Planning date: 05/11/2023

Teaching date: 08/11/2023

Class: 11 English Period: 52

GRAMMAR
Topic: Stammering/stuttering and how best to respond when someone stammers.
Duration: 1periods (45 minutes)

I. Instructional objectives
By the end of the leson, sts will be able to…..
• understand more about stammering and how (not) to respond when someone
stammers
• imprive reading for specific information skill.
• use a range of structures for expressing preference and/or annoyance: would prefer,
would sooner, would rather, wish
II. Materials:
Student worksheet
III. Anticipated difficulties
- Students may lack words related to the topic.
IV. Procedure
Stages & Time Teacher and Students’ Activities
• Ask students to read the short text in exercise 1.
1. Lead-in (5 • Students then discuss in pairs what, if anything, surprised them. They
minutes) may, for example, be surprised that it is genetic or that it is relatively
common.
2. Reading (10 • Students discuss the questions in exercise 2 in pairs. Because this
minutes) can be a sensitive subject, it is probably better not to make this into a
whole-class discussion. Students can then decide whether to say to
their partner that they have a stammer themselves or have a family
member who does, etc.
• Introduce Joe and ask students to read the text in exercise 3 and
compare with their
ideas from exercise 2.
• Students list the five ways of responding Joe finds unhelpful and what
he’d prefer
people to do (exercise 4a). Briefly feed back as a class.
• In pairs again, students discuss the questions in exercise 4b. Briefly
feed back as a
class.
Suggested answers:
People may feel embarrassed, or be wanting to help the person, as well
as being unsympathetic. The more people talk openly about stammering
and how to respond, the easier it will be for people who stammer, as
they will feel more accepted.
3. Grammar • Ask students to find and complete the different ways of expressing
focus (10 preference
 minutes) (exercise 5). Once they have done this, ask them what grammatical
differences they
notice in the structures. Briefly elicit a few examples.
• Make sure students understand the difference between bare infinitive
(go) and full
infinitive (to go). Students then complete the grammar rules (exercise
6a), using the
words in the box (they use some words
more than once). Key:
1 prefer 2 rather 3 prefer 4 prefer 5 rather 6 rather/sooner 7 sooner
/rather
8 rather/sooner 9 sooner/rather 10 rather/sooner 11 rather (not sooner)
12 wish
13 wish
• Exercise 6b – Ask students to identify which form expresses some
annoyance: wish
(depending on intonation, the other forms could be used this way as
well, but ‘wish’ always has a feeling of annoyance).
4. Grammar • Exercise 7 – Check students understand how to complete the exercise,
practice (15–20 using the
minutes) word in capitals. Then ask them to complete the second sentence so
that it means the same as the first. Note that these structures are
commonly testing in this task in the FCE exam. Let students check
and compare their answers in pairs, before checking as a class.
Key:
1 I’d rather you didn’t shout.
2 I’d sooner he didn’t buy me presents all the time.
3 Lucy would prefer to go to the cinema rather than (go to) the theatre.
4 I wish you wouldn’t whistle all the time.
5 I’d prefer to eat Chinese food tonight.
6 They wish you wouldn’t use your mobile at the dinner table.
7 I’d rather not go out tonight.
• Students then work in pairs to make a list of things another people
sometimes do
that they find annoying (exercise 8a). They then work together
(exercise 8b) to express these ideas using different structures
from exercise 6.
• Elicit a few examples from the class.
WORKSHEET
What not to say to someone who stammers
1. Read the short text below about stammering. Does anything surprise you?
Stammering (sometimes referred to as ‘stuttering’) means that when you speak you get
stuck on certain words or sounds, or that you repeat sounds. It usually starts in early childhood,
but some people grow out of it. There is no one reason why people stammer, but recent research
suggests that it is genetic. Around one person in every hundred stammers.
2. Do you ever stammer or know anyone that stammers? How do you think you should
respond when someone stammers?

3. Read the text below, written by Joe who has a stammer, and compare with your ideas.
I have a stammer, or, if you’re American, a stutter. Can I just say straightaway that I wish
people wouldn’t assume that because I stammer I must be stupid. Stammering has absolutely
nothing to do with intelligence.

People who have a stammer aren’t doing it because they feel nervous, so I’d rather people
didn’t try and make me feel better. I really don’t need them to give me advice, such as ‘slow
down’ or ‘breathe’.

Another pet hate of mine is when someone thinks they’re an expert in stammering
because they’ve seen a film where a character had a stammer. It’s even more annoying when
they tell me I can be cured by, for example, singing. Am I supposed to sing to people instead of
talk?
I’d also really prefer people not to finish my sentence for me – especially when you get it
wrong and that wasn’t what I was trying to say at all. And please don’t pressure me. Telling me
to ‘just spit it out’ isn’t exactly helpful either.

Finally, I’d sooner people didn’t ask me what happened to me to make me stammer.
Sometimes a stammer can be triggered by trauma, but most of the time there’s no particular
reason for it. It’s just part of what makes me who I am.

I guess what I’m really saying is that I’d prefer people to focus on what I’m saying, rather
than how I’m saying it.
4a. What five ways of responding to stammering does Joe find unhelpful or annoying?
What would he prefer people to do when he’s speaking?

4b. Why do you think people often respond to stammering in these ways? What do you
think are the best ways of helping to understand more about stammering, and how to
respond when someone stammers?

5. Find the following ways of expressing preference in the text and complete them using
Joe’s
words.

1. I wish people…

2. I’d rather people…

3. I’d prefer people…

4. I’d sooner people…

5. I’d prefer people… rather…
 6a. Read the grammar rules and complete them with the correct verb from the box. You
can use each word several times. Use the examples from the text in exercise 5 to help you.
prefer rather sooner wish
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……..
Expressing preference
There are several different ways of expressing preference and the verb patterns vary.
1 Subject + would + 1_______ + object + full infinitive (+ 2_______ + than + bare infinitive)
I’d 3_______ you (not) to arrive early.
I’d 4______ you to arrive early 5_______ than be late.

2 Subject + would + 6_______ or 7________ + object + past tense or Subject + would +

8_______ + bare infinitive.

I’d 9______ you didn’t do that. / I’d 10_______ you didn’t do that. I’d 11_______
not do that.
3 Subject + 12______ + object + would(n’t) + bare infinitive
I 13_____ he wouldn’t leave his socks on the floor.

6b. Which form is used to express some annoyance as well as a preference?

7. Complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first, using the word in
CAPITALS.
1 Please don’t shout. YOU
I’d rather __________________________________
2 I don’t want him to buy me presents all the time. SOONER
I’d _____________________________________
3 Lucy would rather go to the cinema than the theatre. RATHER
Lucy would prefer ___________________________________________
4 I’d really rather you didn’t whistle all the time. WOULDN’T I
____________________________________
5 I really fancy eating Chinese food tonight. PREFER
I’d ___________________________________
6 They would sooner you didn’t use your mobile at the dinner table. WISH
They __________________________________
7 I don’t really want to go out tonight. RATHER
I’d _____________________________________

8a. Working in pairs, make a list of 5–10 things other people sometimes do that you find
annoying. For example, interrupting you when you’re speaking.

8b. For each example in your list, write 2 different ways of saying that you would prefer them to
behave differently. E.g. I’d rather you didn’t interrupt me when I’m speaking/ I’d prefer you not
to interrupt me when I’m speaking.