The topic explained
LESSON 3A SPEAKING
- I can use hyperboles and understatements when talking about rules.
Why do people wear the same clothes?
1 In pairs or small groups, discuss the questions.
Why do you think the people in the photos are wearing the same clothes? Why might this be important?
What other examples can you think of where people choose to, or have to, wear the same thing?
Austin and Henry: the dress-code debate
Make a list of the points Austin and Henry make in favour of the dress code.
Hyperbole with numbers: a million years, a ton
Four ways to exaggerate: numbers and amounts, extreme adjectives, superlatives, and literally.
Using extreme numbers/amounts
- I’ve spent about a million years wearing school uniform.
- This thick jacket weighs a ton!
- I’ve been there tons of times!
- It cost my parents a small fortune.
Using extreme adjectives
Hyperbole with adjectives: swap the plain word
- gigantic (rather than big)
- ancient (rather than old)
- ravenous (rather than hungry)
- soaked (rather than wet)
- incinerated (rather than burnt)
Using superlatives
Superlatives, and «literally» when it isn’t true
- the tiniest diamond you’ve ever seen
Using the word literally (when something isn’t true)
- It’s literally the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard!
Understatement: say it smaller than it is
Using ‘softeners’
- a bit/slightly/kind of/rather …
Using phrases with not/no
Understatement with not and no
- not exactly/terribly/entirely
- not the most/not the … -est
- no big deal
Your turn: hyperbole and understatement
- 2 The lake is deep.
- 3 It was a bad idea to say that.
- 4 He knows a lot about science.
- 5 The food is burnt.
- 6 I live a long way away.
- 7 She has a lot of friends.
- 8 You shouldn’t eat cake for breakfast.
The lake is deep.
It was a bad idea to say that.
He knows a lot about science.
The food is burnt.
I live a long way away.
She has a lot of friends.
You shouldn’t eat cake for breakfast.
- at your school or college
- in traffic
- at the airport
- in a football match
- in your home
- 1 Why exactly is it important to follow the rules in the situations in Exercise 5?
- 2 In which two situations given is it most important to follow the rules? Say why.
