7.8 Great bores of today

Reading

Read the passage below, and answer the questions.

N o just a tonic for me yes quite sure no really I’d rather not if you don’t mind you see the way I look at it is this I’ve given my old liver a bit of a hard time these last thirty years and I suddenly woke up one evening and asked myself do I really need it no I don’t mind you having one God knows how much of that stuff I’ve poured down my throat if I had a penny for every Scotch I’ve drunk I’d be a rich man today I tell you no I don’t miss it at all it’s not so much will­power as common sense isn’t it have you ever seen that thing they do with a coin and a bottle of gin it’s a bit of an eye opener oh all right just to be sociable but just a small one if you insist...

(from Private Eye (adapted))

5. 1. What is the man being offered?

2. What, in general, is he telling the other person ?

3. Explain what he means when he says:

1. I’ve given my old liver a bit of a hard time.

2. God knows how much of that stuff I’ve poured down my throat.

3. I suddenly woke up one evening.

4. It’s a bit of an eye opener.

4. Give an example of your own of (a) willpower (b) common sense.

5. What is the man doing when he says ‘Oh all right, just to be sociable’ ? Why does he say that?

6 .What do you think is ‘that thing they do with a coin and a bottle of gin’ ?

7. a) Mark the places where the person holding the tray speaks (or tries to speak),

b) What do you think she says ?

8. In what ways is the man a’bore’?

Writing

Write the passage out as a conversation with the person holding the tray, and include punctuation.

Unit 7 Summary of language

In this unit you have learnt how to:

• ask people to do and not to do things

• ask permission to do things

• offer to do things and to let people do things

• report requests and offers

KEY POINTS

1. Appropriate structures for requests

Could you make a cup of coffee?

Lend me a pound, would you?

Do you think you could lend me Would you mind lending me

your bicycle?

I don’t suppose you could look after my dog for a week, could you?

2. ‘Negative’ requests

Do you think you could stop staring at me?

Would you mind not staring at me ?

3. Appropriate requests for permission

Do you mind if I open the window ?

Would it be all right if I opened all the windows ?

4. Reporting requests and responses

I asked him to come with me, but he refused.

I asked her if I could use the kitchen.

They let me go home early.

5. Offers and offers of permission

Would you like a cup of tea ?

Would you like me to go to the bank for you ?

I’ll go to the bank for you if you like.

Would you like to spend the night here ?

You can spend the night here if you like.

6. Reporting offers

She offered me a cup of tea.

She offered to go to the bank for me.

She offered to let me spend the night at her house.

Unit 8 Recent actions and activities