English Lessons with the IT Crowd

A course for intermediate students by David Nicholls

A new approach to learning English, this is a series of lessons based on the episodes of the hit UK sitcom ‘The IT Crowd’. Lessons include grammar explanations, exercises, vocabulary tasks and discussion questions. They are ideal for self-study and classroom use.

How to use this ebook

This book was written in order to be used in English lessons with my online students. It proved to be a popular and effective resource, and so I have decided to make it available in an e-book format. It could be useful for two different types of readers. Firstly, teachers of English may find it a fun and effective resource for their students. The majority of homework exercises that English teachers give to their students are based on reading and writing skills. This course is an attempt to provide at least a 50% bias towards listening practice. The second type of reader is the independent student who enjoys ‘learning by doing’, and understands that fluency is obtainable once one’s reactions are fast enough to respond to everyday speech. Such speech is found in TV shows, and it would be a crime not to use it. I have included grammar and vocabulary exercises in all of the lessons, as well as some comprehension and discussion questions. As a teacher I give the lesson to the students as homework, and he or she watches the show in their free time and retells me a summary of the plot during the next class. I encourage them to use the target vocabulary and grammar forms during this retell, and we then discuss the questions. Other teachers could do the same, or they may prefer to use the material in some other way. The independent student could watch the shows, complete the answers, and then perhaps discuss the show with a friend. I think the retelling part is essential in order to improve speaking skills and learn the new vocabulary by heart.

The book is divided into different episodes. There is one lesson corresponding to each episode of the IT Crowd. Students should read the lesson first and check the meaning of any unfamiliar words. Then they should watch the show and afterwards complete the exercises. Lastly, they can check their answers, and perhaps prepare themselves for the retell. The episodes first focus on some difficult tenses, and then move onto some conditionals and modal forms. The answers for each episode are found after the corresponding exercises. Many students find the first episode difficult, but this is natural and fortunately the show gets easier and easier each time. Practice makes perfect. If the student feels disheartened after the first episode, they should remember that watching the show twice will help.

The I.T Crowd – Series 1 Episode 1 - Yesterday’s Jam

Match the phrasal verbs and definitions

Deal with s.t/s.o	Become acquainted with s.o
Get on with s.o	Faint
Get rid of s.t/s.o	Lie or invent s.t
Get to know s.o	Scrutinize s.o’s progress with a task
Make s.t up	Make a mistake
Check up on s.o	Have a romantic relationship with s.o
Slip up	Connect s.t to the power grid
Tell on s.o	Throw away
Pass out	Wait for s.t with impatience
Go out with s.o	Leave this place (rude)
Hit it off	Switch on/off
Toss away	Have a good relationship with s.o
Get out	Judge or estimate s.o
Look forward to s.t	Dispose of, exclude
Turn s.t on/off	Very quickly attract and be attracted to s.o
Size s.o up	Do business with s.o/ face s.t
Plug s.t in	Inform authorities about s.o’s misbehaviour

Put the phrasal verbs in these quotes from the episode (include pronouns where necessary):

1) I hope this doesn’t embarrass you Jen, but I find that the best thing to do with a new employee is to ____ ____ ____ with a good, long stare. 2) Once the printer is fixed they ____ ____ ____ like yesterday’s jam. 3) ____ ____ of the lift! 4) Will you stop trying to undermine me! Now get in there and do some work to do with computers. I’ll be in there in a moment to ____ ____ ____ ____ 5) You will ____ ____ one day, and we will be there when you do. There will be some piece of evidence that will prove beyond any shadow of a doubt, that you don’t know anything about computers. – What are you doing? – ____ ____ your computer. 6) I can’t believe you’re going to ____ ____ ____You’re like a pair of old women. 7) I’m a people person and people like you need a person to ____ ____ people. A people person like me. Oh my god. Ideas are coming. What would you say if I told you I had a plan to raise your profile by 100%? - It can’t be done! - What would you say Roy? Roy’s ____ ____

Grammar – Present Perfect/Past simple

Present perfect is used to ask questions about general events in life (if we don’t know when they happened, and we don’t know the details yet). Have you seen ‘Titanic’? Have you read ‘War and Peace’? Have you been to France? Or, from the episode:

Have you tried turning it off and on again?

It is also used to show results in the present. I have done my homework – here it is! Look! My car has disappeared. It has been stolen. Or, from the episode

Roy has passed out!

Lastly, it is used for long periods of time that continue into the present. These are unfinished periods. We have been married for 5 years and we still love each other very much. For example

Moss and Roy have worked at Renholm industries for a long time. Jen has been there a few days.

(‘have been working’ is also possible)

With finished periods we use past simple

They got divorced last year. They were married for 5 years.

Present perfect is NEVER used if we say, ask or know WHEN something happened. When Moss tells the story of what happened when they went to Amsterdam, he only uses past simple

When we went to Amsterdam we were so drunk that we decided to hire prostitutes. But when they arrived at the hotel we were too scared to do anything and so we brought them to the fair.

Some words are a signal to use present perfect. Yet, already, just, ever, never, for and since

Some words are a signal to use past simple. Ago, last week, 1998, in August, when

Put the following verbs into present perfect or past simple.

1) How many times ____ you ____ to France? (be)

2) When ____ he ____? (arrive)

3) He ____ you about 10 minutes ago. (call)

4) I ____ never ____ that book. (read)

5) Look! The screen is all blue. The computer ____ ____ (break)

6) How long ____ you ____ your boss? (know)

7) I can’t see my dog. Where ____ he ____? (go)

8) I live in the UK now. But I ____ in Russia for 8 years. (live)

Questions for discussion:

Who do you find difficult to deal with at work? Is there anyone who you don’t get on with? Who checks up on you at work? In what kind of situations might someone pass out? What are you looking forward to? What have you plugged in so far today? Have you ever gone out with someone and hit it off from the first date? What happened in the end? When you’re getting to know someone, how do you size them up? By their appearance, or by their words?

Answers:

Deal with s.t/s.o	Do business with s.o/ face s.t
Get on with s.o	Have a good relationship with s.o
Get rid of s.t/s.o	Dispose of, exclude
Get to know s.o	Become acquainted with s.o
Make s.t up	Lie or invent s.t
Check up on s.o	Scrutinize s.o’s progress with a task
Slip up	Make a mistake
Tell on s.o	Inform authorities about s.o’s misbehaviour
Pass out	Faint
Go out with s.o	Have a romantic relationship with s.o
Hit it off	Very quickly attract and be attracted to s.o
Toss away	Throw away
Get out	Leave this place (rude)
Look forward to s.t	Wait for s.t with impatience
Turn s.t on/off	Switch s.t on/off
Size s.o up	Judge or estimate s.o
Plug s.t in	Connect s.t to the power grid

1) size them up

2) toss us away

3) get out

4) check up on you

5) slip up, plugging in

6) tell on me

7) deal with, passed out

Grammar

1) have you been

2) did he arrive

3) called

4) have never read

5) has broken

6) have you known

7) has he gone

8) lived