvenience
My apologies



Giving negative
information :

I'm afraid the line's engaged. Could you call
back later?
I'm afraid he's in a meeting at the moment.
I'm sorry. He's out of the office today. /
He isn't in at the moment.
I'm afraid we don't have a Mr./Mrs./Ms/Miss. ...
here
I'm sorry. There's nobody here by that name.
Sorry. I think you've dialled the wrong
number./
I'm afraid you've got the wrong number.
Telephone problems :
The line is very bad ... Could you speak up
please?
Could you repeat that please?
I'm afraid I can't hear you.
Sorry. I didn't catch that. Could you say it again
please?
Leaving /
Taking a message :
Can I leave / take a message?
Would you like to leave a message?
Could you give him/her a message?
Could you ask him/her to call me back?
Could you tell him/her that I called?
Could you give me your name, please?
Could you spell that, please?
What's your number, please?
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Ask for Specifics
Please tell me exactly what the problem is.
Please tell me exactly what happened.
Take Action
I will send someone to take care of it.
We will send the correct order tomorrow.
Let me check with the shippers and see what happened.
I dont know what happened, but I will get back with you later today.
Let me straighten this out and I will get back to you today with the
solution.

Check back after the situation has been corrected
Ms. Chen, did everything work out to your satisfaction?
Mr. Wozniak, I wanted to see if the problem has been resolved to your
satisfaction.
Did everything work out okay?
Did you get what you needed/wanted?


Receiving and answering a Letter of Complaint

You can deal with a complaint through a letter; here you have the template of one.

Template for writing a Complaint Letter

name and address (eg., for the customer services department, or CEO)
date
Dear Sir or Madam (or name)

heading with relevant reference numbers
(Optional, especially if writing to a named person) ask for the person's help, eg "I'd
really appreciate your help with this."
State facts of situation, including dates, names, reference numbers, but keep this
very concise and brief (append details, history, photocopies if applicable, for
example if the situation is very complex and has a long history).
State your suggested solution. If the situation and solution is complex, state also that
you'll be as flexible as you can to come to an agreed way forward.
(Optional, and normally worth including) state some positive things about your
normal experience with the organization concerned, for example: that you've no wish
to go elsewhere and hope that a solution can be found; compliment any of their
people who have given good service; compliment their products and say that
normally you are very happy with things.
State that you look forward to hearing from them soon and that you appreciate their
help.

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Yours faithfully (if not sent to a named person) or sincerely (if sent to a named
person)

Your signature
Your printed name (and title/position if applicable)

c.c. (plus names and organizations, if copying the letter to anyone)

enc. (if enclosing something, such as packaging or attachments)



































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Bibliography

English for Customer Care Express Series; Rosemary Richey, Oxford Business English

Face2Face Starter Students Book; Chris Redston with Gillie Cunningham,
Cambridge University Press

Grammar Practice for Elementary Students; Elaine Walker and Steve Elsworth,
Pearson Education Limited

New English File Beginner; Clive Oxenden and Christina Latham-Koenig, Oxford
University Press

New English File Elementary; Clive Oxenden, Paul Seligson and Christina Latham-
Koenig, Oxford University Press

New Headway English Course (Elementary); John and Liz Soars, Oxford University
Press

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/general/

http://www.ego4u.com

http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/