Catching a train

A:	Good morning. (a)……. the times of trains (b) …….. Newcastle, please?
B:	Afternoon, evening? When (c) …… ?
A:	About five o’clock this afternoon.
B:	About (d) …… . Right. Let’s have a look. There’s a train that (e)…… 4.45, and there’s (f) …… at 5.25.
A:	And (g) …… get in?
B:	Back at King’s Cross at 7.15 and (h) …….
A:	Thanks a lot.
2. Ann goes to the ticket office. Put the lines of the conversation in the correct order.
A:	Hello. I’d like a ticket to Newcastle, please.
A:	I want to come back this evening, so a day return.
C:	How do you want to pay?
A:	Return, please.
C:	Here’s your change and your ticket.
C:	Single or return?
A:	Twenty, forty, sixty pounds.
C:	Day return or period return?
A:	Cash, please.
C:	Forty-eight pounds fifty, please.
A:	Thank you.

Try to remember the conversations. In pairs, practise saying them.

10. Work in pairs. Continue the dialogue between a travel counsellor and a customer at the tour agency according to the logical scheme. When you are ready, join up with another pair and compare your variants.

-Welcome, sir! Can I be helpful in any way?

-I’d like to go on a tour to … (Great Britain, Italy, Egypt etc.) …

Scheme:

1. asking for information-offering something

2. regretting and declining an offer of something- asking about preferences

3. saying what you prefer-advising someone

4. saying you are curious

Formulas:

Asking for information Could you tell me … (please)? Will you kindly tell me …, (please)? Can you help me? Do you happen to know …? I’d like to know, (please) about…	Offering smth Would you like…? Could (can) I offer you …? What would you say to…? Won’t you have…?
Regretting It’s a (great) pity … I regret … I’m sorry but …	Declining an offer of smth Not for me, thanks I won’t, thanks Not this time, thanks I’m not sure I can That’s very kind, but I won’t…
Asking about preferences Do you prefer … or …? Would you rather … or…? Which would you prefer … or…? Which seems better to you? Do you find … or …more enjoyably?	6) Saying what you prefer I’d prefer … I’d rather … I like … more than … I have a strong preference for …
7) Advising someone I wouldn’t recommend (advise) … You’d better not … I think you should … Why don’t you … I’d … if I were you, … Take my advice and …	8) Saying you are curious I wish I knew more about … I wonder … I’d be very interested to know … Can you tell me …?

II. a. Anthony and Clare decided to go on the weekend break advertised below. Unfortunately, it was not very successful, and some of Clare’s comments on the holiday are written by it. What part of the advertisement do each of the comments refer to?

1. We spent most of the time getting lost.

2. It was draughty, and the toilet was out of order.

3. Stale bread and coffee.

4. I was sick for most of the crossing.

5. We got a flat tyre on the way.

6. I was exhausted by the time we reached the top.

7. It was delicious but cost a lot.

8. We argued most of the time.

9. The central heating wasn’t working; we were frozen.

Note: point 8 is done for you.

b. Everything Clare said was true, but Anthony thinks that Clare exaggerated the problems and forgot to mention the positive things. How do you think he would have expressed each of the above points?

Example: 1. We spent a bit of time getting lost, but we discovered some fascinating places.