3 Heavy equipment

The Language section focuses on there is/there are

Briefing
The focus of this unit is on heavy equipment, in
particular cranes and concrete mixing equipment. It
introduces more materials used in the construction
industry, as well as vocabulary related to the
process of delivering material and equipment to
construction sites. It also introduces a number of
movement words and language to describe features
of operating controls. Students practise giving
instructions and asking for help to operate
equipment and remote controls, as well as
discussing problems at a construction site.
in the context of describing features of remote
controls.
Controls and equipment
This section focuses on asking questions about using
controls and equipment. It also introduces the terms
clockwise and anticlockwise. Verbs related to
mixing concrete (mix, pour, rotate) and equipment
used for mixing concrete (see page 25) are also
introduced.
On site

Delivery This section looks at conversations about problems

This section focuses on delivering heavy equipment
in crates (large wooden boxes) or on pallets (flat
wooden or metal platforms used to store, lift or
move goods). It also introduces some building
materials, including rebar (steel rod or bar used for
reinforcing concrete), timber and sand. The verbs
load, adjust, attach and deliver, verbs of movement
(see Vocabulary section on page 21) and the
expression I’m running late are also introduced.
The section also explains how to operate a crane and
its controls. Questions to ask for help (How do I ...?)
and spatial language (left and right, etc.) are also
covered.
on a construction site. It presents some question
phrases (see page 26) and provides practice in using
them. Students practise carrying out practical,
informal conversations. Some useful expressions are
introduced (Fair enough., Will do., Are you sure?,
Good idea., That makes sense.).
Further reading
Use the following keywords to search the internet
for websites which give more in-depth information
about the topics covered in this unit: how tower
cranes work, how mobile cranes work, heavy
equipment training, how to mix concrete, concrete
mixing equipment.

The Language section focuses on the present

continuous in the context of delivering goods. In the
second Vocabulary section, students practise
describing how to operate a crane.

Cranes
This section features two types of cranes (a tower
crane and a mobile (or truck) crane) and explains
the differences between their operating systems. It
also introduces wind (to twist something long and
thin, for example, a cable, around another thing
many times), winch (a mechanical device used to
wind up or release a cable) and other related
vocabulary (see pages 22 and 23). The section also
presents a number of opposites, including extend–
retract and push (away)–pull (towards). It goes on
to look at remote controls, naming the types of
controls (toggle switch, key switch, stop button)
and describing their position on a remote control (on
the left, in the middle, on the top, etc.).

Heavy equipment 3 19

Teacher’s notes
Warm-up
Quickly revise Unit 2 vocabulary and prepositions
of place with the students. Ask them to look back at
the illustration at the bottom of page 17 and tell you
where the toolbox, flask, coupling pins and base
plates are. Then put students in pairs. Tell them that
they are going to draw a simple picture, which they
must not show to their partner. Ask students to
draw a toolbox. Then ask them to draw the
following objects anywhere they like: a nail, a
hammer, a flask, a coupling pin and a base plate.
Students take turns describing their picture for their
partner to draw, saying where each object is. They
then check each other’s drawings.
Delivery
Vocabulary
1 Ask students to look at the title of this section.
Explain that this lesson is about delivering
heavy equipment to a construction site. Ask
them to look at the illustrations and to then tell
you what they show. Accept any reasonable
answers and help students with any vocabulary
problems. Explain that the illustrations show a
worker unloading crates from a truck but they
are not in the correct order. Ask them to match
the illustrations to sentences 1–4 first, then to put
the sentences in the correct order.
After checking answers, you could pre-teach
vocabulary that will come up in the listening
activities to follow. For example, pre-teach, crate,
which is in illustration A. Other words which
occur in photos and/or illustrations in later
units include pallet, rebar, timber and sand.
1B 2A 3D 4C
The correct order is: 1, 3, 4, 2
Extra activity
Put students in pairs. Tell them that they are
the man in the illustrations in 1, and that they
should tell their partner what is in the crates.
Go round giving help with vocabulary. Have a
feedback session and make a list on the board
of goods that could be in the crates. Add
vocabulary that will come up in the listening
activities that follow (for example, rebar, timber,
sand, sheets of glass, welding equipment and wire).
Listening
2 ► 16 Tell students that they are going to listen
to three conversations about deliveries and
answer three questions about them. Go through
the questions with the class first, then play the
recording for students to answer the questions.
1 a rebar cutter 2 welding wire/equipment
3 sheets of glass
3 ► 17 Tell students that they are now going to
listen to three more conversations about
deliveries. Go through the rubric with the class
and ask students to write the problems with
rebar, timber and sand as they listen. After
checking answers, explain that the driver is
running late is another way of saying the driver is
late. Drill the expression. You could then ask
students what other problems there might be
with a delivery (for example, the driver takes the
goods to the wrong site).
1 There’s a mistake in the order. They don’t
need/use rebar.
2 It’s the wrong kind of timber. The delivery is
roofing timber but they need flooring timber.
3 The sand is late because they’re waiting for
the driver./The driver is running late.
Language
Draw students’ attention to the Language box.
Read through the explanation of the affirmative
form of the present continuous with the class.
Explain that we use the present continuous to
describe what is happening at the time we are
speaking and that we form it with the verb be
(am/is/are) and the -ing form of the verb. Draw
students’ attention to the example sentences and
point out that we can use contractions for I am
(I’m), she is (she’s) and we are (we’re). Then
mention that for you are and they are we use the
contracted forms you’re and they’re.
Tell students that there are spelling rules they
need to follow when forming the -ing form of a
verb. Explain that we just add -ing to most verbs
(for example, wait – waiting, in the second and
third example). Then ask students to look at the
first example and point out that for verbs that
end in -e, we drop the -e before adding -ing (for
example, phone – phoning). Explain that for verbs
that end in one vowel + one consonant, we
double the final consonant before adding -ing
(for example, cut – cutting).
Heavy equipment 3 20
 Extra activity
Ask students to look at the audio script for
track 17 on page 74 and underline all the
examples of the present continuous.
Answers:
1
A: What’s on the flatbed, under the sheeting?
B: Rebar. Lots of rebar.
A: What are you doing?
B: I’m phoning the suppliers. We don’t need
rebar. Hello? Hello? Is that Harrisons? We
have a problem. Your man is unloading
rebar in our car park. We don’t need rebar.
We don’t use rebar. Why? I don’t know
why! OK. Uh-huh. Thank you.
A: What’s happening?
B: It’s a mistake. He’s phoning his driver now.
2 load. Draw students’ attention to the speech
A: Good morning.
B: Morning.
A: I have a delivery for the site carpenter,
Abdul Karim. Ah, yes. He’s waiting for the
timber. Flooring timber, right?
B: No, roofing timber.
A: Oh! Park over there, please. I think we have
a problem.
3
A: Hello. I’m looking for the site manager.
B: Sure. I’m the site manager. Janek Krol.
What’s up?
A: Hi! I’m Marc Martin, from Martin’s
Aggregates.
B: Hello. Good to see you. We are waiting for
your sand.
A: Yes, well, the sand is coming – in about two
hours.
B: Two hours? Why? I need the sand now.
A: I’m sorry. We’re waiting for the driver.
B: What?
A: The driver’s running late. I’m really sorry.
4 Ask students to complete the sentences using the
present continuous form of the verbs in brackets.
You could get students to compare answers in
pairs before checking with the class. Make sure
that students have spelt phoning, having and
running correctly.
1 are unloading 2 am looking 3 is delivering
4 is phoning 5 are having 6 am running
Vocabulary
5 With books closed, pre-teach or revise right, left,
raise, lower, push away and pull towards: illustrate
meaning by moving a book. For right and left,
turn your back to the class to avoid confusion.
Tell students that you are going to say some
words we use to move things and they should
repeat after you. Then mime the words in
random order and ask students to give you the
correct word each time. You could then get
students to do the same in pairs for a couple of
minutes. If you do, ask students to do the
miming activity sitting side by side, not facing
each other.
Draw students’ attention to diagrams A and C
and photo B. Ask them what they think they
show. Explain that photo B shows a crane and its
bubble and explain that a crane driver is
describing how to operate a crane to an
apprentice. Tell them that they can use the
diagrams and photo to help them complete the
text in the speech bubble. Allow students to
compare answers in pairs before checking with
the class. Remind them that we say push it away
from you and pull it towards you.
1 raise 2 lower 3 left 4 towards 5 away
6 Explain that the apprentice is still not sure how
to operate the crane and is asking the driver
some more questions. Go through the six
questions with the students, then ask them to
answer the questions. You could check answers
by asking individual students for the answer to
each question.
1 Push the left lever away from you.
2 Pull the left lever towards you.
3 Pull the right lever towards you.
4 Push the right lever away from you.
5 Push the levers away from you.
6 Pull the levers towards you.
Speaking
7 Put students in pairs. Go through the rubric with
the class and ask students to take turns miming
moving the crane levers and describing what is
happening with the load. Tell students that in
this exercise they should use the present
continuous. You could demonstrate the activity
by saying I’m raising the load and moving it to the
left and miming moving the levers.
Heavy equipment 3 21
 Extra activities
1 To extend Exercise 7, put students in groups
of three. Student A mimes moving one of
the levers and Student B describes the action
to Student C, thus practising third person
forms. Students then swap roles. They can
correct the person describing the actions if
they make a mistake.
2 You could use this activity to review
language for erecting scaffolding from Unit
2 (levelling the ground, adjusting the jack,
nailing the mudsills, attaching the frame, etc.).
Students take turns miming the actions and
saying what their partner is doing.
Cranes
Vocabulary
1 Ask students to look at photos A and B. Allow
them time to look at the photos and read the
labels, and to ask you any questions on
vocabulary. Ask: Is there a jib in photo B? (No.).
Then ask students for another difference
between the two cranes. Accept any reasonable
answers, then draw students’ attention to the
conversation. Explain that the conversation is
about the differences between the two cranes in
the photos and that some of the information in it
is missing. Tell them to use the labelled photos
to complete the missing information. You could
get students to compare answers in pairs before
checking with the class.
1 cab 2 mast 3 load 4 boom
5 outriggers
2 Check that students remember the meaning of
extend, lower and left by asking them to mime the
words. Ask them if they know the opposites of
these words. If not, tell them that they will find
them in the conversation in 1. Ask them to write
the words down, then check answers with the
class. You could then ask students for the
opposites of in front of (behind) and pull towards
(push away). Tell students that it is a good idea to
keep a list of opposites in their notebooks as it
will help them remember vocabulary.
1 retract 2 raise 3 right
Extra activities
1 Teach the word arm. Extend your right arm
towards the ceiling and ask students to do
the same. Say: Extend your right arm. Then,
doing the actions and inviting students to
do so as well, say: Raise your arm. Move your
arm to the left. Move your arm to the right.
Lower your arm. Put students in pairs and
ask them to take turns giving each other the
same instructions and miming the actions.
2 Alternatively, you could play another game
of Simon says, asking students to follow the
instructions only when you begin a sentence
with Simon says.
3 Ask students to match 1–5 to a–e to make
expressions about cranes. Check answers by
asking one student from one side of the room to
say any word from 1–5 and to choose a student
from the other side of the room to say the
matching word.
1b 2c 3 a/e 4d 5 a/e
Extra activity
Before students do Exercise 4, revise
vocabulary to do with parts of a crane. Write
the following on the board and ask students to
complete the words: c_b, b_ _m, c_b l_, h_ _k,
j_b, l_ _d, m_st, w_ _ght, w_nch, _ _tr_gg_rs.
Answers: cab, boom, cable, hook, jib, load,
mast, weight, winch, outriggers
4 Put students in pairs and ask them to close their
books. Tell A students to draw a tower crane for
B students to label and B students to draw a
truck crane for A students to label. They then
swap their drawings and label their partner’s
crane. Ask students to check each other’s work.
Finally, they can open their books and check the
drawings against the photos in 1.
Extra activity
With stronger classes, you could provide
further present continuous practice. Ask
students to look back at the photos and
conversation in 1 and to describe what the
crane operator in each photo is doing. For
example: In photo A the operator is using the
winch and block to lower/raise the load. In photo B,
the operator is extending/retracting the boom.
Heavy equipment 3 22
 Listening
5 ► 18 Ask students to look at diagram A. Ask
them what type of crane it shows and answer
any questions they may have on vocabulary. If
you have brought in some string, use it here to
pre-teach wind and unwind. Make sure students
are pronouncing the verb wind correctly
(/waɪnd/) and not confusing it with the noun
wind (/wɪnd/). Then ask students to look at
photo B. Explain that they are going to hear a
description of crane controls and play the
recording for students to listen while looking at
the diagram and photo.
Draw students’ attention to the text and explain
that some of the information is missing. Allow
them time to complete the text and then get
them to compare answers in pairs. Do not
confirm answers yet. Check that students
understand joystick and pedal by asking them to
mime using a joystick and then using a pedal.
1 boom 2 winch 3 joysticks 4 pedals
6 Play the recording again for students to check
their answers in 5.
Language
Go through the Language box with the class.
Point out that we change the word order in
questions. Remind students that isn’t and aren’t
in the examples are contracted forms and ask
them what the full form are (is not and are not).
Extra activity
You could go on to ask questions about things
in the classroom using there is/there are (Are
there three windows in this room? Is there a door?
Are there 15 students?, etc.). Then put students
in pairs and get them to practise asking and
answering questions with there is/there are for a
couple of minutes.
Reading
7 Check that students understand the word middle:
lay three different objects in a line and ask
students to point at the one in the middle.
Remind them of the words left and right.
Ask students to look at the illustration and
explain that it shows a remote control. Point out
that we use the word control to refer to the box as
a whole as well as to the individual buttons and
switches. Then draw students’ attention to the
text on the left and explain that it gives
information about the remote control. Ask them
to read the text and label the illustration. They
could do this in pairs. Check answers with the
class and explain that when we describe where
things are, we can use on the left, on the right, in
the middle, on the top and on the bottom.
Ask students to close their books and to answer
the following questions about the illustration:
Where are the toggle switches? Where is the stop
button? Where is the joystick? Then ask them to
open their books to check their answers.
1 remote control 2 toggle switch(es)
3 joystick(s) 4 stop button 5 key switch
Writing
8 Draw students’ attention to the illustration and
ask them to rewrite the text in 7 for this remote
control.
Suggested answer
In this model there’s a stop button on the right.
There’s a key switch on the left. There are
three joysticks in the middle. There are four
toggle switches on the bottom.
Speaking
9 Put students in pairs. Ask them to draw a
remote control, putting the controls where they
like. Tell them to make sure that the controls are
in a different position from the ones in 7 and 8
and not to show their drawings to their partner.
They then take turns describing their remote
control for their partner to draw. When they
have finished, they check that their partner’s
drawing is correct.
Extra activity
Put students in pairs and with books closed,
ask them to draw another remote control.
Remind them not to show their partner their
drawing. Explain that they are going to draw
their partner’s remote control but this time they
have to ask questions to find out where the
different controls are (for example, Is there a
button switch on the left? Are there two toggle
switches on the bottom?). Their partner can only
answer yes or no. When they have finished,
they compare their drawing with their
partner’s original drawing.
Heavy equipment 3 23
 Controls and equipment
Listening
1 ► 19 If you have brought in a remote control,
show it to the class and ask: What’s this? Point to
the power switch and ask: What’s this? What does
it do? Accept any reasonable answers. Then go
through questions 1–6 about remote controls
and cranes with the class and get students to
match them to answers a–f individually. They
can then compare their answers in pairs before
you play the recording for them to check. Point
out that the question What does this do? is the
same as What’s this for? Draw students’ attention
to sentence e and point out that we use the -ing
form after for.
1b 2e 3f 4d 5a 6c
2 ► 20 Pre-teach language for this exercise. Draw
students’ attention to the box in the margin,
which explains clockwise and anticlockwise. Then
ask students to close their books. Take out a key
and ask: What’s this? Ask students to take out a
key if they have one and check understanding of
clockwise and anticlockwise by telling them to turn
the key in the direction you ask them. Note that
anticlockwise is counterclockwise in American
English. Teach switch on and switch off by
demonstrating with the power button of a
remote control or with a light switch.
Ask students to open their books and draw their
attention to the three conversations. Tell them
that the sentences in each of the conversations
are in the wrong order. Ask them to work
individually to number the sentences in the
correct order. You could get students to compare
answers in pairs before playing the recording for
them to check.
1 1, 5, 2, 4, 3
2 1, 5, 3, 2, 4
3 1, 4, 2, 5, 3
Extra activity
Quickly revise opposites by asking students for
the opposites of the following words: stop
(start), switch on (switch off), right (left), clockwise
(anticlockwise), lower (raise), extend (retract).
Remind students to add any new vocabulary to
the list of opposites in their notebooks.
Speaking
3 Put students in pairs. With books closed, explain
to students that they are going to look at two
remote controls and explain to their partner
what each control does and how it is used.
Before they begin, revise questions from
Exercises 1 and 2 that they can use for this
activity. Write the following on the board for
students to complete:
What’s this ______?
What ______ this do?
How do ______ move to the right?
What’s ______ switch for?
(Answers: for, does, I, this)
Ask A students to look at the illustration of the
remote control on page 24 and B students to look
at the one on page 68. Allow them a few minutes
to write what each control is for. When they are
ready, ask them to take turns asking and
answering questions about the illustrations.
Reading
4 Draw students’ attention to the text and explain
that it is about mixing concrete. Pre-teach the
verbs mix, pour, lift and rotate. You could mime
the words to the students. Also check
understanding of transport (move things from
one place to another). Then ask students to look
at the sentences below the text and explain that
some of them are correct and some are not. Ask
them to read the text and decide if the sentences
are true or false. Tell them not to worry about
unfamiliar vocabulary as they just need to
answer the true/false questions. After checking
answers with the class, ask students if they can
correct the false sentences.
1 T
2 F (For large quantities of concrete, transport
trucks are ideal./For small quantities of
concrete, hand mixers are ideal.)
3 T
4 F (Cranes lift hoppers full of concrete to the
job site.)
5 F (The drum of in-transit mixers rotates
during transport.)
Heavy equipment 3 24
 Vocabulary
5 Ask students to look at the six photos. Ask: In
which photo can you see something that rotates?
Something that lifts something else? Something that
pours concrete? Explain that the photos show the
equipment they read about in the text in 4. Ask
students to label the photos using the words in
the box. Explain that it will help if they look
back at the text as it explains what the
equipment does. When checking answers, ask
students to point at a drum, a hopper, a chute
and a wheel in the photos.
A concrete transport truck B hopper
C portable mixer D chute E hand mixer
F concrete pump
Speaking
6 Demonstrate the activity first. Choose one of the
photos (for example, D, the chute). Ask two or
three students to make a sentence about the
equipment in the photo, similar to those in 4.
Then put students in pairs and ask them to make
three sentences for each photo. With stronger
classes, ask students to cover the text in 4.
When they have finished, ask them to compare
their sentences with another pair. Have a
feedback session in which pairs read out their
sentences to the rest of the class.
Extra activities
1 Put students in pairs. Ask them to look at
the photos in 5 for one minute and to try to
remember what is in each one. Then ask
them to close their books and ask: Is there a
hand mixer in photo B? Elicit No, there isn’t.
Similarly, ask: Is there a truck in photo A?
Elicit Yes there is. Then ask students to take
turns asking and answering questions about
the photos using there is/there are. The
student asking the questions can do so with
their book open.
2 You could ask students to think of two true
sentences and two false sentences about the
photos in 5. Allow them two to three
minutes to do this. Then ask them to close
their books. In their pairs, they take turns
saying their sentences to their partner, who
must decide if they are true or false. If a
sentence is false, they must correct it.
On site
Listening
1 ► 21 Ask students to look at the photo in the
margin and describe it. Point to the men’s heads
to pre-teach hard hat. Tell students that they are
going to listen to seven short conversations.
Draw their attention to words 1–8 and tell them
that the conversations are about seven of these
words. Point out that there is one extra item.
Explain to students that they should write the
conversation number next to the word it is
about. Play the recording for students to
complete the task. Allow them to compare
answers in pairs before checking with the class.
13 24 31 42 55 67 76
8 (extra word)
Extra activity
To check that students understand what the
words and phrases in 1 mean, ask them to look
back in previous lessons and find examples of
each item.
2 Ask students to look at the conversations.
Explain that in each conversation the words for
one sentence are in the wrong order. Allow
students time to put the sentences in the correct
order. They could do this in pairs.
Play the recording, pausing after each
conversation for students to check their answers.
You could then ask students to look at the audio
script on page 74 and act out the conversations
with a partner.
1 I think it’s on the way.
2 I’m sure they’re in the truck.
3 I think the boom is too high.
4 It looks OK to me.
5 You must wear a hard hat in this area.
6 There’s a hole in the hopper.
7 Don’t touch the flask.
Speaking
3 Put students in pairs and ask them to look at the
phrases in the box. See if they can make
sentences with any of them using language from
this unit. Go through the rubric and examples
with the class. You might like to demonstrate the
activity with a confident student first.
Heavy equipment 3 25
 Review
Writing
1 Students write one similarity and one difference
between a truck crane and a tower crane.
Suggested answers
Similarities:
They both use stabilisers and weights to
maintain stability.
You use both to raise and lower loads.
Differences:
In a tower crane, the operator’s cab is at the
top. In a truck crane, the operator’s cab is near
the ground.
A tower crane has a jib. A truck crane has a
boom.
2 In this exercise students revise useful questions
from the unit. Ask them to put the words in the
correct order to make questions. Point out that
the first word of each question is in the correct
place. You could get students to compare
answers in pairs before checking with the class.
Preparing for next unit
Unit 4 introduces some common tools and materials
used in the construction industry. If possible, bring
in a roll of insulating tape, a plug, a paint brush and
a roller. Alternatively, you could bring in pictures of
the above, as well as pictures of an extension cable,
spray equipment (for painting) and metal conduit
for the roleplay in Exercise 6 on page 30.
If possible, also bring in two identical keys to
demonstrate the word spare for Exercise 7 on
page 31.
In Exercise 1 on page 32 students will be looking at
types of insulation, so you might like to bring in
small samples of foam, felt and polystyrene.
Alternatively, try to find some pictures of these
types of insulation.
Later on in the unit several adjectives are
introduced to describe materials. Bring in items
and/or pictures to illustrate wet, dry, liquid, solid,
coarse, fine, light, heavy and soft for Exercise 1 on
page 34.

1 What’s this for?

2 Did you say turn the key?
3 How do I extend the boom?
4 Did you say move the joystick?
5 What does this do?
6 Is this the start button?
7 Does this start the motor?
8 Is there a key?

3 In this exercise students revise vocabulary to do

with equipment used in the construction
industry. Ask them to match words 1–6 to
definitions a–f. Check answers with the class.

1c 2b 3d 4a 5f 6e

4 Ask students to look at the illustration and to

read the instructions in order to answer the
questions. Check answers with the class.

1 Pull the left lever towards you.

2 Push the right lever forward.
3 Pull the middle lever towards you.
4 It stops the power.

5 Ask students to draw a remote control, putting

the controls where they like and to then write a
description of it saying what it does and how to
use it.

Students’ own answers

Now do Unit test 3.

Heavy equipment 3 26