SYKES ACADEMY DAY 11

IDIOM OF THE DAY: Done and dusted

When a project, task or activity is done and dusted, it is completely finished or ready.
Example: “I’ve nearly finished the report. When it’s all done and dusted, I’ll be able to relax.”

/ ɛ / vs. /æ/
Men vs. Ma’am

/ɛ/ is a short, relaxed, vowel sound. To produce this

sound, you make the vowel sound /I/, but you open your
mouth a little bit more. You can find this sound in words like:
bell, pen, check, rest, and spell

/ӕ/ is very distinctive to the ear, and is typically American.

As its phonetic symbol indicates, [æ] is a combination of [ä] +

[e]. To pronounce it, drop your jaw down as if you were going (Illustration taken from Pronunciation Pairs.
to say [ä]; then from that position, try to say eh. Cambridge University Press, 2007.
The final sound is not two separate vowels, but rather the end result of the combination. It is very close to the
sound that a goat makes: ma-a-a-ah!

To form it the jaw is lowered quite a bit, until the mouth is almost as wide open as it can be without making a
muscular effort. The /æ/ sound is the vowel of bad, am, black, ma’am and cap.

Exercise 1: Read the following dialogue with your partner. Identify all the words with the sounds /ɛ/ and /ӕ/

Detective: Excuse me, ma’am, do you recognize any of the men in this photograph?
Alice: Yes, that’s the one. That’s him! That’s the man who robbed the bank!
Detective: The man with the black pants?
Alice: Yes. But he had a mustache.
Detective: A mustache? This man? Last Saturday?
Alice: Yes. And he was wearing a jacket.
Detective: A black jacket?
Alice: No, a plaid jacket. Red plaid.
Detective: Can you tell me exactly what happened?
Alice: Well, I was working at the bank on Saturday afternoon. Suddenly, this man ran past me, grabbed a
handful of cash, and stuffed it in a bag.
Detective: What kind of bag?
Alice: A plastic bag.
Detective: And what happened after that?
Alice: He ran back out again. It all happened so fast.
Detective: And you’re absolutely sure the man in this photograph is the same man?
Alice: Yes. Absolutely. That’s him.
Detective: Thank you for your help.
Alice: I hope you catch him!
 SYKES ACADEMY DAY 11
Exercise 2: Sound Discrimination. Take turns reading one sentence from either column A or B. Your classmates
will decide which sentence you read.

Performance:

Record yourself practicing "Sal’s pal" tongue twister

Sal’s pal packed flapjacks and slapped the cat

that sat on the hat in the back of the sack
of black mats by the flat pan stand with a flashy brand.

Ken said Ted meant to send the rent but left the
check on a bench when he stopped to mend the fence.

Access this website to practice more

https://engoo.com/app/lessons/minimal-pairs-æ-ɛ/CXKmHDAIEeekoOfmXKMQpg
 SYKES ACADEMY DAY 11
Prepositions Overview

I. Prepositions of Time: at, in, on

We use:
At for a PRECISE TIME
In for MONTHS, YEARS, CENTURIES and LONG PERIODS
On for DAYS and DATES

at in on
PRECISE TIME MONTHS, YEARS, DAYS and DATES
CENTURIES and LONG
PERIODS
at 3 o’clock in May On Sunday
at 10:30am in summer on Tuesdays
at noon in the summer on March 6
at dinnertime in 1990 on December 25, 2010
at bedtime in the 1990s on Christmas Day
at sunrise in the next century on Independence Day
at sunset in the Ice Age on my birthday
at the moment in the past/future on New Year’s Eve

Look at these examples:

-I have a meeting at 9am.

-The shop closes at midnight.
-Jane went home at lunchtime
-In England, it often snows in December.
-Do you think we will go to Jupiter in the future?
-There should be a lot of progress in the next century.
-Do you work on Mondays?
-Her birthday is on November 20.
- Where will you be on New Year’s Day?

Notice the use of the preposition of time at in the following standard expressions:

Expression Example
at night The stars shine at night.
at Christmas/Easter I stay with my family at Christmas
at the same time We finished the test at the same time

Notice the use of the prepositions of time in and on in these common expressions:

in on
in the morning on Tuesday morning
in the mornings on Saturday mornings
in the afternoon(s) on Sunday afternoons (s)
in the evening(s) on Monday evening
 SYKES ACADEMY DAY 11
When we say last, next, every, this we do not also use at, in, on

-I went to London last June (not in last June)

-He’s coming back next Tuesday. (not on next Tuesday)
-I go home every Easter. (not at every Easter)
-We’ll call you this evening. (not in this evening)

II. Prepositions of Place: at, in, on

In general, we use:
at for a POINT
in for an ENCLOSED SPACE
on for a SURFACE

at in on
POINT ENCLOSED SPACE SURFACE
at the corner in the garden on the wall
at the bus stop in London on the ceiling
at the door in France on the door
at the top of the page in a box on the cover
at the end of the road in my pocket on the floor
at the entrance in my wallet on the carpet
at the crossroads in the building on the menu
at the front desk in a car on a page

Look at these examples:

-Jane is waiting for you at the bus stop.

-The shop is at the end of the street.
-My plane stopped at Dubai and Hanoi and arrived in Bangkok two hours late.
-When will you arrive at the office?
-Do you work in an office?
-I have a meeting in New York.
-Do you live in Japan?
-Jupiter is in the Solar System
-The author’s name is on the cover of the book.
-There are no prices on this menu.
-You are standing on my foot.
-There was a “no smoking” sign on the wall.
-I live on the 7th floor at 21 Oxford Street in London
 SYKES ACADEMY DAY 11

Notice the use of prepositions of place at, in and on in these standard expressions:

at in on
at home in a car on a bus
at work in a taxi on a train
at school in a helicopter on a plane
at university in a boat on a ship
at college in an elevator on a bicycle
at the top in the newspaper on a horse, on an elephant
at the bottom in the sky on the radio, on television
at the side in a row on the left, on the right
at reception in Oxford Street on the way

(Summary taken from: http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/prepositions.htm)

Check the following websites and take the quiz.

- http://www.english-the-easy-way.com/Prepositions/In_On_At_Place_Quiz.htm

- http://www.english-the-easy-way.com/Prepositions/In_On_At_Time_Quiz.htm

PERFORMANCE:

E-mail: Create a business-travel planner for one week and talk about it using prepositions of time and place.

VOCABULARY – HOTELS

1. Check-in 15. Baggage 29. Twin beds

2. Reception 16. Doorman 30. Dresser
3. Front desk 17. Courtesy 31. Nightstand
4. Receptionist 18. To tip 32. Mini-bar
5. Reservation 19. Features 33. Exuberant
6. Policies 20. Lift 34. Convenience
7. Procedures 21. Elevator 35. Room service
8. Key 22. Lounge area 36. Continental buffet
9. Distinguish 23. Lobby 37. Guests
10. Fancy 24. Safe 38. Check-out
11. Concierge 25. Store 39. Maids
12. Porter 26. Valuables 40. Charges
13. Bellboys 27. Single 41. Wake-up call
14. Luggage 28. Double bed 42. Airport shuttle
 SYKES ACADEMY DAY 11
HOTELS

When you arrive at a hotel, you must check-in at the reception or front desk. The check-in process can take
awhile since the receptionist has to find your reservation, request payment for the room, and then inform you
about the hotel's policies and procedures. You are also given a key to your room at this time.

Hotels often distinguish themselves by the services they offer. Fancy hotels often have a concierge or porter to
help you with a variety of tasks. They can help you get a taxi, make reservations at restaurants or plays for you,
and give you advice about the city. Often, this person is also in charge of the bellboys, who carry
your luggage or baggage up to the room for you.
In smaller and cheaper hotels, the job of concierge is done by the receptionist and a doorman, who opens the
hotel doors and car doors for you.

These are nice services, especially after you've been traveling, but they're not free. It is common courtesy to
tip the concierge and bellboys each time they help you.
Other features that are generally found in hotels are a lift or elevator to take you up to the floor your room is
on; a lounge area or lobby where you can wait if you arrive before the check-in time; and a safe where you can
store valuables.

In your room, there may be a single or double bed, depending on how many people are staying there. There
may even be two single beds, or twin beds. Also in the room are a desk, a dresser to store your clothes in, a
nightstand with a lamp beside the bed, a television with cable, heating and air conditioning.
If you're lucky, there may even be a mini-bar in your room. This is a small refrigerator that has tiny bottles of
alcohol, as well as snacks. But beware: these are not free. In fact, they typically cost two to three times as
much as they do in a grocery store. But many people pay the exuberant price for the convenience of not
having to leave the hotel.

Another convenience that hotels offer is room service. To order room service, you call down to the reception
and ask for a food item listed on the hotel's menu. The food is then brought to your room for you to enjoy.
Remember, this is another service that deserves a tip.

Many hotels also have restaurants attached where breakfast is served in the morning. A hotel breakfast can
range from a Continental buffet, which consists of you helping yourself to food that has been laid out for you
and other hotel guests. The Continental breakfast is not very elaborate and is often included in the price of the
room. However, you can also order prepared food from the restaurant's menu.

At the proper check-out time, which is often early, you must vacate the room so that the maids, or cleaning
staff, can clean the rooms and make the beds. If you don't leave on time, charges may apply and you will have
to pay extra money. Fortunately, you can ask for a wake-up call from the front desk so you won't sleep
through check-out.

To get to your next destination, you can take an airport shuttle, which will take you directly to the airport. If a
hotel doesn't have its own shuttle, it can usually arrange for one to pick you up at the hotel.
 SYKES ACADEMY DAY 11
EXERCISE: Choose the best phrasal verb to complete
each of the following sentences:1

1. You don't have to stay on the sightseeing bus until 7. If we see something interesting, I will
the end. You can _____________ ( = leave the bus) _______________ to you. ( = I will mention it to you)
anytime you like during the tour. point it out
stay off let it out
get off break it out
stay on

8. They started to build the castle, but they

2. You can go into the city. Just make sure you _______________ ( = started to have) some financial
______________ ( = return) by 6:00 PM. problems.
get off ran into
get away ran up
get back fan for

3. I'm sure you'll _______________ ( = discover) a lot 9. When you go to the market area, make sure to
of interesting things about the city during the tour. _______________. ( = to go from shop to shop,
get out comparing prices)
find out run around
come out shop around
come around

4. We're going to _______________ ( = drive/move

slower) so that you can get a good look at the church. 10. We'll _______________. = We'll resolve it.
slow down put it out
come down make it out
calm down sort it out

5. We have to wait for the others to ______________ (

= to reach us *implies that they are moving more
slowly*).
catch up
get up
check up

6. Unfortunately, the train _______________ ( =

stopped working), so you'll have to get off here and
wait for another one.
broke off
broke up
broke down

1
https://www.englishformyjob.com/esl-for-travel-tourism-
phrasalverbs1.html
 SYKES ACADEMY DAY 11
EXERCISE 2: Fill in each blank with the correct word. If both words can be used, choose the one that sounds
more natural in each situation:2

1. There are no seats available for the date that you (requested/recalled).
2. How (flexible/changeable) are you? ( = How much are you willing/able to change your schedule?
3. Would you be (interesting/interested) in renting a car while you're there?
4. We've got some great (deals/dealings) on airplane tickets to Dubai right now.
5. That flight is (full/complete). Let's try to find you a seat on another flight.
6. The (layover/takeover) ( = time you have to wait for your connecting flight) in Paris is two hours.
7. We can (arrange/make) ( = organize) your entire trip.
8. Will you be traveling (alone/lonely)?
9. I booked you a flight on October 1st, (returning/coming) on October 15th.
10. You also qualify for a 10% senior (discount/deal). ( = 10% reduction in price for older people)

LISTENING
Listen to “Hotel Check-In” recording and answer the following questions:

1. What is the first problem with the man's reservation?

a. The hotel confused him with another guest.
b. Rooms are overbooked for that evening
c. The price for the room is more than he expected

2. For what day did Mr. Nelson make a hotel reservation?

a. The eighteenth
b. The nineteenth
c. The twenty-first

3. What is taking place in the city that makes getting another room almost impossible?
a. A marathon
b. A conference
c. Building renovation

4. How much is the initial discount on the honeymoon suite after Mr. Nelson complains about the hotel
service?
a. $15
b. $20
c. $25

5. How does Mr. Nelson respond when the hotel clerk offers to provide him with a free room on his next
visit?
a. He thinks it will take a long time for him to receive the free coupon for the room.
b. He feels he should first receive an apology from the manager for what has happened.
c. He implies that he might not visit again because of the problems he has had.

2
https://www.englishformyjob.com/english-for-travel-agents1.html