Communication
A. Managing subjects and topics
Kathryn Taylor is speaking to her colleagues at a weekly business meeting. She gives an outline of what she is going to say.
Well, there are a couple of matters which I want to bring up [1] today for discussion. But before we get on to [2] those questions, I just want to run through [3] the schedule for the next week’s sales conference, which you all have copies of. Someone asked me if we could talk about the new computer system, but I’d prefer to leave that aside [4] for today and come back to [5] it another time. I’m sure I don’t need to spell out [6] how important it is that we’re all thoroughly prepared for next week’s conference, so maybe we can deal with [7] that first. So, let’s have a quick run-through [8] of the schedule and discuss each event in turn.
1 start to talk about
2 start talking about after discussing something else
3 repeat something, usually quickly, to make sure it is correct
4 not discuss it so that we can discuss something else
5 return to discuss it at a future time
6 explain in detail
7 discuss or give our attention to
8 noun: a practice or repetition to make sure something is correct (from the verb run through)
B. Communicating and interacting with others
In these dialogues the second speaker uses a phrasal verb to repeat the first speaker's meaning
Jim: I wish they had done what they said they would do.
Nan: Yes, they should have kept to what they promised and not changed their minds.
Freda: I don't know who to ask for help or advice on this matter. It's very delicate.
Lou: Yes, it's difficult to know who to turn to, isn't it?
Anne: Lucy was extremely enthusiastic and excited about coming to work for us.
Fiona: Yes, she was absolutely bubbling over with excitement when I spoke to her.
Paul: She acts as if she was the boss, telling everyone what to do.
Mia: Yes, she's always ordering people about/around.
Karen: I saw a sign saying that the car park will be closed tomorrow. Can you tell
everybody else, please?
Tony: Yes, I'II pass the news on*. I'II send an e-mail to everyone in the office.
Harry: I see Grace said no to the job.
Zoe: Yes, she turned the offer down*.
*The object can also appear after the partide in these two phrasal verbs.
Kathryn Taylor is speaking to her colleagues at a weekly business meeting. She gives an outline of what she is going to say.
Well, there are a couple of matters which I want to bring up [1] today for discussion. But before we get on to [2] those questions, I just want to run through [3] the schedule for the next week’s sales conference, which you all have copies of. Someone asked me if we could talk about the new computer system, but I’d prefer to leave that aside [4] for today and come back to [5] it another time. I’m sure I don’t need to spell out [6] how important it is that we’re all thoroughly prepared for next week’s conference, so maybe we can deal with [7] that first. So, let’s have a quick run-through [8] of the schedule and discuss each event in turn.
1 start to talk about
2 start talking about after discussing something else
3 repeat something, usually quickly, to make sure it is correct
4 not discuss it so that we can discuss something else
5 return to discuss it at a future time
6 explain in detail
7 discuss or give our attention to
8 noun: a practice or repetition to make sure something is correct (from the verb run through)
B. Communicating and interacting with others
In these dialogues the second speaker uses a phrasal verb to repeat the first speaker's meaning
Jim: I wish they had done what they said they would do.
Nan: Yes, they should have kept to what they promised and not changed their minds.
Freda: I don't know who to ask for help or advice on this matter. It's very delicate.
Lou: Yes, it's difficult to know who to turn to, isn't it?
Anne: Lucy was extremely enthusiastic and excited about coming to work for us.
Fiona: Yes, she was absolutely bubbling over with excitement when I spoke to her.
Paul: She acts as if she was the boss, telling everyone what to do.
Mia: Yes, she's always ordering people about/around.
Karen: I saw a sign saying that the car park will be closed tomorrow. Can you tell
everybody else, please?
Tony: Yes, I'II pass the news on*. I'II send an e-mail to everyone in the office.
Harry: I see Grace said no to the job.
Zoe: Yes, she turned the offer down*.
*The object can also appear after the partide in these two phrasal verbs.
Describing situationsA. Dialogues commenting on situations
Mary: It's such a cold day. I wish I could get out of the bike ride Jack's planned. [avoid doing something that you should do, often by giving an excuse]
Bill: Why, don't you suggest cancelling it? I'm sure the others would also prefer not to go in weather like this.
Sandy: I have identical twins, Flora and Florence, in my class - I always mix them up. [confuse two people or things by thinking that one person or thing is the other person or thing]
Mike: Yes, I muddle them up too. It doesn't help that their names are so similar. [confuse two people or things in your mind]
Meg: I really don't like sharing an office with Sue - she thinks the whole world revolves around her and her insignificant problems. [thinks she's more important than anyone else]
Anna: Yes, I know. I think she is one of the most self-centred people I've ever met.
John: We've been running up against [1] quite a lot of problems here recently.
Rita: I know. As soon as we deal with one problem, another immediately crops up [2] and now I feel I can't bank on [3] things turning out [4] well in the end.
1 beginning to experience
2 suddenly appears, usually when you are not expecting it
3 depend on something happening
4 happening in a particular way or having a particular result
Milly: The situation at work is so annoying at the moment! There's been a small mix-up [1] of orders and everyone is making a great drama out of it.
Tom: Oh come on! You can rise above [2] that. Just back off [3] and let others handle things.
1 (noun) mistake caused by confusion
2 not allow something bad that is happening or is being done to you upset you or affect your behaviour
3 stop being involved in a situation, expecially to let others deal with it themselves
B. An island revolution
Holidaymakers who were caught up [1] last week in a revolution on the Caribbean island of St. Maria have now returned home. The situation first hotted up [2] when rebels seized the Presidential Palace. The returning tourists report that they were all thrown together [3] in one of the largest hotels and were not allowed to leave until the situation calmed down [4].
1 (always in passive) involved in a situation, often when you don't want to be
2 (informal) became more exciting, with a lot more activity
3 forced to be together and get to know each other
4 became more peaceful
Mary: It's such a cold day. I wish I could get out of the bike ride Jack's planned. [avoid doing something that you should do, often by giving an excuse]
Bill: Why, don't you suggest cancelling it? I'm sure the others would also prefer not to go in weather like this.
Sandy: I have identical twins, Flora and Florence, in my class - I always mix them up. [confuse two people or things by thinking that one person or thing is the other person or thing]
Mike: Yes, I muddle them up too. It doesn't help that their names are so similar. [confuse two people or things in your mind]
Meg: I really don't like sharing an office with Sue - she thinks the whole world revolves around her and her insignificant problems. [thinks she's more important than anyone else]
Anna: Yes, I know. I think she is one of the most self-centred people I've ever met.
John: We've been running up against [1] quite a lot of problems here recently.
Rita: I know. As soon as we deal with one problem, another immediately crops up [2] and now I feel I can't bank on [3] things turning out [4] well in the end.
1 beginning to experience
2 suddenly appears, usually when you are not expecting it
3 depend on something happening
4 happening in a particular way or having a particular result
Milly: The situation at work is so annoying at the moment! There's been a small mix-up [1] of orders and everyone is making a great drama out of it.
Tom: Oh come on! You can rise above [2] that. Just back off [3] and let others handle things.
1 (noun) mistake caused by confusion
2 not allow something bad that is happening or is being done to you upset you or affect your behaviour
3 stop being involved in a situation, expecially to let others deal with it themselves
B. An island revolution
Holidaymakers who were caught up [1] last week in a revolution on the Caribbean island of St. Maria have now returned home. The situation first hotted up [2] when rebels seized the Presidential Palace. The returning tourists report that they were all thrown together [3] in one of the largest hotels and were not allowed to leave until the situation calmed down [4].
1 (always in passive) involved in a situation, often when you don't want to be
2 (informal) became more exciting, with a lot more activity
3 forced to be together and get to know each other
4 became more peaceful
Giving and getting informationA. Referring to information in academic writing
Verbs which are useful in academic writing.
Come under sth = be included in or may be found in: Sanderson (1985) studied mistakes involving prepositions, tenses and other items which come under the heading of grammatical errors in second language learning.
Draw on/upon sth = use information or your knowledge or experience of something to help you do sth: In designating the experiment, Fiona Farr draws upon earlier studies done in America and Asia.
Point out sth (often that) = present a new fact, especially one that is important in the present discussion or situation: Willis (1998) points out that economic statistics often show a sharp rise just before a serious recession.
Turn to sth/sb = begin to think, speak or write about a subject: I should now like to turn to another issue which is often neglected: parental control.
B. Noticing and understanding information
In these conversations, the second person repeats what the first person says, using a phrasal
verb.
Pam: I didn't fully understand what he was saying for a few minutes.
Ed: Yes, it took me a few minutes to latch on to what he was talking about.
Rory: I found it difficult to understand the full importance of the decision.
Suraya: Yes, me too. I found it hard to take in its significance at fist.
Briony: We must be careful to notice any difficulties that occur once we start the project.
Winston: Yes, we'll have to watch out for possible problems.
Pepe: Could you try and get some information about how to contact Keith Phelps?
Rana: Yes, I'II try and find out his contact details.
Olivia: Jill, will you make sure that Rita has sent those faxes for me?
Jill: Yes, I'll check up on her right away and see if she's done them.
Aine: Don, I can't find that market report we wrote about three years ago?
Don: OK, I'll try and track it down. I must have it on the computer somewhere.
C. Other verbs connected with information
Sally: What's the capital of Ecuador?
Mick: Oh, Bogota? No? Caracas? Oh, I don't know, I give up. [stop trying to think of the answer to a joke or question]
Sally: It's Quito.
In these conversations, the second person repeats what the first person says, using a phrasal
verb.
Pam: I didn't fully understand what he was saying for a few minutes.
Ed: Yes, it took me a few minutes to latch on to what he was talking about.
Rory: I found it difficult to understand the full importance of the decision.
Suraya: Yes, me too. I found it hard to take in its significance at fist.
Briony: We must be careful to notice any difficulties that occur once we start the project.
Winston: Yes, we'll have to watch out for possible problems.
Pepe: Could you try and get some information about how to contact Keith Phelps?
Rana: Yes, I'II try and find out his contact details.
Olivia: Jill, will you make sure that Rita has sent those faxes for me?
Jill: Yes, I'll check up on her right away and see if she's done them.
Aine: Don, I can't find that market report we wrote about three years ago?
Don: OK, I'll try and track it down. I must have it on the computer somewhere.
C. Other verbs connected with information
Sally: What's the capital of Ecuador?
Mick: Oh, Bogota? No? Caracas? Oh, I don't know, I give up. [stop trying to think of the answer to a joke or question]
Sally: It's Quito.
I said something that upset Mo. I didn't mean to, it just slipped out. [I didn't intend to say it]
The total on the bill and the total on the credit card statement should match up, but don't
[be the same]. There must be a mistake.
The total on the bill and the total on the credit card statement should match up, but don't
[be the same]. There must be a mistake.
TASK: WRITE AN EXTRACT FROM A DETECTIVE STORY (250 words).
