Elementary A1

Unit 7
Temporary activities

Learning objectives

 Contrasting routines with temporary activities

 Expressing future plans
 Expressing possession
 Choosing between two or more objects
 Writing a simple e-mail

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Class activities 7.1
I. Watch video: Viewpoint 3: 1 (personal processes) & 2 (company processes)

Grammar

Simple present & Present progressive

(as temporary activities and as future)

Compare these sentences.

The factory usually works five days a week; but this month we’re working seven days a week.
I work in the marketing department; but this week I’m helping the Human Resources people.

What do they contrast?

The simple present expresses habits or routines; the present progressive may express
temporary actions.

Look at these sentences.

Next month we’re starting to export to Asia too.

Next week we’re hiring one hundred more people.

What do they express, present or future?

How do you know?

The present progressive has three uses in English:

It expresses actions happening at the moment of speaking.

It expresses temporary actions contrasted with habitual actions.

It expresses future plans

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II. Choose the most appropriate options. Then read the sentences out loud.

1. What do you do?

a. I'm an IT technician.
b. I'm having lunch now.
c. I go out of town on weekends.

2. That job is not for Lucy

a. she's not speaking English.

b. she doesn't speak English.
c. she can speak English.

3. It's Susan on the phone;

a. she's calling from London.

b. she calls from London.
c. she'd like to call from London.

4. What's Fred doing?

a. He teaches French.
b. He's preparing his lesson.
c. He works for the French embassy.

Pronunciation

/e/ - e
pen bed tell ten bread

/ʃ/ - sh, ss, t

she ship Sharon shy constitution

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III. Dictation.

1. Sharon is a very shy student.

2. She’s Russian.

3. Ted is ten years old.

4. Please, tell Ben the answer.

5. We need some bread for lunch.

6. I’m sending the information to the client.

IV. Read and reproduce Sample email, Unit 6.

Speaking

V. Make sentences contrasting habitual and temporary actions. Eg. I usually call
clients; but this week I’m checking proposals.

Habitual Temporary

1. Teach English Work at the school library

2. Study engineering Prepare a project

3. Work at customer service Help at the accounting department

4. Meet at the conference room Meet at the Director’s office

5. Translate documents Interview candidates

6. Drive to work Take the metro

VI. Answer Progress Test 12: Speaking.

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Extra class activities 7.1
I. Complete these conversations with the correct form of the verbs in parentheses.
Then read the dialogues out loud.

Emma: You are quite busy, aren't you?

Clark: Yes, it's terrible. Sandra is sick, and I ____________ (do) all her work this
week.
Emma: Well, I ____________ (hope) it's only this week.
Clark: __________ you _________ (go) out of town this weekend?
Emma: Yes, I _____________ (visit) my parents on Saturday; you know I always
___________ (see) them on Saturdays.

Milton: You look very busy. A new project?

Lara: Well, not exactly. Right now, I __________ (prepare) an interview for new
candidates.
Milton: _________ you _________ (have) the recruitment process soon?
Lara: Yes, in a week. We _________ (expect) a good number of candidates.
Milton: That sounds good. How many generally ___________ (stay) in the
company?
Lara: It _________ (depend) Every year we _____________ (hire) about 20.
Milton: That's a good amount. Changing the subject, what ___________ you
______________ (do) after work today?
Lara: I __________ (not, have) any plans.
Milton: How about having dinner at a restaurant?
Lara: That's a great idea.

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Class activities 7.2
Grammar

Another, other, others, the other, the others

Observe that:

“another” and “the other” are singular: another shirt, the other office.

“other”, “others” and “the others” are plural: Ted chose other books. I prefer others. We took the
others.

I. Choose the most appropriate option.

1. I don’t quite like this laptop; I prefer (the another – other – the other)
2. Among the candidates, some pass the test; (anothers – another – others) don’t.
3. I don’t want to buy that book; I want (other – another – the another)
4. Some people voted for Marc; (other – another – others) people voted for Susan.
5. They don’t like those dictionaries; they like (the anothers – the others – other)

Possessive pronouns

Look at these sentences.

Mine is red.
His is blue.
Hers is very quiet.
You can concentrate in yours.
Ours is really very nice.
Theirs is soon having problems.

What words do mine, his, hers, yours, ours and theirs refer to?

They’re possessive pronouns; we use them not to repeat the nouns.

Mine and his refer to Marge’s and Bill’s cars.

Hers refers to Clara’s office.
Yours refers to Walter’s office.
Ours refers to Tanya and her coworkers’ manager.
Theirs refers to the new manager they have at the accounting department.

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II. Fill in the blanks according to the context using mine, yours, his, hers, ours or
theirs. Then read the dialogues out loud.

Bill: Tom, is this agenda ___________?

Tom: No, this one is black, and _________ is blue. By the way, is that Betty’s book?
Bill: No, __________ is quite old. Ask Tony; maybe it's __________.

Jack: Do you like this school, Fred?

Fred: Yes, but I prefer the school where my brothers study.
Jack: Why?
Fred: Well, _________ is very big and has very good teachers.

Paul: Elmer, is this your dictionary?

Elmer: No, this one is very big, and ______ is small. I think it´s Laura’s.
Paul: Not really, _________ is small too.
Alice: Ask John; I remember __________ is big.

Frances: We have a new professor. He’s really great.

Miriam: Well, you’re lucky. We don’t like __________. He’s not very nice.

Speaking

III. You’re buying clothes at a store; but you can’t decide what to buy. Students A
are clerks and Students B are customers. Role play the situation. Use another,
other, the other.

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Extra class activities 7.2
I. Complete this conversation with the correct form of the verbs in parentheses.
Then read the dialogue out loud.

Karla: I see you’re quite busy, my friend.

Brian: You bet; right now, I _____________ (prepare) a training course I have to
give next week to a group of Italian people.
Karla: That sounds interesting.
Brian: My wife and I ____________ (plan) to go to Rome in August.
Karla: That’s fantastic; it’s an amazing city; my husband ____________ (love) it.
Well, I’ll let you work.
Brian: How about meeting this Saturday to have dinner?
Karla: I'll let you know tomorrow. I ___________ (work) on a very important project
this week, and it's quite demanding.

II. Read and reproduce Sample email, Unit 11.

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