The topic explained
A university professor, Paul Ewart, has won an age discrimination claim when he was sacked a er being told he was too old to do his job.
SACKED FOR BEING TOO OLD!
- I can use reporting verbs to summarise what someone said.
- I can express and challenge opinions.
Sacked for being too old: was it fair?
Read the news headline. What do you think happened?
Now read the report. Do you agree that the situation was unfair? Do you think the outcome was the right one? Say why.
Listen to some students discussing the news report. What do the girls think about the report?
Reporting verbs in the students' talk
Which form of each verb comes after the reporting verb?
Reporting verbs: the patterns to know
Two more patterns use a that + should clause or a Present/Past Simple clause.
Seven things people said: report them
Pair work: tell your partner an unfair story
In pairs, report unfair situations. Student A, go to page 76. Student B, go to page 79.
LESSON 6A SPEAKING
Message board: what behaviour is unacceptable?
Read the message board. Which suggestions do you agree or disagree with? Say why.
Listen to three friends and note what each one thinks.
Phrases for giving and challenging opinions
Listen to three pairs of sentences. Which speaker in each pair sounds as if they have a strong (S) opinion? Which speaker sounds more tentative (T)? Say why.
Grammar Reference and Communication: Unit 7, Lesson 5A
- We use a variety of verbs that have more than one pattern.
- Verb + (that)
- He explained (that) tickets were expensive.
- She admitted (that) she was wrong.
- Others: agree, complain, deny, insist, promise, recommend, regret
- Verb + object + (that)
- He warned him (that) he was in danger.
- Others: advise, persuade, promise, remind
- Verb + (not) infinitive
- He offered to pay them $10 an hour.
- The publishers promised to look at her book.
- Others: agree, decide, refuse, threaten
- Verb + object + (not) infinitive
- They encouraged him to try again.
- Others: ask, invite, order, persuade, remind, tell, warn
- Verb + (not) gerund
- She suggested getting a job as a secretary.
- Others: admit, advise, deny, recommend
- Verb + preposition + (not) gerund
- They apologised for not listening to her.
- Others: insist on, object to
- Verb + object + preposition + (not) gerund
- He criticised her answer for being too short.
- Others: accuse somebody of, blame somebody/something for, congratulate somebody on, praise somebody for
- We use that + should clause to provide information about the object.
- We use it with verbs that express the idea that an action is necessary, e.g. demand, recommend, suggest:
- His boss suggested that he should take a holiday.
- They recommended that she should drive.
- We can also use these verbs with that + Present/Past Simple clause:
- He insisted that they take/took the money.
- She proposed that he take/took a computer.
