1.9. Unit Nine. Conversation “ She’s a strange girl…”

Phase A. Conversation

Tom is in the teachers’ room of the Technical College where he teaches. He’s talking to another teacher, Ken Grimes. They’re talking about one of Tom’s students in his French class.

Ken: She’s a strange girl, isn’t she?

Tom: Strange? What d’you mean?

Ken: Well, I saw her in a nightclub last night and...

Tom: Did you really? In a nightclub? Last night?

Ken: Yes, but that isn’t why I think she’s strange.

Tom: No, there’s nothing strange about that alone, I agree. But... what was she doing there?

Ken: She was on the dance floor with someone and...

Tom: I see. So she was dancing.

Ken: Yes, that’s right. The strange thing was that when she saw me, she went red in the face. Then, a few minutes later, she left.

Tom: Did she? Hmm.

Ken: Yes, I was sitting by the door so I saw her. I waved but she didn’t even look at me. I can’t understand why. Doesn’t she like teachers? Is she afraid of us?

Tom: No, she was embarrassed.

Ken: Embarrassed? But why?

Tom: Well, she didn’t come to my French class yesterday. We had an examination but she didn’t take it. One of her friends said she was ill.

Phase B. Pronunciation and Intonation Practice

Notice how Tom asks a question here with only one word. Notice the intonation. Repeat it.

Ken: She’s a strange girl, isn’t she?

Tom: Strange? //

Tom was rather surprised. He didn’t really understand why Ken thought the student was strange. Notice his intonation again. Repeat it again.

Tom: Strange? //

Now suppose Ken says something else about the girl and Tom doesn’t really understand why he says it. Notice again how Tom asks a question with one word and shows his surprise at the same time. Repeat what Tom says.

Ken: She’s a very odd girl, isn’t she?

Tom: Odd? //

Now you do it. Ken, the other teacher, is going to say things and you don’t quite understand why he says them. Pick one word out and ask a question with it.

Ken: She’s a very bad student, isn’t she?

Tom: Bad?

Ken: Her work is very poor, isn’t it?

Now let’s see if you can keep the same intonation with longer words... words of more than one syllable. Listen.

Ken: That student... there’s something... er... different about her.

Tom: Different?

Repeat that.

Tom: Different? //

Now go on. Ask the same sort of question.

Ken: Yes, you know what I mean... there’s something... er... unusual about her.

Tom: Unusual?

Ken: Yes... how shall I say it... There’s something... funny... about her.

Tom: Funny?

Ken: Yes, something... wonderful.

Tom: Wonderful?

Ken: Well, perhaps not wonderful but... how shall I say it... nice...

Tom: Nice?

Phase C. Repetition

Now take Tom’s part; only Tom’s part.

Ken: She’s a strange girl, isn’t she?

Tom: Strange?// What d’you mean?//

Ken: Well, I saw her in a nightclub last night and...

Tom: Did you really?// In a nightclub?// Last night?//

Ken: Yes, but that isn’t why I think she’s strange.

Tom: No, there’s nothing strange // about that alone // I agree.// But... what was she doing there?//

Ken: She was on the dance floor with someone and...

Tom: I see.// So she was dancing.//

Ken: Yes, that’s right. The strange thing was that when she saw me, she went red in the face. Then, a few minutes later, she left.

Tom: Did she?// Hmm.//

Ken: Yes, I was sitting by the door so I saw her. I waved but she didn’t even look at me. I can’t understand why. Doesn’t she like teachers? Is she afraid of us?

Tom: No, she was embarrassed.//

Ken: Embarrassed? But why?

Tom: Well, she didn’t come to my French class yesterday.// We had an examination // but she didn’t take it.// One of her friends said she was ill.//

DRILL 1

Listen to this. Listen in particular to Tom’s question. Repeat it.

Ken: You know that girl in your French class? I saw her in a nightclub last night.

Tom: Oh? What was she doing there? //

Now ask more questions just like that.

One.

Ken: You know that new teacher... what’s her name... Miss Jones... well, I saw her in the sports ground yesterday.

Tom: Oh? What was she doing there?

Two.

Ken: You know those two blonde girls in your French class... Alice and Jean Kinson... well, I saw them at the railway station this morning.

Tom: Oh? What were they doing there?

Three.

Ken: You know that dog that belongs to the chemistry teacher? Well I saw it in the library a few minutes ago.

Tom: Oh? What was it doing there?

Four.

Ken: By the way, I saw your wife, Susan, in the pub last night.

Tom: Oh? What was she doing there?

DRILL 2

After Tom asked “What was she doing there?” Ken began to tell him. Listen to how Ken begins the sentence and Tom finishes it for him.

Ken: She was on the dance floor and...

Tom: I see. So she was dancing.

Now Ken is going to begin some more sentences like that and you have to finish them. In other words, you have to think what the person was doing in each situation. Like this. Repeat what Tom says at the end.

Ken: I saw her in the library. She had a pen in her hand and there was some letter-paper in front of her.

Tom: I see. So she was writing.//

And now, you do it. Are you ready?

One.

Ken: I saw her a few moments ago. She had a cigarette in her mouth...

Tom: I see. So she was smoking.

Two.

Ken: I saw that girl in your French class an hour ago. She was in the library and had a book in her hands and...

Tom: I see. So she was reading.

Three.

Ken: I saw her in the canteen. She had a sandwich in her hand and...

Tom: I see. So she was eating.

Four.

Ken: I saw her in the secretary’s office. She had a typewriter and...

Tom: I see. So she was typing.

DRILL 3

Now, let’s suppose that Tom doesn’t want to finish Ken’s sentence. Let’s suppose instead that he wants to ask a question. Listen to what Tom does. Repeat what he says.

Ken: She was on the dance floor and...

Tom: I see. Was she dancing?//

Now you do it. Don’t finish Ken’s sentence. Instead ask him a question. Are you ready?

One.

Ken: I saw the girl the library. She had a pen in her hand.

Tom: I see. Was she writing?

Two.

Ken: I saw her a few moments ago. She had some cigarettes.

Tom: I see. Was she smoking?

Three.

Ken: I saw her in the canteen with some sandwiches.

Tom: I see. Was she eating?

Four.

Ken: I saw her in the library; and she had a book.

Tom: I see. Was she reading?

Five.

Ken: I saw her in the secretary’s office... in front of the typewriter there.

Tom: I see. Was she typing?

DRILL 4

Now we are going to give you a short substitution drill. In this drill you’re going to describe everything Ken Grimes saw when he came into the nightclub. Listen. Each sentence always begins with the words “When I came in”.

Ken: When I came in, she was dancing.

When I came in, she was dancing.

Ken: she and her boyfriend

When I came in, she and her boyfriend were dancing.

Ken: having a good time

When I came in, she and her boyfriend were having a good time.

Now you do it. Are you ready? Repeat Ken’s first sentence, to begin with.

Ken: When I came in, she was dancing.

Ken: she and her boyfriend

When I came in, she and her boyfriend were dancing.

Ken: having a good time

When I came in, she and her boyfriend were having a good time.

Ken: everybody

When I came in, everybody was having a good time.

Ken: laughing

When I came in, everybody was laughing.

Ken: all the people

When I came in, all the people were laughing.

Ken: the head waiter

When I came in, the head waiter was laughing.

Ken: working hard

When I came in, the head waiter was working hard.

DRILL 5

Now perhaps you remember that when Ken said this:

Ken: I saw her

Tom asked this:

Tom: Did you really?

But sometimes, of course, we don’t use “Did you” but “Were you” or “Are you” in the questions. Like this. Repeat Tom’s questions.

Ken: I know that film star over there.

Tom: Do you really?//

Ken: She’s in love with me.

Tom: Is she really?//

Now can you ask questions like that, with the same intonation all the time and the right word at the very beginning? Ask the questions yourself now. Ken’s talking to you.

Ken: That girl over there... do you see her... she’s a film star.

Is she really?

Ken: Yes, she is... I... er... know her very well.

Do you really?

Ken: Yes, I do; as a matter of fact, she loves me.

Does she really?

Ken: Yes, she does. I’ve known her a long time.

Have you really?

Ken: Yes, I have. She and I met in Hollywood last year.

Did you really?

Ken: Yes, we did. I... er... I was an actor once, you know.

Were you really?

Ken: Yes, I was. I can always get a job as an actor again, you know.

Can you really?

Ken: Yes, I can. But why are you looking at me in that funny way? I’m... I’m telling you the truth, you know.

Are you really?

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