2

UNIT
It’s just good
manners

• To discuss personal
OBJECTIVES

habits and social

A | When in Rome ...
customs
• To describe changes B | Modern working habits
in social behaviour

THAT’S ENGLISH!
B2
UNIT
2 It’s just good manners

OBJECTIVES
• To discuss personal habits and social
customs
• To describe changes in social behaviour

A When in Rome ...

BEFORE YOU WATCH 3 Where is Anthony taking Shelly?
4 What has Bridget bought?
1 Match the American words to the British
equivalent from the box. 5 Read the extracts from the drama and match the
expression in bold with a meaning from the box.
mobile lift trousers taxi pavement mum
to be introverted and reserved
1 cab 3 cell 5 elevator
to find something very surprising
2 pants 4 mom 6 sidewalk to adapt your behaviour
to avoid a topic
WHILE YOU WATCH
1 Shelly: I just gave him a load of coins.
2 Answer the questions.
Anthony: They were pound coins, mom.
Shelly: Well, blow me down. That little thing is
a pound?
2 Anthony: Listen, mom, don’t take this the
wrong way, the English keep themselves to
themselves more than us.
3 Shelly: When your father was alive, I would
1 What aspects of Bridget’s behaviour does Shelly never put my plans before his.
criticise? Anthony: Don’t go there, mom.
4 Anthony: Mom, you’re not putting that on
my chef’s salad. You’re not at home now. And
when in Rome, do as the Romans do.

6 Complete the sentences with the correct

expression from activity 5.

2 What things does Shelly notice are different in
British cafés and restaurants?
AFTER YOU WATCH
3 Are the statements true (✔) or false (✗)? Correct
the false ones.
1 Generally speaking, Americans tip more
generously than British.
2 Anthony’s mother doesn’t talk much.
3 Americans are more reserved than English.
4 Bridget promises not to miss the wine tasting
evening next week.
5 Shelly is worried about her weight.
4 Answer the questions.
1 Why is Bridget upset with the shop assistant?
2 Why does the man pay for Shelly’s coffee?
1 Whilst you’re here, I’d advise the women to
wear trousers in public. So, … .
2 A: He’s a good worker, but he’s late every day.
I need to speak to him about it.
B: Just … , Jim. People have different attitudes
to time over here.
3 Well, … . If it isn’t my old friend, Al! What on
earth are you doing here?
4 It’s not that people are unfriendly, they just …
more than we do.
NOW YOU!
7 What examples of good manners do you think
are most essential? What examples of bad
manners annoy you the most?
One example of essential good manners for
me is ...

18 THAT’S ENGLISH!
 STREET INTERVIEWS
8 The speakers below were asked the following question: Are you a creature of habit and in
what ways?
1 Predict two habitual actions that the speakers will mention.
2 Watch the video and check your predictions.

Kristen Cheryl Nicole Gina Victor Thierno Borislav

9a Which speakers … ?

1 don’t see themselves as creatures of habit

2 are religious people
3 talk about the things they do after they wake up in the morning
4 mention OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) and touching things in a certain order
5 wish they could be less of a creature of habit outside their work and daily routine

9b Complete the sentences with up to three words in each gap.

Cheryl: I do the same things every day. 1… the day with morning mass and then go out with
friends. I’m back home at a certain time to 2… the house.
Victor: Personally, I do everything the same way, every day. So, um, everything. So, from
when I wake up in the morning, I brush my teeth the exact 3… . When I shower, I dry
off in the very exact same way. I 4… .
Borislav: I have 5… every day and that's what I do.

ACTIVATE YOUR ENGLISH! 10b Rewrite the descriptions of habits using the
structures given in activity 10a.
10a Match the beginnings of the phrases (1-5) from
the videos to the endings (a-e). 1 You often talk about buying a new house.
(always + -ing go on about)
1 Everything I do, You’re always …
2 It’s common to 2 People in my country usually shake hands the
3 She’ll go on for ever first time they meet. (common)
4 I know I’m always 3 She always chooses blue; she doesn’t like any
5 You’re always going on other colour. (has to)
4 They often try new diets because they want to
a about seeing a musical in the West End. lose weight. (always + -ing)
b doing this. 5 He finds it difficult to make decisions. I always
c leave 20% if the service is good. decide for him. (will never)
d it has to be the same.
e if you don’t stop her. NOW YOU!
11 Are you a creature of habit?

I’m definitely a creature of habit. I need …

THAT’S ENGLISH! 19
It’s just good manners
READING
1a Match the behaviour shown in the pictures to
the verbs in the box.
hug slap someone on the back
have good manners pick your nose boast
blush / feel embarrassed
After
1
you!
4
2 5
3 6
1b Complete the sentences about British culture
with words from activity 1a.
1 In the past, men who used to open doors for
women were said to … , but not so much now.
2 We normally only … people … to congratulate
them, for example if they win a competition.
3 Family will … you, but you’d be shocked if
your colleagues did.
4 It is generally considered bad taste to … about
how much money you have.
5 Young people sometimes drink too much and
behave badly. They often … and … about their
behaviour next day!
6 It’s considered rude to … in public or burp
when eating in company.
2 Read the title and the first paragraph of the
following text. Where do you think the text is
from?
1 a biography
2 an American magazine
3 a British magazine
20
A legal alien: an
Englishman in LA
British Actor, Ralph Wilding, talks
about adapting to life in Hollywood
The first thing a British person needs to adapt
to when in LA is the optimism. Angelinos tend
to present everything positively since, as the
writer Julian Fellowes* observes, ‘LA is a town
where status is all and status is only given to
success. How’s the family? Great! The new job?
Best decision I ever made! The house? Terrific!
And this is when you both know that our man
is bankrupt, the bank is about to repossess his
house, his children are on drugs and his wife
about to divorce him.’
If you want to fit in in LA society, you too
will have to learn this optimism. And this
includes getting used to ‘talking up’ your
achievements. In Britain, we value modesty
and there’s a stigma attached to talking about
one’s own achievements. In fact, the opposite
– self-deprecation – is more acceptable.
However, in a place where everything – even
your shoes – is all ‘great’, it’s not a good idea
to put yourself down. If you’ve just won the
Nobel Prize for literature, don’t say to people,
‘Yes my last little book did rather well’. People
will either be offended by your insincerity, or
worse, simply believe that your book really is
nothing special.
Another thing that can be a culture shock for
Europeans is the American work ethic. My
LA friends will go on and on about how hard
they work: they’re always boasting about their
‘100-hour weeks’ as if they were a status
symbol. Hard work is highly valued in
American culture, an attitude that dates
from the Pilgrim Fathers, the first European
settlers. Even now, most American companies
only give two weeks’ paid annual holiday and
THAT’S ENGLISH!

workers are expected to arrive early and stay
late daily.
The puritanical streak in American culture
expresses itself in other ways too. Many of the
rules of ‘polite behaviour’ my friends lecture
their children about – don’t stare at people or
pick your nose in public, put your hand over
your mouth when you yawn, don’t burp or put
your elbows on the table during meals – are
also part of British culture. But I was surprised
by how much less adult Angelinos swear, drink
or tell rude jokes than my British friends, and by
the strict laws about swearing and nudity on TV.
But if you can cope with becoming a wildly
optimistic workaholic, there is much to enjoy
in Los Angeles. It’s easy to like the friendly,
physically demonstrative Angelinos. At first,
I used to be embarrassed when my colleagues
hugged me and slapped me on the back, and
when the (male!) receptionist at the studio
said, ‘You look great in that sweater, it matches
your eyes’, I would find it difficult not to blush.
But now, I’ve started hugging and backslapping
myself – and no doubt I’ll soon start telling
people they look fantastic too. In LA, it’s only
good manners – and I think I’ll miss it when I
go home.
*Past Imperfect by Julian Fellowes TRACK 8
THAT’S ENGLISH!
UNIT 2
3 Read the complete text. What does the author
say about … ?
1 success 4 optimism
2 modesty 5 hugging people
3 work 6 good manners
4 Read the text again and decide if the sentences
are true (✔) or false (✗). Correct the false ones.
1 Ralph thinks that the Angelinos are more
positive than the British.
2 Angelinos don’t especially admire very
successful people.
3 Modesty is important to the Angelinos. You
shouldn’t boast about your success.
4 Ralph probably tends to be self-deprecating.
5 Americans work longer hours than most
Europeans.
6 Ralph still feels uncomfortable when his
American colleagues hug him.
5 Complete the sentences with the expressions in
bold from the text.
1 My parents always had a strong … and would
only give me pocket money if I helped round
the house.
2 iPhones have become an important … for
young professionals.
3 Although my father isn’t normally … , he
gave me a big hug when I came back from six
months in Australia.
4 In the acting profession, there’s … to women
being overweight.
5 Living in China was a huge … for him and he
found it difficult to adapt.
6 I think … is charming: modesty and being able
to laugh at yourself is great.
7 He’s got a bit of a … He seems to feel that
enjoying himself is wrong!
6 Complete these sentences so that they are true
for you.
1 My attitude towards the American work ethic
is …
that it’s ridiculous! How can anyone think it’s
healthy to work a 100-hour week and only
have two weeks’ holiday?
2 Among my possessions, the object that is
closest to a status symbol is … because …
3 I do / don’t consider myself a physically
demonstrative person. I often / don’t usually …
4 When people are self-deprecating, I …
5 In our society, I think there is a stigma attached
to …
21
It’s just good manners
LANGUAGE STUDY
1a Listen to three people talking about their habits
when eating out, travelling or shopping. Who
9 talks about what?
1 Liliane: … 2 Robert: … 3 Dieter: …
1b Listen again and answer the questions.
9 1 What does Liliane say about lists? What is she
always looking for?
2 What will Robert always visit before he eats
out? What is he constantly trying?
3 What is Dieter always experimenting with?
What will he try to do before he gets on the plane?
1c Listen again and complete the sentences.
9 L: I 1… often … a list before I go out but I 2…
always … it. I 3… also always … for bargains.
R: I 4… always … the kitchens. I 5… just … my head
round the door. I 6… constantly … new places.
D: I 7… usually … to the airport with lots of time.
I 8… almost always only … hand luggage. I 9…
always … with ways to carry as little luggage
as possible. I 10… to find somewhere to eat.
Describing typical behaviour page 123
2 Think about your eating out, shopping and
travel habits. What type of things do you find
yourself always doing? What will you usually do
as a matter of course?
Eating out: When I’m meeting friends for lunch
or supper, I’ll always let someone else choose
the restaurant.
Shopping: ...
Travel: ...
3 Tom (British) and Jen (American) live in London,
which Jen hates. Complete the dialogue between
Tom’s mother and sister with the correct form of
the verb in brackets: will + infinitive or present
continuous.
Mother: Jen is having a difficult time in London.
She 1won’t go out (not go out) and try to
meet people, and she 2… (never help)
in the house. She 3… constantly …
(moan) about how dirty and expensive
London is, but she 4… (spend) a fortune
on taxis and clothes every week.
22
Sister: Why doesn’t she get a job?
Mother: Well, it’s not easy for an unknown
American actress. And if I suggest she
does something else, she 5… (get) really
angry. Sometimes she 6… (not speak)
to me for days. And she 7… always …
(make) plans for when they’re back in LA.
Sister: Does Tom know how unhappy she is?
Mother: Of course, and he 8… always … (talk)
about moving back to the States, but
I don’t think he’s serious. When she’s
upset he 9… (buy) her presents and he
10… (make) her promises, but I think he
should be honest with her.
Describing repetitive behaviour page 123
4 Tom and Jen are talking about their marriage
problems. Rewrite their remarks using the
structure in brackets.
1 Tom: She shouted at me a lot. (keep on)
She kept on shouting at me.
2 Jen: I always believed that we would soon be
moving back to LA. (carry on)
3 Jen: When he told me about staying in
London, I cried a lot. (repetition of verb)
4 Tom: I always hoped that our marriage would
work. (keep on)
5 Jen: I continued trying to find a job. I refused
to give up. (go on)
6 Tom: I tried to earn more so she’d be happy. I
worked a lot. (repetition of verb)
7 Jen: He comes home late from the office every
night. (present continuous + always)
5a Look at the extract from Jen’s diary. Then choose
the correct answers to complete the explanation.
I’m trying to get used to living in the UK, but
it’s hard. I just can’t get used to the accents –
well, I am used to Tom and his mother’s accent
now, and with time I might even get used to
their friends’. When I first arrived, nobody could
understand me either, but everyone seems to
be used to hearing my American accent now.
THAT’S ENGLISH!

• If you are used to something you 1don’t find /
find it unusual.
• If you are getting used to something you 2are /
aren’t becoming accustomed to it.
• Be used to and get used to can be followed by
3
a noun / -ing or a noun.
Get used to and be used to page 123
5b Complete the rest of the extract with the correct
form of be used to or get used to and the verb
in brackets.
Also, I find the English very distant. In the US, I 1…
friendly smiles from everyone, and so I can’t 2…
(be) polite but reserved all the time. In Los Angeles,
I had my own car, and so I 3… (be) independent. But
here I simply can’t 4… (drive) on the left, so I take
taxis. And as for the weather! Well, coming from
LA I 5… (feel) warm all the time, though I suppose I
6… the cold now – at least my nose isn’t constantly
red now! But I don’t think I’ll ever 7… the rain. And
I definitely won’t ever 8… the short winter days –
it’s dark at 4:30 pm!
6 Choose the correct form of the verb. In which
case are both options correct?
I 1used to live / would live in the Hasidic
Jewish community in Brooklyn. My childhood
was very happy. I 2wouldn’t be / didn’t use
to be dissatisfied with the Hasidic way of life
then. That started when I was older. At school,
we studied the Torah and I 3would make / used
to make the Rabbi angry by asking too many
questions: I 4got used to / get used to being
regularly punished for my curiosity! There
were so many things we were forbidden to
do: I 5used to speak / would never speak
to girls for example, except for my sisters,
because there was complete segregation of
the sexes. I 6used to want to / would want
to go to the movies so badly that I started
going in secret. As a teenager, I worked with
my father as a wedding singer and we 7would
THAT’S ENGLISH!
UNIT 2
sing / didn’t use to sing and dance all over
New York. The men and the women celebrate
separately at Hasidic weddings, but I 8got
used to wondering / used to wonder what
it would be like if we could sing and dance
together.
Describing past habits and routines page 124
7a Write three things you used to / didn’t use to do
and three things you would / would never do
when you were younger.
I didn’t use to be very shy as a child, in fact, I was
pretty outgoing.
I would never drink my milk at morning break. It
used to make me feel sick.
7b Write three things you are used to doing or are
getting used to doing now.
I’m used to trying new foods from different
countries.
I’m gradually getting used to the heat.
8a Check the highlighted verbs in the text on pages
20-21. Complete the sentences with the correct
form of a verb from A and a preposition from B.
A
adapt talk put fit cope
B
with down to up in
1 He is finding it difficult to … his new life in Brazil.
2 Don’t … yourself … . You’re just as good at
your job as anybody else in the office!
3 She’s worried that she won’t … very well in
her new job. She’s younger than most of her
colleagues and the only woman.
4 He’s always … his great qualifications, but he
isn’t any better than you or me.
5 Do you think you can … looking after a family
and working full time?
8b Complete the sentences so they are true for you.
1 In order to fit in with my friends / my family,
you need to be interested in sport, or at least
pretend!
2 I often find it difficult to cope with …
3 Something I’ve had to adapt to is …
4 When someone brings up the topic of … in
conversation, I …
23
It’s just good manners

B Modern working habits

DOCUMENTARY THAT’S THE USA
1 Answer the questions. 5 Match the words (1-3) to the pictures (a-c).
1 wood carving 2 basketry 3 beadwork
a

1 How many hours do you usually work a day or

a week?
2 Do you usually take a lunch break? How long b
is it?
3 What makes you happy at work?

2 Watch the documentary and decide if the

sentences are true (✔) or false (✗). Correct the
false ones.
1 If someone is chained to their desk this means
they work for long hours and often don’t take
c
a lunch break.
2 Habitual overwork can result in workers
becoming exhausted and burnt out.
3 Salesforce is an innovative company with a
very open culture.
4 Salesforce encourages the spirit of competition
in its employees.
5 Damilola Erinle from Salesforce thinks work
and home life shouldn’t be separate.
6 Watch the video and answer the questions?
6 Consultant Charles Fair says that trust is not
that important in creating a great workplace. 1 What is a chickee?
2 How long did it take Linda to make the big
SAME LANGUAGE, DIFFERENT LIVES sweet grass basket?
3 Why did the Seminole have a reputation for
3 Which of these personal qualities or habits do
being ‘wild people’?
you personally appreciate the most? Choose
your top three. 4 In traditional Seminole society, who is the
head of the family?
politeness openness sense of humour 5 Which clan do Sam and his family belong to?
kindness punctuality cleanliness
being respectful honesty NOW YOU!
7 What personal qualities do you think are the
4 Watch the video. For which culture is each of the most and the least highly valued by Spanish
qualities or habits below the most important? people?
1 sense of humour
I think one of the qualities Spanish
… and New Zealand people value most is ... . It’s very
2 respect for your elders important to come across as a ...
3 being kind and polite and having good manners person who means what they say.
4 general respect for people around you
5 being close to your family I don’t think the Spanish value … as
6 punctuality and cleanliness much as in some other cultures ...

24 THAT’S ENGLISH!
 UNIT 2
SKILLS WORK
1 In which parts of the world do you think
there may still be undiscovered tribes?
What do you know or have you heard
about them?

2a Read the text about the Sentinelese. How

would you describe their attitude towards
strangers?

The last undiscovered tribe: the Sentinelese

North Sentinel Island is a tiny island of about 72 km2
in the Bay of Bengal and is part of the territory of
India. On the island lives a remarkable isolated tribe
whose habits and customs haven’t changed since
the Neolithic Age and who reject, with violence, any
type of communication with outsiders. They attack
– and will kill – anyone who tries to visit the island.
Anthropologists believe that the tribe originally
migrated from Africa around 60,000 years ago. They
live exactly like our earliest ancestors: they don’t
even practise agriculture, but instead survive on a
diet of jungle fruits, fish and honey.
In the 80s, an Indian anthropologist called TN
Pandit started to try to make friendly contact with
the Sentinelese. His team would leave gifts of
pigs and coconuts on the beach, but for years, the
Sentinelese would take the gifts, and in return,
shoot arrows at the expedition boat. Finally, in 1991,
the tribe allowed Pandit alone to land, but he had
to take off his glasses and all his clothes first. The
Sentinelese didn’t understand what his clothes were
for and believed that he could be hiding something
under them!
Pandit believes there are between 100–250
Sentinelese. He visited them many times, recorded
their language and learned their traditional greeting,
which is to sit on your friend’s knee and slap your
right buttock. However, they are not interested in
adapting to modern life – all they want is to be left
alone. The Indian government has decided to honour
their wishes, at least for now, and has introduced a 3
mile ‘no-go’ zone round the island.
TRACK 10

2b Read the text again and complete the table about the Sentinelese.
Where they live
Diet
Size of population
Traditional greeting

3 Sanjay Singh, an Indian anthropologist, is talking to Laila Da Silva, a student, about his
experiences with the Sentinelese. Listen and answer the questions.
11
1 What does Sanjay say about the Sentinelese’s attitude to fire?
2 What surprises Laila about the Sentinelese social structure?
3 Why does she say that the Sentinelese have ‘an ideal life’?
4 What three examples does Sanjay give of ways in which the Sentinelese way of life could
seem very primitive to us?

4 In your own words write a paragraph (70-100 words) about the Sentinelese. Include the
information in activity 2b and say what you think would be the advantages and disadvantages
of introducing them to modern civilization.
The Sentinelese live on an island off the coast of India and follow a way of life that is probably
similar to how our ancestors lived thousands and thousands of years ago. The population of
the Sentinelese is estimated to be between 100 to 250 in total …

THAT’S ENGLISH! 25
It’s just good manners

SPEAKING
1 Discuss the questions. 2b Listen again and complete the exclamations.

1 Do you sometimes swear? When? 12 1 Absolutely … !

2 When is swearing acceptable and not 2 Why … did they do that?
acceptable in your culture? 3 What in … are they doing now, … idiots?
3 Are there any words that you consider taboo 4 He’s … person I would consider employing!
and would never use? 5 Don’t look now, but … Sam is coming!
I rarely swear and I find it quite offensive when 6 For … , mind your language!
other people do. Like my grandmother always Showing impatience page 124
used to say, ‘If your vocabulary weren’t so
limited, you wouldn’t need to swear.’
2c Listen again and underline the most stressed
words in the exclamations in activity 2b.
13
➚ ➘
1 Absolutely no way!

2d Listen and repeat paying attention to the

intonation and stress.
13
3 Complete the sentences below.

In an expletive or exclamative sentence,

2a Listen to a linguistics expert talking about swearing • the intonation often 1goes up / goes up and
and exclamations in English. Answer the questions. then down.
12
• the intonation is 2more / less heavily marked
1 Which three subjects are most English swear
words related to?
than usual.
2 What two English swearwords does the • the expletive or exclamative is the 3most /
speaker mention? least heavily stressed word in the sentence.
3 Where do they originate from? Intonation of exclamations page 147
4 What is an expletive?
5 What do you think ‘mind your language’ means?

Monologue: comparing social habits and customs

4a Match the descriptions from the box to the photos.

invading someone’s personal space having a laid-back attitude complaining

public displays of affection slurping your food deferential behaviour

1 3 5

2 4 6

26 THAT’S ENGLISH!
 UNIT 2

4b Discuss your answers to the questions with a partner.

I can’t stand it when people slurp or eat with
1 What eating habits do you consider unacceptable? their mouth open. It’s just such bad manners!
2 What are your feelings about public displays of affection?
3 Do you usually complain if you have a problem in a shop or a restaurant?
4 Who do you habitually defer to: e.g. your parents, older people, your boss?
5 Do you have a laid-back attitude to life or are you more uptight?

5a Listen to Satoshi Mizushima talking about his country’s culture and social customs and
choose the correct answers.
14
1 Satoshi is comparing Japanese and British culture / experiences and attitudes.
2 He says that the British / Japanese used to have a reputation for being reserved.
3 He describes a kiss / a bow as ‘an intimate gesture’.
4 European societies are less / more individualistic than Japanese society.
5 He says that both the British and the Japanese / the Japanese prefer indirect communication.
6 According to Satoshi, not saying what you think hurts / protects social harmony.
7 Satoshi thinks that the Japanese and the British share a tendency to be eccentric / dress
crazily.

5b Listen again and complete the phrases Satoshi uses in his talk.

14 1… my experience,
Making generalisations
2… speaking,
Drawing attention to a funny or surprising fact 3… enough,
Illustrating a point 4… , for example
Not 5… , but also
Adding points
But 6… us not forget (that)
Contrasting This is in 7… to
Concluding / summarizing All in 8…

5c Add the expressions from the box to the table in activity 5b.

To conclude / sum up To give you an idea Surprisingly On the other hand But in fact / actually

6a You are going to prepare a talk contrasting the habits of your own culture with another culture
you know about. Choose three of the topics from the box below and make some notes.

food social life culture social life: families get together to celebrate
money and work greeting styles important dates like birthdays, anniversaries, etc …
attitudes towards animals and children greeting styles: friends always kiss on both
cheeks when they meet, …

6b Give your talk. Use your notes from activity 6a to help you and include expressions from
activity 5b to structure your talk and contrast your main ideas.

I am going to talk about the differences between Spanish and American culture.
In my experience, most Americans …

THAT’S ENGLISH! 27
SELF TEST
1 Complete the sentences with a word from A
and a word from B.
A
physically culture self- stigma
status work
B and the verbs from the box. Always use would
symbol demonstrative shock ethic
deprecating attached
1 He’s really good-looking, but not at all arrogant;
in fact, he’s rather shy and … .
2 Her uncompromising … means she’s always
in the office by seven.
3 Their yacht is just a … – they never go sailing
in it.
4 I’m not very … myself so kissing and hugging
makes me feel uncomfortable.
5 Living in an undeveloped country was a bit of
a … at first.
6 Everyone pretends to be relaxed because
there’s a … to trying too hard.
2 Complete the account of life in Antarctica. Use
the present continuous or will + infinitive of the
verbs in brackets.
I find it really difficult to get up in the morning
because it’s so dark. When the alarm clock
rings, I 1… (turn it off) and 2… (go) straight
back to sleep again. Even in summer, the
sun 3… (not rise) until really late in the
morning and in winter it’s completely dark
all day. Our diet isn’t very varied and we 4…
always … (try) to find ways of making the
food more interesting. We have to eat a lot
because of the cold and we have this horrible
porridge for breakfast. I 5… constantly …
(experiment) with different ways to cook it,
but unfortunately it never tastes very nice!
3 Match the beginnings of the sentences (1-6) to
the endings (a-f).
1 I don’t think she’s adapting well
2 They are finding it difficult to cope
3 He’s always talking
4 She has a terrible habit of putting
5 I didn’t want to bring this
6 I’m making an effort to fit
a up his ‘great relationship’ with Rachel, but
actually he hardly knows her.
b up in front of the others, but how much
experience do you really have?
THAT’S ENGLISH!
UNIT 2
c to life over here – she’s very homesick.
d herself down, but actually she’s extremely
good.
e with the heat.
f in, but I’m not used to this lifestyle.
4 Complete the sentences with would or used to
if possible.
never talk not have save live like give
1 They … in a really small house on the docks.
2 They … very much money.
3 Every day she … the children fresh bread and
honey for breakfast.
4 I … the apple they gave me at lunchtime and
eat it in the evening.
5 I … walking by the river.
6 He … to his wife about his problems.
5 Choose the correct options.
1 They keep / kept / keeping on hoping they’ll
win but they never do.
2 Don’t criticise her or she’s going / ’ll go / went
on and on about it.
3 They keep telling him to stop but he just
carries / carried / would carry on.
4 When I heard what he’d done, I laughed /
laugh / ’d laugh and laughed.
5 Despite the evidence, his parents are going /
never go / will go on believing he is innocent.
6 I just can’t get used / be used to his new look.
I was used / get used to his beard, and it’s
strange to see him without one!
6 Put the sentences in order to make a
conversation.
1 How stupid! He’s got no bloody common
sense. What does she see in him?
2 That’s Jake on that motorbike with Marta, isn’t
it? What on earth does he think he’s doing?
3 I think there’s only one helmet and he gave it
to Marta.
4 Like hell they are! He couldn’t plan a trip to the
supermarket.
5 He’s taking Marta on a tour of the city.
6 Well, why isn’t he wearing a helmet, the idiot!
There’s lots of traffic in the city.
7 Marta really likes him. They’re planning a trip
to America together.
8 Well, I think Jake only wants to look like a
million bucks and that’s why he gave it to her.
113
Grammar Reference Unit 2

1 DESCRIBING TYPICAL BEHAVIOUR

Routines
present simple
I usually smoke a cigarette after dinner.
I don’t usually drink coffee in the evening.
Typical behaviour
will
• To describe characteristic behaviour.
She’s not a heavy smoker. She’ll usually smoke a
cigarette after dinner, but that’s all.
He’s very unreliable. One day he’ll work for fifteen
hours and the next day he’ll stay in bed all day.
present continuous
• To describe repetitive behaviour perceived as
exaggerated or annoying.
She’s constantly checking her phone to see if
she’s got messages.
My neighbours are always spying on us through
the window.
He’s always telling lies!

2 OTHER WAYS TO DESCRIBE REPETITIVE BEHAVIOUR

On (and on), keep (on), carry on, go on (and on)
• To continue doing something.
We were totally lost, but he just drove on (and on) hoping to find his way.
He keeps (on) telling me that he doesn’t need help… but he does!
They carried on arguing after I had left.
I went on working until my boss told me to take a break.
I told her to stop insulting me, but she went on (and on) until I lost my temper.

verb + and + verb

She insisted and insisted until she managed to talk to the manager.
He just talks and talks but no one actually listens to him.

3 GET USED TO AND BE USED TO

get used to + noun / -ing
• To become accustomed to something.
When I came to live in the city, it took me a
while to get used to the constant noise.
I will eventually get used to my new
smartphone.
I’ve finally got used to getting up at 6:00 a.m.
every morning.
be used to + noun / -ing
• To be familiar or accustomed to something.
She’s used to her new smartphone.
I’m used to speaking in English with my
classmates now.

THAT’S ENGLISH! 123

Grammar Reference Unit 2

4 DESCRIBING PAST HABITS AND ROUTINES

Routines Typical behaviour
used to + infinitive would + infinitive
• To describe routines that have changed in • To describe characteristic behaviour in the
the present, past habits or states. past.
I used to smoke ten cigarettes a day, but I When he was young, he was very foolish.
quit smoking years ago. He would do drugs, and he’d drink and
Did she use to play volleyball when she was drive every weekend.
a student? As a student, I would always study for
He didn’t use to be very strong, but now he’s exams the night before.
started training and it shows!

5 SHOWING IMPATIENCE AND INSULTING

• In English, it is quite frequent to use religious words like God or Jesus to show impatience
and anger. However, this is considered disrespectful language and it can easily offend
people. Therefore, people often use the word goodness to avoid saying God.
A similar thing happens with the word hell, which is frequent in expressions like What the
hell…?, Where the hell…?, Who the hell…?, etc. It is safer to use alternatives like the heck
(very colloquial), on earth (more neutral) or in heaven’s name.
Oh my goodness! Look at you! You look so pretty!
Who the heck are you?
How on earth did the dog get in here?
What in heaven’s name do you think you are doing?

• When we want to insult someone, we usually address them with the word you + noun.
Why on earth did you have to do that, you fool?
Of course they wanted to keep your money, you idiot!

• When we don’t want to insult the listener but a third person, we can use the + noun.
Look at John trying to climb that tree, the fool!

124 THAT’S ENGLISH!

Pronunciation Guide
PRONUNCIATION FOR EMPHASIS: THE
The definite article the is normally not stressed. However, we may want to stress it for added
emphasis. In this case, it is pronounced /ðiː/.
She overcame her disability in the most amazing way.
/ʃiː əʊvəˈkeɪm hə dɪsəˈbɪlətɪ ɪn ˈðiː ˈməʊst əˈmeɪzɪŋ ˈweɪ/

INTONATION
It is very complicated to describe intonation theoretically. The best approach for learning
intonation is to listen to as much natural authentic speech as possible.
Here are some general guidelines for the intonation of the functions described in this module.

Why did you have to do that?

Showing impatience

I’ve told you a hundred times!

How wonderful!
Exclamations
Start with on a high pitch

That’s absolutely incredible!

Could you give me a hand with this?

Requests
Would you mind turning down the volume, please?

Close the door, will you?

If you want to sound polite in English you need to stress

the important words in the sentence by making changes
in tone.
Sounding polite
I do apologize.

Thanks! I really appreciate your help!

Start with on
a low pitch

Persuading Come on! You want to buy a new car, don’t you?
Start with on
a midpitch

What clause + be What was important was arriving on time.

THAT’S ENGLISH! 147