The power of the media Speech Functions Bank

F – Formal

Inf – Informal

I. Expressing Preferences

F Inf

I tend to favour

X DOING…

as opposed to

X DOING…

I tend to prefer

X DOING

to

X DOING…

I tend to be (rather) more interested in

X DOING…

than

X DOING…

I’m (rather) more interested in

X DOING…

than

X DOING…

I much prefer

X DOING

to

X DOING

X DOING…

appeals to me (far) more than

X DOING…

I like

X DOING…

better than

X DOING…

1. Make the following into statements about preferences using the language in the box above.

E x a m p l e:

I tend/ favour the program I saw yesterday.

I tend to favour the program I saw yesterday.

1. Watching sport news/me more/watching educational programs.

2. I/watching BBCchannel better/watchingEurosportchannel.

3. I tend/prefer tabloids/reading broadsheets.

4. I/more interested/ getting information/television than/newspapers.

2. Look at the following and use appropriate language from the box above to make statements about your preferences.

E x a m p l e:

The Times/the Guardian.

I prefer The Timestothe Guardian.

The Timesappeals to me more thanthe Guardian.

1. Watching soap operas/watching thrillers.

2. Russian tabloids/English tabloids.

3. Reading newspapers/watching the news on TV.

4. Reading magazines/reading papers.

II. Talking about likes and Interests.

F Inf

I wonder if you’re interested in

X? DOING…?

Are you interested in

X? DOING…?

Do you (happen to) like

X? DOING…?

Are you into

X? DOING…?

F Inf

I’m

very quite

interested in

X DOING…

I’m

very quite

keen on

X DOING…

I (really) like

X DOING…

(very much)

I’m really into

X DOING…

F Inf

I don’t find

X DOING…

particularly

enjoyable good interesting

I’m not

over particularly

keen on

X DOING…

I don’t (really) like

X DOING…

(very much)

I’m not really into

X DOING…

1. Make the following into questions about other people’s likes and interests using the language in the boxes above.

E x a m p le:

Do/like watching TV?

Do you like watching TV?

1. Are/interested/ current affairs?

2. Do/happen/like reading tabloids?

3. Are/into watching TV a lot?

4. I wonder/you/at all interested/international politics?

5. Are/interested/the Internet?

2. Make the following into statements about likes and interests using the language in the boxes above.

1. I/not find watching/documentaries/enjoyable?

2. I/into watching the news.

3. I/not over-keen/listening to the radio.

4. I/interested/ reading newspapers.

3. Use appropriate language from the boxes above to ask answer people’s likes and interests in the following situations.

E x a m p l e:

Two friends at watching TV… reading newspapers.

(a) Are you into watching TV?

(b)No, I’m not particularly keen on it.

1. A young member of the family to an elderly relation … the Sunday newspapers.

2. An employee to his/her boss … watching sports on TV.

3. Two good friends … the latest news.

4. Two work colleagues … watching youth programmes with their children.

Unit IV. Educational Challenges

Section 1. Are Schools Doing Their Job?