24/1/2020 We need some things for the house.

A2
We need some things for the office.
6088S

Introduction
Dialogue comprehension: Understand a dialogue about office supplies.
Learn the names of some office supplies and be able to use quantifiers.
Be able to ask for office supplies in a store.

Dialogue
TASK: Read the following dialogue aloud with your teacher. Tim and Melissa are coworkers. They are talking
about what they need to buy for the office. They then go to the office supply store. Pay attention to the names
of office supplies, to the quantifiers and 'how much' and 'how many'.

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Tim: Melissa, what do we need to buy for the office?

Melissa: We don't have anymore paper for the printer.

Tim: Okay, and we don't have enough pens and pencils.

Melissa: How many do we have to buy?

Tim: 50 blue pens and 100 pencils. We also need some ink for the printer.

Melissa: There isn't much ink in the printer either.

Tim: Have we got any staples and paper clips?

Melissa: I don't think we have many left.

At the store:

Tim: Hello, do you have any ink cartridges for printers?

Sales assistant: Yes, but we only have a few.

Tim: I'd like two, please. We also need lots of paper.

Sales assistant: How much paper do you need?

Melissa: We would like 1000 sheets, so two reams, please.

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Illustration
The determiners 'some' and 'any'
The determiners 'some' and 'any' are used with countable and uncountable nouns.
They describe indefinite quantities.

Countable nouns can be singular or plural. They can be counted using numbers. For example: cars, people, books, pictures.
Uncountable nouns are not singular or plural. They cannot be counted using numbers. For example: water, wine, money, coffee,
rice, furniture, information etc.

'A / an' is NOT used with uncountable nouns.

Example: water or 'the water' (NOT 'a water').
Uncountable nouns don't take an -s.
Example: information (NOT 'informations').
Some nouns have two meanings. They can be countable or uncountable according to the meaning. For example: 'time'
(countable: 'how many times?'; uncountable: 'how much time' = 'how long').

SOME

the plural form of "a / an"

Example: There is a notebook. There is an eraser.
There are some notebooks. There are some erasers.
used in positive statements
Example: There are some pens in the drawer.
used when we offer or ask for something
Example: Would you like some help? No, thank you.

ANY

used in questions
Example: Are there any scissors in here?
used in negative statements
Example: There isn't any paper in the printer.
used for indefinite references
Example: You can find tape at any store.
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Quantifiers

Countable Uncountable

a lot a lot

a lot of a lot of
Large quantity
many much

plenty of plenty of

Small quantity (a) few (a) little

Example:
Describes a large quantity I don't have much paper.
Much Used only with uncountable nouns Do you have much ink?
Mostly used in questions and in the negative form How much money do we
have?

Example:
I don't have many pens.
Describes a large quantity Do you sell many books?
Used with plural, countable nouns Many people buy these
Many
Used mostly in questions and in the negative form pencils.
Sometimes used in the positive form How many cartridges do we
need?

(A) little and (a few):

'Little' and 'few' are used when there is a small amount of something.
The meaning of 'a little' and 'a few' is closer to 'some'.

Example:
We need to hurry! There is (very) little time.
There are a few color pencils left.
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Vocabulary: Office supplies

a chair

a computer

a desk

a highlighter

an eraser

a keyboard
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a notebook

paper

a paperclip

a pen

a pencil

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a printer

scissors

a stapler

Practice
Practice one: Office supplies
TASK: Match the words with the pictures.

1. notebooks

a.
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2. an eraser

b.

3. a computer

c.

4. a desk

d.

5. sheets of paper

e.

6. a paperclip
f.

7. a pencil

g.
8. a pen

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h.

9. a printer

i.

10. scissors

j.

Practice two: 'some', 'any', 'a' or 'an'

TASK: Fill in the blank with 'some', 'any', 'a' or 'an'.

Example: Do you have ____ staples? -> Do you have any staples?

1. Do we need __________ ink for the printer?

2. We need to buy __________ paper.
3. I will have __________ new computer in my office.
4. There are __________ scissors on that desk.
5. There isn't __________ paper left.
6. Excuse me, do you have __________ paperclips?
7. Can I have __________ eraser, please?
8. Would you like __________ pencils too?

Practice three: 'a few', 'a little', 'much' or 'many'

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TASK: Fill in the blank with 'a few', 'a little', 'much' or 'many'.

Example: There isn't ___ paper left. -> There isn't much paper left.

1. There aren't __________ sheets in the printer.

2. Can I have __________ notebooks?
3. There isn't __________ ink in this cartridge.
4. We have __________ office furniture.
5. I'd like __________ pens, please.
6. There is __________ paper, so you can print.

Transfer
Role-play: Buying office supplies
TASK: Imagine you are in an office supply store. Your teacher is the sales assistant. Ask him/her questions
about office supplies. Here are examples of sentences you can use.

I'd like some paper, please.

Do you have any pens and notebooks?
I'm looking for a keyboard.
How much is this office chair?
How many different desks do you sell?
I will buy a few pens and pencils.

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