FOCUS ON GRAMMAR, Third Edition, Level 3

Internet Activity Student Worksheet

UNIT 12: PERMISSION: CAN, COULD, MAY, DO YOU MIND

IF…?
May I Borrow Your Book?
WEB ACTIVITY: Search the web for stories about people who borrow and lend things.

WEB ADDRESS:
http://totalsurfer.bizland.com/topics_085.html

PART ONE

1. Go to the website for your group. Read about people who borrowed books and didn’t return
them. Look for the answers to these questions.

(Remember: Just look at the site to get information for this exercise; do not give personal
information or credit card information anywhere in the website.)

a. When do most people ask to borrow books?

_____________________________________________________________

b. What did each friend promise to do with the books?

_____________________________________________________________

c. What happened to the books the author lent?

_____________________________________________________________

2. Work in a group with four or five students. Change the story into a dialogue between the
narrator (Natalia J. Garland) and the people who came to borrow her books. Write a
conversation between Natalia and these friends (you can make up names for them). Use
can, could, may, do you mind if… in your dialogue.
Example:
Carl: Hi Natalia. Nice apartment! Wow, you have a lot of books!
Natalia: Oh, I love books. My books are treasures to me.
Carl: Here’s a book I need. I’m doing some research about this topic. Could I
borrow this one?
Natalia: Well, I don’t usually lend my books.
Carl: Oh don’t worry. I’ll read it and bring it right back…

3. Practice your dialogue in your group. Present your dialogue to the class. Then discuss the
advantages and disadvantages of borrowing and lending. Shakespeare wrote: "Neither a
borrower nor a lender be." What do you think he meant?

Focus on Grammar, Third Edition, Level 3 Internet Activity Student Worksheet, Unit 12
Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission granted to reproduce for classroom use. 1