See Myself

Lead-in

  • Which do you think is more important: family or friends? Why?
  • How do you think your upbringing influences how you make friends?
  • Do you prefer having a large circle of friends or a small circle of friends? Why?
  • How many good friends do you have?
  • When you think about the word “friendship”, what words pop into your mind?

Presentation

Pre

  • Do you agree with the following quote? Why or why not?

 “Friendship marks a life even more deeply than love. Love risks degenerating into obsession, friendship is never anything but sharing.” –  Elie Wiesel

Top Down

  • Which of the options is a good summary for the text? Read it and find out.
  • People are usually more popular than their friends because it’s easier to befriend someone that has few friends, as an example we can think about the follower paradox.
  • People are usually as popular as their friends because it’s easier to befriend someone that has the same amount of friends, as an example we can think about the follower paradox.
  • People are usually more popular than their friends because it’s easier to befriend someone that has just a few friends, as an example we can think about the follower theory.
  • People are usually less popular than their friends because it’s easier to identify with someone that has a lot of friends, as an example we can think about the follower theory.
  • People are usually less popular than their friends because it’s easier to befriend someone that has a lot of friends, as an example we can think about the follower paradox.
  • People are usually more popular than their friends because it’s easier to befriend someone that has few friends, as an example we can think about the follower paradox.
  • People are usually as popular as their friends because it’s easier to befriend someone that has the same amount of friends, as an example we can think about the follower paradox.
  • People are usually more popular than their friends because it’s easier to befriend someone that has just a few friends, as an example we can think about the follower theory.
  • People are usually less popular than their friends because it’s easier to identify with someone that has a lot of friends, as an example we can think about the follower theory.
  • People are usually less popular than their friends because it’s easier to befriend someone that has a lot of friends, as an example we can think about the follower paradox.

 

Why You’re Probably Less Popular Than Your Friends

Are your friends far more popular than you are? There doesn’t seem to be any obvious reason to suppose this is true, but it probably is. We are all more likely to become friends with someone who has a lot of friends than we are to befriend someone with few friends. It’s not that we avoid those with few friends; rather it’s a lot more probable that we will be among a popular person’s friends simply because he or she has a larger number of them.

This simple realization is relevant not only to real-life friends but also to social media. In Twitter, for example, it gives rise to what might be called the follower paradox: most people have fewer followers than their followers do. Before you resolve to become more scintillating, remember that most people are in similar, sparsely populated boats.

The number of friends we have is typical of many situations in which the average deviates from individuals’ experience. Another is class size. Let’s imagine a small department offering three courses for the semester. One is a survey course with 80 students, one an upper-level course with 15 students, and one a seminar with five students. Now what is the average class size? Clearly, it is (80 + 15 + 5)/3, or 33.3 students. This is the number the department is likely to publicize.

But once again, let’s adopt the perspective of the average person and reexamine these numbers. Eighty of the 100 students find themselves in a class with 80 students, 15 find themselves in a class of 15 students, and five in a class of five students. Thus, the average student’s class size is (80 × 80 + 15 × 15 + 5 × 5)/­100, or 66.5 students. This number is less likely to be publicized by the department.

Of course, the argument applies to many situations. Consider population density. The average number of human beings per square mile of the earth’s land surface is low. Looked at from the perspective of the average human being, how­ev­er, the density is much higher because most humans reside in cities. Thus, we can conclude that despite being more crowded together than average, most of us are less popular than average.

Modified from Source

Bottom Up

  • True or False?

Example: You’re probably more popular than your friends. False

  1. We never avoid those with few friends. 
  2. A lot of people have fewer followers than their followers do. 
  3. There are two ways of finding out the average class size. 
  4. The average amount of human beings per square mile of the earth’s land surface is high. 
  5. Looked at from the perspective of the average human being, how­ev­er, the density is much higher because most humans don’t reside in the countryside. 
  1. We never avoid those with few friends. False
  2. A lot of people have fewer followers than their followers do. True
  3. There are two ways of finding out the average class size. True
  4. The average amount of human beings per square mile of the earth’s land surface is high. False
  5. Looked at from the perspective of the average human being, how­ev­er, the density is much higher because most humans don’t reside in the countryside. True

Post

  • Do you agree with the text? Why or why not?
  • Are you more or less popular than your friends?

Target Language

Emphasizing Comparatives

We can use a quantifier combined with a comparative form to emphasize it.

For big differences we can use much, a lot and far along with a comparative:

  • Queen Elizabeth is much older than you think.
  • Superman is far more powerful than Batman, but Batman is a lot more intelligent.

For small differences we can use a bit and a little along with a comparative:

  • Jennifer is a bit thinner than she was when we last saw her.
  • It’s not that I don’t like reading, I just think the movies a little more engaging.

When there’s no difference, we can use just along with an as… as… comparison:

  • Mathew is just as intelligent as his brother.
  • Rihanna is just as beautiful as Beyoncé.

Describing Personalities

Useful expressions do describe personalities:

  • I consider my mom to be the most selfless person I know.
  • I see myself as a dedicated hardworking employee.
  • I think of myself as thoughtful and supportive.
  • I love being a teacher. I think it defines who I am.

Controlled Practice

  • Match the sentence halves. There is one example.

  1. The same is true for the cost of rhino horn, but the whole story is…

  2. Our houses, apartments and office…

  3. I stepped out of the tub when…

  4. Football, and I would argue the country as…

  5. Mammalian carnivores such as weasels and…

(   ) foxes catch voles by chasing or pouncing and are probably just as dangerous in dense cover as in sparse.

(   ) buildings need to become far more efficient in the way we use energy and water to run them.

(   ) the water grew tepid, feeling a lot more relaxed.

(1) even a bit more complicated.

(   ) a whole, is a little less colorful for the loss of one of it’s greatest men.

  1. The same is true for the cost of rhino horn, but the whole story is…

  2. Our houses, apartments and office…

  3. I stepped out of the tub when…

  4. Football, and I would argue the country as…

  5. Mammalian carnivores such as weasels and…

(5) foxes catch voles by chasing or pouncing and are probably just as dangerous in dense cover as in sparse.

(2) buildings need to become far more efficient in the way we use energy and water to run them.

(3) the water grew tepid, feeling a lot more relaxed.

(1) even a bit more complicated.

(4) a whole, is a little less colorful for the loss of one of it’s greatest men.

Freer Practice

  • Complete the sentences according to your opinion.
    • I’m a bit … than…
    • Thor is far more … than…
    • Instagram is a bit… than twitter.
    • I feel that… is a little more interesting than…
    • I’m sure I’m just as… as Bill Gates.
    • I think of myself as…

Production

  • Create one example for each quantifier mentioned in the Target Language section.

Example: My brother is a bit younger than me.

Homework

Match the words from the first column with their meanings. There is one example.

  1. Consider

  2. See

  3. Think

  4. Define

  5. Bit

(   ) State or describe exactly the nature, scope, or meaning of something.

(   ) To form a mental picture of.

(1) Regard (someone or something) as having a specified quality.

(   ) A small piece, part, or quantity of something.

(   ) To use your brain to consider or judge.

  1. Consider

  2. See

  3. Think

  4. Define

  5. Bit

(4) State or describe exactly the nature, scope, or meaning of something.

(2) To form a mental picture of.

(1) Regard (someone or something) as having a specified quality.

(5) A small piece, part, or quantity of something.

(3) To use your brain to consider or judge.

Choose the best option for each sentence.

Example: I consider myself / herself to be intelligent. > I consider myself to be intelligent.

  1. The coconut macaroons are far most / more delicious, with little sugary balls of the desiccated nut.
  2. I see myself as – / a singer of simple songs.
  3. Amazingly both cars are as fast as / like each other, with the diesel car accelerating just a bit quicker than the petrol.
  4. I thought / tought it required a far more disciplined approach to managing assets and liabilities.
  5. The music faltered for a moment and resumed, just / – as happy and jaunty as ever.
  1. The coconut macaroons are far more delicious, with little sugary balls of the desiccated nut.
  2. I see myself as a singer of simple songs.
  3. Amazingly both cars are as fast as each other, with the diesel car accelerating just a bit quicker than the petrol.
  4. I thought it required a far more disciplined approach to managing assets and liabilities.
  5. The music faltered for a moment and resumed, just as happy and jaunty as ever.

Use the following words to complete the sentences.

MUCH – BIT – FAR – JUST – CONSIDER – THINK

Example: It warmed my vanity to ____ of myself as clever in so theatric a role as a thief. > It warmed my vanity to think of myself as clever in so theatric a role as a thief.

  1. A fractional is ____ more expensive than a traditional timeshare, but to many people, it’s worth it.
  2. Many from his side of the aisle are now ____ as wrong on this issue as his opponents are.
  3. Friends of Hendrie say that some people ____ him to be arrogant and superior.
  4. I am ____ more nervous than they are.
  5. Things are a ____ more complicated when it comes to the transcendentals.
  1. A fractional is much more expensive than a traditional timeshare, but to many people, it’s worth it.
  2. Many from his side of the aisle are now just as wrong on this issue as his opponents are.
  3. Friends of Hendrie say that some people consider him to be arrogant and superior.
  4. I am far more nervous than they are.
  5. Things are a bit more complicated when it comes to the transcendentals.

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. rest / to / and / I / of / a / bit / impatient / a / bit / afternoon, / tried / The / less / be / the / more / instructive.
  2. Germans / more / dams / far / Allies / rebuilt / the / than / quickly / The / expected. / had / the
  3. many / Valderrama. / successor / be / consider / playmaking / to / natural / have / abilities / to / His / him / led / to / the
  4. offers / excellent / Despite / qualities, / I / her / still / who / her / person / a / consider / ugly / company.
  5. types. / Perfect / to / perfect / who / just / as / open / are / as / couples / be / claim / other / cloying
  1. The rest of the afternoon, I tried to be a bit less impatient and a bit more instructive.
  2. The Germans rebuilt the dams far more quickly than the Allies had expected.
  3. His playmaking abilities have led many to consider him to be the natural successor to Valderrama.
  4. Despite her ugly qualities, I still consider her a person who offers excellent company.
  5. Perfect couples who claim to be open are just as cloying as other perfect types.

Find and correct the mistakes.

  1. I see myself as a bridge between convencional and complementary medicine.
  2. Your flatmate does not want to cook semolina for couscous as she think it takes a long time.
  3. It will be if he rose from the dead to tell us what he thinks of our doings.
  4. When they think someone being spied on, they think of someone else, a bad guy.
  5. She also plays a motherly role to her nices and nephews, since she considers they her own.
  1. I see myself as a bridge between conventional and complementary medicine.
  2. Your flatmate does not want to cook semolina for couscous as she thinks it takes a long time.
  3. It will be as if he rose from the dead to tell us what he thinks of our doings.
  4. When they think of someone being spied on, they think of someone else, a bad guy.
  5. She also plays a motherly role to her nieces and nephews, since she considers them her own.

Writing

Write about the last 5 people you talked to. Remember to use as much of the Target Language as possible.

Example: I consider my neighbor to be…