Communic Module 3

Communicative English Skills (EnLa1011)
Module Introduction
 Hello, dear learner! Welcome to Module Three which is the last part of the course
Communicative English Skills (EnLa 201). How are you doing with this course? Have you
made the best use of the course? We hope that you have done all the exercises and made
some progresses in the development of the essential skills in English such as reading,
speaking and writing.
In the previous two Modules, you have practiced various skills of reading, speaking and
writing. This Module is the last part of the course where you will have additional
opportunity to practice the major skills in English language. Unlike the first two Modules,
this Module is composed of a unit to complete what is required for the course as far as the
numbers of units are concerned.
The unit in this Module follows a structure of reading passage, comprehension questions,
vocabulary, grammar, speaking and writing sections. There are various exercises and self-
check questions included in the unit. Dear learner, you are advised not to look at the
suggested answer key before you yourself have tried them.
Objectives:
At the end of this module, you will be able to:
 associate your experience with the information drawn from reading text;
 infer the contextual meanings of new words;
 identify the past and future tense with their forms;
 use the past and future tense in both and written discourses;
 identify direct speech from reported;
 change direct speech to reported;
 use both direct and reported speech in writing and speaking;
 make discussions on different social occasions;
 produce problem-solution pattern of compositions.
1 Wolkite University
UNIT ONE
George Finley: A Teacher
Introduction
 Dear learner, welcome to the last unit of the course Communicative English Skills. We
hope that you have learned a lot from the previous two modules. Finally, in this unit, as
usual you will have a reading passage with different exercises; comprehension questions,
information transfer and vocabulary exercises.
The unit also has grammar section which deals with past and future tenses, and direct and
reported speech which will help you develop your language competence. The unit also
provides you some speaking activities which deal with making discussions on different
social issues. Besides this, the unit also provides you with some writing exercises which
help you identify texts which are organized based on problem -solution structure.
Objectives:
At the end of this unit, you will be able to:
 relate information of the reading text with the information drawn from your
experience;
 find out the meanings of difficult words based on the context of the text;
 transfer information from the given text into a chart;
 use the different forms of past and future tenses for both written and spoken modes;
 change direct speech into indirect speech;
 use direct and indirect speeches in daily conversation.
Section 1: Reading
Overview
 The passage in this unit is about ‘George Finley: A Teacher’ in his early forties. In the
passage, George describes some of his experiences as a teacher. Please, before you start
reading the passage, answer pre – reading questions based on your experience. Having
done this, read the passage first very quickly to get the gist of the passage. Then, read it
slowly to get specific ideas. By doing so, try to answer all the questions first individually
and then if there is a possibility to do so compare your answers with a partner, and finally
compare it with the answers given at the end of the module.
Pre - reading Questions

Before you start reading the passage, answer the following questions.
1. Think of the school you have learned or taught. What do you think this school looks
like? Its students, teachers, atmosphere, building, etc?
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2. Do you like teaching as a profession? Why?

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3. Have you ever seen a teacher who is proud of his/her profession? Why?
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4. Have you ever seen a teacher who doesn’t like his/her profession either for right or
wrong reasons?
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5. Why do some people want/ don’t want to be a teacher?
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Dear learner, after attempting the above questions, read the passage below and
answer the questions that follow.
George Finley: A Teacher

1. I went into teaching for all the wrong reasons – short hours, long holidays and the idea
that I’d have enough time to set up my own business. It didn’t work out at all. I ought to
have known better, as my father was a teacher, but he worked in a grammar school.
Although he brought marking home, his job was very different from mine, much more
settled. It was easier for him to know what he was doing. If he saw my classroom, I’m sure
he would be absolutely horrified. He just can’t envisage what my school is like.
2. Before I became a teacher, I worked as a designer in industry. It was a dead-end job

with no chance of making progress unless you were brilliant. So, I went on a post-graduate
teaching course for a year, which I enjoyed. It was much better than sitting in a factory
working out pattern designs. I liked the academic side, but the practical side wasn’t very
useful, though I understand it’s much better now.
3. My first job was at a small primary school in an expensive dormitory village, very
different from my present school. All the children were smartly dressed in uniform. They
were expected to move quietly from one classroom to another and to eat their lunch in total
silence except for a short period of quiet chatting at the end. In assembly, the head stood
behind a sort of lectern, in traditional fashion, with his staff ranged on either side. He once
told the female staff, ‘I like my ladies to wear skirts’. And I seem to remember that I was
obliged to wear a collar and tie. In many ways he was running a nice little preparatory
school which was what the parents wanted.
4. Although I liked the head personally, he reminded me of my father; I didn’t feel that
working in a school like that was doing a lot for society. I wouldn’t call myself a political –
capital person, but I’d developed a bit of a social conscience by that time. So, I left after
two years.
5. After a while, I met up with a chap I’d worked with before, who was setting up a
handicraft workshop. It seemed a good idea so I threw in my lot with him, lost a lot of
money and just avoided being made a bankrupt. When the business collapsed, I just
wanted to get away, I’d met my present wife by then and we went abroad for four months.
When we returned, I needed money desperately, so I went back to teaching.
6. I’ve been at this school for four years now. We have about three hundred pupils. The
catchment’s area includes quite a large number of council houses and terraced houses like
mine. The teaching is mainly informal, but staff are allowed to use their own methods.
Unless things are going badly wrong, no one interferes. We try to bring the children
progressively towards a more secondary way of working. In the first year, they are with the
class teacher almost constantly; but by the time they leave us at the age of twelve, they’re
moving around in groups from teacher to teacher.
7. The first two or three years in this school were very difficult for me, even though I’d
already done quite a bit of teaching. The children didn’t know how to act in a classroom
situation: their socialization wasn’t complete. They couldn’t sit at their desks and work, but
wanted to make friends with the children around them. There was a lot of talking and
moving about. They weren’t actually destroying the ceilings, but the relationship
deteriorated to such an extent that there was no way in which I liked them and some of
them disliked me.
8. It needs a lot of work to recover from that situation. A teacher is very isolated. You can
go to a colleague and say, ‘They’re a hell of a bunch’, and get a sympathetic hearing, but
you’ve got to work it out for yourself ultimately. I overcome it by trial and error. There’s
no prescription for getting control. May be it’s a shout or a threat or just waiting there with
the right expression on your face. There were times when none of these worked. Teaching
is an art, having an eye for the types of movements and an ear for the sounds that indicate
the machine is not running properly.
9. I like teaching much better now and I want to stay in this school because I’m reaping the
benefits of all the hard work I’ve put into the relationship. I still have a yearning to setup
another business, though that will probably remain a dream. A lot of teachers see their
work as a vocation, but I could never fell that. In some ways, I see myself as a performer,
an entertainer, setting up activities for the children at their level. If they enjoy them, then
the job is done.
Exercise 1
Now, answer the following questions based on the above reading passage.
1. The level of the school where Gorge began to teach is :

a. high school C tertiary school
b. primary school D. elementary school
2. Why was George not successful as a designer? This is because:

a. he was a teacher C. he was not brilliant
b. he was postgraduate D. if one is not brilliant, it was difficult be
successful
3. According to Paragraph 3, what made George’s first school as a teacher from his
present school?
a. the children’s wearing C. George’s head managerial skill
b. the children’s behavior D. A and B are correct
4. According to Paragraph 4, George:

a. was as active as his father as a teacher.
b. didn’t agree with the head in the school.
c. decided to leave out completely the teaching profession.
d. No answer is given.
5. In Paragraph 6, the writer says that teaching is informal. Because:

a. the number of students is many.
b. there are many beautiful houses tike private houses.
c. the administration of the school doesn’t interfere with teachers’ work.
d. students are always free to do whatever they like.
6. The main idea of Paragraph 7 is about:

a. teaching profession
b. why George disliked teaching profession
c. the relationship between George and his students
d. A and B are possible answers.
7. Which paragraph expresses that teaching is challenging, yet it is manageable by the

teacher himself /herself little by little?
A. 8 B. 7 C.8 D.5
8. Based on the ideas in the passage, teaching is:

a. a tiresome work which needs natural strength
b. as important as other professions with regard to business and
job satisfaction
c. a an easy job because it doesn’t need over all skill

d. all can be possible answers.
Exercise 2
Based on the above reading passage about George, write True if the statement is
correct and False if it is incorrect. (Write your answers in the spaces provided in front
of each question.)
1. George’s initial decision to be a teacher was right.

2. George had positive attitude towards teaching at the time he started teaching.
3. When he was in primary school, once George was obliged to wear a collar and
tie.
4. According to the passage, George never faced any difficulty.
5. In the end George believed that teaching can be a source of business.
Exercise 3
Read the passage again and complete the chart below about George. Make your
answers in note form. (Write your answers in the appropriate column.) The first one is
done for you.
Table 1
Questions Answers Questions Answers
Reasons for becoming a Primary school

teacher Short Current teaching job teachers
hours
Non – teaching jobs Problems with
teaching
Teacher training Pleasure from
teaching
First teaching job Future plans
Section 2: Vocabulary
Overview
 In this section of the unit, you will learn some new words from the reading passage.
This section is also meant to help you develop the skill to understand the meanings of
unfamiliar words from the context.
Objectives:
At the end of this section, you will be able to:
 guess the meanings of new words based on context of the passage;
 use new words learned from the text.
Exercise 4
Look at the words and expressions which are taken from the passage. Find out the
meaning of each of the words based on the context. (Write your answers in the spaces
provided.)
1. horrified (Para 1, line 6) means

2. a dead -end job (Para 2, line 1) means
3. a uniform (Para3, line2) means ______
4. a dormitory village (Para 3, line1 ) means
5. ranged (Para 3, line 5) means
6. bankrupt (Para 5, line 3 ) means
7. desperately ( Para 5, line 5 ) means
8. catchment’s (Para 6, line 2) means
9. reaping (Para 9, line1 ) means ___________________________________
10. yearning (Para 9, line 2) means __________________________________
Exercise 5: Discussion and Writing

Read the following questions carefully and try to give short answers for each. First,
try the questions by yourself and then if there is a possibility to do so, compare it with
a partner. Then write a short report on each.
1. Have you ever experienced problems like George’s? If so, what techniques did you
use to cope?
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2. Do you see yourself as a performer or as an entertainer? Why?
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3. Do you see teaching as a vocation? Why?
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Section 3: Grammar.
Overview
 The grammar section of this module covers different forms of the past tense (i.e. simple
past, past continuous, past perfect and past perfect continuous tenses). It also deals with
different forms of the future tense such as simple future, future continuous, future perfect
and future perfect progressive. The grammatical patterns and uses of these tenses will be
discussed in detail. Another grammatical aspect which will be dealt in this section is direct
and reported speeches. Tenses and direct / reported speeches are interrelated. This is
because what you learn in one will help you understand the other. Therefore, try to study
and understand both of them at the sometime.
Objectives:
At the end of this section, you will be able to:
 use the different forms of past tense in constructing sentences;
 identify direct and indirect speeches;
 use direct and indirect speeches in daily communication.
3.1. Tenses
3.1.1. The Past Tense
Dear leaner, write complete answers for the following questions.
1. What did you do yesterday?
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2. What did you feel about last night’s dinner?
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Study the following sentences taken from the reading passage.

1. I went into teaching for all the wrong reasons. (Para 1, line 1).
2. I liked the academic side. (Para 2, line 4).
3. I didn’t feel that working in a school like that. (Para 4, line 2).
4. I needed money desperately. (Para 5, line 5).
?When do you think we use these types of sentences?

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Do your own sentences have the same verb form as the sentences taken from the passage
and the following ones? Compare them.
Examples:
1(a). Sadiya studied for the sociology test.
(b). Ato Melisew preached a Gospel book that night.
2(a). Birhanu was up set about the party.

(b). Many students were absent yesterday.
? Can you identify the actions expressed in the above two pairs of sentences? What
kinds of actions are expressed in each pair?
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Dear learner, have you realized that the actions and states of being are expressed in the two
pairs of sentences above? We hope that you might have realized them. That is well done! In
the above sentences, the first pair of sentences denote past actions, whereas the second pair
of sentences express past state of being. Generally speaking, verbs in the past tense express
action or state of being that occurred in the past. The following timeline chart shows the
main use of simple past.
Used to show a I studied English last

Completed action Saturday
Beginning in the past Ending in the past
I did
(Completed action)
?Write four sentences of your own using simple past.

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3.1.1.1. Past Simple Statements and Negatives.

Study the following examples:
1. He joined the club as a defender.
2. He didn’t join the club as a defender.
?Can you identify the meanings of the above sentences? Write their meanings.
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As you can see from the examples above, we use past simple for completed actions. Simple
past tense can be written in statement and negative forms. The structural form for both
ways of stating a completed action in the past is as follows:
Subject + verb (V2) Subject + did not (did not (didn’t) + verb (V1)
Dear learner, as it has been seen in the above structural pattern of simple past tense, some
verbs add –ed to form their past and past participle but some others add only-d, still others
have different irregular forms to their past and past participle’s as well. For further
understanding, look at the following verb patterns.
Example:
1(a). Play + ed = played 2(a). serve + d = served 3(a). go ---- went
(b). join + ed = joined (b). force + d = forced (b). put------ put
As you might have realized in the above sample verb patterns, verbs in English don’t have
uniform pattern in expressing different actions with respect to their happening and
occurrence in time. That means verbs in English do have different forms for events in the
present and past.
3.1.1.2. Past Simple Irregular Verbs -Statements and Negatives.

Study the examples below:
Present Past
get got __1). I got up early.
go went __ 2).When something went wrong, it was not my problem.
do did ___ 3). I didn’t do any exercise.
give gave___ 4). I didn’t give orders.
wear wore ___5). I didn’t wear a uniform.
? Dear learner, what differences have you realized between the first two sentences and
the last three sentences above?
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If you say the first two sentences are in the statement forms and the last three are in the
negative forms, you are correct. Notice also that past simple irregular verbs do not end in
–‘ed’ form as you can observe from the above examples.
3.1.1.3. Past Simple Yes/No and Wh-questions

Study the examples:
1. Did you have a good weekend?
2. Did you see a new work plan in the department?
3. Did he come from northern Ethiopia?
? What kind of sentences are they? When do we use these kinds of sentences? Write the
structural form of these sentences.
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Dear learner, have you replied to the above questions? We hope you have answered in such
a way that these types of sentences are interrogatives and we use them when we seek
information. And interrogative sentences in the past can be constructed using the following
structure:
Did + subject + verb (V1)
3.1.1.4. Past Simple Passive

Read the following sentences:
Topic information
Active: I took the money.
Passive: The money was taken.
Topic information
? Based on what you have learned in the grammar section of Module two of unit one,
what is the meaning difference between the above two sentences?
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 The active sentence focuses on the agent (doer of the action), whereas the passive
focuses on the action being done, and not on the agent. We use by to identify the
agent. The pattern that we use in simple past passive is: Subject + was /were
(not) + V3 (+ by + agent).
3.1. 2. Past Simple and Past Continuous Tense

1. (a). I went down to the registrar office.

(b). Both Tigist and Meron were in Addis Ababa.
2. (a) It was raining the whole night.
(b). I was watching romantic films last Saturday.
? Can you differentiate the meanings of the above pairs of sentences? Write the possible
meaning difference of each pair.
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Have you tried the above questions? That is good! Now compare your answers with the
information given in the two boxes below. The first deals with the first pair of sentences
whereas the second one is about the second pair of sentences.
 We use the past simple is to talk about things that happened at a definite time in the
past, over a period of time in the past and regular actions or habits in the past. We
often use words and phrases like: last week, yesterday, and the like to say when
something happened. We use the past continuous tense to talk about actions and
events happening around a particular time in the past and to give background
information.
Look at also the following sentences:
1. I was shopping with my girlfriend when I met some friends from my former school.
2. University instructors were claiming for academic freedom when they conducted
researches.
3. While I was walking past the car it exploded.
4. I was walking past the car when it exploded.
 We often use the past simple and past continuous tense together. We use the past
continuous tense to express the duration of the long past action till it is interrupted
by another short past action. We use when + short action (simple past); while +
long action (past continuous tense).
Dear learner, the timeline chart below clearly shows the main use of past continuous tense.
Study it carefully.
Past Progressive -Often used to say when -I was studying English last
something was being done or Monday when my friend rang.
-what was happening when -I was studying English at 5pm

something else happened last Monday.
I started doing I was doing I finished doing
Past Now
3.1.3. The Past Perfect Tense

Examples:
1. Lidya called, but you had left for work.
2. We had finished our project the day before it was due.
?Can you identify the actions expressed in the above sentences?

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Dear learner, if you state that in the first sentence someone left before Lydia’s call, and if
you say the project is completed before its actual date of completion, you are right. Well
done! From this what we can say is that past perfect tense is used to denote a far past
action. That means it expresses action in the past before another action in the past. This is
the past in the past as stated in the examples above. Moreover, the past perfect tense is
formed with the helping verb ‘had’ and the past participle. Structurally, it has the following
pattern: Subject + had + V3.
Generally, verbs in the past perfect tense describe either an action that was completed
before another action was begun or one that was completed before a certain specified time.
3.1.3.1. The Past Perfect and Past Simple
1. I was hungry because I hadn’t eaten for nine hours.
2. When I arrived at Logita, the service had left.
3. The University had already announced distance education program and now it started
registration.
4. Several senior staff members had left the company by the time the new director
arrived.
?Can you give the meanings of the above sentences? When we use them?
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 We use the past perfect tense to show that one event happened before another (as in
the second sentence above). We often use past perfect and simple past tense
together to state actions expressed in the above examples. So, we use the past
perfect tense for the earlier event and the past simple for the more recent event.
Here, we use words like: after, already, at this point, before, when, and by the
time to link the past perfect with the past simple.
Dear learner, here you do have the timeline chart of the past perfect tense, read and
compare it with what has been said about this tense.
Past Perfect The past of have done. Used to -I had done my English homework
say when something was done by 6.30 pm last Saturday.
by – I had done my English homework
by the time I ate dinner last Saturday.
Had done
Past Now
3.1.3. 2. The Past Perfect Continuous Tense

Study the following sentences:
1. Sadiya had been having breakfast when Fitsum arrived.
2. Ferguson was angry because the players had been missing too many free throws.
? Can you point out the difference between the above two sentences and the sentences
under past perfect tense? If so, write down their differences.
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The past perfect tense also has a progressive form (i.e. past perfect continuous tense). The
progressive form of the past perfect tense describes an action that was on going in the past.
Read carefully the timeline chart of the past perfect continuous tense for further
understanding of its use.
Past Perfect The past of have been. Used to - I’d been doing my English
Progressive /
show how long something was homework for 30 minutes when my
Continuous
done for by a certain time. friend rang last Saturday.
- I’d been doing my English
homework for 30 minutes by 1 pm
last Saturday.
Had been doing
Past Now
Exercise 6
Write the correct forms of the verbs given in the brackets. (Write your answers in
spaces provided.)
1. I (not like) __________ the movie last night.
2. You all eat all the cheese, (do not) ____________ you?
3. I (be) _________ a policeman for two years.
4. What (do you) ___________ yesterday at three O’clock? I needed to see you.
5. The phone (be ring) __________ while I was having breakfast.
3.1.4. The Future Tense

Study the following sentences carefully:
1. We will hold the next meeting three weeks from tonight.
2. You will study harder from now on.
3. Little green people from space will soon land on earth.
? Do you know when to use such type of sentences and how they are constructed?
Write your possible answer below.
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The future tense is formed with the helping verb shall or will added to the present form of
the verb. Verbs in the future tense express an action that will occur in the future. Future
tense verb may also give orders or make predictions like the second and the third sentences
above respectively. Generally, we use future tense to express a coming action. Moreover,
the future can be indicated in several different ways in English. It is often created with the
use of auxiliaries: (Shall/Will + V1) as “She will be a student.” And (is/are + going to +
V1) as “She is going to drive a new car.”
English can even create the future by using the simple present (used for timetables,
programs etc.) As in the example: “The train arrives at 10pm” or the present progressive
(used for future plan), “He is collecting his mother from the station tonight.” The timeline
for future tense can be represented as follows:
Simple Future (uses will or shall or going to + base form)
Simple Future Decide to do - I think I’ll do my English

homework
(Some uncertainty) something at tonight.
the time of speaking.
A decision is made now to

I’ll do it
Do something in the future
Now Future
3.1.4.1. Future Tense forms with ‘will’

Examples:
1. There will be no ground services or any refueling available on the ground.
2. All flights will avoid the runway and use the taxiways for take off and landings.
3. Weather information suggests that daytime temperatures in Addis Ababa will probably
be zero degrees.
?Write down the functions of ‘will’ in the above sentences.

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Dear learner, we use will to give facts, to give orders or/and to talk about scheduled
events. We also use will to make predications, often with an adverb of probability to say
how sure we are of the predication.
3.1.4.2. The Future Continuous Tense

Look at the following sentences:
1. Next week, we will be swimming in Hawassa Lake.
2. By next year, the University will be launching many MA programs.
3. If those children keep shouting, the neighbors will be calling up.
? Based on the above examples, what do you think is the function of future continuous
tense?
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? Write two other sentences of your own expressing the same function as you stated
above.
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 We use the future continuous tense to talk about an action that starts at a certain
time in the future and continues over a period of time. This can be illustrated
structurally as: (S + will + be+ -ing).
The main use of future continuous tenses is summarized in the following timeline. Study it
carefully to denote the action which has to be expressed using this tense.
Future Progressive /Continuous (uses will be, shall be or going to be + - ing form)
Future Progressive The English lesson should begin at -I will be starting my English
(Some uncertainty) 7.30 and end at 9.15, so the person lesson at 7.30 pm.
should be studying at 7.30(but the
lesson might start late.)
Future Progressive The English lesson begins at7.30 and -I am going to study English
(Certain) ends at 9.15, so he’s certain to study when my friends arrive at
when his friend arrives at 8.00. 9.00 pm.
3.1.4.3. The Future Perfect Tense

1. In March we will have completed work at the school.
2. My parents will have been married thirty five years the coming August.
?Can you give the meanings of the above sentences? When do we use them?
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Dear learner, we use these kinds of sentences to denote a future action that will be
completed before another future action.
 The future perfect tense is formed with will + have or shall + have and the past
participle of a verb. Verbs in the future perfect tense describe a future action that will
be completed before another future action. Its structural pattern is: Will /shall/ +have
+V3.
Dear learner, as stated above future perfect tense is used to express the completion of a
future action before another future action. This can be summarized in the timeline chart as
follows:
Future perfect Simple (uses will have or shall have + past participle)
Future perfect Used to say something will -I will have already done my English
Simple already be complete by a homework by the time I eat dinner on
time. Saturday.
Begin Finish
Homework Homework Eat Dinner
Now 7.30 9.15 10.00
3.1.4.4. The Future Perfect Continuous Tense
1. This month Samuel will have been dating Yeshi for the rest of his life.
2. By the time you phone, we will have been having our dinner in Blue Nile Hotel and
will have returned home.
? When do we use these types of sentences?

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If you say we use future perfect continuous to indicate how long something will have been
happening sometime in the future, you are right.
 Like the future perfect, the future perfect progressive is normally used with a time
expression beginning with ‘by’. This tense bears the same relationship to the future
perfect as the present perfect continuous tense bears to the present perfect, i.e. the
future perfect continuous can be used instead of the future perfect. Its form can be
put as: Will/shall + have been + present participle for the first persons, Will
have been + present participle for the other persons.
As usual the future perfect continuous tense can be summarized in a timeline chart as
follows. Please, study it carefully and use the tense to denote the appropriate action in your
day to day activities in both written and spoken modes of communication.
Future Perfect Progressive /Continuous (uses will have been or shall have been + - ing
form).
Future Perfect Used to say how long something -I will have been studying English
Progressive will have been happening in the for minutes when my friends
future by certain time. arrive.
Lesson Friends Lesson

Starts arrive Ends
Now 7.30 8.00 8.15
Exercise 7
Write the correct forms of the verbs given in the brackets. (Write your answers in
spaces provided.)
1. Tomorrow at this time, I (have) _____________ shower.

2. ___________ (you be) at Hawassa next week?
3. When it is ready, she (call) _________ us.

4. By next April, I (be work) _________ for ten years.
5. I (have finish) _____________ my studies by that time.
6. If we have party, we (have) __________ it at Hilton Hotel.
7. The sky is black. It (be go) _________ to rain.
8. I (break) __________ your kneecaps if you don’t pay me the money.
9. I (return) __________ from the supermarket when you get back.
10. __________(you give) me hand for a second, please?
3.2. Reported Speech

Dear learner, the second part of the grammar section of this unit is about Reported Speech.
With the help of the explanations discussions and exercises given hereafter, you will learn
the use of reported speech and its difference with direct speech.
Dear learner, study the following situation:

Assume your friend Eskezia is feeling ill. Then, he told you about his being sick. Lastly,
you want to tell somebody else what Eskezia said to you. There are two ways of saying
this:
1. You can repeat Eskezia’s words directly as he uttered: Eskezia said, “I am feeling
ill.” OR
2. You can use reported speech as: Eskezia said that he was feeling ill.
? Have you noticed the different ways of reporting what has been said by someone else?
Can you identify their difference?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
As it has been seen clearly in the sample situation above, ways of expressing one’s idea
using his/her words like No .1 of the above situation is direct speech. As a result, they are
put in the quotation mark because they are the exact words that someone says. Moreover, in
these ways of expressions, a comma often precedes or follows a quotation mark. Whereas
ways of expressing one’s idea like No. 2 of the above situation is reported /indirect speech.
This is so called reported speech because it gives the ideas of what some one says but not
necessarily the exact words that someone says. As a result, it does not generally require
comma and /or quotation mark.
? Based on what has been said so far and the examples given above, write the function
of reported speech.
_________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Reported speech is often also called indirect speech. We use reported speech when we are
usually talking about the past (because obviously the person who spoke originally spoke in
the past). The verbs, therefore, usually have to be in the past too.
Dear learner, for further understanding, study also the following situation. Imagine you met
your old friend Sherefedin and he has told you something about himself. Here are some of
the things he told you. Later you tell somebody what Sherefedin told to you. Compare the
direct and reported speech in the table based on the situation.
Table 2
Sherefedin said to you ( Direct Speech ) You tell somebody what he said
( Reported Speech )
1. “My parents are very well.” 1. Sherefedin said that his parents are very
well.
2. “Taye had given up writing module.” 2. He said that Taye had given up writing the
module.
3. “I am going to learn to swim.” 3. He said that he was going to learn to
swim.
4. “I want to go away for a vacation but I 4. He said that he wanted to go away for
don’t know where to go.” vacation but (he) didn’t know where to go.
? Can you identify the tense changes between the sentences uttered by Sherefedin and
the sentences you tell to somebody? Write their differences that you noticed above.
_________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Have you realized that the tense changes are basically backshifts in the past from the direct
speech to reported speech? We hope you did. As a result, the identified tense changes from
the above table are as follows:
am /is  was do /does  did will  would

are  were have /has  had can  could
want  wanted like  liked know  knew, etc
Dear learner, as you can see from the above list of words and examples, when we change
direct speech into reported speech, the tense of the direct speech is usually goes one step
back in the past. For further understanding of this change as far as tenses are concerned,
now read the following points regarding tense changes in general.
3.2.1. Tenses in Reported Speech

Verbs and certain modal auxiliaries may shift to past forms in reported speech. These shifts
most often occur when the report is being given at a different time or place than the action.
Here is the summary of the changes made in tenses. (The tense on the left column of the
table changes to the tense on the right).
Table 3
Direct Speech Reported Speech

1. Simple Present 1. Simple Past
“I am an investor.” He said he was an investor.
2. Present Continuous 2. Past Continuous
“I‘m having lunch with Mullu.” He said he was having lunch with Mullu.
3. Present Perfect 3.Past Perfect
“I have been to Israel three He said he had been to Israel three times.
times.”
4. Present Prefect Continuous 4.Past Prefect Continuous
“I have been studying English.” He said he had been studying English.
5.Simple Past 5. Past Perfect
“I bought a new shirt.” He said he had bought a new shirt.
6.Past Continuous 5. Past Perfect Continuous

“It was raining earlier.” He said it had been raining earlier.
6. Past Perfect 6. Past Perfect
“The game had started when I He said the game had started when he
arrived.” arrived. (No change)
7. Past Perfect Continuous 7. Past Perfect Continuous
“I had already been living in Israel He said that he had already been living in
for three weeks.” Israel for tree weeks. (No change)
Dear learner, in addition to the changes in the tense pattern of the reported speech as clearly
seen in the table, auxiliary verbs in present also changes in to past. The following table
summarizes this as follows:
Table 4
Auxiliary Direct Speech Reported Speech
will She said,” I will teach English online She said she would teach
tomorrow.” English online tomorrow.
can She said, “I can teach English online.” She said she could teach
English online.
must She said, “I must have computer to teach She said she had to have a
English online.” computer to teach English
online.
shall She said, “What shall we learn today?” She asked what we should
learn that day.
may She said, “May I open a new folder? She asked if she might
open a new folder.
3.2.2. Verbs and Modal Auxiliaries that do not change in Reported

Speech
Dear learner, as it has been seen in the above two tables, when you report something that
someone has said, you usually go back in the past to refer to the person who spoke
originally. As a result, the verbs (main or auxiliaries) usually go back one step in the past
from their original form. This is, however, not always necessary and possible to change all
the verb forms into past when you use reported speech.
Study the following Table
Table 5
Direct Speech Indirect Speech

1. Molly says, “John is at home.” 1. Molly says John is at home.
2. Senay says, “He hasn’t finished his 2. Senay says that he hasn’t finished his
work yet.” work yet.
3. She says, “My name is Liya.” 3. She said her name is Liya
4. Sheleme said, “Molly should finish 4. Sheleme said Molly should finish
editing the Module soon.” editing the Module soon.
5. Tsegaye said, “He must be tired.” 5. Tsegaye said that he must be tired.
6. John remarked, “He ought to have 6. John remarked that he ought to have
started sooner.” started sooner.
?What special verb patterns have you noticed in the table above?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Here note that in changing direct speech to reported, no tense change occurs
when the verb in the main clause is in the preset tense expressing facts and is
still true actions like the third sentence in the table above. Moreover, the
 modal auxiliaries such as could, might, ought to, should and would are not
changed in reported speech. Must also does not change when it expresses
probability like the fifth sentence in the table above.
Exercise 8
Change the following statements into Reported Speech. The first one is done for you.
(Write your answer in the spaces provided.)
1. Samrawit said, “Students will be registering on Tuesday.”

Samrawit said that students would be registering on Tuesday.
2. “Hana is feeling well”, said Milly.
_________________________________________________________________
3. Hanfeto said, “I can’t speculate that.”
________________________________________________________________
4. He said, “I treated them for burns.”
________________________________________________________________
5. Endalew said, “I was on duty for the Association.”

_________________________________________________________________
3.2.3. Pronoun and Adverb Changes in Reported Speech
He said, “I will come tomorrow.”

He said that he would come the following day.
Meaza said, “I am staying here till this evening.”

Meaza said that she was staying there till that evening.
? What can you say about the changes of the words which are written in bold in the
above pair of sentences? Write the words which are changed in the second sentence of
each pair.
_________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Dear learner, when you change direct speech into reported speech you should change the
personal and demonstrative pronouns and adverbs (of time and place) accordingly to show
a change in the speaker, place and time. In changing pronouns (personal and
demonstrative) and adverbs, you need to be consistent. Once you have started changing
these words some where, you need to go through changing them everywhere in all cases.
Study the table below, which gives you a summary of the possible changes of time and
place reference in Reported Speech.
Table 6
Now Then
Today That day
This week That week
Tomorrow The following day/the next day/ the day after
Next week/month /year The following week /month /year

The week / month /year / after
Yesterday The previous day/The day before
Last week /month /year ago The previous week / month /year
The week /month/ year/ before/ previously
Tonight That night
Last Saturday The previous Saturday
Next Saturday The following Saturday/ That Saturday
Look at the following sentences and study the changes in time and place references
Table 7
1. He said, “I went to Addis last week.” 1. He said that he had gone to Addis the
week before.
2. Sofia said, “I’m having a party next 2. Sofia said that I was having a party the
Saturday.” following Saturday.
3. Desta said, “I came from Angecha five 3. Desta said that he had come from
years ago.” Angecha five years before.
4. Elsa said, “I need the books now.” 4. Elsa said that she needed the books
then.
5. Eden said, “The modules are here.” 5. Eden said that the modules are there.
Exercise 9
Report the sentences below. The first one is done for you. (Write the answers in the
spaces provided.)
1. Adielo said, “I haven’t slept since yesterday night.”
Adielo said that he hadn’t slept since the previous day night.
2. Melisew said, “I want to finish this module tonight.”

__________________________________________________________________
3. “We will be able to start classes of the distance education at the beginning of next
month”, said the coordinator.
__________________________________________________________________
4. “Classes for senior students must begin on Tuesday”, said Tsegaye.
_________________________________________________________________
5. Akalu said, “Everything was arranged yesterday morning.”
__________________________________________________________________
3.2.4. Pronoun Changes

1. (a). Almaz said, “I have to do the self-check exercises by myself.”
(b). Almaz said that she had to do the self- check exercise by herself.
?Write dawn the pronouns in 1(a) that are replaced by other pronouns in 1(b).
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
When reporting someone’s words, we also need to think about the pronouns that have been
used and whether it is necessary to change them. Typically, first person and second person
pronouns are converted into third person pronouns. But third person pronouns typically do
not need to change to other pronouns. For further understanding, study the table below.
Table 8
I He/she
You He/she /they
He/she /it He /she /it
We They
Us Them
Our Their
His /her /its His/hers /its
Study also the following examples to understand changes in Personal Pronouns

1. Direct: She said, “He hit me.”
Reported: She said he had hit her.
2. Direct: They said, “We are late.”
Reported: They said they were late.
3. Direct: John said, “She gave us presents.”

Reported: John said that she had given them presents.
Dear learner, have you realized that the personal pronoun changes in the above pair of
sentences? We hope you did. As it has been seen clearly in the first pair of sentences, the
object first person pronoun me is changed into object third person pronoun her. And in the
second pair the subject first person pronoun we is changed into the subject third person
pronoun they.
? Can you identify the pronoun change in third pair of sentences above?
___________________________________________________________________
Dear learner, have you replied the above question by saying the object first person pronoun
us is changed into the object third person pronoun them? That is well done!
Now, see the changes in demonstrative pronouns. They are changed as follows when we
report direct speeches.
Study the table carefully for this change.

Table 8
This That
That That
These Those
Here There
There There
Those Those
Examples:
1. Direct: Tiya said, “This is important.”
Reported: Tiya said that was important.
2. Direct: Bilisuma said, “These notes are very important for my research.”
Reported: Bilisuma said that those notes were very important for her research.
3.2.5. Reporting Verbs

In English, there are some particular verbs that are used in reported speech. Some of the
most commonly used ones are: said, told and asked. We use these reporting verbs in
different situations. For instance, we often use ‘asked’ to report questions as: ‘I asked
Kidist at what time the class started.’ And we use the reporting verb ‘told’ with an object.
For example, ‘Mahlet told me she failed the exam.’ Here ‘me’ is an object. But, we usually
use the reporting verb ‘said’ without an object as ‘Mahlet said she is going to teach
Journalism.’
Dear learner, if you want to use ‘said’ with an object, you should include to as ‘Lidya said
to me that she had never been to Dilla.’ Though this is possible to say, we usually prefer to
use ‘told’ when there is an object as ‘Meron told me that she had never been to Hosanna’.
 Dear learner, said, told and asked are not the only reporting verbs. There are many
other verbs that we can use apart from them. These include: accused, admitted,
advised, agreed, apologized, complained, denied, explained, implied, invited,
ordered, promised, replied, suggested, alleged, begged, boasted and thought.
Using the above mentioned verbs properly, you can make what you say much more
interesting and informative.
For example:
1. She asked me to join the ruling party.
2. She ordered me to join the ruling party.
3. She advised me to join the ruling party.
Here note that the reporting verbs do not always follow the rules of tense
 charges that we have seen earlier. For example, if the reporting verb (i.e. said)
is in the past, the reported clause will be in a past form. This form is usually
backshifts into the past form of the originals. Melaku said, “I can teach
English online.” becomes Melaku said that he could teach English online.
Dear learner, note also that if the reporting verb is simple present, perfect or future (i.e.
says, has said and will say) the reported speech will be retained. Read the examples given
below for better understanding of this exception of reported speech.
Examples:
1. Direct: She says, “I wash my hair everyday.”

Reported: She says that she washes her hair everyday.
2. Direct: She has said, “I go to church every Sunday.”
Reported: She has said that she goes to church every Sunday.
3. Direct: She will say, “I go to church every Sunday.”
Reported: She will say that she goes to church every Sunday.
In addition to the use of reporting verbs, the idea expressed in the direct speech matters the
change into reported speech. For instance, if the reporting sentence is expressing general
truth or fact, the reported sentence is retained. This can be best seen in:
Direct: The teacher said, “The sun rises in the east.”

Reported: The teacher said that the sun rises in the east.
Moreover, if the speaker reports something immediately or soon after, it was said in the
direct speech, the reported clause often remains as spoken.
For example:
Direct: He said, “The next stop is the main gate.”
Reported: He said that the next stop is the main gate.
The other exception here is, if will express future time, and if the situation described in the
quote still holds true at the time of the reported speech , will may not be changed to would
though the reporting verb is in the past.
For example:
Direct: Geologists said, “Volcanic eruption will occur next year.”
Reported: Geologists said that volcanic eruption will occur next year.
3.2.6. The use of ‘that’ in Reported Speech

In reported speech the word that is often used. For example: He told me that he lived in
Bensa. However, sometimes that could be optional in use as: He told me he lived in Bensa.
Moreover, that is never used in questions, instead we use if/whether. For example: He
asked me if she could come to the party.
Dear learner, as it has been said before, if we report what another person has said, we
usually do not use the speaker’s exact words, but we report what has been uttered.
Therefore, you need to learn how to transform direct speech (what has been said) into
reported speech as it has been attempted earlier. The structure is a little different depending
on whether you want to transform a statement, question or request.
3.2.7. Reporting Statements

When you transform statements into reported speech, check whether you have to change:
pronouns, present time verbs (3rd person singular), place and time expressions and back
shifts in tenses. After checking all possible changes, you should use: Subject + Reporting
Verb (RV) + (that) + subject + tense change + the rest part of the sentence as a pattern
of reported statement.
For example:
Direct: Jalie said, “I will never forget you.”
Reported: Jalie said (to me) that she would never forget me.
 Dear learner, here note that the most common reporting verbs for statements
are: tell (tell + object pronoun) which is necessary and say (to + object
pronoun) which is optional. Other reporting verbs in statements include add,
admit, agree, decide, etc.
3.2.8. Reporting Questions
When you report questions, check whether you change the possible changes and identify
the type of question whether it is Yes/No or ‘Wh’ question. This is because the type of
question matters in transforming questions to reported speech.
1. Yes/ No Questions -to report Yes/No questions, you usually use: Subject + reporting
verb (normally ask) + if /whether clause + subject + tense change + rest of the
sentence.
Example:
Direct: “Is your friend an Ethiopian?” she asked.
Reported: She asked him if /whether his friend was an Ethiopian.
Dear learner, as it has been seen above, reported questions

 use normal word order and do not have question marks.
2. ‘Wh’--Questions --are introduced by questioning words such what, when, where, why,
who, etc. To report these questions, we use: Subject + reporting verb (RV) +
questions word +subject + tense change + rest of the sentence.
Direct: I asked her, “Where does she live?”

Reported: I asked her where she lived.
Direct: “Where is the registrar?” asked the student.

Reported: The student wanted to know where the registrar was.
 The most common reporting verbs in questions are: ask, wonder, want to
know, enquire, etc.
3.2.9. Reporting Commands, Requests, Advices, Orders, etc.

I). Direct: “Be quiet!”
Reported: The teacher told them to be quite.
Direct: She said, “Please turn off the light when you sleep.”
Reported: She asked me to turn off the light when I slept.
?What can you understand from the above pair of sentences?

___________________________________________________________________
To report commands, requests, advices, etc, which have been made to someone, we can
use: Subject + verb + object pronoun + infinitive with to + rest of the sentence.
Look at the following sentences.

II). Direct: The sign says, “Do not smoke!”
Reported: The sign tell us not to smoke.
Direct: “Do not get in.”
Reported: I told him not to get in.
? Can you observe any difference between the sentences in (I) and (II)? Identify and
write the pattern of the sentences in (II).
_________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________.
Note that the sentences in (I) are positive. But when the direct speech sentences are
negative, we use: Subject + reporting verb + object pronoun + Not + infinitive with to
+ rest of the sentence.
The most commonly used reporting verbs here are tell, ask, advise,
 command, order, remind, warn, etc.
Dear learner, have you understood the changes in reporting different types of sentences?
Have you also noticed that these sentences have their own structural pattern to be reported!
We hope so. Well done! Then, apply those patterns of reporting sentences in writing and
speaking discourses while you are reporting what has been said by someone else.
Exercise 10
Change the following sentences into reported speech. The first one is done for you.
(Write your answer in the spaces provided.)
1. Admasu said, “Do not clean the blackboard.”
Admasu told me not to clean the blackboard.
2. Aderaw said, “Do you think it will rain tomorrow?”
___________________________________________________________
3. She said “I was working in the garden last Tuesday.”
___________________________________________________________
4. Motuma said, “Write a letter now.”
____________________________________________________________
5. The teacher said, “Do not forget your assignments?”
____________________________________________________________
6. She said, “I went to Addis last week.”
_____________________________________________________________
7. Tsehay said, “Why didn’t you go to Addis this week?”
_____________________________________________________________
8. He says, “I speak English.”
______________________________________________________________
9. Abicho said, “I would work in the English Department.”
______________________________________________________________
10. Liya said, “Don’t sing that song.”
_______________________________________________________________
Section 4: Speaking
Overview
 In this section, you will do different speaking activities related to discussions. As
speaking is an interactive process of constructing meaning, the speaking activities in the

section will help you practice ways of making discussions on different issues to solve
problems or to arrive at common consensus. To do so, you will have chance to apply the
grammatical items you have learned in the previous units in general and in this unit in
particular. As you try to speak here, don’t forget to talk loudly, clearly and confidently, to
develop your fluency and accuracy in English. Dear learner, if you have a partner whom
you can speak with, hear out his/her views and if necessary try to convince and persuade
him/her that you have a stronger point for the discussion. To this effect, use logical ideas,
cause-effect connectors so as to relate the issues under discussion.
Objectives:
Upon successful completion of this section, you will be able to:
 practice speaking about different issues using the language items learned
previously;
 use language items learned before in free discussion;
 learn helpful expressions while discussion;

 involve yourself in different discussions.
4. 1. Discussions
Dear learner, as you might feel, the term discussion refers to an oral communication in
which a small group of individuals (may be you as a distance learner with your colleagues
meet to discuss on the quality of modules, or professionals meet and discuss a problem or
issue (for instance, global warming) to arrive at consensus or just to exchange and share
ideas on a significant matter). The purpose of discussion is to elicit the views of all
participants and through intense interaction evolve a common understanding.
Discussions range from group (small number of participants) to very large number of
participants on group interests or on issues of national and international arena. Mostly,
unlike meetings, discussion is unstructured, and has no detailed agendum/agenda. Only the
problem or issue to be addressed for discussion is stated and any members can initiate the
discussion and deal with any aspect. Sometimes, the topic to be discussed is made known
to the participants before hand so that they can ponder and formulate the views before the
discussion starts. And sometimes the topic is announced after the participants have
assembled. In this case, a few minutes are allowed for thinking and preparation.
4.2. Guidelines for Discussion

Dear learner, as a learner and later as a professional, you may have to take part in a
discussion. Hence, your effectiveness would depend upon whether you possess the personal
traits such as positive approach to issues and problems, leadership qualities, power of
exposition, analytical ability, and communication skill and group behavior. As a result, try
to cultivate them if you do not posses any and sharpen the ones you already have. The
quality of your performance would improve if you follow the guidelines given below in the
form of Do’s and Don’ts.
Dear learner, do and follow the following guidelines while you are participating in
discussions.
1. Define the issue or the topic.
2. Analyze its scope and implications.
3. Initiate and generate the discussion.
4. Listen to the views of others intently.
5. Encourage members to speak.
6. Intervene forcefully but politely when the situation demands.
7. Summarize views of the others before presenting your point of view.
8. Be brief and to the point in the presentation of your views.
9. Lead the group to a definite conclusion.
10. Emphasize the points you consider significant.
11. Look at and address all the members of the group.
12. Speak with proper pronunciation.
13. Help the group conclude the discussion with in the given time.
14. Maintain pleasant atmosphere throughout the discussion.
15. Summarize the main view points.
16. State the conclusions reached.
The above guidelines help you as the one who makes a discussion. As a result, you will be
successful in discussion once you internalize and perform them accordingly. Besides this,
there are others which you don’t do and follow while making discussions. Therefore, you
don’t:
1. be assertive in presenting your views.
2. dominate the discussion.
3. monopolize the decision.
4. make any personal remarks.
5. jump to conclusions.
6. speak continuously for a longtime.
7. raise your voice to high speak or too softly.
8. speak in monotone.
9. use aggressive gestures.

10. ignore any member of the group.
Dear learner, have you understood the Do’s and Don’ts that you need to follow as
guidelines for discussion? We hope so. Therefore, please, consider and use them while you
are participating in discussions.
Now, study the following helpful expressions which you can use while making
discussion.
1. To express your opinion, you can use:

I am of the view ---------------------
I feel -------------------
I think ------------------
So far as I am concerned ----------
2. To defend your opinion, you can use:

Let me restate what I mean -----------------------
I repeat what I said earlier because -----------------
What I am trying to say is ---------------------------
This is what I was trying to suggest ---------------------
This point made by him/her really supports my view---------------
3. To ask the opinion of others:

What is your opinion---------------------
Do you have any opinion on this matter -----------------
What do you feel about this -------------------
Do you have any comments on this suggestion-----------
4. To agree with others:

I fully agree--------------------------------
I don’t think so----------------------------

I also think so------------------------------
This point is well taken-------------------------------
I endorse this view point---------------------------
5. To disagree with other:

I don’t agree--------------------------
I don’t think so --------------------------
I am afraid I feel differently -----------------
You can’t say that --------------------------
That is not the issue-----------------------
6. To express certainty:
I’m sure that ---------------------------------
I’m absolutely certain ----------------------
I’ve no doubt that -------------------------
There’s definitely -------------------------
7. To make suggestion:
Let’s start with---------------------------
What about -----------------------------
May we then --------------------------
Why don’t we ------------------------
8. To insist:
Let me emphasize this point------------------------
I have to say again that -----------------------------
I must draw your attention again to what I said earlier-------------------
I’m afraid I have to insist on -------------------------------
9. Interrupting:
Could you stop for a while ------------------------------
Just a minute------------------------------
May I come in here----------------------
Could you clarify this point--------------------
Dear learner, have you looked at the different expressions that you might use while you are
participating in discussion? That is very good. Therefore, please, consider and use them
during discussions where they are necessary and relevant.
Exercise 11
The following are discussion points about different issues. As you can see each
statement is provocative and controversial. Express your ideas freely, talking in
English loudly and confidently. If you have a speaking partner (you need to have) ask
him /her views on the issue.
1. Liberal Democracy has failed in Ethiopia, what the country follows is

Revolutionary Democracy.
2. To make it socially more relevant, University Education should be revised.
3. Internet is more of a bane than a boon.
4. Beauty contests in Ethiopia should be banned as they are against the spirit of our
norms.
5. The present policy of building Ethiopianism should be changed as it is against our
nationalist interest and view.
6. The use of English as a medium of instruction at the tertiary level in Ethiopia
should be discontinued as it encourages learning an alien culture and norm.
7. In Ethiopia, politics is no longer an instrument of public service; it has instead a
means of acquiring power and wealth.
Selection 5: Writing
Overview
 In this section, as an analysis of written texts, you will be introduced to reading
texts organized based on problem -solution structure. Then, you will practice to identify the
problems and solutions of those written texts.
Objectives:
Upon successful completion of this section, you will be able to:
 identify the problem and solution discussed in written texts;
 transfer information from written texts to note frameworks;
 write an outline that shows problem solution pattern of written texts.
Read the texts below and study closely how the problems and solutions are identified.
Text 1
Why Students Dropout
Students’ dropout of college for many reasons. First of all, some students are bored in
school. These students may enter college expecting no stop fun or a series of fascinating
courses. When they find out that college is often routine, they quickly lose interest. They
do not want to take dull required courses or spend their rights studying, and so they
dropout. Students also dropout of college because the work is harder that they though it
would be. These students may have made decent grades in high school simply by showing
up for class. In college, however, they may have to prepare for two – hour exam, write
fifteen page term papers, or make detailed presentation to a class. The hard work comes as
a shock, and students given up. Perhaps the most common reason students drop out is that
they are having personal or emotional problems. Younger students especially, may be
attending college at an age when they are also feeling confused, lonely, or depressed. For
many types of students, dropping out seems to be the only solution they can imagine.
?Can you identify how the above text is organized?

________________________________________________________________
Dear learner, the above text is organized in problem- solution structure. What is expected
from you is examining the problem –solution relationship of the text’s organization. When
you examined it, you might get the outline of the text’s organization as follows:
Situation: For several reasons students dropout from colleges.

Problem: Students are bored in school.
College education is harder than students thought it would be.
Students have personal or emotional problems.
Solution: Because student’s college life demands due to the reasons mentioned above, they
drop out of college.
Study also the text given below:

Text 2
Why Dogs Attack Children
Because more people use doges for protection, there are increasing reports of dog attacks
on children. A survey conducted in South Africa revealed that of cases examined, the
majority of children bitten were attacked by dogs they know. Nearly half of those were
victims of neighbors, dogs, and one quarter was bitten by their own dogs. Stray dogs
accounted for only 10 per cent of attacks. Often the victim, perhaps with out realizing it,
had proved the dog in some way, evidently, many dog attacks can be avoided if dog owners
and parents take some basic precautions such as training the child and dog. Children should
be taught to treat animals kindly. They should be taught never to tease a dog. And dogs
should be trained to obey basic commands. Dogs should be made used to being hugged. By
all means, aggressive games with dogs should be avoided.
Examine the outline given below:

Situation: Dogs that are supposed to protect people are increasingly affecting children.
Problems: i). Many children are bitten by dogs they know their own dogs and neighbors’
dogs.
ii). The causes for the attacks are children themselves.
Solutions: i).Generally, taking precautions can help avoid dog attacks.
ii). Children should treat animals kindly (no teasing).
iii). Dogs should be taught basic commands.
iv). Aggressive games should be avoided.
Exercise 12
Read the following text and identify the problems and solutions discussed. Complete
the note –frame given below.
For many of the World’s inhabitants, finding noise – free places is a challenge. In Japan, a
nation wide report for 1991 stated that noise provided more complaints than any other form
of pollution.
Noise has become the greatest scourge of contemporary life from the irritatingly persistent
bark of a dog to the blasting of neighbor’s stereo or the insistent blare of a car burglar –
alarm radio, noise has become the norm.
Since the ear is the “best detector” of noise, it is obviously the organ most lively to suffer
from it. Damage to the sensitive nerve cells of your inner ear can cause permanent loss of
hearing. People vary in their response to loud sounds. But repeated exposure to sounds
above 80 to 90 decibels can lead you to gradual loss of hearing. Indeed, the higher the noise
levels are, the less time you can spend daily in that environment before your hearing suffers
damage.
As a result of the widespread noise nuisance, agencies that aim to protect the environment
press for laws to curb noise pollution. In the United States, for example, some communities
have adopted local regulations to limit the use of power land- scalping tools. In Britain, a
new Noise Act targets nosily neighbors and authorizes on the spot fines for violations
between 11:00 P.M and 7:00 am. Local authorities even have the power to confiscate
offending stereo equipment.
Outline:
Situation: Worldwide, now a day to find a noise free place has really become
impossible.
Problems: 1.
2.
Solutions: 1. ______
2.
3.
Exercise 13
Rearrange the following sentences based on the pattern of writing problem -solution.
Write the answer in the right order in the space provided. The first one is done for
you.
1. To soften the austere character of its thousands of monotonous human cubicles
some trees have been planted in its streets and courts.
2. Yet, in their own small village they may reassure urban man that he has some
living company in his world of stone.
3. Pete cooper village is not, as its name might suggest, a colonial settlement
overlooked by the 20th c.
4. These takers of greenery seem some what in congruous, dwarfed as they are by
the massive hulks of masonry around them.
5. The “village” covers a dozen square blacks of midtown Manhattan with gigantic
brick moonlit.
6. It is the prototype for an ultra – modern people –packing technique.
The correct order is: 3, , , and
Exercise 14
Identify the problems and solutions found in the text given below and complete the
outline. The problem is done for you as an example.
Thousands of plants and animals are going being driven to extinction. It is estimated that
27,000 species per year, or three per hours are becoming extinct. At this rate, up to 20 per
cent of earth’s species could be extinct in 30 years. But the rate of extinction is not
constant; it is growing. It is expected that by early in the next century, hundreds of species
will disappear each year.
Reaching near the brink is the African black Rhinoceros. Its number is decaling from
65,000 to 25,000 in less than 20 years. Fewer than 5,000 Orangutans remain in the
shrinking jungles of Borneo and Sumatra. The blight has also struck in earth’s waters. One
victim is the graceful Baiji Dolphin of China Yangtze River. Pollution and indiscriminate
fishing have left a scant one hundred, and they may all be gone within a decade. Because of
the global extinction crisis, a new ally has entered the fray on the side of the embattled
animals- the zoos. Increasingly, these urban enclaves are the last refuge for many with
biological poverty treating the planet; leading zoos of the world have defined conservation,
education, and scientific research as their mission for the 21 st century. Inspired by the
challenge and impelled by its urgency, some zoos have discarded the name zoo altogether,
preferring instead such terms as “wildlife sanctuary” or “conservative perk.”
Outline:
Situation : _____________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Problem: i). wild animals (African black Rhinoceros Orangutans) are disappearing as a
result of shrinking jungles and habitats.
ii).______________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Solution:i)._______________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
ii)______________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Check List
In this unit, in general in this Module, as the Module contains one unit, you have learned
the following important points. Put a tick ( ) mark next to each check list to indicate that
you have understood them very well. If you feel you have not mastered the objective of
each learning item please refer back to the part that will help you revise the difficult item.
I can:
1. read and relate ideas taken from reading passages with information drawn from
experience.
2. guess meanings of new words from context.
3. construct sentences using new words drawn and learned form reading passages.
4. use different forms of past tense in daily communication.
5. use the different forms of future tense in real life situation.
6. charge direct speech into reported speech
7. make discussions using appropriate expressions
8. identify problems and solutions from a write text
Unit Summary
In this Unit, (in the Module in general), you have learned about the different aspects of
reading and vocabulary skills based on the reading passage entitled “George Finley: A
Teacher”. You have learned different words that are associated with teaching as a
profession. You have also learned how to form and use past tense with its forms (simple
past, past continuous tense, past perfect and past perfect continuous) and future tense
(simple future, future continuous, future perfect and future perfect continuous) in
meaningful writing and speaking. Besides this, you have also learned when and how you
can use direct and indirect (reported speech) and the possible changes in transforming
direct speech into reported speech.
The following is a summary of the important language items that you have learned in this
unit:
1. Past tense is generally used to show:
 completed action .
 what was happening when something else happened.
 when something was done before another past action.
 how long something was done for by a certain time.
2. The future tense in English is indicated in several ways. It is used to:
 decide to do something in the future at the time of speaking.
 say something will already be completed by a time in the future.
 show how long something will have been happening some time in the
future.
3. We use reported speech when we report something said by someone else. But we don’t
use the actual words of the speaker or writer. Here note that there shouldn’t be meaning
difference between the direct and the reported speech.
In the speaking section, you are introduced with discussions, how to make discussions and
making discussions to persuade and convince people to bring them in certain common
understanding.
Finally, in the writing section of this Module, you have learned how to analyze the
organization of a written text to identify the problem-solution.
 Self- check Exercise 1
A. Write the correct forms of the verbs given in the brackets. (Write your answers in
spaces provided.)
1. I (finish) _________ my dinner before Abinet called me.

2. Tizita (have watch) _________ the movie for two hours when Samrawit interrupted
her.
3. If she has a baby, she (call) ________ it Laura.
4. I (play) ________ tennis at three O’ clock tomorrow.
5. What you (be do) _____________ next week? I need to see you then.
B. Change each of the following sentences into interrogative forms. (Write your
answers in spaces provided.)
1. You had never eaten Injera before you came to Ethiopia.
_____________________________________________________________?
2. Marry finished her homework.
_____________________________________________________________?
3. Meberatu didn’t report the issue.
_____________________________________________________________?
4. I will have finished the assignment by then.
_____________________________________________________________?
5. I will be teaching tomorrow at this time.
____________________________________________________________ ?
C. Change the following direct speech to reported speech. (Write your answer in the
spaces provided.)
1. Ato Dawit said, “I have studied in Cairo.”
____________________________________________________________
2. The boy said, “I’ll carry the box up the stairs.”
____________________________________________________________
3. Elsa said, “I can teach you to type properly.”
___________________________________________________________
4. I said, “I should finish writing the module next Friday.”
___________________________________________________________
5. Molly said, “I was in the meeting last Thursday.”
___________________________________________________________
6. “Has he finished his work?” she said.
___________________________________________________________
7. “Stop running,” he said.
__________________________________________________________
8. She said, “Where does Alemu sit?”
__________________________________________________________
9. He said, “She will arrive this week.”
_________________________________________________________
10. The teacher said, “The earth is round.”
_________________________________________________________
11. He says, “I am will.”
_________________________________________________________
12. I said, “I don’t like coffee in tea.”
_________________________________________________________
13. She will say, “I don’t want to come.”

_________________________________________________________
14. “ He left his cell phone at home,” she said.
_________________________________________________________
15. “Which books are we going to read?” they said.
__________________________________________________________
 Answer key to exercises
Exercise 1
1. B 3. D 5. C 7.A
2. D 4. D 6. C 8.B
Exercise 2
1. False 2. False 3. True 4. False 5. True
Exercise 3
Questions Answers Questions Answers
Reasons for -Short hours Current Primary school
becoming a -Long holydays teaching job teacher
teacher -Time to set up own
business
Non-teaching -designer Problems with Controlling pupils
jobs - set up handicraft workshop teaching
Teacher Post-graduate teaching Pleasures from Better relationship
training course teaching with pupils
First teaching Small primary school in Future plans Stay in same school
job village
Exercise 4
1. shocked greatly 6.person unable to pay debts
2. job where no further progress 7.serousily
3. distinctive clothing worn by specific group 8. an area from where many people
4. village where sleeping buildings are found sent to school
5. placed/stood 9. receive/gain
10. desire strongly, be filled with longing
Exercise 5
These are open-ended questions. Thus, you can answer them based on your knowledge and
on the ideas expressed in the passage and your ideas as well.
Exercise 6
1. didn’t
2. was
3. had been 4. were you doing 5. was ringing
Exercise 7
1. will have 4. will have been working 7. is going 10. will you give
2. will call 5. shall have finished 8. will break
3. will you be 6. will have 9. will have returned
Exercise 8
2. Milly said that Hana was feeling well.
3. Hanfeto said that he couldn’t speculate.
4. He said that he had treated us for burns.
5. Endalew said that he had been on duty for the Association.
Exercise 9
2. Melisew said that he wanted to finish that module that night.
3. The coordinator said that they would be able to start classes of the distance
education at beginning of the following month.
4. Tsegaye said that classes for senior students had to begin on next Tuesday.
5. Akalu said that every thing had been arranged in the previous day in the morning.
Exercise 10
2. Aderaw asked me whether/ if I thought it would rain the day after.
3. She said that she had been working in the garden the previous Tuesday.
4. Motuma told me to write a letter then.
5. Teacher told us not to forget our assignments.
6. She said that she had gone to Addis a week before.
7. Tsehay asked me why I hadn’t gone to Addis that week.
8. He says he speaks English
9. Abicho said that he would work in the English department.
10. Liya asked me not to sign that song.
Exercise 11
It is open-ended. There are no any correct answers to be given. You are advised to do them
yourself and practice making discussion on the issues given.
Exercise 12
Situation:
Problem: 1. Excessive noise (persistent dog barking, blasting stereo etc.) has become a
serious problem.
2. Excessive noise affects the ear terribly. It can cause loss of hearing.
Solution: 1. Some agencies set laws to control noise pollution.
2. USA-set local regulations to limit the use of power landscaping tools.
3. Britain – has Noise Act fines for any violation. Local authorities confiscate
offending equipment.
Exercise 13
The correct order of the sentences should be: 3, 5, 1, 4, and 2.
Exercise 14
Situation: Thousands of plants and animals are being driven to extinction. Extinction has
become a growing problem.
Problem: ii). Some water animals are also disappearing due to pollution and indiscriminate
fishing.
Solutions: i). The construction of zoos or “wildlife sanctuary” or “conservation park.”
ii). The leading zoos of the world have defines conservation, education and
scientific research.
Answer Key to Self-check Exercises
A. 1. Had finished 3. will call 5. will you be doing.

2. had been watching 4. be playing
B. 1. Had you ever eaten Injera before you came to Ethiopia?

2. Did Marry finish her homework?
3. Did Mebratu not report the issue? Or Didn’t Mebratu report the issue?
4. Will/Shall have I finished the assignment by then?
5. Will/Shall I be teaching tomorrow at this time?
C. 1. Ato Dawit said that he had studied in Cairo.

2. The boy said he would carry the box up the stairs.
3. Elsa said I could teach you to type properly.

4. I said I should finish writing the Module the following Friday.
5. Molly said he had been in the meeting in the previous Thursday.
6. She asked me whether he had finished his work.
7. He ordered us to stop running.
8. He asked where Alemu sat.
9. He said she would arrive that week.
10. The teacher said that the earth is round.
11. He says that he is ill.
12. I said that I didn’t like coffee in tea.
13. She will say that she doesn’t want to come.
14. She said that he had left cell phone at home.
15. They asked which books they were going to read.

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Communicative English Skills (EnLa1011)

Pre - reading Questions

2. Do you like teaching as a profession? Why?

George Finley: A Teacher

2. Before I became a teacher, I worked as a designer in industry. It was a dead-end job

1. The level of the school where Gorge began to teach is :

2. Why was George not successful as a designer? This is because:

4. According to Paragraph 4, George:

5. In Paragraph 6, the writer says that teaching is informal. Because:

6. The main idea of Paragraph 7 is about:

7. Which paragraph expresses that teaching is challenging, yet it is manageable by the

8. Based on the ideas in the passage, teaching is:

c. a an easy job because it doesn’t need over all skill

1. George’s initial decision to be a teacher was right.

Questions Answers Questions Answers

Reasons for becoming a Primary school

1. horrified (Para 1, line 6) means

Exercise 5: Discussion and Writing

Study the following sentences taken from the reading passage.

?When do you think we use these types of sentences?

2(a). Birhanu was up set about the party.

Used to show a I studied English last

Beginning in the past Ending in the past

?Write four sentences of your own using simple past.

3.1.1.1. Past Simple Statements and Negatives.

3.1.1.2. Past Simple Irregular Verbs -Statements and Negatives.

3.1.1.3. Past Simple Yes/No and Wh-questions

3.1.1.4. Past Simple Passive

3.1. 2. Past Simple and Past Continuous Tense

1. (a). I went down to the registrar office.

Look at also the following sentences:

-what was happening when -I was studying English at 5pm

I started doing I was doing I finished doing

3.1.3. The Past Perfect Tense

2. We had finished our project the day before it was due.

?Can you identify the actions expressed in the above sentences?

3.1.3. 2. The Past Perfect Continuous Tense

Had been doing

5. The phone (be ring) __________ while I was having breakfast.

3.1.4. The Future Tense

Simple Future (uses will or shall or going to + base form)

Simple Future Decide to do - I think I’ll do my English

the time of speaking.

A decision is made now to

3.1.4.1. Future Tense forms with ‘will’

?Write down the functions of ‘will’ in the above sentences.

3.1.4.2. The Future Continuous Tense

3.1.4.3. The Future Perfect Tense

Now 7.30 9.15 10.00

3.1.4.4. The Future Perfect Continuous Tense

Look at the following sentences:

? When do we use these types of sentences?

Lesson Friends Lesson

Now 7.30 8.00 8.15

1. Tomorrow at this time, I (have) _____________ shower.

3. When it is ready, she (call) _________ us.

3.2. Reported Speech

Dear learner, study the following situation:

am /is  was do /does  did will  would

3.2.1. Tenses in Reported Speech

Direct Speech Reported Speech

6.Past Continuous 5. Past Perfect Continuous

3.2.2. Verbs and Modal Auxiliaries that do not change in Reported