Grammar Activity

Identify the correct verb in the following sentences.

1. Everyone (was/were) afraid of him.
2. Anything that they like (is/are) okay for me.
3. Few men at the party (has/have) the courage to refuse her.
4. Nobody at school (has/have) dared to test my patience.
5. All of the crises (has/have) been resolved.
6. Both (decides/decide) to stay at home.
7. Several tourists (was/were) stranded in the island.
8. None of the alumni of 1982 (was/were) given an award.
9. Each of us (has/have) a chance of winning.
10. Many boys at school (is/are) good at sports.
Unit 1. Lesson 8. Reaching the End 1
 Unwanted
Competition

LESSON 2
UNIT II: WORK LIFE
Lesson Outline
1. Reading
2. Vocabulary Focus
3. Easy Challenge
4. Average Challenge
5. Summary

3
 How do you
handle
jealousy when
your colleague
is praised
more than you
are?
4
Setting
After an unimpressive
performance, Agatha
managed to blow away her
boss, but this made
someone jealous.

5
Agatha: Brenda? My files in my computer are gone! Did you see
someone entering my cubicle?
Brenda: I think Melissa is the saboteur. Who else would want to
delete your files?
Agatha: The other new girl? That’s insane !
Brenda: The other day, I heard her backstabbing you. She wasn’t
pleased that Mrs. Smith was blown away by your last presentation.
Agatha: Why does it have to be a dog-eat-dog competition around
here? How can we be productive if we keep on acting childish ? Now,
it’s exhausting to start over again. How I wish people would be more
empathetic.
Brenda: You have to watch your back, Agatha. Everyone here is a
go-getter. 6
(A few minutes later.)

Melissa: How dare you, Agatha! Why would you throw me under the
bus? You’re my friend!
Agatha: I-I don’t know—What are you talking about?
Melissa: Mrs. Smith gave me suspension!
Agatha: I didn’t say it was you!
Melissa: You’re so good at flattering her that she overlooks how
mediocre your work is!
Agatha: Don’t talk to me because I am not talking to you.

7
Vocabulary Focus
Let us read the following office expressions

 saboteur  to watch one’s back

 to backstab  go-getter
 dog-eat-dog  to throw someone under the
 productive bus
 empathetic  suspension
 to flatter

8
Agatha: My files in my computer are gone! Did you see someone
entering my cubicle?
Brenda: I think Melissa is the saboteur. Who else would want to delete
your files?
saboteur
a. someone who prefers to be at the limelight
MEANING b. someone who is so jealous of others
c. someone who wants someone to fail
d. someone who insults or humiliate others

MORE A group of saboteurs switched off the main power that the party
was stopped because there was no electricity.
EXAMPLES
Her sister was a saboteur who decided to tear a huge hole on her
beautiful new dress while she was asleep.
9
 All of us have our
inner saboteur or often
called inner devil who
feeds on our insecurity.

10
 Her inner saboteur made
her lose control of
herself by shouting at
her colleague
unnecessarily while the
big bosses were
watching.

Your Sentence
His inner saboteur made him ________________________
11
 What should
you do when
you realize that
the person you
are talking to is
your saboteur?
12
Brenda: The other day, I heard her backstabbing you. She wasn’t pleased
that Mrs. Smith was blown away by your last presentation.

to backstab
a. to attack someone verbally when not present
MEANING b. to hurt someone by spreading false stories
c. to accuse someone of a serious offense
d. to criticize someone due to fair reasons

MORE Melissa and her friends have been backstabbing Andy for reasons
he can’t understand.
EXAMPLES
When someone backstabs a friend, immediately defend him/her.

13
When a person is brutally
backstabbed to the point
that his reputation is
destroyed, this is called
character assassination.
14
 Erin decided to talk to
Melissa after hearing
from friends that she
backstabbed her many
times.

Your Sentence
________________________ that she backstabbed her
often.
15
Have you ever
confronted a
backstabber?
What did you
do?

16
Agatha: Why does it have to be a dog-eat-dog competition around here?
How can we be productive if we keep on acting childish ?

dog-eat-dog
a. marked by a wrong and false impression
MEANING b. marked by the desire to do ill on another person
c. marked by intense straightforwardness
d. marked by ruthless self-interest

Due to the dog-eat-dog nature of the film industry, Andrea

MORE decided to quit acting and pursue a different passion.
EXAMPLES
After realizing that the environment in the new workplace is dog-
eat-dog, she resigned.
17
 Some people do well
under pressure, and a
dog-eat-dog competition
only fuels their
competitiveness even
more!

Your Sentence
______________ a dog-eat-dog competition
______________.
18
 Are you
competitive
enough to
thrive and do
well in a dog-
eat-dog
environment?
19
Agatha: Why does it have to be a dog-eat-dog competition around here?
How can we be productive if we keep on acting childish ?

productive
a. engaging in a very successful business
MEANING b. achieving significant amount or result
c. finish an important task quickly/before deadline
d. impress others when they least expect you to

She has been very productive all throughout the day that she
MORE managed to finish tasks that others take two days to do.
EXAMPLES
Looking back, grandpa could only nod and say that he has no
regrets because he lived a very productive life.
20
 I really wish to be
around highly
productive and
competent individuals
with whom I can learn
from and grow.

Your Sentence
___________ productive individuals with whom
_____________.
21
 Do you
consider
yourself
productive?
How come?

22
Agatha: How can we be productive if we keep on acting childish ? Now,
it’s exhausting to start over again. How I wish people would be more
empathetic.
empathetic
a. being insensitive towards others’ feelings
MEANING b. feeling great sense of awareness of surrounding
c. expressing pity and sadness towards others
d. showing an ability to understand and feel others

She too is a mom who lost her child, and she felt empathetic
MORE towards all the moms who lost their children in the accident.
EXAMPLES
He knew that I dislike to hear words of pity, so she simply hugged
me tightly, and it was more than enough. She’s so empathetic.
23
A person with heightened
empathy is called an
“empath” and they are so
overly sensitive of other’s
situation that they are
prone to exhaustion.
24
 If I was so empathetic, I
would have listened to
her more instead of
criticizing her decision.

Your Sentence
If I was so empathetic, I would have ______instead of
_______.
25
Who is the
most
empathetic
person you
have met?
Why?
26
Agatha: How I wish people would be more empathetic.
Brenda: You have to watch your back, Agatha. Everyone here is a go-
getter.
to watch one’s (someone’s) back
a. to monitor one’s surroundings carefully
MEANING b. to be careful, and be ready to defend oneself
c. to be realistic in one’s expectations
d. to be aware of one’s weakness or blind spot

My brother watched my back when I entered his school for the

MORE first time as a new student.
EXAMPLES
Family and friends ought to watch each other’s back, especially in
times of crisis.
27
 After hearing the news, I
started to watch my
back whenever I enter a
city that I never visited
before.

Your Sentence
She started to watch her back whenever ______________.
28
How did you
and your best
friend watch
each other’s
back?

29
Agatha: How I wish people would be more empathetic.
Brenda: You have to watch your back, Agatha. Everyone here is a go-
getter.
go-getter
a. a person driven by money and prestige
MEANING b. a dreamer who always wants to get promoted
c. a person who might hurt others just to win
d. an ambitious person who is determined to succeed

The interviewer identified the go-getters and immediately

MORE informed them to proceed to the next step of the application.
EXAMPLES
She’s a go-getter! Imagine, she asked the boss for a raise even
though she has been here for only a year! How brave!
30
 Miranda is a go-getter,
for she even risked her
health just so the project
proposal is
accomplished a day
before the deadline.

Your Sentence
______________ is a go-getter, for she ______________.
31
 Do you
consider
yourself a go-
getter? Why?

32
Melissa: How dare you, Agatha! Why would you throw me under the
bus? You’re my friend!

to throw someone under the bus

a. to backstab someone to destroy their character
MEANING b. to intentionally hurt someone close to you
c. to betray a friend or ally for selfish reasons
d. To send someone threatening messages

I realized that the reason the boss was mad at me was due to
MORE Maddie. She threw me under the bus.
EXAMPLESOur project failed miserably, and I felt so disappointed. When our
boss called us for a meeting, I was surprised that many of my
members threw me under the bus.
33
 Be careful of making
friends. Know their
character, because some
have the habit of
throwing others under
the bus.

Your Sentence
______________ because of his history of throwing others
under the bus.
34
Has someone
ever thrown
you under the
bus? What
happened?

35
Agatha: I-I don’t know—What are you talking about?
Melissa: Mrs. Smith gave me suspension!

suspension
a. act to make someone leave a job temporarily
MEANING b. act to make someone leave a job permanently
c. act to make someone pay money as punishment
d. act to make someone lose benefits like bonuses

Because of a misbehavior, Andy was given a three-week

MORE suspension which serve as a warning before expulsion.
EXAMPLESAfter her suspension, she became a much better person to deal
with, but I still have to watch my back around her.

36
 After his three-day
suspension, he barely
talked to anyone and he
rarely posted anything in
social media.

Your Sentence
After his ______ suspension,
he_______________________.
37
 If you were
given
suspension due
to a shameful
incident, how
would you
cope with
losing face?
38
Melissa: You’re so good at flattering her that she overlooks how
mediocre your work is!

to flatter
a. to praise someone in order to please them
MEANING b. to praise someone generously yet insincerely
c. to praise someone in order to gain their attention
d. to praise someone generously and truthfully

He gets a lot of dates because he is so good at flattering women,

MORE only to dump them after he gets what he wants.
EXAMPLESBen has been flattering the boss but she seems to be unaffected
by him.

39
 Whenever someone
flatters him, he
immediately believes
them because he is so
naïve.

Your Sentence
Whenever someone flatters him
_______________________.
40
How do you
respond to
flattery?

41
Setting
After an unimpressive
performance, Agatha
managed to blow away her
boss, but this made
someone jealous.

42
Agatha: Brenda? My files in my computer are gone! Did you see
someone entering my cubicle?
Brenda: I think Melissa is the saboteur. Who else would want to
delete your files?
Agatha: The other new girl? That’s insane !
Brenda: The other day, I heard her backstabbing you. She wasn’t
pleased that Mrs. Smith was blown away by your last presentation.
Agatha: Why does it have to be a dog-eat-dog competition around
here? How can we be productive if we keep on acting childish ? Now,
it’s exhausting to start over again. How I wish people would be more
empathetic.
Brenda: You have to watch your back, Agatha. Everyone here is a
go-getter. 43
(A few minutes later.)

Melissa: How dare you, Agatha! Why would you throw me under the
bus? You’re my friend!
Agatha: I-I don’t know—What are you talking about?
Melissa: Mrs. Smith gave me suspension!
Agatha: I didn’t say it was you!
Melissa: You’re so good at flattering her that she overlooks how
mediocre your work is!
Agatha: Don’t talk to me because I am not talking to you.

44
EASY CHALLENGE:
Use all the expressions enclosed in braces in answering the questions.

1. What happened to Agatha? {saboteur; backstab}

2. How did Agatha react to the situation in the office? {dog-eat-dog;

productive; empathetic}

3. Why should Agatha be careful? {watch one’s back; go-getter; throw

under the bus}

4. What is Melissa accusing Agatha of? {suspension;flatter}

45
AVERAGE CHALLENGE:
Fill in the blanks with the right idiom that has been discussed in this lesson.

1. Jen is one of those people who can easily understand what I feel. She
truly is ________.
2. For you to be ________, you need to focus on your job and avoid
distractions.
3. Due to his untoward behavior during the meeting, he was given a one-
week ________ .
4. The ________ was Jane and a CCTV caught her in the act.
5. When you walk at night in the park, you have to ________ because
there might be some rapists.
6. Whenever he ________ her to win her heart, she pretends to be deaf.
7. His work requires him and everyone else to be highly competitive, and
this created a ________ culture in the company. 46
Wrap-Up

Do you have any questions?

47
About the
Author BRYAN PAUL L. ESPINOSA, M.Ed (ESL)
He finished three degrees in three prominent
universities—St. Vincent Ferrer Seminary for his AB
Philosophy; Central Philippine University for his
Bachelor of Secondary Education major in English; and
University of the Philippines for his Master of
Education major in English as a second language.

He taught English in Iloilo English Academy, Alphacrest

Academy and St. Paul University Iloilo.

During his free time, he writes short stories, travels,

and reads. He respects adults who are humble enough
to choose to learn.

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