Conversation Book

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English conversation book

Conten
t Self study material
Unit 1: Meeting people
1. Introducing yourself 6
2. Meeting someone you know 7
3. Saying hello and goodbye 8
Unit 2: Talking about jobs and routines
1. A student’s routine 9
2. Busy days 10
3. On a day off 11
4. What do you do? 12
5. What about the family 13
Unit 3: Making requests and complaints
1. Making requests (1) 14
2. Making requests (2) 15
3. Complaints and apologies 16
Unit 4: Expressing likes and dislikes
1. Likes and dislikes 17
2. Ways of expressing likes and dislikes 18
3. Do you like...? 19
4. Others’ actions, your reactions 19
Unit 5: Talking about home and neighbourhood
1. Talking about home and family (1) 20
2. Talking about home and family (2) 21
3. Talking about neighbourhood (1) 22
4. Talking about neighbourhood (2) 23
Unit 6: Talking about locations
1. Telling where things are 24
2. Places and their locations 25
3. Asking for locations 26
Unit 7: Giving directions
1. Practice with giving directions 27
2. Giving directions to places 28

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1 1
Meeting people
Introducing yourself
A Listen to people introduce themselves. Listen at least
three times.
A: Hello. I’m Jason.
B: Hi. My name is Dolma.
A: Nice to meet you, Dolma.
B: Good to meet you too.

A: Excuse me. I don’t think we have met before.


My name is Mary Jenson.
B: Oh, hello. I’m Bikash Chettri
A: Good to meet you Mr Chettri.
B: Pleased to meet you too, Ms Jenson.

A: Hello. Can I sit here?


B: Yes.
A: By the way, I’m Robin.
B: Hi. My name is Jessica.
A: Nice to meet you.
B: Pleased to meet you too. And where are you from,
Robin?
A: I’m from Kathmandu. What about you?
B: I’m from New York. Oh, this is my stop. Bye, Robin.
A: Bye. See you.
B Role play Now practice the same conversations with a
partner. Practice for three to five minutes.

C Pair work Now in the same way introduce yourself to


your partner or to someone else.
Useful expressions
Hello, I’m.... Hi, my name is.......Nice/Good/Pleased to meet you .
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2 Meeting someone you know
A Listen to friends talking when they meet.Listen at least
twice.
A: Hi. Subodh. How are you today?
B: Not bad, thanks. How about you?
A: Great, thanks.
B: So, where are you heading?
A: To college, as usual. I’m already late. See you
later, Subodh.
B: Take care. Bye bye.
A: Hi. How have you
been? B: Fine, thanks. And
you?
A: Pretty good. How’s the
family? B: Just fine. And how’s
work?
A: Good. Very
busy. B: Yeah, me
too.
A: Well, talk to you later.
B: Yeah. Nice talking to you.
Bye. A: Bye.
B Role play Now practice the same conversations with a partner.
Practice for three to five minutes.
C Pair work Now take turns talking.This time use your own
information.
Some useful expressions
How are you? Just fine, thanks.
How have you been? Great, thanks.
How are you doing? Pretty good, thanks.
How are things? So so. Thanks.
How’s family? Well, talk to you later.
How’s work? Well, nice talking to you.
How’s business? See you.
How are studies? See you later.
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3 Saying hello and goodbye
A Listen to people saying hello and goodbye. Listen twice.
A: Hi, Tony. How are you?
B: Great! How about you, Susan?

A: See you later,


Tony. B: Bye-bye,
Susan.

A: Good morning, Sir. How are


you? B: I’m just fine,
Tina.Thank you.

A: Good afternoon,Mr. Thapa.


How are you?
B: Not bad,
thanks.
And how are you, Ms Taylor?

A: Good-bye. Have a nice day.


B: Bye-bye. See you
tomorrow.

A: Bye. Have a nice


evening. B: Thanks. You
too.

B Pair work Practice saying hello and goodbye with your


partner.

C Pair work Tick the correct responses. Then practice saying.


1. Hello. How are you? You too. Fine, thanks.
2. Have a nice day. You too. I’m OK. How
Bye-bye. are you?
3. Good evening. Hello. Good night.
4. See you later. Not bad thanks. Bye-bye.
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2 Talking about jobs and
routines
1 A student's routine
A Listen to a student talk about his routines.
B Listen again. Which of these words do you hear? Tick
them as you listen.
always
sometimes never
usually
seldom
often
hardly ever

C Listen again and tick these words and phrases as you


hear them.

get up
study in the
get dressed morning for
go out sometime on
go to bed time
have breakfast in the afternoon
watch TV in the evening
visit weekends
late
on holidays

D Listen once again. The student is talking about what he


does on college days, at weekends and on long holidays.

E Now tell from memory what the student does. You may say
something like this:
On college days, the student gets up early in the....
At weekends, he gets up....
On long holidays, he....
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2 Busy days
A Listen to people talking about their busiest days. Listen
three times.
1 2
My busiest day is
I hate Mondays. I
Sunday. All our
get up before 5
relatives come to our
o’clock. I catch the
house for lunch and
bus at six. I start
dinner almost every
work at seven and
finish around four
3
in the afternoon.
Saturday is my busiest Then I have a two-
day. I always clean the hour computer
house in the morning. class.
I usually do the After that I a
shopping in the private tuition class
afternoon. In the to some children in
evening, I work as a the neighbourhood.
teacher in an adult It’s usually 9
education class. The
class finishes at 10.

B Pair work Take turns. Talk about your busiest day of the
week. Ask these questions and others of your own.
What’s your busiest
day? What do you
usually do?
What time do you usually get
up? What time do you start
work?
What do you do all day?
Where do you usually have your breakfast and lunch?
What do you usually do after work?
What time do you usually get
home? What time do you go to bed?

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3 On a day off
A Listen to a conversation.
Woman: What do you usually do on your day off, Steve?
Man: Oh, I always get up very early, around 5
o’clock.
And I run for an hour.
Woman: Wow. That sounds instresting. What do you do next?
Man: Then I usually go to the gym and lift weights
for about an hour and swim for half an hour.
Woman: My goodness! You really are a fitness freak.
Man: I guess so. After all that exercise, I come
home and have a big breakfast. What about
you, Susan?
Woman: Well, on my day off, I just watch TV all day.
Man: Now you are a real couch potato.

B Role play Now practice the same conversation with a


partner. Practice for three to five minutes.

C Pair work Now take turns telling what you do on your day off.
Don’t forget to use some of the words and phrases given in the
boxes below.
Adverbs of frequency Sequence markers
100%always First Next And Then And then Afte
usually often sometimes seldom hardly ever
0%never

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4 What do you do?
A Listen to a conversation. Listen at least three times.
Then practice the conversation with a partner.
Woman: What do you do, Laxman?
Man: I work with a travel
agency.
Woman: Sounds good. What do you do, exactly?
Man: I’m a tourist guide. I take people on tours
to different parts of the country.
Woman: So, you get to travel a lot, don’t you?
Man: Yes. Sometimes I even go out of the country
to places like Tibet and Sikkim.
Woman: Wow. You really have a great job.
Man: Yes, I love my job. What about you, Rosy?
What do you do?
Woman: I work in a hospital.
Man: Really? Are you a nurse?
Woman: No, I’m a brain surgeon. I perform more than
a dozen operations every week. I have to work
long hours and I hardly get any holidays.
Man: So, how do you like your job?
Woman: Not bad. But I can’t give much time to
my family.

B Pair work Now take turns talking about your own job or your friend
or relative’s job.Take help of the questions given below.
Ask about your partner Ask about your
Do you have a job?
Where do you work? partner’s friend or
What do you do exactly? relative
What time do you start
work? Tell me about your friend/brother/
sister/father/mother.....
Where does he/she work?
What time do you finish work?
Do you have lunch at What does he/she do exactly?
work? Do you take a break What time does he/she start
in the afternoon? work? What time does he/she
How do you like your job? finish work?
What do you do after work? Does he/she like his job?
Do you watch television?read? What does he/she do after work?
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12
5 What about the family?
A Listen to a conversation. Listen at least three times.
Man: What do you, Sarita?
Woman: I’m a teacher.
Man: Really? Tell me about your family.
Woman: Well, I’m married and have three children.
Man: What does your husband do?
Woman: He has a small business.
Man: Oh, that’s interesting. What business does he have?
Woman: He has a small garment factory. He exports
all the products.
Man: What about your children? Do they all go to school.
Woman: No, only two of them go to school.
The youngest one is just five months
old.
Man: You have a small and beautiful family.
Woman: Yes, it’s a lovely family. And what about you?
Are you married?
Man: No, I’m not. I’m still studying. I’m in my
final year of MBA.
Woman: Oh, great. By the way, do you have any
brothers and sisters?
Man: Yes, I do. I have a brother and a sister.
Woman: And what do they do?
Man: Well, my brother drives a taxi and my sister
flies a plane.
Woman: No kidding!

B Role play Practice the same conversation with a partner.


Practice for three to five minutes.
C Pair work Now have a similar conversation with your
partner using your own information

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3 Making requests and
complaints
1 Making requests(1)
A Listen to some requests and their responses.
A: Would you mind turning down the TV, Roshan? I’m trying to
study.
B: Sure. I’ll turn it down.
A: Max, could you move your car, please? It’s blocking my way.
B: Oh, OK. I’ll park it across the street.

A: Would you mind not making so much noise?


B: Sorry. I didn’t know I was disturbing you.

A: Please close the door on your way out.


B: All right. I’ll do it.

A: Would you mind heping me to carry this table?


B: Not at all.

A: Excuse me. Could you move your legs, please?


B: Sorry. I didn’t know it was bothering you.

A: Can you help me in the kitchen?


B: Sure. No problem.

A: Can you lend me your camera for a day?


B: Oh, I’m really sorry. I’m using it.

A: Can I borrow your pen?


B: Sure. Here you are.
B Role play Now practice. Make the same requests and give
the same responses.
C Pair work Now make the same requests but give your own
responses.
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2 Making requests(2)
A Listen and learn how to make requests in several ways.
Lend me Rs 50, please.
Please lend me Rs 50.
Can you lend me Rs 50?/Can I borrow Rs 50?
Can you lend me Rs 50, please?/Can I borrow Rs 50, please?
Could you please lend me Rs 50?
Would you mind lending me Rs 50, please?
B Listen and learn several ways of accepting a request.
All right.
OK. I’ll do that.
OK. Here you are.
Sure! No problem!
Oh, sure. I’d be glad to.
C Listen and learn several ways of refusing a request.
Sorry. I don’t have any money. (Say sorry and give a reason)
I’m sorry but I’m busy right now. (Say sorry and give a
reason) I’d rather not.
What! You must be kidding!

D Pair work Now use the cues given below to make


requests to each other. You may either accept or refuse the
requests.
.... open the door.....................move saide
.... come in..............................go out
.... get me a glass of water......post this letter for me
.... sing a song.........................help me do my homework
.... scratch my back.................wash my shirt
.... polish my shoes.................give me a massage

E Pair work Now think of and make your own requests.


Your partner either accepts or refuses them.
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3 Complaints and apologies
A Here are some of the ways people generally make
apologies. Listen and learn.
Simply apologise:
I’m sorry I’m late.
Apologise and explain:
I’m sorry. I missed the bus.
Apologise and say you made a mistake:
I’m sorry. I woke up late today.
Apologise and make a promise:
I’m very sorry. It won’t happen again.

B Listen to people making complaints and apologies.


Pause the audio and repeat what they say.
A: By the way, you haven’t returned my camera. It’s been really long.
B: I’m really sorry. I’ll give it to you tomorrow.
A: I’m really upset with you. You didn’t phone me yesterday.
B: I’m extremely sorry. I was really busy.
A: Don’t forget you still owe me Rs. 1000.
B: Oh, sorry. I haven’t been able to manage it.
A: I was waiting for you in the park but you didn’t turn up.
B: Oh, I got there late, and you had already gone. I’m really sorry.
A: You always leave the door open. Why don’t you ever close it?
B: I’m really sorry. From next time, I will.
A: You are smoking in a No Smoking area.
B: Oh, I didn’t notice the sign. I’ll go
outside.

C Pair work Think of five things to complain to your


partner. Then make your complaints. Your partner
apologises. Take it in turns.
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4 Expressing likes and
dislikes
1 Likes and dislikes
A Listen to the conversations.
Boy: Do you like folk music, Tina?
Girl: No, I don’t like it very much, do you?
Boy: Yes, I love it. Kumar Basnet is my favourite singer.
What kind of music do you like?
Girl: Well, I like pop music a lot.
Boy: Really? Who’s your favourite singer?
Girl: Sugam Pokhrel. How about you? Do you like him?
Boy: He’s OK. But I’m fond of Nima Rumba.
Girl: Do you like playing cricket, Max?
Boy: Yes, I love it. What about you?
Girl: Well, I don’t like playing cricket but I love watching
it on TV.
Boy: That’s interesting. So, besides that, what do you like
doing in your free time?
Girl: Well, I’m fond of meeting new people. I also enjoy
gardening and cooking.
Boy: Cooking? I can’t stand it.

B Role play Now practice the same conversations with a partner.


Practice for three to five minutes.

C Pair work Now take turns talking.This time use your own
information.

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2 Ways of expressing likes and
dislikes
A Listen to people expressing their likes and dislikes
about different things.
I like Hindi films.
I like watching horror films.
I enjoy sports.
I enjoy playing football.
I’m fond of sweets.
I’m fond of eating icecream.
I love books.
I love reading novels.
I’m crazy about music.
I’m crazy about listening to pop music.

I don’t mind journeys.


I don’t mind travelling by bus.

I don’t like Thai food.


I don’t like eating in restaurants.
I hate films.
I hate sitting in the cinema hall for three hours.
I can’t stand Peter.
I can’t stand listening to his lies.
B Now practice expressing your own likes and dislikes using the
words given in bold above.

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3 Do you like... ?
Pair work Express your likes and dislikes on the following
topics. First, study the given example.
pop music washing clothes
horror films learning different
shopping languages getting up early
cooking walking in the rain
Rajesh Hamal meeting new people
cricket eating out
pet dogs looking after children
Chinese bikes donating money

Example:A:Do you like pop music?


B:No, I don’t like it very much. Do you?
A:Yes, I love it.
A:Do you like getting up early in the morning?
B:I don’t mind getting up early. What about you?
A:I hate getting up early.

4 Others' actions, your reactions


A Listen to some more expressions of likes and dislikes.
Each time pause the audio and repeat the sen-
I tleiknecep.eople giving me gifts.
I don’t mind guests coming to my
house. I don’t like friends asking me
money.
I hate dogs barking at me.
B Pair work Now take turns talking about what you like or
dislike others doing. Talk about the following and more.
friends teasing you strangers asking for
others correcting your directions people praising
mistakes people laughing at your work parents beating
you their children neighbours
people doing charitable work helping you
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5 Talking about home and
neighbourhood
1 Talking about home and family (1)
A Listen to two people talking.
A: Do you live in a flat?
B: No, I don’t. I live in a house.
A: What’s it like? Does it have a garden?
B: Yes, it does. And it has a beautiful view. It’s just next to
the river.
A: That sounds good. Do you live alone?
B: No, I don’t. I live with my parents and my sisters.
A: How many sisters do you have?
B: I have three sisters.
A: That’s a big family. Do you have a big house?
B: Yes, we do. It has twelve rooms.
A: Twelve rooms! How many bedrooms does it have?
B: It has five bedrooms.
A: Do you have your own bedroom?
B: Yes, I do. In fact, everyone has their own bedroom.
A: That’s very nice.

B Role play Now practice the same conversation at least three


times.

C Pair work Now have a similar conversation using your


own information.

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2 Talking about home and family (2)
A Pair work Take turns asking and answering these
questions.
Do you have any brothers and
sisters? Do you have a pet dog?
Do you have any money in your
pocket? Does your father have a bank
account? Does he have vehicle of his
own?
Does your mother have a job?
Does she have expensive
jewellery? What do you have in
your bag?
What things do you have in your
bedroom? What programs does your
computers have?
How many brothers and sisters does your father/mother have?
Example:A:Do you have any brothers and sisters?
B:Yes, I do. I have two brothers and a sister.
A: What do you have in your bag?
B: I have some files in my bag.

B Pair work Tell each other five things that you have and five
things that you don’t have at home.
Example:I have a beautiful car.
I don’t have a computer.

C Pair work Think of three things that your best friend or neighbour
has but you don’t have. Then tell your partner.

Example:My neighbour has a big dog but I don’t.


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3 Talking about neighbourhood (1)
A Listen to people telling a few things about their
neighbourhood.
There’s a big market.
There’s no swimming
pool. There isn’t a hospital.

There are some restaurants.


There are no hotels.
There aren’t any clubs.

There’s a lot of traffic.


There’s not much pollution.
There’s plenty of
sightseeing.

There are a lot of shops.


There aren’t many houses.
There are plenty of clinics.

B Listen again and repeat each sentence.

C Now practice saying similar sentences about your own


neighbourhood.

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4 Talking about neighbourhood (2)
A Listen to a conversation.
A: Whereabouts in Kathmandu do you live,
Shyam? B: I live in Chabahil.
A: Really? What’s the neighbourhood like?
B: It’s good. It has many facilities but there’s a lot of traffic.
A: Is there a market?
B: Yes, there’s a pretty big market. There are also a
few department stores.
A: Sounds good. Are there any restaurants and hotels?
B: There are some restaurants but they’re not very good.
And there aren’t any hotels.
A: What about sports and entertainment?
B: Well, there are a couple of gyms and there’s a big
cinema hall. But there’s no swimming pool. I have to go
all the way to Balaju every Saturday.

B Role play Now practice the same conversation at least twice.

C Pair work Now have a similar conversation about your


own neighbourhood.
Useful expressions
There’s a ...There’s a lot of ... There’s no ...
There’s not much ... There’s plenty of ..
There isn’t a ...

There are some ... There areThere


no ... are a lot of ... There aren’t many .
There aren’t any ...

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6
1
Talking about locations
Telling where things are
A Look at the pictures below and say a sentence about each
picture like in the example.

in in front of behind

on next to under
Example:The keys are in the briefcase.

B Listen and practice this conversation.


A: Where’s my tie?
B: I think it’s in the
wardrobe. A: No, it’s not in
there.
B: Oh, it must be on the table.
A: Let me see. No, it’s not there either. Ah, yes, it’s under the
table.

C Pair work Take turns telling where these things are in


your living room.
TV dustbin calendar tea table flower vase
fan telephone books cassettes and CDs

Example:The calendar is on the wall.

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2 Places and their locations
A Look at the map and read the given sentences.
shoe book
school park
shop store
Park Street
coffee post
pool library hospital
shop office

Street

Street
Main

King
cinema police super
station pharmacy
market
Cinema Street gym
petrol
pump

The coffee shop is on the corner of Main Street and Park


Street. It’s opposite the hospital.
The pharmacy is in Main Street. It’s next to the gym.

B Pair work Take turns asking and answering questions about


places in the map below. First look at the example.
Example:A:Where’s the post office?
B:It’s in Centre Street opposite the school.

school
library super market

Centre Street shoecoffee


post officegym shopshop
cyber cafe

pharmacy
police station
bank cinema

hospital
Main Street

25
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3 Asking for locations
A Listen and practice the conversations at least twice.
A: Excuse me. Is there a hospital near here?
B: No, there’s no hospital here. But there’s a doctors clinic.
It’s in Rara Marg, just opposite the bank.
A: Thank you. Oh, just one more thing. Where’s the nearest
pay phone?
B: Well, it’s right over there, next to the
hotel. A: Thanks a lot.

A: Excuse me. Are there any restaurants around here?


B: Yes, there are. There’s a good one on the corner of King
Street and New Park Road.
A: Thanks very much.

B Pair work Your partner is a visitor in your town. Have a


conversation by asking and answering these questions and
other questions of your own..

A: Excuse me. Can you help me? I’m on a holiday here. Is


there a post office nearby?
B: ...
A: Thanks. And I need to go to a travel agency. Is there one
around here?
B: ...
A: And how about restaurants? Are there any good ones in
the neighbourhood?
B: ...
A: Thanks a lot. That sounds good. And just one more
thing. Where’s the nearest... ?
B: ...
A: ...
B: ...

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71
Giving directions
Practice with giving directions
A Listenand practice the conversations.

You are here

A: Excuse me. Could you tell me the way to Bull’s Gym?


B: Sure. Just go along this street and turn right on
Carmel
Street. Walk along Carmel Street, go past Third Street and
it’s on the left. It’s opposite the concert hall.
A: Thanks.
A: Excuse me. How can I get to the Bakery Cafe?
B: Well, go up this street until you reach Carmel Street.
Then turn left and walk for five minutes. It’s on the
corner of First Street and Carmel Street, next to the Metro
Cinema Hall.
A: Thanks a lot.

B Pair work Now take turns asking for and giving


directions to other locations on the map.

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2 Giving directions to places
A Here is a list of common places that you can find in al- most
every neighbourhood. Which of them are there in your
neighbourhood? Tick.

post office park


police station swimming pool
bank gym
the cinema temple
school bus stop
supermarket restaurant
hospital/clinic hotel

B Pair work Now take turns asking and giving directions to


the places you have marked above.

Example:A:Could you tell me the way to the post office?


B:Sure. First go down the street until you reach....
A:How can I get to the Smart Gym?
B:Well, it’s very simple. Walk along this street for
five minutes. Then turn...
Useful expressions
Walk along...
Walk for about 100 metres/ 5 minutes
Go down the street for...
Turn left/right
Take the first/second turning on the
left/right Go past...
...until you reach...

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8
1
Giving instructions
Recipe instructions
A Here are some common phrases that are used in
recipes. Listen and practice.
peel the potatoes stir gently
chop the onion fry until
cut the brown turn it
vegetables shell over
the peas beat the boil the vegetables
eggs knead the bake a cake
dough add some roast a chicken
water add the pour some oil
spices add salt to heat it for some time
taste let it cook for some time
mix the ingredients
simmer the soup until it becomes thick
B When you prepare your favourite dish which of the above
actions do you perform? Tick in the boxes.

C Pair work Are there any other actions that you perform
while preparing food? Discuss and write.

1. ........................................................................................................
2. ........................................................................................................
3. ........................................................................................................
4. ........................................................................................................
5. ........................................................................................................
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2 Learning to cook
A Listenand practice the conversation.
A: This soup is delicious. How do you make it?
B: Well it’s very simple. You need some fresh vegetables like
cauliflower, carrots and peas. You also need some flour.
A: OK, then?
B: First cut up the vegetables and shell the peas. Then boil
some water. After that put the vegetables in the water. Let
them boil for about two minutes.
A: All right. What next?
B: Next add some flour and stir for some time. Then add salt
to taste and simmer the soup until it becomes thick.
Finally chop up some onions and cut some coriander
leaves and put them in the soup. Now the soup is ready
to serve.
A: That’s it! Thanks for the recipe.

B Now make notes about your own favourite dish.


What is it?
What ingredients do you need to make
it? How do you make it?

C Pair work Now take turns describing how to make the


dish.
A: What’s your favourite dish?
B: It’s ...
A: What ingredients do you need to make it?
B: You need...
A: How do you make it?
B: First... After that... Next... Then... Finally...

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3 Simple instructions
A Listen and practice the conversation.
A: You’ve got a beautiful camera.
B: Yes, I bought it only
yesterday.
A: Let me have a look. Oh, it looks a bit technical. How do
you operate it?
B: It’s not that difficult. First press this red button to switch
it on. Then look through the viewfinder. You can adjust
the distance by pressing these zoom buttons. After
you’re ready just click it here.
A: Sounds simple.
B: Yes, but becareful not to touch this slider. It’s for
rewinding the roll.
A: OK. And what about the flash?
B: It has an auto-flash system.
A: OK. Ready. Say cheese.

B Look at the topics below. Make notes on any two of them.


instructions for treating a burn
instructions for replacing the film of a
camera instructions for starting a computer
instructions for joining a club
instructions for mending a loose sole on a shoe
instructions for fixing a flat tyre

C Pair work Now take turns giving instructions. Have a simi- lar
conversation like the one above.
A: How do you treat a burn?
B: First... After that... Next... Then... Finally...

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9 Giving suggestions

1 Ways of giving suggestions


A There are several ways of giving suggestions. Study
these examples. Then listen and practice.

To say that it’s a good thing to do.


You should take warm
clothes. You ought to travel
by plane.
You’d better make reservations in
advance. (You’d better = You had better)

To say that it’s not a good thing to do.


You shouldn’t go alone.
You’d better not walk alone at night.

To say that it is necessary to do.


You have to get a visa. (It’s a rule.)
You must leave early to reach there before dark.
(It is necessary that you leave early if you want to
reach before dark.)

To say that it is not necessary to do.


You don’t need to get a visa.

Pair work Now take turns saying a different sentence using


B each of the word or phrase printed in bold above.

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2 Visiting a place
A Listen and practice the conversation.
A: I’m planning to go to Pokhara soon.
B: Really? When are you planning to leave?
A: Next week. Since you’re from Pokhara, I thought you
could give me some advice. This is my first trip to
Pokhara, you know.
B: Oh, OK. You should take some warm clothes. It’s very
cold in Pokhara at this time of the year. And when
you’re in Pokhara you should go boating. But you
shouldn’t do it alone. You ought to take an experienced
boatman.
A: Well. Thanks a lot.
B: And yes, one more thing. Since you’re going there in
the peak tourist season, you’d better book the hotel in
advance.
A: Sure, I’ll remember that. Thanks once again.

B Pair work Now have a similar conversation. This time Talk


about a different place.

3 Advice to a foreigner
Role play Your partner is a foreigner who wants to visit Nepal.
Give advice to him or her. Use the cues given below.
get a passport.
bring warm clothes. It’s cold here.
hire a guide otherwise you might get lost.
learn Nepali language. Guides can speak
English. carry lots of money.
bring a lot of luggage.
enter the temple if you are not a
Hindu. talk politely with the local
people. throw rubbish wherever you
like.
get a trekking permit.
consult your local travel agent for more
details?
33
10 Expressing abilities

1 Good at, bad at


A Listen and practice the conversation.
A: Who’s your favourite cricket player?
B: Anil Kumble. He’s very good at bowling.
A: Really? But he can’t bat very well. In fact, he’s terrible at
batting. I like Andrew Flintoff. He’s terrific at batting
and he’s pretty good at bowling too.
B: Maybe true, but he doesn’t always play very well.
Besides, I don’t like his fielding. He’s not so good at it.

B Pair work Now have similar conversations about people you


like or dislike. Talk about people from sports, films, music
and politics.
Useful expressions I can type very well.
She’s terrific at dancing. I can type pretty well.
He’s very good at maths. I can type a little.
She’s pretty good at cooking. I can’t type very well.
He’s not so good at basketball. I can’t type at all.
They’re pretty bad at speaking Nepali.
We’re very bad at writing letters.
She’s terrible at remembering names.

34 englishtalkstation.blogspot.com
2 About yourself
A Pair work Take turns asking and answering these
questions.
Can you type?
Can you sing very well?
How well can you play
cricket? Are you very good at
maths?
Do you know how to use the
computer? Are you good at
remembering names? Are you good at
public speaking?
How well can you swim?
Can you cook Chinese
food? What are you very
good at? What are you bad
at?
Can you drive a car?
Can you ride a bike?

B Pair work Take turns asking and answering questions on the


following topics.
dance
draw decorate the house
play football gardening
sing make new friends
speak English use the
cook food Photoshop write
letters

Example:A:How well can you dance?


B:I’m not so good at dancing. But my sister is
terrific at it. And what about you? Can you
dance very well?
A:Yes, I can dance pretty well.
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11 Relating past events

1 Where were you born?


A Listen and practice the conversation. A:
Could you tell me a little bit about yourself? B:
Sure. What would you like to know?
A: Well, where were you born?
B: I was born in London, UK.
A: Oh? Did you grow up
there?
B: No, I grew up in Manchester. My family moved to
Manchester when I was just a kid.
A: And, did you go to high school in
Manchester? B: Yes, I did.
A: Where did you go to college?
B: I went to college in Ontario, Canada.
A: What did you major in?
B: I majored in journalism.
A: Oh, really? And when did you finish college?
B: In the year 2000. Then I returned to London and started
working for a magazine. I’m still there.

B Pair work Now have a similar conversation using infor-


mation about yourselves. Ask these and other questions of
your own.
Where were you born?
Where did you grow
up?
Did you live with your parents during
childhood? Were you naughty as a child?
Where did you go to school?
When did you start school?
Did you go to a private
school?
Did you take part in any competitions at
school? What subjects did you study?
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2 Have you ever... ?
A Listen and practice the conversations.
A: Have you ever eaten Japanese food?
B: No, I’ve never eaten Japanese food. Have you?
A: Yes, I have. I had sashimi when I was in Tokyo last year.
It’s a dish of raw fish.
B: Did you like it?
A: Oh, yes. It was delicious.

A: Have you ever met a famous person?


B: Yes, I have. In fact, I met Rajesh Hamal just a week ago.
A: Oh? Where did you meet him?
B: In a restaurant in Thamel. Actually, I was having lunch
there with my family and everybody was looking at a
table behind us. When I turned around to see, there he
was.
A: Wow! Did you talk to him?
B: Yes, in fact, he came to our table and talked to us. He
somehow knew my father. I asked him for his
autograph too. Would you like to see it?

B Pair work Now have similar conversations. Ask these


questions. Whenever you receive ‘Yes’ for an answer, ask your
partner to tell you everything about it.
Have you ever eaten Japanese food?
Have you ever met a famous person?
Have you ever eaten frogs or
snakes? Have you ever been
hospitalised?
Have you ever been to Jomsom/ Pokhara/
Biratnagar? Have you ever been to a foreign country?
Have you ever quarrelled with
someone? Have you ever prepared lunch
or dinner? Have you ever seen a ghost?
Have you ever lost your money?

englishtalkstation.blogspot.com 37
3 How was your weekend?
A Listen and practice the conversations.
A: How was your weekend?
B: It was great! I went to a concert with my friends.

A: What did you do at the weekend?


B: My family and I went to see a film. We saw Anacondas.
It was terrific.

A: What did you do on Saturday?


B: I went to out with my friends. We had lunch at a
restau- rant. Then we went shopping.

A: How was your weekend?


B: Oh, not very exciting. I just stayed home and watched TV.
I also worked around the house for some time.

B Pair work Now have similar conversations using your


own information.

How was your weekend?


It was terrific.
It was pretty
good. It was OK.
It was terrible.
What did you do on Saturday?
I saw a good film.
I went to a
concert.
I watched cricket on TV.

38 englishtalkstation.blogspot.com
4 Talking about a trip
A Listen and practice the conversation.
A: Hi, Mike. How was your trip to Gorkha?
B: It was wonderful! I really enjoyed it.
A: How long were you there?
B: I was there for three days.
A: What did you do there?
B: Well, I visited the Gorkha Durbar. It’s really fantastic!
Then I went trekking down to the Daraudi River. Finally I
went to the Manakamana Temple by cable car. It was a
great experience.
A: Did you like the food there?
B: Yes, I did. I mostly had the local food - dal, bhat, tarkari. It
was good. But I didn’t like the pickle they served. It was
very hot and had a pungent smell.
A: Were the hotels any good?
B: Yes, the hotel I stayed in was very comfortable and it also
had a great view. By the way, do you want to see my
photos.
A: Sure.

B Pair work Now have a similar conversation. Ask these and


other questions of your own.

How was trip to...? OR Did you enjoy your trip to...?
How long were you there?
What did you do there?
Where did you stay? OR Did you stay in a hotel?
Did you like the food there?
How did you travel?
How did you find the people there?
Is there anything that you didn’t like there?
Did you buy anything?

englishtalkstation.blogspot.com 39
12 Talking about the
future
1 Learn some rules
A We normally use will, (be) going to and present
continuous to express the future. Study these rules. Then listen
and practice.

We use will when we decide to do something at the


time of speaking.
Rita: Let’s have a party.
Tom:That’s a great idea. We’ll invite lots of friends.
(The speaker had not decided before. The party is a new idea.)
We use (be) going to when we have already
decided to do something.
Rita: Tom and I have decided to have a party. We’re going
to invite lots of friends.
John:Oh, really?
(Rita had already decided to invite lots of friends before
speaking to John.)
Present continuous can also have a future mean-
ing. We use the present continuous to say what we have
already arranged to do.
A: What are you doing tomorrow?
B: I’m leaving for Pokhara tomorrow. I’ve bought my tickets.

40 englishtalkstation.blogspot.com
2 What are you doing...?
A Listen and practice the conversations.
A: What are doing tomorrow?
B: I don’t have any plans as such. I think I’ll just stay home
and watch TV.
A: Do you have any plans for next Saturday?
B: Yes, I’m going to do some shopping. What about you?
A: Well, I think I’ll have to join you. I need to do some
shopping myself.

A: I’m throwing a house-warming party tomorrow


and you’re invited.
B: Thanks. I’ll be there.

A: So, Susan, what are you doing this evening? Would you
like to go out?
B: Oh, sorry. I can’t. I’m attending a party. Sheela has
invited me.
A: Well, how about tomorrow evening? Are you doing
anything then?
B: No, I’m not. What are you planning to do?
A: I’m going to see a musical show. Would you like to
come?
B: Sure. I’d love to. What time is the show?
A: It’s at 6 o’clock. I’ll come to pick you up at 5:30.
B: Thanks. See you then.

B Pair work Now have similar conversations of your own.

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englishtalkstation.blogspot.com 41

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