Lesson Ten

What we did today

• Finished restaurant dialogues
• Grammar – past perfect
• Pronunciation – silent letters
• Vocabulary – employment (started)

What’s the date today?   It’s Wednesday “the”   29th  “of”   April

What’s special about tomorrow?  What happens on Valborg?  Walpurgis night

We celebrate the arrival of spring.

How is it celebrated?  We light bonfires.  a public bonfire

a castle

It’s a popular place to visit

the common cold

Many bonfires have been cancelled due to fire risk

a cycle lane,  bus lanes, a (marked) walking/forest trail

signed trail with signposts

marked trail has small coloured markers

a hiking trail to the summit.   – hikers – We went on a 15-km hike

walkers

a pedestrian footpath (in cities, towns), cyclists, drivers

Pedestrians should use a pedestrian crossing such as a zebra crossing, or  a pedestrian subway

wholeseller

a comfortable night’s sleep.    KUMF-ta-bull

One of my favourite retailers is Åhléns, Lindex and H&M

 

jag orkar inte

I couldn’t face going out and so I stayed home.

I didn’t have the energy to cook dinner so we ordered takeaway.

I don’t feel like going out tonight. I’m just not in the mood.

I can’t be bothered to go out tonight.   (more negative connotation)

Not today, I can’t be bothered to go to the gym  (feeling a little lazy).   I don’t have the energy to go.   (you’ve had a bad night’s sleep)

I don’t feel like doing the ironing.  It’s boring!   I can’t be bothered to do it

I can’t be bothered to go to the  lecture on toothpaste.  I can’t face going to the lecture today.

I don’t feel like going for a run. I’m not in the mood.

Don’t bother me! Leave me alone!

 

The Monday before last was the first lesson (= number 1)

The Tuesday before last was the second lesson (= number 2)

The Wednesday before last was the third lesson (=number 3)

Last  Monday was the fourth lesson  (lesson 4)

Last Tuesday was the fifth lesson (lesson 5)

Last Wednesday was the sixth lesson (=number 6)    siks-th

Last Thursday was the seventh lesson   (=number 7)  seventeenth 17

Monday was the eighth lesson (=number 8)

Yesterday was the ninth lesson (=number 9)

Today is the tenth lesson (= number 10)

Next Monday  will be the eleventh lesson (= number 11)

We meet again on Monday

Ideas for a new course:

Inför hösten det skulle också vara intressant med en kurs där man lärde sig enklare ekonomiska uttryck kring bokföring och debiteringar.

ekonomi with customers

retail

travel transport tourism

 

 

 

 

 

1. Customer complaint (food/service/experience)

 

Guest: Excuse me, I’m sorry to complain, but my meal is cold.
Server: I’m very sorry about that. Thank you for letting me know.
Guest: I was really looking forward to it.
Server: I completely understand. Let me fix this for you right away.
Guest: What can you do?
Server: I can bring you a fresh, hot dish, or if you prefer, I can offer a refund or a discount.
Guest: A fresh dish would be great, thank you.
Server: Of course. I’ll make sure it’s prepared as quickly as possible.
Guest: Thank you, I appreciate it.    a-pree-shee- ayt
Server: You’re welcome, and thank you for your paytience.

 

The price was discounted.

 

2. Mistake with the order

 

Guest: Excuse me, I think there’s been a mistake. I ordered the chicken, not the fish.
Server: I’m very sorry about that—that’s our mistake.
Guest: Could you change it, please?
Server: Of course. I’ll bring the correct order immeeediately.
Guest: Thank you.
Server: Would you like to keep this while you wait, or should I take it back?
Guest: You can take it back, thank you.
Server: No problem. I’ll make sure your chicken comes out as quickly/soon as possible.
Guest: I appreciate it.   a-pree-shee- ayt
Server: Thank you for your patience.

 See you a.s.a.p,  I’ll see you asap

 

3. Long wait

Guest: Excuse me, we’ve been waiting for about 40 minutes for our food.
Server: I’m very sorry about the delay, and thank you for your patience.
Guest: Do you know how much longer it will take?
Server: I’ve just checked with the kitchen—your order should be ready in about 5–10 minutes.   (5 to 10 minutes)
Guest: Okay, thank you for checking.
Server: In the meantime, we’d like to offer you a complimentary drink.
Guest: That would be nice, thank you.
Server: You’re very welcome, and again, we apologise for the wait.

 

Guest – I expect a discount on our bill

 

 

4. No ingredients

Guest: I’d like the salmon, please.
Server: I’m very sorry, but we’ve run out of the salmon this evening.   “sammuhn”
Guest: Oh, that’s disappointing.
Server: I completely understand. It’s been very popular today.
Guest: Do you have anything similar?
Server: Yes, of course. May I recommend the grilled chicken or the sea bass? They’re both very good.
Guest: Hmm, I’ll try the sea bass, then.
Server: Excellent choice. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.
Guest: Thank you.
Server: You’re welcome, and thank you for your understanding.

 (havsabborre)

 

5. Staff shortages

Guest: Excuse me, service seems a bit slow today.
Server: I’m very sorry about that. We’re a bit short-staffed today.
Guest: Oh, I see.
Server: Thank you for your understanding. We’re doing our best to serve everyone as quickly as possible.
Guest: That’s okay.
Server: I’ll take your order right away and make sure it’s prioritised.
Guest: Thank you, I appreeeciate it.
Server: You’re very welcome.

 

6. Payment issues

Guest: Excuse me, my card doesn’t seem to be working.
Server: I’m sorry about that. Let me check it for you.
Guest: Is there a problem?
Server: It looks like the payment didn’t go through. Sometimes the connection is slow.
Guest: Oh, I see. What should I do?
Server: You could try the card again, or use a different card if you have one.
Guest: I’ll try another card.
Server: Of course. Please try again when you’re ready.
Guest: Okay, it worked this time.
Server: Great, thank you. Here is your receipt.
Guest: Thank you.
Server: You’re welcome, and I apologise for the inconvenience.

 

7. Table mix-up

 

Guest: Excuse me, we didn’t order this pasta.
Server: I’m very sorry about that—this was meant for another table.    “ment”
Guest: Oh, I see.
Server: Let me take that back, and I’ll bring your correct order right away /  straightaway.
Guest: Thank you.
Server: You’re welcome. It should be ready in just a few minutes.
Guest: No problem.
Server: Thank you for your patience, and again, I apologise for the mistake.

 

8. Kitchen delays

Guest: Excuse me, why is the food taking so long?
Server: I’m very sorry about the wait. The kitchen is quite busy at the moment.
Guest: Do you know how much longer it will take?
Server: I’ve just checked, and your order is on its way. It should be ready in about 5–10 minutes.
Guest: Okay, thanks for letting me know.
Server: Of course. Thank you for your patience.
Guest: No problem.
Server: We really appreeeeciate your understanding.

 

checked    “checkt”

dropped  droppt

oj!  

Oops!  (dropped something)

Oh!  That’s not right!

Oh! I see! Now I get it.

Wow! That was fantastic!

My goodness, that was great!  (BrE Wow!)

Oy! Don’t do that!

Now now, play nicely. Stop hitting your brother.

 

In  breakout rooms:

 

Student A = guest, Student B = staff

Act out the situation and solve the problem

 

Your soup is cold. Complain politely.

The waiter brings the wrong drink.

You waited too long for your food.

The restaurant has no pizza today.

Your bill seems too high and/or you are charged for something you didn’t have

??

 

I was really angry, but my husband calmed me down.

 

 

 

Telling an anecdote/a story

When I got home (6pm)yesterday, I saw that my cat had broken/ had knocked over  (3pm)  a vase of flowers.

past –  got home

before the past – had broken, had knocked over

 

Past Perfect Simple

We use the past perfect to talk about something that happened before another event in the past. It’s often called “the past before the past.”  We often use it together with the past simple.

Structure:
had + past participle   (eat – ate – eaten,  play – played – played)
(e.g. had done, had written, had gone)

Examples:

• I realised that we had met before.
  (spoken: we’d met)    “weeyud”
• I told him that I had finished.
  (spoken: I’d finished)   “eye-yud”
• When I got home, I found my dog had chewed up my favourite pair of shoes.  (things that happened when you were out)

Contractions (spoken English):
had is often shortened to ’d

• I’iiid, youuuu’d, heee’d, sheee’d, weee’d, they’d     “eye-yud”  “youud”

Example:

• I was really excited about going to New York because I had never/not been there before.
  (spoken: I’d never been, I hadn’t been,   I’d not been )

 

 

Basic practice

 

1. I realised that I had seen/ I’d seen him before.    Neg – I’d not seen / I’d never him before
2. She said that she’d finished her homework.
3. He didn’t want to come because he had been/ he’d been there already. “heee-yud”
4. We understood the film because we’d read the book first. “weee-yud redd”
5. When I got to the station, the train had already “trayn-uhd”
6. After she had eaten / she’d eaten , she went for a walk. “shee-ud”
7. When we arrived, they’d already started the meeting.
8. I felt nervous because I had/ I’d never flown before.
9. He was happy because he’d passed the exam.
10. They _____ (just / finish) dinner when I called.
11. She _____ (lose) her keys, so she couldn’t get inside.
12. We _____ (already / watch) that movie, so we chose another one.
13. He _____ (never / try) sushi before that day.
14. I _____ never _____ (hear) that song before I heard it on the radio.
15. We _____ just _____ (arrive) home when it started raining.
16. He told me he _____ (forget) his wallet so I lent him some money for lunch.
17. When I opened the shop, I realised we’d _____ (forget) to turn off the lights the evening before.
18. I couldn’t order the salmon, because the restaurant_____ ____.
19. The car stopped because we ________ petrol (no petrol left)

 

Story building – homework

Continue this story:

“When I got home, I realised that someone _____ …”

Explain what had happened before you arrived.

 

When I got home, I saw that someone _____ (take) my food. What did you do?

When we arrived, the film _____ already _____ (start). What did you do?

I felt nervous because I _____ never _____ (try) it before. What happened?

When the guests arrived, we saw that we _____ (make) a mistake with the booking. What happened next?

The guest was angry because we _____ (forget) their order. What did you do?

When I started work, my manager told me that a guest _____ (complain). What was the problem?

When I checked the room, I saw that someone _____ (leave) a bag behind. What did you do?

 

Pronunciation –silent letters

 Silent B

B is not pronounced when following m at the end of a word   mm   comm  crumm  plummer

climb    comb      crumb      thumb      dumb      lamb      limb      plumber     tomb    womb   toom 

or before t in these words:  doubt     debt      subtle     and obvious(ly)

 

That was a really dumb thing to say!  (US)   Deaf, dumb and blind

She dumped him when she discovered he was seeing someone else.

There is a subtle difference between the shades

There is a baby growing in her womb.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier  ( = a grave)

The tombs of Kings and Queens    “tooms”

The tomb of the Pharoahs

 

Silent C

C is silent when it comes after an ‘s’ at the beginning of a word/syllable and is followed by an ‘e’ or ‘i’

scissors     scent      science   scientist   fascinate   fascination    “fascinate”

C is not pronounced in the ending “scle”: muscle   “mussels”

Silent D

D is not pronounced in the following common words:

handkerchief      sandwich      Wednesday      handsome

Silent E  (BrE)

every      desperate      temperature      interesting     different      beverage     miserable

beverage = drink

“despruutt”    

 Silent G

G is not often not pronounced when followed by an N

gnome      champagne       foreign      foreigner      sign      design      resign

It’s often silent in gh combinations

light   right    tonight    daughter   through   thorough  ”thurru”  although   though

  a garden gnome

I will go out although I am really tired.   He did a thorough job of cleaning the windows-  (noggrant/ordentligt)

Note: gh sometimes sounds like /f/

enough   laugh   cough   rough  tough

 

Silent H

H is not pronounced at the beginning of many words. Use the article “an” with unvoiced H. Here are some of the most common:

hour      honest      honour      honourable      heir  (“air”)      heiress      herb (US English)

H is not pronounced in these words:

exhaust      exhaustion      vehicle   “vee-yakull”   car, van, lorry, bus  (fordon)

Prince William is the heir to the throne.   “air”

Paris Hilton – an heiress  an hour

 

Silent K

knead      knee      kneel              knife knives     knit      knight   knock      knot      knowledge      knuckle   

to kneed pastry dough

We tied the knot last year  (= got married!)

Silent L

L is often not pronounced before D, F, M, K.

would      should      could

calf      calves     half      halves   Caaff

talk     chalk      folk      yolk  (egg yellow)   “yoke”  “foke”

lip balm      calm      palm      salmon   “sammun”

Silent N

N is not pronounced following M at the end of a word.

autumn      column      damn      hymn

 Silent P

P is not pronounced at the beginning of many words using the suffix “psych” and “pneu”.

psychiatrist      pneumonia      psychotherapy      psychotic

or before the t and the b in these words:

receipt      cupboard      raspberry

Or words of French origin:   coup     corps

Silent S

S is not pronounced before L in the following words:

island      isle      aisle      debris

Silent T

T is not pronounced in these common words:

castle       Christmas     christen       fasten      listen      often      whistle      thistle      mortgage

And with many words of French origin:

ballet     buffet   chalet   crochet      depot      debut      gourmet      valet

fillet (US English)   Hard “t” in BrE

Silent U

U is not pronounced before after G and before a vowel.

guess       guidance      guitar      guest             guarantee

Silent UE    tongue  dialogue

Silent W

The letter ‘w’ is silent at the beginning of a word if it comes before an ‘r’:

write    wrong wrestle               wrinkle           wrap

 

Practice

1. I crocheted a toy gnome on Wednesday just before Christmas.
2. Would you prefer a window or an aisle seat?
3. We sang hymns at the Christening.
4. The heir to the throne sat in his castle with his valet and ate a salmon sandwich.
5. The exhaust pipe fell off the vehicle at the depot.
6. I doubt that I can pay my mortgage and all my other debts.
7. The plumber often talks and whistles while he works.
8. I’ve left the receipt in the cupboard in the chalet.
9. The miserable gnome got breadcrumbs and champagne all over the buffet table.
10. Please listen to the foreign psychiatrist
11. Could you please sign here while I prepare your champagne, even though it’s a complimentary upgrade?