1.8. Unit Eight. Conversation “ Well, I can’t really find…”

Phase A. Conversation

Susan’s father, Frank Martin, has been getting strange pains in his leg. He’s talking to his doctor. Listen.

Doctor: Well, I can’t really find anything wrong with you, Mr.Martin.

Frank: Yes, but these pains in my leg... my right leg... why do I get them, doctor?

Doctor: Yes... hmm... Tell me, do you work very hard, Mr. Martin? I mean, how much overtime do you usually work, for instance?

Frank: Overtime? Well, I’ve been working a lot lately.

Doctor: Yes, but how much? How many hours, I mean?

Frank: Well... er... ten hours extra a week, perhaps.

Doctor: I see. Hmm... perhaps... um... you’d better take things easy for a while.

Frank: What? I’d better take things easy?

Doctor: Yes, Mr. Martin. You’d better not work so hard. Do you understand?

Frank: Yes, doctor. Of course I understand! But... but I still don’t know what’s wrong with me!

Doctor: No... hmm... you know, Mr. Martin, a specialist can always examine you.

Frank: But you’ve just examined me, doctor!

Doctor: No, no, Mr. Martin. I’m just an ordinary doctor. What I meant was... Well, a specialist like Doctor Scott at the new hospital.

Frank: Who?

Doctor: Dr. Scott. Yes, you could see him.

Frank: Yes, all right. Perhaps I’d better see him.

Phase B. Pronunciation

Now listen carefully to the sound after the word “you”. Repeat.

Doctor: you’d //

That is the weak form of the word “had” in the phrase “You’d better”. Listen and repeat again.

Doctor: You’d better // take things easy // You’d better take things easy // for a while // You’d better take things easy for a while.//

Notice, by the way, the form of the verb after “You’d better”. Make more sentences with the words we give you, like this.

You’d better take things easy.

You’d better take things easy.

see a specialist

You’d better see a specialist.

Now do it. Quickly.

You’d better take things easy.

see a specialist

You’d better see a specialist.

get more sleep

You’d better get more sleep.

Now, last of all, notice the negative form. Repeat again.

Doctor: You’d better not // work so hard.// You’d better not work so hard.//

Phase C. Fluency Practice

DRILL 1

Repeat what Frank says here.

Doctor: Tell me, Mr. Martin. How much overtime do you usually work?

Frank: Overtime? // Well, I’ve been working a lot lately.//

Now suppose you’re Frank Martin. Give more answers like that. For instance, what do you say here?

Doctor: Tell me... how many cigarettes do you usually smoke?

The answer is this:

Frank: Cigarettes? Well, I’ve been smoking a lot lately.

Now you do it. Are you ready?

One.

Doctor: Tell me, how much beer do you usually drink?

Frank: Beer? Well, I’ve been drinking a lot lately.

Two.

Doctor: Tell me, how much meat do you usually eat?

Frank: Meat? Well, I’ve been eating a lot lately.

Three.

Doctor: Tell me, how many pills do you usually take?

Frank: Pills? Well, I’ve been taking a lot lately.

Four.

Doctor: Tell me, how many horror films do you usually watch?

Frank: Horror films? Well, I’ve been watching a lot lately.

DRILL 2

Now for a slightly different situation. You’re a student, and someone asks you this question.

Tell me. How many books do you usually read?

Books? Well, I’ve been reading a lot lately.

Repeat.

Books? Well, I’ve been reading a lot lately.

Now give more answers like that.

One. Tell me. How many newspapers do you usually read?

Newspapers? Well, I’ve been reading a lot lately.

Two. Tell me, how much homework do you usually do?

Homework? Well, I’ve been doing a lot lately.

Three. Tell me, how many letters do you usually write every week?

Letters? Well, I’ve been writing a lot lately.

Four. Tell me. How much do you usually spend every month?

Money? Well, I’ve been spending a lot lately.

Five. Tell me, how many words do you usually learn every day?

Words? Well, I’ve been learning a lot lately.

Six. Tell me. How much English do you usually speak in every lesson?

English? Well, I’ve been speaking a lot lately.

DRILL 3

Now let’s see if you can do this. Listen.

Frank’s been working a lot lately.

Frank’s been working a lot lately.

smoking

Frank’s been smoking a lot lately.

you

You’ve been smoking a lot lately.

And now, you do it.

Frank’s been working a lot lately.

Frank’s been working a lot lately.

smoking

Frank’s been smoking a lot lately.

you

You’ve been smoking a lot lately.

I

I’ve been smoking a lot lately.

my husband

My husband’s been smoking a lot lately.

DRILL 4

At the end of the conversation, Frank’s doctor didn’t think he could help Frank. So he said Frank could see a specialist. Repeat what Frank says here.

Doctor: Dr. Scott. Yes, you could see him.

Frank: All right. // Perhaps I’d better see him. //

Suppose you’re Frank. Make more sentences like that last one. Repeat again quickly.

Frank: All right. Perhaps I’d better see him. //

Now what do you say if the doctor says this?

Doctor: Yes, you could... um... talk to him.

Frank: All right. Perhaps I’d better talk to him.

Repeat those two sentences again and notice the intonation.

Frank: All right. Perhaps I’d better talk to him.//

All right. Perhaps I’d better see him.//

Now go on. Are you ready?

One.

Doctor: Yes, you could... um... go to him.

Frank: All right. Perhaps I’d better go to him.

Two.

Doctor: Yes, you could... um... ask him.

Frank: All right. Perhaps I’d better ask him.

Three.

Doctor: Yes, you could... um... discuss it with him.

Frank: All right. Perhaps I’d better discuss it with him.

Four.

Doctor: Yes, you could... um... get help from him.

Frank: All right. Perhaps I’d better get help from him.

DRILL 5

In the conversation, when the doctor learned that Frank worked a lot of overtime, he thought this to himself. Listen. You didn’t hear it before.

Doctor: Hmm... the man works too hard.

And now repeat what he actually said to Frank.

Doctor: Yes, Mr. Martin. You’d better not work so hard.//

Did you notice that in his thoughts he said “too hard”... “he works too hard”... but that when he spoke to Frank, he said “so hard”?

Doctor: You’d better not work so hard.

Now suppose you’re the doctor. Listen to these thoughts and then speak to Frank as the doctor did. For instance, what do you say here?

Doctor: Hmm... the man eats too much.

Doctor: Yes, Mr. Martin. You’d better not eat so much.

Repeat that again... and notice the intonation.

Doctor: Yes, Mr. Martin. You’d better not eat so much.//

Now make more sentences just like that. Listen to the doctor’s thoughts first.

One.

Doctor: Hmm... the man smokes too much.

Doctor: Yes, Mr. Martin. You’d better not smoke so much.

Two.

Doctor: Hmm... he drinks too much.

Doctor: Yes, Mr. Martin. You’d better not drink so much.

Three.

Doctor: Hmm... he probably eats very fast, too... too fast, in fact.

Doctor: Yes, Mr. Martin. You’d better not eat so fast.

Four.

Doctor: Hmm... and all the television he watches... he goes to bed too late, that’s it! He goes to bed too late!

Doctor: Yes, Mr. Martin. You’d better not go to bed so late.

Five.

Doctor: Hmm... look at the man. He worries too much!

Doctor: Yes, Mr. Martin. You’d better not worry so much.

DRILL 6

Last of all, do you remember this?

Doctor: You know, Mr. Martin, a specialist can always examine you.

Frank: But you’ve just examined me, Doctor!

Repeat that.

Frank: But you’ve just examined me, Doctor!

Now make more sentences like that but in different situations. For instance:

You’re at the railway station; someone says this.

I want to catch the London express. It’s going to leave soon.

So you say:

Frank: But it’s just left.

One. You’re at a railway station.

Come on... I want to catch the London express. It’s going to leave soon.

But it’s just left!

Two. You’re Arthur’s secretary. Someone says this:

I’d like to see Mr. Tigers before he goes home.

But he’s just gone home.

Three. You’re in a cinema. Someone says this:

Come on. I want to see all of the film and it’s going to start soon.

But it’s just started.

Four. You’re in Julia’s office and Mr. Kent says this.

Mr. Kent: So, Julia’s late again... I wonder when she’s going to come?

(Frank) But she’s just come!

Five. Mr. Kent says this to you:

Mr. Kent: Post all the letters now, please.

But I’ve just posted them!

Six. A teacher says this to you:

Teacher: Now do this drill.

But I’ve just done it.

Phase D. Repetition

And now, listen to the whole conversation again. Only this time, repeat what Frank says... what Frank says in it.

Doctor: Well, I can’t really find anything wrong with you, Mr.Martin.

Frank: Yes, but these pains in my leg // my right leg // Why do I get them, Doctor?//

Doctor: Yes... hmm... Tell me, do you work very hard, Mr. Martin? I mean, how much overtime do you usually work, for instance?

Frank: Overtime?// Well, I’ve been working a lot lately.//

Doctor: Yes, but how much? How many hours, I mean?

Frank: Well... er...// ten hours extra a week, perhaps.//

Doctor: I see. Hmm... perhaps... um... you’d better take things easy for a while.

Frank: What?// I’d better take things easy for a while?//

Doctor: Yes, Mr. Martin. You’d better not work so hard. Do you understand?

Frank: Yes, Doctor.// Of course I understand!// But... but I still don’t know what’s wrong with me!//

Doctor: No... hmm... you know, Mr. Martin, a specialist can always examine you.

Frank: But you’ve just examined me, doctor!//

Doctor: No, no, Mr. Martin. I’m just an ordinary doctor. What I meant was... well... a specialist like Dr. Scott at the new hospital.

Frank: Who?//

Doctor: Dr. Scott. Yes, you could see him.

Frank: Yes, all right.// Perhaps I’d better see him.//

And that is the end of this unit. Thank you.