BOOK 1

LISTEN / AT WORK
UNIT 9

Frances is at the studio preparing to tape her talk-show.

Harold: Hurry up, Fran. We’re on in ten minutes.
Frances: Where are my cards?
Harold: Here you are. By the way...
[Ring, ring]
Frances: One moment. Hello.
Lyle: Hi, Frances, this is Lyle Falk.
Frances: [Silence] Who gave you my number?
Lyle: Nobody. I looked it up in the directory.
Frances: That’s not true. I’m not listed. Why are you calling me?

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Lyle: Well, I arrived in town yesterday, and I wanted...

Frances: We have nothing to say to each other, Lyle.
Lyle: Fran, give me a chance.
Frances: You had your chance, Lyle.
Lyle: But you never allowed me to explain. You ignored
me for ten years, Fran. You neither returned my
calls nor answered my letters...
Harold: Excuse me, Fran, you have to hurry up.
Frances: [looking at her watch] I’m sorry, I have to go now.
Lyle: Where can we meet?
Frances: Nowhere. There is nothing left to say...
Lyle: We were best friends once, Fran... Can’t we talk?
Frances: I don’t know, Lyle. I’ll sleep on it.
Lyle: Can I call you back tomorrow?
Frances: Well, I guess. I have to rush. Bye. [click]
Harold: Wow, who was that?
Frances: No one. It’s none of your business.
Harold: What’s biting you?
Frances: Forgive me, Harold. It’s a long story. Let’s go.

PRONOUNCE SPEAK

Listen to the pronunciation of the letter “y” in the following words and
repeat in the spaces provided.

yes
yesterday
yellow
yet

Yes!
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 STRUCTURE & VOCABULARY LEARN
1. NEGATIVE WORDS
The following words express negation:
neither not one or the other
never not at any time
nobody no person; not anyone
none no one, not one
no one no person; nobody
nor not either or not any.
Nowhere nothing no thing; not anything
nowhere not anyhere

2. PERSONAL PRONOUNS: OBJECT POSITION

The object pronouns are used to tell the person or thing to whom or for whom the
action is performed.

When used after the verb, personal

pronouns change to the object form:
I want you to accompany me.
You want us to accompany you. I want you to
We want you to accompany us. accompany me.
They want us to accompany them.
He wants us to accompany him.
She wants us to accompany her.
It wants us to accompany it. (an animal)

Look at the imperative form:

Forgive me.
Damn you! (anger, irritation)
Don’t call us. We’ll call you.
Forgive me.

Notify them.
Tell him.
Call her.
Forget it.

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3. IMPERSONAL THERE IS, THERE ARE

There is nothing* left to say.
There are two doctors in the office.
Are there any messages for me?
Is there a telephone in this office?
There aren’t any messages for you.
There isn’t anything* left to say.

* Note: The double negative is not used in English.

Negative words cannot be used with not.

There is nothing on the desk.

vs.
There isn’t anything on the desk.
There is nobody in the bathroom.
vs.
There isn’t anybody in the bathroom.
There is nowhere to eat.
vs.
There isn’t anywhere to eat.

4. VOCABULARY: OFFICE EQUIPMENT AND FURNITURE

Basement: The floor below the first floor.

Bathroom: A room containing a bathtub or shower, and usually a sink and toilet.
Employee lounge: A waiting room for employees.
Second floor: The floor above the first floor,
Restroom: A room equiped with toilets and lavatories for public use.
Soda Machine: Machine that provides different brands of soda.
Supply room: Place to store supplies.
Computer: Element to process data.
Cash Register: Machine to save cash, checks, etc.
Copy machine: Machine to obtain identical copies of documents.
Keys: Elements used to open locked doors.
Computer keys: Elements that make part of the keyboard of a computer.
Return key: Device to go back when using the computer.

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4. VOCABULARY: SCHOOL & EDUCATION
Nursery school: A school for young children between the ages of about three
and five.
Kindergarten: A nursery school.
Elementary School: Denoting education for children between the ages of about
five and eleven
High School: Education for children from the age of eleven to sixteen or
eighteen.
Technical college: A college of further education providing courses in applied
sciences and other practical subjects.
University: A high-level educational institution in which students study for
degrees and academic research is done.
A state school: A school funded and controlled by the state.
A private school: A school supported mainly by private funds provided by
individuals or companies.
A boarding school: A school in which the pupils live during term time.
Faculty: A group of university departments concerned with a major
division of knowledge.
Open University: It teaches degree-level courses in many subjects via internet.
Private classes: For or belonging to one particular person or group only.
The year: A school year.
The term: A period of time of about three months.
Freshman: A first-year student at university or at high school.
A swot – A bookworm: A person who spends a lot of or too much time studying.
Staffroom: A common room for teachers in a school or college.
Consultants’ lounge: A staffroom.
Auditorium: A large hall used for public gatherings.

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Whiteboard A wipeable board with a white surface used for

teaching or presentations.
Board eraser: Object used to erase the whiteboard.
A notebook: A small book for writing notes in.
An exercise book: A booklet with blank pages for students to write in.
A pencil case: A container designed to hold pencils, pens, etc.
A ballpoint pen: A pen in which the point is a fine ball bearing that rotates
against a supply of semisolid ink in a cartridge.
A fountain pen: A pen with a reservoir or cartridge from which ink flows
continuously to the nib; Stylograph.
An eraser: Something used for erasing pencil marks.
A ruler: A straight-edged strip of rigid material, marked
at regular intervals and used to draw straight lines or
measure distances.
A pencil sharpener: A rotary implement for sharpening the point on pencils.
A calculator Something used for making mathematical calculations, in
particular a small electronic device with a keyboard and a
visual display.
A stapler: A device for fastening papers together with staples.
Staples: Small flattened U-shaped pieces of wire used to fasten
papers together.
A hole punch: An office tool used for opening holes on a paper.
A paper clip: A piece bent of wire or plastic used for holding several
sheets of paper together.
A Folder: A folding cover or wallet for storing loose papers.
To play truant / to skive off: To stay away from school without permission or
explanation.
To miss class: To be away from classes; to be absent.
I flunked Spanish literature: I failed to reach the required standard in Spanish
literature subject.

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 PITFALLS BEWARE

EITHER & NEITHER.

A choice is being made between two things or groups. Never use for
choices between more than two things.
Either can be used in affirmative or negative statements:
Either Patsy or Paul has to go.
I don’t like either of the two brothers.

Neither negates both items, and should not be used when another
negative word is present.

Neither of the two sisters ever married.

Neither of the cars is working.
Daisy didn’t come. Neither did Peter.
Neither Patsy nor Paul has to go.

but

This car isn’t working either.

She didn’t come either.

She didn’t
come either.

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SONG / Yesterday READ

Yesterday Now I need a place to hide away

All my troubles seemed so far away Oh I believe in yesterday

Now it looks as though they’re here to stay
Oh, I believe in yesterday
Suddenly
I’m not half the girl I used to be
There’s a shadow hanging over me
Oh, yesterday came suddenly
Why he had to go, I don’t know
He wouldn’t say
I said something wrong
Now I long for yesterday
Why he had to go, I don’t know
He wouldn’t say
I said something wrong
Now I long for yesterday
Yesterday
All my troubles seemed so far away
Now it looks as though they’re here to stay
Oh I believe in yesterday
I believe in yesterday

Yesterday
Love was such an easy game to play

USE NEGATIVE WORDS

NOW
I CAN
I don’t want to talk to him.
I have nothing to say to him.
He has nowhere to go this weekend.
She neither wants to see Lyle nor does she want to speak to him.
You neither wrote nor called.
I never want to see him again.
Nobody understands me.
Nobody knows where she lives.
There’s nowhere like home.
None of my friends called me last week.
Neither Leonard nor Kathryn called.
No one called me yesterday.

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