People Are People: Grammar
People Are People: Grammar
People Are People: Grammar
12 UNIT 2
b Which person do the quotes refer to? Write the d Vocabulary bank Complete the crossword.
numbers 1–4 in the boxes.
1 2 3 4
Sorry, no Oops! E C C E N T R I C
a b
eating in class!
5
6 7
Across
2 James is so eccentric ! He does the
craziest things.
5 Don’t be ! Let other
people have a go.
1 Ralph is so pretentious. He’s always talking about 9 She seems a bit pushy, but in fact she’s
famous people that he’s met and pretending he’s very when you get to
important. know her.
2 He’s so hypocritical! 10 He lent me his bike and walked home!
3 Carl is so careless. He never looks where he’s going! What an thing to do.
4 I love meeting up with Mike. He’s so charming. He Down
always makes me feel good.
1 She doesn’t seem very happy about
c Complete the sentences with the words in the box. getting promoted. She’s pretty
about her promotion.
pushy intellectual shallow 3 She never gets too excited – she’s a
cheeky smug sympathetic
very person.
1 Walter loves learning and thinking. He’s really 4 You drank all the milk and there’s
intellectual . nothing left for us! That’s not very
, is it?
2 Don’t be . It’s not nice to answer back
6 He’s always jumping up and down and
to people.
laughing – he’s a very
3 Be careful. She’s very . She’ll try to get person.
you to do what she wants. 7 Don’t look so sad – you need to be a
4 Rachel’s very these days. She must bit more about things.
have been given a promotion. 8 He never understands anything,
because he’s not very .
5 The teacher was very when she heard
my bag had been stolen.
6 Don’t expect her to understand if you’ve got a problem.
She’s quite .
UNIT 2 13
14 UNIT 2
5 Everyday En lish
a Complete each expression with one word.
1 I can live without … 4 I’d thought …
2 Mind . 5 … and on.
3 chance! 6 Don’t look me.
6 Study help
Using a range of vocabulary when writing
• One way of improving your writing skills is to avoid repeating yourself by using an appropriate
range of vocabulary. This is particularly important when writing a story or an essay.
• Before you start writing, think of key words that you will use, then write down synonyms for them.
You can also write adjectives or nouns that you associate with the key words.
• When you have finished, re-read your text and find an alternative for repeated words or
phrases. You can use the words from your list. Use a dictionary to check the exact meaning of
the synonyms.
UNIT 2 15
Skills in mind
7 Write a story
a Read these two texts. Do they contain
the same information?
Text 1
He ope ned the door. The room
was dark
and untidy. He turn ed on the light
. The room
was bigg er than it seemed. There
were books
everywhere. Bookshe lves were on Text 2
the walls
and there were books on the tabl Slowly he turned the key in the door. His hand
e and on
the chairs. Books covere d the fl was shaking, but, carefully, he pushed the door
oor.
open. The heavy curtains were drawn and it
John panicke d. He would never fi
nd the was dark and gloomy inside.
book he was looking for.
It was obvious, even in the half-light, that no
one had been in here for a long time. He
b Read the two texts again and answer stepped in and almost fell over a mountain
the questions. of books on the floor. The room was in a
1 What is the difference between the complete mess. There were books everywhere.
texts? Old books were packed into the bookshelves
that lined the walls of the room. Every
2 What does the descriptive language in
surface was covered with books and papers.
Text 2 tell us about John?
Dictionaries and reference books were lying
3 What does the descriptive language in all over the centre table. He took one of these
Text 2 tell us about the room? books from the table and turned towards an
4 Do you think that John has been in the armchair. It was also covered with books of
room before? every sort: atlases, novels, and dictionaries in
5 Why do you think he is looking for his languages he didn’t recognise.
mother’s diary? Everywhere he looked there were books. Where
had they all come from? And where was the
c Now continue the story. cosy library that he used to go in as a young
boy? Where had it disappeared to?
Then, suddenly, he saw it on the table John felt his heart fill with fear and panic. How
beside his mother’s favourite chair. Of was he going to find his mother’s diary amongst
course… He was shaking as he walked over all these books? Would he never find out the
and picked it up, holding his breath as truth about what happened that night?
he turned to the first entry .
EXAM TIP
Writing a story
• Don’t start writing immediately, but first spend a few minutes noting down your ideas.
• List the characters and make notes on their appearance and personality.
• Decide where they live, the important events in their lives and choose adjectives
to describe them.
• Think of where the story takes place and the atmosphere. Try to imagine yourself there.
How would you feel?
• Now decide what action happens.
• Always remember to check your story for spelling, grammar and punctuation mistakes.
16 UNIT 2
Unit check
Fill in the spaces
Complete the text with the words in the box.
The English novelist Jane Austen was born in 1775. She was 1 shy as a child and didn’t enjoy
2
in the spotlight. Austen’s life was quite boring and without great 3 or
change. She was educated at home by her father, and 4 reading and writing. She didn’t want
5
noticed, so she kept her writing a 6 and wrote on small pieces of paper
which she hid 7
anyone came into the room. Her father supported her and
8
find a publisher for her. Her novels are famous for making fun of anyone who is smug
or selfish. In her writing, she is very critical of 9 people, and her heroines are always
intelligent as well as 10 and attractive. 9
UNIT 2 17