2.4 Intentions and plans

1st Student: Well, first of all I’m intending to have a good long holiday abroad, just traveling round Europe, and then when I get tired of travelling I’m going to - well, come back and start looking for a job. I haven’t quite decided yet what job, but I’m probably going to try and get a job in advertising of some kind.

2nd Student: Well eventually I’m planning to open my own restaurant. Only I haven’t got enough money to do that at the moment of course, so I’ve decided to get a temporary job for a year or so, and I’m going to work really hard and try and save as much money as possible. Actually, I’m thinking of working as a waiter, or some job in a restaurant anyway ...

5.1 Relating past events

Interviewer: Now let’s go back to your first novel, Rag Doll: When did you write that?

Writer: Rag Doll, yes. I wrote that in i960, a year after I left school.

Interviewer: How old were you then ?

Interviewer: Um, eighteen ?

Writer: Yes eighteen, because a year later I went to Indonesia.

Interviewer: Mm. And of course it was your experience in Indonesia that inspired your film Eastern Moon.

Writer: Yes that’s right, although I didn’t actually make Eastern Moon until 1978.

Interviewer: And you worked in television for a time too.

Writer: Yes, I started making documentaries for television in 1973, when I was 30. That was after I gave up farming.

Interviewer: Farming?

Writer: Yes, that’s right. You see, I stayed in Indonesia for eight years. I met my wife there in 1965, and after we came back we bought a farm in the West of England,’ in 1970. A kind of experiment, really.

Interviewer: But you gave it up three years later.

Writer: Well yes you see it was very hard work, and I was also very busy working on my second novel, The Cold Earth, which came out in 1975.

Interviewer: Yes, that was a best-seller, wasn’t it?

Writer: Yes it was, and that’s why only two years after that I was able to give up television work and concentrate on films ...

7.6 Reporting offers

Henry: Cigarette?

Tony: Oh ... er ... thanks, Henry ... Um, do you have a light?

Henry: Sorry. Here.

Tony: Thanks. Lovely day. Pity I’m on duty.

Henry: I’ll stand in for you if you like. I’ve got nothing else to do.

Tony: Oh no, I couldn’t possibly ...

Henry: Go on. Go off and have a good time. Here - you can have the Mini if you like.

Tony: But... are you sure, Henry ?

Henry: Of course I am. Take Jill up the mountains, or something.

Tony: That’s ever so good of you, Henry. Oh, you ... er ... you won’t tell anyone, will you ... I mean, I am on duty.

Henry: Not a word. Bye, Tony — enjoy yourself.

Tony: Thanks Henry. I won’t forget this ...

Henry: Damned right you won’t, you poor fool!

8.4 The present perfect continuous

Alan: Hello, Charles – I haven’t seen you all day. What have you been doing ?

Charles: Actually, I’ve been working on my first novel.

Alan: Oh yes ? How far have you got with it ?

Charles: Well, I’ve thought of a good title, and I’ve made a list of characters, and I’ve designed the front cover ...

Alan: Have you started writing it yet ?

Charles: Oh yes, I’ve written two pages already.

Alan: Only two?

Charles: Well yes - I haven’t quite decided yet what happens next.