She Advised

Lead-in

  • Read the problems below and give advice on how to deal with them.
    • I gained a lot of weight in the last few years. I want to lose at least 15kg. What should I do?
    • I have just lost my job. I haven’t told my partner yet. How should I tell them?
    • I have just moved to a new city and would love to meet some people. What should I do?

Presentation

Pre

  • What is something that everyone loves and you hate?
    • This lesson’s creator, for instance, hates bacon.

Top Down

  • What is the text about? Read it and check.
  1. Things that everyone hates.
  2. Things everyone loves but she hates.
  3. Things people used to love.
  4. Things everyone loves.
  1. Things that everyone hates.
  2. Things everyone loves but she hates.
  3. Things people used to love.
  4. Things everyone loves.

There are, I’m sure, PLENTY of things that I love, or do, or say, that many, many other people dislike or can’t stand. And that’s okay – we’re all different and that just makes life more interesting. So no judgement from me if you do/like/have any of these things – life would be much more boring if we all did and liked the same stuff. Plus I LOVE it when people have hobbies others would class as weird or nerdy, I thoroughly believe in not having guilty pleasures or fear of what others think. I just reckon it’s funny when you can’t bear something that everyone else seems to love… does that make ME the weirdo, I wonder…?!!

Here they are: 8 things I can’t stand that everyone else loves

Bubble baths

No, no, no, no… aaaaaaargh the thought of bubbles touching me sends shivers down my spine (and not in a good movies look like they have the worst special effects way). I really don’t understand how people can have a “relaxing” bubble bath – it’d do the exact opposite for me, I’d be completely tense till I got that damn fluffy stuff off my skin. As a kid, I remember swooshing all the bubbles down the other end when my mum ran me a bath so they wouldn’t touch me. As a side note, I have a horrible fear of insects (especially spiders, flies and moths) touching my bare skin probably because it’s a similar feeling. Soft, “feathery” things touching my skin. Ughhhh, get them all away from me.

Dunking biscuits in tea

WHY? Why would you do that? Maybe it’s a wholly British thing, but if I see someone dunking a biscuit in their tea I have to look away at what comes out. If I left a biscuit on the kitchen side and spilt tea on it by mistake, there’s NO WAY I’d pick it up and eat it… it’s now soggy, ffs. Plus, crumbs in the cup when you get to the bottom. OMG now I’m gagging.

Harry Potter

Oh lord, I don’t get this. At all. I mean, I don’t have children so I’ve never had to sit down and watch any of them properly, but ANY movie with English public school kids just puts me right off (maybe because I was one myself, with the uniforms, old Victorian classrooms, etc. Though I loved school…?!). The clips I’ve seen make the HP movies look like they have the worst special effects ever, and don’t get me started on the whole Lord of the Rings rip-off theory I have. Every character seems to have a parallel character in LOTR: Frodo/Harry, Gandalph/Dumbledore, Sam/Ron, Gollum/that little skinny creature thing (I can’t even be bothered to look up his name). So yeah, it leaves me cold. But then get this: I freakin’ LOVE Daniel Radcliffe as an actor [in other stuff] and as a human being. I think he’s awesome. Emma Watson: same. Just love her entire feminist badassery.

DOBBY. (Dobbie?) That’s JK Rowling’s Gollum equivalent. Dobby… =rolls eyes=

Strictly Come Dancing

I’m imagining the first few bars of the opening music: BA-DAH, DAH DAH DAH DAH DAHHHH, BA-DAH DAH DAH DAH…” Aaaaaaargh noooooo, turn it OFF. Watching it makes me want to stab my eyes out with a spoon. First of all, the dancing is pretty awful for the first several weeks until the bad ones are voted off. Then the band – OMG the band. The singing is the worst bit. Bad covers of popular songs are bad at the best of times, but add dancing that makes me cringe and you’ve got the cringefest to end all cringefests. I do NOT want to watch a sleazy politician tango awkwardly round the room with a sequinned-covered, lithe-limbed ballroom dancer to a lousy cover of Robbie Williams’ “Let Me Entertain You” or “Roxanne” by The Police. (Can you tell I don’t like Strictly…?!!)

All-grey interiors

This is hardly surprising seeing as I rarely dress in all neutrals – yeah you guessed it, my home is pretty colourful. Most walls are white, but just about everything IN the house is brightly coloured or patterned. So the interiors you see so often on TV and Instagram which are an abundance of grey, charcoal, silver and – just to mix it up a bit – black and white leave me (literally) cold.  Grey carpets, grey wallpaper, grey soft furnishings, silver accents… I can’t be dealing with all the cold greyness. Now in small doses I LOVE grey – my upholstered bed is a soft grey and so is the sofabed in my office – but I pile the colour on top to make me feel happy, in the same way my mood is brought right down by wearing all-black. It’s a trend I’ll be glad to see the back of.

Oasis

If I hear the first couple of bars of ANY Oasis track, I can’t move myself quick enough to either turn off the radio or shout ALEXA STOP!! at the top of my lungs. Apart from the fact that any of their Beatles-rip off tracks will stick in my head like the world’s worst earworm all day, I just can’t stand Liam’s whingey, whiny vocals. The tracks sound all the same. And everyone seems to absolutely adore them and I cannot work out why for the life of me. Give me Blur over Oasis any day, forever and ever.

‘Trends’ on social media

Sorry everyone who does any of these, but I can’t stand clicking fingers or jumping in reels to magically change outfits. I can’t stand any kind of hauls. I can’t stand unboxing (I mean, what’s interesting about seeing something come out of a box?!). I can’t stand changing room selfies and try-ons. I can’t stand things like that ice bucket challenge a few years ago, or any other kind of “challenge”. I’m often not keen on any of these to begin with, but then every influencer and their dog jumps on the trend and does it to death. Any interest I might have had in it in the beginning gets killed off very, very quickly.

Anything coffee

Coffee, cappuccino, lattes, espresso… I can’t stand any of it. As far as I’m concerned, coffee smells absolutely RANCID. I don’t get it. Why anyone drinks something that literally smells like coffee breath is beyond me.

Adapted from Source

Bottom Up

  • True or False?

Example: She loves bubble baths. > False

  1. The author thinks Harry Potter movies look like they have the best special effects ever.
  2. She believes in not having guilty pleasures or fear of what others think.
  3. She usually dresses in all neutrals.
  4. She hates Oasis but thinks Guns and Roses is worst.
  5. She isn’t fond of dogs.
  1. The author thinks Harry Potter movies look like they have the best special effects ever. False.
  2. She believes in not having guilty pleasures or fear of what others think. True.
  3. She usually dresses in all neutrals. False. 
  4. She hates Oasis but thinks Guns and Roses is worst. False.
  5. She isn’t fond of dogs. False.

Post

  • Which part of the text did you find most interesting? Why?
  • What parts of the text do you agree with? Why?
  • What is something else that everyone likes and you don’t?
  • What does it mean to have good taste in something?

Target Language

Expressions of Comfort & Discomfort

  • Loud music doesn’t bother me while I’m studying. 
  • I feel comfortable speaking in public. 
  • I don’t have a problem with online dating. 
  • I can’t stand the sight of snakes. 
  • The thought of getting married absolutely terrifies me. 

 

Reporting What People Said

We can use verbs such as advise, ask, encourage, invite, remind and tell to report what other people have said. 

  • She advised him to seek professional help. 
  • Mr. Stinson asked if I could meet him at his office at 8am. 
  • Lily encouraged him to follow his dreams. 
  • I still can’t believe he invited me to go out with him on a date. 
  • The teacher reminded the students to do their homework. 
  • Mom’s always told me to be respectful to others. 

Controlled Practice

  • Complete the blank spaces using expressions from the Target Language.There is one example.
  1. I respect him for his talent but can’t stand him for his immaturity on the lanes when things aren’t going his way.
  2. Breno ____ authority in general and with the government in particular.
  3. I don’t quite understand what tickles Lorelai so much about trying to antagonize me, but it ____ me, really.
  4. The entire notion of me lying in a hospital bed ____ me, no wonder I find this bed uncomfortable.
  5. Humans are creatures of habit and only ____ with people we are used to.
  1. I respect him for his talent but can’t stand him for his immaturity on the lanes when things aren’t going his way.
  2. Breno has a problem with authority in general and with the government in particular.
  3. I don’t quite understand what tickles him so much about trying to antagonize me, but it doesn’t bother me, really.
  4. The entire notion of me lying in a hospital bed abolutely terrifies me, no wonder I find this bed uncomfortable.
  5. We are creatures of habit and only feel comfortable with people we are used to.

Freer Practice

  • Describe the following conversations you had, remember to use reported speech.
    • The last time you spoke with your teacher.
    • The last time you spoke with your neighbor.
    • The last time you spoke with a classmate/co-worker.
    • The last time you spoke with your best friend.

Production

  • What are the 5 best pieces of live advice you have ever received? Use reported speech.
  • How did you feel about them? Why?

Example: My friend asked me to change the way I was treating people and it made me feel uncomfortable because…

Homework

Connect the words from the first column with the words from the second.

Example: She suggested that… > She suggested that he would win easily.

  1. He can’t stand the sight…

  2. Mother used to cook elaborate dinners…

  3.  They were often haunted by…

  4. It’s all about making those…

  5. If you have a problem with…

(   ) who come to the project feel comfortable from day one.

(   ) the thought of his sad figure in the midst of the steppes.

(   ) of lizards! It seemed to paralyze him for a moment, for he stood like one turned to marble.

(   ) that, this is where the exit button can be pressed.

(   ) but with only herself to cook for, she doesn’t bother anymore.

  1. He can’t stand the sight…

  2. Mother used to cook elaborate dinners…

  3.  They were often haunted by…

  4. It’s all about making those…

  5. If you have a problem with…

(4) who come to the project feel comfortable from day one.

(3) the thought of his sad figure in the midst of the steppes.

(1) of lizards! It seemed to paralyze him for a moment, for he stood like one turned to marble.

(5) that, this is where the exit button can be pressed.

(2) but with only herself to cook for, she doesn’t bother anymore.

Match the words with their respective definitions. There is one example.

  1. Advise

  2. Ask

  3. Encourage

  4. Invite

  5. Remind

  6. Tell

(   ) To ask someone in a polite or friendly way to come somewhere.

(   ) To communicate information, facts, or news to someone in spoken or written words.

(   ) To say something in order to obtain an answer or some information.

(   ) To make someone more likely to do something, or to make something more likely to happen.

(1) To offer suggestions about the best course of action to someone.

(   ) To make someone aware of something forgotten or possibly forgotten, or to bring back a memory to someone.

  1. Advise

  2. Ask

  3. Encourage

  4. Invite

  5. Remind

  6. Tell

(4) To ask someone in a polite or friendly way to come somewhere.

(6) To communicate information, facts, or news to someone in spoken or written words.

(2) To say something in order to obtain an answer or some information.

(3) To make someone more likely to do something, or to make something more likely to happen.

(1) To offer suggestions about the best course of action to someone.

(5) To make someone aware of something forgotten or possibly forgotten, or to bring back a memory to someone.

Use the words from the previous exercise, in their correct tense, to complete the sentences.

Example: When she ____ me to go, I ignored her. > When she asked me to go, I ignored her.

  1. He ____ the men to get involved in sporting activities, and football soon became a favorite.
  2. Passengers are annoyed that no notices have been put up at the main bus stop to ____ them of the proposed curtailments.
  3. I’ve had to email the employer twice to ____ them to send me some info, but nothing has appeared yet.
  4. He was happy to ____ me everything he knew about lower class being unfairly dismissed.
  5. I can understand why some of the other guests from the community were ____ to mingle with students.
  6. It is a brilliant way to throw us off the scent, which just ____ us all how vigilant we must be to stop these evil minds.
  1. He encouraged the men to get involved in sporting activities, and football soon became a favourite.
  2. Passengers are annoyed that no notices have been put up at the main bus stop to advise them of the proposed curtailments.
  3. I’ve had to email the employer twice to ask them to send me some info, but nothing has appeared yet.
  4. He was happy to tell me everything he knew about lower class being unfairly dismissed.
  5. I can understand why some of the other guests from the community were invited to mingle with students.
  6. It is a brilliant way to throw us off the scent, which just reminds us all how vigilant we must be to stopping these evil minds.

Put the words in the correct order to make sentences.

Example: very / Dave / to / criticism / doesn’t be / open / seem / to > Dave doesn’t seem to be very open to criticism.

  1. thin / me / a / It / grey / digital / with / watch / had / lettering / the / the / of / on / old / as / reminds / kid, / I / black / screen.
  2. and / the / a / by / mums / this / dads / to / treasure / hunt / game / parachute / all / invited / The / was / followed / and / with / day / participate./ a / started / with
  3. members / and / community / most / welcome / members / current / attend. / All / encouraged / interested / are / and / to
  4. invitation, / of / help. / for / fame / to / With / ask / neither / nor / friends / letters / they / had
  5. minute / the / gasping / I / nurse / for / and / about / breathe / tell / forgot / started / to / a / after / normally / Once / me / breath. / to
  1. It reminds me of the old digital watch I had as a kid, with thin black lettering on the grey screen.
  2. The day started with a treasure hunt and this was followed by a parachute game with all the mums and dads invited to participate.
  3. All current members and interested community members are encouraged and most welcome to attend.
  4. With neither fame nor letters of invitation, they had to ask friends for help.
  5. Once the nurse forgot to tell me to breathe normally and after about a minute I started gasping for breath.

Find and correct the mistakes.

Example: I don’t feel comfortable around by her. > I don’t feel comfortable around her.

  1. He tought of moving inside where it would be cooler, but he felt too weak to move.
  2. These are strictly for haunting crocodiles and birds.
  3. Is clear that your hate is founded in your arrogant elitism and your rank racism.
  4. If you can’t stand the after-taste of garlic, try suck a coffee bean or nibbling on some fresh parsley.
  5. Everyone loves the wholesome nutrition of veggetables, but is there really much of that in frozen mixed veggies?
  1. He thought of moving inside where it would be cooler, but he felt too weak to move.
  2. These are strictly for hunting crocodiles and birds.
  3. It is clear that your hate is founded in your arrogant elitism and your rank racism.
  4. If you can’t stand the after-taste of garlic, try sucking a coffee bean or nibbling on some fresh parsley.
  5. Everyone loves the wholesome nutrition of vegetables, but is there really much of that in frozen mixed veggies?

Writing

Write a text about things you would say to a friend that just lost a job.

Example: I would advise her to study and…