Ooestae ater his Gither Hes very laid-back ve oeer.

-back ve oeer.met anycne elue like him She's a seal laugthiturk she's a bolta
onde
to a
know ts not very PC of me to say so She's a really lovehy person Do you fancy him She wouidn t say too
hs
oose Youd never think iHes
got a really sexy voiceve ahways thought of myself as a very seative person.
atershaveNo i don't realy o for redheads She can be realy cheeky sometimes. He's fity f he's a day Oh,ljust

Talking about people heard it on grapevineShe's a nend of a

the
friend of mine Hes an absolute hoot

Using vocabulary
1 Describing people

Think of three people you know friends or family. Write their initials beside three
adjectives or
expressions below. Then tell
of the
a partner about your choices.
Tick the six adjectives or
expressions which best describe you. Then describe yourself to
your partner.

Age Halr Height Personality

young fair quite tall
amusing
in his/her twenties a bit on the short side
darkish a bit dull
quite elderly completely white Conservative
younger than (s)he looks Other warm
going grey
older than (s)he looks narrow-minded
losing his hair lazy
almost bald hard-working independent
fun
Looks bad-tempered a bit of a workaholic
good-looking Weight casy-going
religious
not very good-looking friendly
a bit thin musical
moody
overweight sporty
on the plump side energetic creative
a bit of a fitness fanatic
very political
a good sense of humour

2 Speaking
Discuss these questions with a partner.
. When you're speaking your own 2. What features of a person's 3. Are you happy with your own
language, which adjectives do you appearance do you usually notice appearance? Why/why not?
use most to describe people? first?

3 Who's who?
Listen to the descriptions ofJenny, Nick, Mat, and Kirsty. Decide who's who. Then work
in pairs, trying to remember much from the
as as you can
descriptions you heard.
**** ** ******************** L. *************************************************
********************************************************** ,
Cng rainma 3 Speaking
Do you agree with these statements?
1 Modifiers
I. Jeans are a bit old-fashioned nowadays.
The words used before 2. Tattoos are really cool.
make a comment
adjectives or nouns to 3. Body-piercing is a bit too risky for me!
stronger, weaker, or more
acceptable are called modifiers. Add adjectives 4. Surfing the net can be a bit of a bore.
in the spaces to talk about 5. Long hair is very attractive.
people you know.
6. Vegetarians can be a bit of a pain in the neck.
verylreally t adjective
7. Alcohol is very dangerous.
She's very nice. He's really bossy. 8. Parents can be a bit too protective.
T've got a friend who can be
but usually she's really .
very....... at times,
2. quite + Real English: a pain in the neck
adjective
He's quite creative he If someone is a pain in the neck, they are very
-

pains and draws.

My father's quite.... annoying. You can also use it about a situation.
My teacher can be quite. sometimes. Parking's become absolutely impossible in the town
centre. It's a real pain in the neck.
3. a bit +
negative adjective
He's a bit boring She's a bit immature.
Thave to admit,I can be a bit.........
sometimes.
4. a bit of o + negative noun
She's a bit of a moaner. He's a bit of a workaholic.
My mum/dad is a bit of a.....
5. a bit too +
positive adjective
She's a bit too nice, if you know what I mean.
I've got a friend who's
very...
In fact,I think he's a bit too...

Tell your partner as much as you can about what

you have written.

For more information on modifers, see GI)

2 Pronu ation
4 Friends and relatives
Listen to the stress and intonation of these
o nples. Do you say the following
in your language?
A friend of a friend is a friend.
It's quite expensive.
A friend of an enemy is an
(This means it's expensive, but not too expenslve.) enemy.
An enemy of a friend is an
Ic's quite expensive, enemy.
An enemy of an enemy is a friend.
(This means you think it really is expensive.)
Check you understand these useful
Listen to these examples. Each is sald in two expressions
for talking about your friends and relatives.
different ways. Then try saying them yourself,
so that the difference is clear. . I don't really know John Baker.I only know him by
. Tlive quite near the office. slght.
2. She's quite nice. Mary's an old girlfrlend of mine.
3. He's quite a good cook. Were old schoolfriends.
4. We're quite happy with the colour. He's her ex.
5. He's qulte friendly. 5. This ls my partner. Jean.
6. I think they're quite conservative. 6. Bill's just an acquaintance.I don't really know him
7. The weather was quite good. that well.
8. It's quite interesting She's my sister-in-law.
8. I don't know them, but I know of them.
9. l'm his godson.
10. My sister and I are really close.

Are there people in your life who fit the above

descrlptlons? Who and what are they? Tell a
partner about them.
 ning
1efore you listen
Tell a partner as nuh as
y Can about your family.
While you listen
Slmon and Melanle work
In the same ofmce. Simon's
popped In to Melanle's house
after work for a cup of tea.
A you llaten to thelr
conversatlon, try to answer
these questlons.
.Do Molanle and SImon havo any
brothers and sisters?
2. Do
Melanlo and Smon get
well with the other members of
thelr famlles?
Llsten agaln and try to il In
tho gaps In tho conversation
The Brother from Hell!
Molanie Iant rernernber Do you tako milk'
Sirnon Please, but no supar. Thanks. It's weird, you knovw, but l've been to
yor house (1) , andI still haven't met your parents.
Melanie: Yes, theyre out a lot. My dad works for the BeC and ny murn's a,
she does sort ol (2).... * * work for a cornparry. You
know, like an advertising agency. Theyre both really busy.
Sinon Oh, they sound realy interesting.
.. dull, to be honest
Melanie: Do you think so?I ind y dad (3) .
He works late every day, even works some weekends, doesn't read,
doesn't go out.I nean,don't (4).. . . . . .... hoes
(). nce, but I don't know,| just don't have anything
to say to hlm. I think (6).. . Wejust don't spend
enough tine together
Sirnon: How old Is he, then?
Melanie: About fifty-five, I think. I can never really remember.
on
Simon: Oh. yeah.
Melanie: But my num's lovely. She's (7)........ a bit too nice
though, sometimes, always trying to look after me. She worries
about me leaving hormne. She's (8)... ..over-protective,if
you know what I mean. I'm an (9) 3 O .

I the next column.

Simon: Oh,I didn't know that.
Melanie: What? You mean you can't tell

3 Speaking Sirmon I don't know. I've never thought about it, I suppose.

Discuss these questions with a Melanie: So, what about you! Have you got any brothers or sisters yourself?
partner. Simon: Yes, I've got one of cach. (10)...
. Melanle thinks her mum is a bit Melanic: Oh right. Older or
younger?
too nice, Ils it possible to bo too
Simon: My sister's two or thrce years younger than me, but my brother's
nice? Do you know anyone like (0)......older. He's about forty now.
that?
Melanic: Do you get on with them all right? You haven't
2. Melanie is an only child, Do you them very much.
really talked about
know any only children! Which
Simon. Well, my brother, not (12)...
would you prefer: to be an only
different from me, ....well, actually.He's
child or to be ono of ten or
(14)...
(I3)...........Old-fashioned,
traditional. Well, actually, he's a bit, how can
cleven'
T(I5)..... . .,right-wing. You know things aren't what
3. Do you know anyone who they used to be, more police, death penalty- that kind of thing.
comes from a really big family? He's (16). . . . . fool, actually.
How many brothers and sisters Melanie: Oh, well, it takes all sorts,I
did your parents have? What suppose.
Simon: But my sister,
abour their parents? she's great. We (17)... .. . We've got the
kind of
same
(18)..
Melanie: Just a pity about the brother from hell, eh?
Simon: Yes. Oh, but he's not that bad. We get all
steor
on right, as long as you
(19). . . o f certain topics. Anyway, you were telling
me about your parents.
Melanie: Oh, there's not much to tell, actually.

Real English: the brother from hell

This meahs that he is not a very
pleasant person. In fact, he ls rather
unpleasant. The kind of neighbours who
play loud music in the middle of
the night are the neighbours from hell! Other
the children fron hell! people's children can be

10
ng Ocabulary 3 Emphasising
We often use more than one adjective to describe
3Adjectives things or people. These adjectives are often
emphasised by using the same adverb before each
Mark each of the adjectives below P or
N, adjective.
depending on whether you think they are positive It was realiy cold and realy windy
or
negative. Use your dictionary if necessary. She's very nice, very interesting
Then discuss your answers with
your partner. It was cxtremely long and extremely boring

I. religious 9. strict We can use two different adjectives with a similar

2 traditional 10. business-minded meaning.
3. quiet II.nice He's a bit strange, a bit weird.
4. talkative 12. individual He's a bit old-fashioned, a bit traditional
5. tidy 13. messy It was really scary, really frightening.
6. laid-back 14. liberal
Listen to the six sentences above, and practise
7. conservative I5. hard-working
8. ambitious 16. sensible
saying them.
Now talk about the pictures below using two
adjectives and the same adverb. For example:
Underline the main stressed syllable in each
What a bike! It's realy big and really fast.
adjective. Look back at the adjectives used to
describe people on page 8. Which is the most
positive for you? Which is the most negative?

Make a list of the four most positive adjectives

and the four most negative adjectives you can
use about someone.

Positive Negative
********************* . *************

2. ************.*** L. ********************

3. * ********** 3. ******************
******

* * * a d w * * * * * 5*** *******

Compare your lists with a partner.

2 Judgingby appearances
Work with a partner. Decide what you think
these people are like. Use more than one
adjective for each person. Begin: Helshe looks...

Underline the adjectives and adverbs which make

this dialogue sound interesting.
Didn't you go to Turkey last summer?
B No, we went to Thailand. It was realy nice, really
interesting&
Whereabouts did you go?
B: Well, first we went to Bangkok, which was a bit too
crowded, a bit too mad for me., so we went off to the
islands instead, which were
really beautiful, really
relaxing.
Now describe the following to your partner in a
similar way.
I. your last holiday
2. the best place you've ever been to
3. food from your country
4. your best friend
5. your home town
 Before you read 2 While you read
Discuss these questions with a partner. Now read this text about a family with
children than any of your parents - the
more

1. Do you have any kids? If so, how many? Pridhams. As you read, underline anything that
2 If not, do you want any? Why/why not?
surprises you.
3. What's the best number of children to have?
4. What's the best age to have them at!

FULL-TIME JOB! knows the nursery rhyme
Every English-speaking child
about the old woman with lots of children:
There was an old woman who lived in a shoe
She had so many children she didn't know what to do.
Nicola Pridham must understand the old woman's
predicament very well. She's expecting her twentieth
child and she's only forty! She and her husband Kevin
already have twelve sons and seven daughters.
Kevin Pridham is a self-employed builder, but what he
earns is not enough to feed and clothe their large family.
Every week their grocery bill comes to £400. They go
through thirty-five loaves of bread and twenty-five boxes
of breakfast cereal per week.
If you have a child in Britain today, researchers have
shown that it will cost you almost £100 per week when
you take into consideration food, clothes, pocket money
and all the other expenses involved in bringing up
children.
Before they are eighteen you will have spent almost
E100,000 per child. This means that Nicola and Kevin
will have to find two million pounds! You can be fairly
sure that the Pridham children will be handing clothes
down to each other and doing odd jobs to provide
themselves with pocket money

3 Speaking
Tell a partner what surprised you about the article above. Then discuss these questions.
. Do you know anyone who's expecting a child at the moment?

Do you know anyone who's self-employed? What do they do?

2.3. Did
you ever get clothes handed down to you?
4. Do you think housewives should be paid by the state? Why/why not?

12
 Grammarin context
Uinggr nar 4
the present
Complete these sentences using
Present tenses simple o r present
continuous.

are four ways of talking about what you . . w o r k ) in the

centre town, of
I. He usually.... ( w o r k ) from home
for a living. but this week he....
because
he............
(ty) out a new computer
a jounalist/ a civil servant/ out of work It could be the thing of thee
link-up for the company.
work in a factory
I in IT/ as a D)
future.
Inun a guest house/ a restaurant. ( a c t ) precty
2 Don't you thinkJohn...
Ido deaning jobs/ a lot of work for the BBC. I mean, he
strangely at the moment?
..

that quiet. Do you think he's OK?

(not be) normaly he's
Complete these sentences with a suitable own business, but his
verd. The first two are done for you. 3. My dad... - (run)older brother.......

sick at the moment,somy take

. ...self-employed. (look after) it for a while.I think they want him to

2 He...S..in advertising. it over evenualy.

a lot
3. She. a n architect 4. TOU... talk) about your parentswell?
(not
.*** them very
(you not get on) with
* *

* * * *

4You........for the government, don't you? think he

5. He.... . (be) very left-wing. I
5. He....... ...as a waiter at weekends. for the socialist revolution!
(still/ wait)
. . . .

(not talk) to each other just

now,
6 in a bank 6. We with me
H e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (be/ still) annoyed
7. She.. ........a businesswoman actualy.
for forgetting his birthday last year.
8. My dad.... .unemplayed at the moment
with
9. My brother. ... in the amy. Now complete these pairs of sentences
information which is true.
0. I someimes.......bar work.
II. He..........the occasional design job. 7. My works
...a reired teacher. . is working. at the
12 My mother, My.
moment
13. 1. . On a boat
8. I get on very well wich....
14. She..........her own business.
T'm not getting on very well with...
he moment
9. My ... lives in.....
2 Speaking *******

.is living in.... . at the

Ask some other students in the class about their My * *

moment

jobs and/or their parents' jobs. Who has the

most

interesting job? The most stressful? The most

unusual?
For more information on the present simple and
present continucus, see G2.

3 Grammar discussion eal English: pretry

With a partner, discuss the difference in meaning The adjectve premy means beautfui or attractve.
between the verb forms in these sentences. As an adverb it means fairly.
Im pretty good at bodminton.
la My dad works for the BBC as a cameraman. Hes octing pretty strangey.
Ib. My dad's working in Manchester this month.
s thvere arnything you're preay good a?
22 Ifind my dad a bit dull He's ony interested
in making money.
2b. I'm finding my job a bit boring at the moment S Famous present tenses
3a He even works some weekends.
These two famous quotations use the present
3b. He's working this weekend. He's finishing off
simple. Which is your favourite?
a special report
I. Freedom is the right to tell people what they do not
4a My mum is a realy nice person. want to hear.
46. She's being really nice at the moment I wonder why! 2 Foreigners have sex lives; the Engish have hot water
Sa. Do you get on with them all right? bottdes.
Sb. Are you gecting on with them OK again? Here are some famous sayings. When would you
say them?
In the examples above, underline the time
3. What goes up must come down.
expressions used with the present continuous.
4. An elephant never forges.
5. It never rains, but it pours.
6. You're making a mountain out of a molehilt.