Anna Mataró: She’s not supposed to be the one!

Joe is getting married!!!

Activity 1: Grammar: Complete with the correct relative pronoun:
Sally, ______ is one of the main characters in the film, had a boyfriend, ________name is Joe, but
they broke up.
Time goes by, and one day Joe calls Sally to tell her that he is getting married (to someone else).
After the news, Sally decides to call the man ______ always listens to her, her best friend, Harry.

Activity 2: Reflection on language:

Which sentences are defining relative clauses? Which ones are non-defining? How do you know?
Is there any case in which you could replace a “who” or a “which” with a “that”? Is there any case in
which you could omit the relative pronoun? Let's talk about it.

Activity 3: Vocabulary: Before watching the video, let’s guess the answers to the following
questions:

1. What does Sally say she needs?

a. A hug 5. What is the difference between difficult
b. a kleenex and challenging?
c. consolation and comfort a. difficult has a positive connotation
and challenging has a negative
2. What is Joe’s fiancée’s job? connotation
a. she is a lawyer b. difficult has a negative
b. she is a paralegal connotation and challenging has
c. she is a judge a positive connotation
c. there is no difference between
3. What does Sally mean by “the the terms
transitional one”?
a. The person that helps you in a 6. How old is Sally?
difficult relationship a. 39
b. The relationship you have b. 35
between a breakup and a serious c. 32
relationship
c. The friend that helps you break 7. What did Charlie Chaplin do at 73?
up with your relationship a. he directed his last film
b. he died
4. If Sally would not take Joe back, why is c. he had babies
she so upset?
a. Because she still loves him
b. Because she thinks he still loves
her
c. Because he had never loved her

Activity 4: Listening: Now, let’s watch the video.

 Anna Mataró: She’s not supposed to be the one!

Activity 5 : Grammar
“She is supposed to be his transitional person, she is not supposed to be the one”

Future expectations
To talk about intentions or organized arrangements in the future, we use the Present Continuous
or the structure: be+going+to
I am meeting Sally for dinner, we are going to discuss our plans for the weekend.
But when those plans change and we are not doing what was expected, we can use the
structure: “supposed to”. If the expectation is an action, the construction is be+-ing form
I am supposed to be meeting Sally, but I think I will cancel, I am not feeling well.

Choose the right option:

I am going / supposed to be going away tomorrow, so I won’t be in the office.
We are supposed to be having / going to have / are having a meeting tomorrow but there are so
many people with the flu that we will probably postpone it

Activity 6: class debate

What do you think will happen next? What would you do if you were Harry?
Suppose that Sally, feeling sad, makes “a move” toward Harry. Harry does not want to get involved
with her. What can he say in order not to hurt Sally’s feelings? What do you think would be Sally’s
reaction?

Activity 7: Speaking: Role-play

Student A: You are Sally, You have mixed feelings towards Harry. He made clear he does not want
a sentimental relationship with you, and now you feel embarrassed. Try to change the subjects as
much as possible. Talk about your plans for the weekend with other friends, a doctor’s
appointment, or a sudden health problem, and if you can’t distract him enough, talk about the
weather!

Student B: You are Harry. You have mixed feelings, but you just simply did not want to take
advantage of the situation. Listen to what Sally says but try to redirect the conversation to how you
feel.
 Anna Mataró: She’s not supposed to be the one!
Activity 8: the next day: telephone conversations. Reading activity
● Sally has got another friend, Marie. She calls her first thing in the morning. Read the
dialogue between Sally and Marie: Telephone conversation 1

MARIE: Hello.

SALLY: I'm sorry to call so early --

MARIE: Are you all right?

SALLY: I did something terrible.

MARIE: What did you do?

SALLY: It's so awful.

MARIE: What happened?

SALLY: Harry came over last night ---because I was upset the Joe is getting
married- and before I knew it we were kissing -- and then – We did it.

MARIE: That's great, Sally! You should have done it in the first place. You guys
belong together. It's like two wrongs make a right. How was it?

SALLY: I thought it was good… but then I guess it wasn't.

MARIE: The worst.

SALLY: He just disappeared. I'm so embarrassed.

MARIE: That's horrible.

SALLY: I think I'm catching a cold.

MARIE: You should never go to bed with anyone ---- when you've just found out
your last boyfriend is getting married. It's always a mistake.

SALLY: Is that Jess on the phone?

MARIE: It's Bryant Gumbel1. Do you want to come over for breakfast?

SALLY: No, I feel too awful.

MARIE: Good. I mean, it's so early. I'll call you later, okay?

Activity 9: Speaking practice: After reading the phone conversation, try to

re-enact it using your own words

1
Bryant Charles Gumbel (born September 29, 1948) is an American television journalist and
sportscaster, best known for his 15 years as co-host of NBC's Today
 Anna Mataró: She’s not supposed to be the one!

● Harry has got another friend, Jess. He calls him first thing in the morning. Read the
dialogue between Harry and Jess:

Telephone conversation 2

JESS: No one I know would call at this hour.

HARRY: I need to talk to you

JESS: What's the matter?

HARRY: I went over to Sally's last night --

-- and one thing led to another ---- to make a long story
short --We did it.

JESS: We've been praying for it. For four months we've been saying, if only they
would do it. It would be like killing two birds with one stone. How was it?

HARRY: The during part was good – -- but then, I felt suffocated.

JESS: Jesus, I'm sorry.

HARRY: I just wanted to get out of there. I feel terrible.

JESS: I don’t blame you

HARRY: I think I'm coming down with something.

JESS: Look, it would have been great if it worked, but it didn't.

HARRY: Who's that talking?

JESS: Who? Oh, it's Jane Fonda2 on the VCR3. Do you want to come over for
breakfast?

HARRY: I'm really not up to it.

JESS: Good. Look, call me later if you want to talk.

2
Jane Seymour Fonda (born December 21, 1937) is an American actress, activist, and former fashion
model.
3
VCR: Video cassette recorder
 Anna Mataró: She’s not supposed to be the one!
4
Activity 10: vocabulary

What is the equivalent of the idiom:

to kill two birds with one stone?

Idioms with birds:

the early bird catches the worm

Free as a bird

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

Activity 11: Plot twist: Listening: Jess and Marie live together (thanks to Harry and Sally,
who had introduced them). Listen and follow dialogue 1, then listen again and try to follow
dialogue 2. Finally, try to follow both dialogues at the same time!

watch the video

Marie: “Tell me I’ll never have to be out there again”

Jess: “You’ll never have to be out there again”

I hope you enjoyed the lesson as much as I did preparing it!

4
Image: Gerd Altman in Pixabay
 Anna Mataró: She’s not supposed to be the one!
Answer key:

Activity 1: Grammar: Complete with the correct relative pronoun:

Sally, who is one of the main characters in the film, had a boyfriend, whose name is Joe, but they
broke up.
Some time later, Joe calls Sally to tell her that he is getting married (to someone else). After the
news, Sally decides to call the man who always listens to her, her best friend, Harry.

Activity 2: Reflection on language:

Which sentences are defining relative clauses?The last one: Sally decides to call the man who
always listens to her
Which ones are non-defining? Sally, who is one of the main characters in the film, had a
boyfriend, whose name is Joe, but they broke up.
How do you know?
Is there any case in which you could replace a “who” or a “which” with a “that”? In the last case
Is there any case in which you could omit the relative pronoun? No, because in the defining
relative clause, the defined element is the subject, and therefore it cannot be omitted

Activity 4: Listening
1b 2b 3b 4c 5b 6c 7c

Activity 5 : Grammar
Choose the right option:
I am going / supposed to be going away tomorrow, so I won’t be in the office.
We are supposed to be having / going to have / are having a meeting tomorrow but there are so
many people with the flu that we will probably postpone it