Mister Guru

Do you know why? Yes, the sentence "Sir, I am toilet." is NOT the correct expression to say when you are requesting or asking for permission to leave the classroom and go to the bathroom. Now, in order for us not to make a similar mistake when we are requesting permission, let's study the following expressions.

A. Using Modals: "Can I", "Could I", "May I":

B. Using "Would you mind ...?":

C. Using "Do you mind ...?":

D. Using Other forms:

E. Making Preventions:

F. Example Dialogues.

Short Dialogue 1

Short Dialogue 2

Short Dialogue 3

Short Dialogue 4

Write short dialogues like the above examples about permissions based on the following situations.

1. Your camera is out of battery. You want to borrow your friend's camera.
2. It's getting late. You should leave your friend's house and go home.
3. It's very windy and dusty outside. You want to close the windows.
4. You forgot to bring your charger. You need to use your friend's phone charger.
5. You want to turn on your television.
6. You want to go to a movie with your best friends.
7. You want to visit your friend at the hospital this afternoon. You ask for permission to your mother.
8. You cannot use your motorcycle to come to your friend's party. You ask your best friend to lend you his motorcycle.
9. Your pen suddenly runs out. You want to use your deskmate's pen but he is still using it.
10. You want to go to the beach, but your parents do not allow you to go because the weather is bad.

Here are some gambits and expressions that you can use in talking about jobs or professions.

A. Asking about jobs / professions.

• Do you have a job?
• Do you work full-time or part-time?
• Where do you work?
• What are you?
• What is he?
• What is your job?
• What is his job?
• What is your father's job?
• What is your occupation?
• What is your profession?
• What do you do?
• What type of job do you do?
• What does he do?
• What does your father do?
• What does he do for a living?
• How does he earn a living?
• What do you do to make a living?

B. Telling about jobs / professions.

• I am a student / a teacher / a bank clerk, etc.
• He is a soldier / a teacher / a doctor, etc.
• I work as a teacher in a vocational school.
• He works as a consultant.
• I work for a foreign company.
• He works in a garment manufacturer and exporter.
• My job is selling computers online.
• Her job is handling telephone calls.
• He is in charge of the front office department.
• Her job mainly deals with customers' complaints.

C. Showing interest

• Are you?
• Wow! That must be interesting.
• How interesting!
• It must be a well-paid job.
• That sounds like a lot of hard work.
• That must be a lot of work.
• That must be a rewarding job.

D. Example Dialogue

I. Guess what profession is being talked about.

II. Answer these questions by referring to the example dialogue between Anne and Jim above.

1. Where does Jim work?
2. How long has he been working there?
3. How does he go to work?
4. What time does he catch the bus to work?
5. What time does he start work?
6. What does he usually do in the morning?
7. What time does he have lunch?
8. What does he usually do after lunch?
9. What time does he leave work?
10. What can you infer about the relationship between the speakers?

III. Explain these occupations. Use the Simple Present to tell about the places of work and what he or she usually does.

1. A bell boy : ....
2. A receptionist : ....
3. A teacher : ....
4. A waitress : ....
5. A farmer : ....
6. A nurse : ....
7. A firefighter : ....
8. A front desk clerk : ....
9. A carpenter : ....
10. An architect : ....
11. A shopkeeper : ....
12. A tailor : ....
13. A lawyer : ....
14. A chef : ....
15. A room boy : ....

A. TELLING SURPRISING NEWS

• Guess what!
• Surprise!
• I’ve got news for you!
• Do you know what!
• Are you sitting down?
• You’d better sit down!
• You won’t believe this, but...

B. EXPRESSING AMAZEMENT / ADMIRATION

C. EXPRESSING SURPRISE

• I’m really surprised at ....
• Oh no! It can’t be (true)!
• My goodness!
• What a surprise!
• What on earth is that thing?
• I was shocked by ....
• It’s too good to be true!
• It’s unbelievable!
• I can’t believe it!
• Incredible!
• It’s really beyond belief!

I. Match each incomplete sentence into the correct word, "How" or "What".

II. Arrange these jumbled sentences

1. experience – what – had – unforgettable – an – we
2. was – fascinating – sunset – how – the
3. actress – a – beautiful – what – is – she
4. a – family – our – dinner – had – what – fantastic
5. the – next – how – girl – is – adorable – door
6. succeed – she – how – to – hard – tried
7. perfect – by – what – Ronaldo – ball – a – long
8. the – astonishing – was – sight – how
9. hall – a – conference – large – what – is – it
10. for – what – the – team – a – new – year – successful

III. Complete the following dialogues using your own words.

Dialogue 1

Dialogue 2

Dialogue 3

A. Example Dialogue

B. Explanation

1. "Some" is used in positive sentences. Examples:
   I'm going to buy some books.
   There's some ice in the fridge.
   We did some exercises.
2. "Any" is used in negative sentences. Examples:
   I'm not going to buy any books.
   There isn't any ice in the fridge.
   We didn't do any exercises.
3. Most questions (but not all) use "any". Examples:
   Is there any ice in the fridge?
   Do you have any money?
   Why didn't you do any exercises?
4. When we make offers or requests, we normally use "some", not "any". Examples:
   Would you like some ice cream?
   Can I have some coffee, please?
   Can you lend me some money?
5. We can use "some" and "any" without a noun. Examples:
   I didn't take any photographs, but Ann took some. (=some photographs)
   I've just made some coffee. Would you like some? (=some coffee)
   We don't have any sugar. I'm going to buy some this afternoon. (=some sugar)

A. Making an Offer

B. Responding to an Offer

C. Example Dialogue

1. Read the above dialogue again and identify all offers and the responses you can find, then write them in the table below. Number 1 has been done as an example.

Identify all offers and the responses you can find in the dialogue and write them.

Offering	Responding to an offer
Example: 1. Would you like some tea?	Oh yes, please.
2. ....	....
3. ....	....
4. ....	....
5. ....	....
....	....
....	....

2. Write polite offers using the expressions and gambits you have learned. Look at the example.
   1. Some bread?
      Answer: Would you like some bread?
   2. go to the beach?
      Answer: How about going to the beach? / Would you like to go to the beach?
   3. try our new dish?
   4. some candies?
   5. use my umbrella?
   6. give you a lift?
   7. try to repair your printer?
3. Write an appropriate polite response for each of the following situations.
   1. Your teacher is carrying a pile of books. You offer to help her with it.
   2. Your colleague is printing a very important document. Suddenly, her printer broke down. You offer her to print the document using your printer.
   3. You are receiving a call from someone who wants to speak to your manager, but your manager is not available. You offer him/her to leave a message or call back later.
   4. The commuter train is full when an elderly woman gets on and she can't find a seat. You offer your seat to her.
   5. You are a shop assistant at a fashion store. You are serving a customer who does not seem satisfied with the dress she has just tried on. You offer another style of dress.

1. Where does the conversation most probably take place?
   1. In a classroom
   2. In an office
   3. In a car showroom
   4. In a shopping mall
2. What relationship do the speakers most likely have?
   1. A teacher and a student
   2. Families
   3. An assistant and a customer
   4. Co-workers
3. What is the topic of the dialogue?
   1. Advice on buying a new car
   2. Advice on selling Minydy's car
   3. Suggestions on how to buy a new car
   4. Tips on selling and buying a car
4. What is Mindy planning to do?
   1. Rent a new car
   2. Buy a new car
   3. Repair her car
   4. Sell her car
5. What happens with Mindy's car?
   1. She just feels bored with her car.
   2. It is not economical and too large.
   3. It often breaks down due to its age.
   4. It has become totally unrepairable.
6. Which term best describes the car that Windy needs in terms of price?
   1. Expensive
   2. Fashionable
   3. Classical
   4. Inexpensive
7. How often does Windy drive?
   1. Every day
   2. Only on the weekends
   3. Seldom
   4. Three times a week
8. What kind of car does Toni suggest Mindy buy?
   1. A sophisticated one
   2. A cheap large new car
   3. An imported small car
   4. A small compact one
9. What will Mindy probably do after the conversation?
   1. Sell her old car immediately
   2. Check the new model
   3. Reject Toni's advice
   4. Repair her broken car
10. Why does Toni ask Mindy a few questions before giving advice?
    1. He actually feels as confused as Mindy.
    2. He does not even think Mindy needs a new car.
    3. He needs much time to think of the best solution.
    4. He wants to know what car suits Mindy's needs.

1. Toni and Mindi were having a business meeting in their office.
2. Toni said, "Do you mind if I ask you for some advice?"
3. Mindy needs advice because she isn't sure about which car to buy.
4. Mindy's car often breaks down because it's too old.
5. Toni was busy so he refused to give Mindy advice.
6. Mindy's car breaks down due to a traffic accident.
7. Mindy drives her car every day.
8. Mindy usually goes to the gym three times in a week.
9. Toni usually goes shopping with Mindy on the weekend.
10. Toni thinks that a small compact car will be the right choice for Mindy.

Yes, you need small talk.

What is small talk?

To be short, small talk refers to "basa-basi" in Bahasa Indonesia. It is a social conversation about unimportant and uncontroversial matters, which helps manage interpersonal distance and define the relationships between friends, colleagues, and new acquaintances.

We make small talk when we want to avoid uncomfortable silence and talk to someone we have never met before, or a colleague in order to appear polite and friendly and create a positive interaction. Small talk serves many social functions, such as conversation opener, conversation closing, and silence filler.

Small talk topics should be universal, positive, and situational to enable the conversation to flow naturally. Common small talk topics may range from the weather, sports, entertainment, introduction, occupation, and common interests.

To help you with clearer and more practical understanding of small talk, watch the video below and do the following exercise.

1. How did the man start the conversation?
   1. By asking the woman's name and nationality
   2. By asking the woman's favorite weather
   3. By creating small talk about the weather
   4. By telling the woman about his hard day
2. What did the woman think about the weather?
   1. It was a sign that summer had started.
   2. The weather had been oficially forecast.
   3. The officials said that summer was hot.
   4. It didn't look like summer had started.
3. What did the man say he wanted to buy?
   1. Sun glasses
   2. Sun roof
   3. Some blocks
   4. Sun block
4. The man said, "My name is John, by the way."
   From the dialogue, we may conclude that the phrase "by the way" can be used to ....
   1. clarify that an information may have been wrongly perceived
   2. introduce a topic not directly connected with the previous subject
   3. confirm a very important information in an informal conversation
   4. ask about a very casual topic in a formal or non-formal conversation
5. How did they greet each other in their introduction?
   1. Nice to miss you.
   2. Nights to meet you.
   3. Nice to me, too.
   4. Nice to meet you.
6. What do we know about the woman's origin?
   1. She lives around the area.
   2. They both live in Hokkaido.
   3. She will move to Hokkaido.
   4. She is from an Asian country.
7. What did she say about the weather in Hokkaido?
   1. It's warmer in Hokkaido.
   2. It's much colder in Hokkaido.
   3. Hokkaido is not as cold as that.
   4. Hokkaido is colder than before.
8. What did the man say about the weather in his hometown?
   1. It has a little rain.
   2. It's very windy.
   3. It's hotter when it rains.
   4. It often rains.
9. The man said, "I'm not used to these summer temperatures."
   What did he imply?
   1. He usually lived in a much colder place.
   2. He cannot do many activities in summer.
   3. The temperature in summer is usual.
   4. He likes summer temperatures more.
10. What does the woman like to do in summer?
    1. She likes running into the sea.
    2. She likes to take her dog for jogging.
    3. She likes to spend time at the beach.
    4. She usually allows her dog to go out.
11. What does the man usually do in his hometown during summer?
    1. If it's sunny, he meets up with his friends in a bar.
    2. He spends time sunbathing in a parking lot.
    3. He travels around London to see nice parks.
    4. He often has picnic in the park on sunny days.
12. Has the woman been to London before?
    1. Yes, she has.
    2. Yes, to visit museums.
    3. No, never.
    4. No, she doesn't want to.
13. What did the woman want to visit in London?
    1. The beach
    2. The park
    3. The museums
    4. The football game
14. According to the man, what do the people in his hometown mostly do at the weekend?
    1. They play football with their team.
    2. They play football video games.
    3. They go to their favorite teams.
    4. They watch football games.
15. Why did the woman relate to "baseball" in the conversation?
    1. To tell which Japanese baseball teams are popular
    2. To describe her favorite sports when she is in Japan
    3. To imply that both games are super popular in Japan
    4. To give information about equally popular sports
16. In chronological order, the topic of the conversation can be defined as ....
    1. the weather, place of origin, sports, summer activities
    2. the weather, place of origin, summer activities, sports
    3. the weather, place of origin, names, favorite sports
    4. the season, names, activities, personal sports
17. Based on the dialogue, which of the following statements is FALSE?
    1. The speakers have never met before.
    2. The speakers are probably tourists.
    3. They come from different countries.
    4. They both have the same preference.
18. What do you think the speakers are most probably doing?
    1. They are making a business trip.
    2. They are meeting new colleagues
    3. They are studying about the weather.
    4. They are enjoying their vacation.
19. Which of the following topics is best to continue the conversation?
    1. The beaches in London
    2. Favorite sports
    3. Religions
    4. Political view
20. Which of the following is NOT true about "small talk"?
    1. It is a polite way to start a conversation.
    2. It is mostly about uncontroversial matters.
    3. The topic is often popular and unimportant.
    4. It is effective in political and job interviews.

• Small Talk (Wikipedia)
• Be Social: 7 English Small Talk Topics for Starting Friendly Conversations