VB036/Week 1
1) Look at the following phrases and discuss the differences between them.
On the other side vs. on the other hand
Try doing something vs. try to do something
I’d rather not vs. I’d rather you don’t vs. I’d rather you didn’t
Look at something vs. look on vs. look into something
I regret to tell you … vs. I regret telling you … that you have not passed the test.
2) Look at the following sentences. What is wrong with them?
[From a complaint about faulty headphones]:
My concerns started right after I unpacked them.
[From the same text]:
If I put them on my head, they sound great.
Unless you don’t leave, I’ll call the police.
3) You are going to watch two instructional videos on presenting. Before you do, discuss with
others the qualities a good presentation should have.
4) Now watch the two presentations and take notes. Focus on: quality of slides, commentary,
delivery and body language. What were the differences you noticed? Make notes, then
compare with others.
5) Pick a topic from the list below and in a few minutes prepare a roughly three-minute
presentation which gives your opinion on the chosen topic. Focus on clarity and structure.
Driverless cars
Social networks and information
Regulating the Internet: Yes or No?
Advertising targeted at children
High salaries of athletes
Mobile devices and interpersonal
communication
Cloning technologies
Peer pressure
Uniforms in schools
VB036/Week 1
6) Prepositional phrases exercise. Insert a preposition to form prepositional phrases.
1. I'd rather have wine instead ____ beer.
2. In case _____ bad weather, the trip will be postponed to next week.
3. _____ behalf of my fellow employees, I would like to thank management for all they have
done to improve our situation.
4. We finally solved our problem by means ____ a new device created by our research and
development department.
5. As _____ me, I will be happy to dedicate a few extra hours to the cause.
6. You will have to remember that, apart _____ John, no one wants to work on this problem.
7. How can they be going out?! Jane has nothing in common _____ Peter.
8. According _____ John, they won't finish the project until the end of next week.
9. I'm all in favor ____ helping out the poor when in need.
10. We will have to postpone our trip because _____ the bad weather.
7) Complete using the future perfect simple or future perfect continuous of the verbs in
brackets. (Adapted from Malcolm Mann and Steven Taylore-Knowles. Destination B2: Grammar & Vocabulary. Oxford:
Macmillan, 2008.)
a) I __________________ (cook) dinner by the time you get home.
b) In a few minutes, I __________________ (wait) here for Dalibor for over two hours. Where
can he be?
c) We’ll be halfway through the sponsored swim in one hour so we __________________
(swim) for forty-eight hours non-stop by then.
d) They __________________ (not/finish) painting the house by the time we get back from
holiday.
e) If she’s still on the phone at eight o’clock, __________________ (Jan/talk) to Jiřina for over
three hours.
f) At seven o’clock this evening, we __________________ (not/climb) for five hours but for
seven hours!
g) This time next week, you __________________ (probably/pass) your driving test!
h) __________________ (you/do) all your homework by bedtime?
i) Tomorrow __________________ (Pavel/work) on the project for seven days.
j) We __________________ (probably/not/leave) by the time you get home.