L3-U4 Family life

Unit 4 - Family life

Level 3 Course 3A

Before you begin...

What activities do you and your family do together? Tell the class three things.

• Read a blog about family meals
• Write a blog entry about a family memory

• Give opinions with expressions like If you ask me
• Agree with opinions using Absolutely and That's true

• Talk about your immediate and extended family
• Describe memories of growing up with used to and would

can do!

In this unit, you learn how to...

Lesson A

• Talk about family life using let, make, help, have, get, want, ask, and tell

Lesson B

Lesson C

Lesson D

Start

Start

Start

Start

LA

Family gripes

Getting started

What are some things family members argue about? Add your own ideas. Tell the class.

chores

school

sharing things

staying out late

Listen and read the messages on the website above. What problems do people have?

Figure it out

Complete the sentences about the people from the lesson. Add verbs.

I can't get them to clean up their rooms. My parents want me to study law. I have to ask them to drive me everywhere. My wife is always telling me to slow down.

get / want / ask / tell + object + to + verb

My parents won't let me stay out late. They make me come home before 10:00. My kids never help me clean the house. I have them do their homework before dinner.

let / make / help / have + object + verb

Grammar

let, make, help, have, get, want, ask, tell

In conversation

Common errors

Linking and deletion with superlatives

Listening and speaking

Read the list of demands that parents make on their children. What other demand do parents make?

Linking and deletion with superlatives

Listening and speaking

Read the list of demands that parents make on their children. What other demand do parents make?

LB

Family memories

Building vocabulary and grammar

Listen and read the article. What memories do these people have?

> I'd play with my niece and nephew. > She'd always give us some. > We would always win. Don't use would for situations in the past. My sister used to live next door. (NOT my sister would live next door.)

Use would or 'd for regular activities in the past.

I didn't use to like jazz. What kind of music did you use to like?

Negatives and questions with use to are less common.

I used to go over to my sister's house a lot. My grandmother used to keep candy in her pockets. The five of us used to play on a team.

Use used to for regular activities or situations in the past that don't happen now or are no longer true.

Grammar

used to and would

In conversation

Common errors

used to

Speaking naturally

Listen and repeat the sentences above. Notice the reduction of used to.

used to

Speaking naturally

Now listen and repeat these sentences.

LC

If you ask me,...

Giving opinions

Conversation strategy

Check the statements you agree with. Tell the class.

Listen

Listen. Which of the statements above do Corey and Rob agree with?

Rob So, how are you and Charles doing? And the kids? Corey Good, thanks. Just way too busy. I don't think we get enough time together. I guess it's the same for everybody. Rob Oh, definitely. If you ask me, we all work too much these days. Corey Absolutely. With all the long hours and running the kids around... Rob Oh, I know. And my wife often brings work home on the weekends, too. Whatever happened to time off? Corey Yeah. It seems like we don't get enough time to relax. Rob Oh, that's for sure. And it seems to me that's why people often get burned out. Corey Exactly.

Listen

Listen. Which of the statements above do Corey and Rob agree with?

I agree (with you). (Oh,) yeah. (Oh,) I know.

You're right. That's true. That's for sure.

Absolutely. Definitely. Exactly.

You can use these expressions to agree with people's opinions.

Agreeing

In conversation

Example

Strategy Plus

In my opinion

Strategies

Choose the best response to complete the conversations. Then practice.

LD

Family activities

REading

When you were a child, did you and your family use to eat together every day? What were the family meals like? Tell the class.

Read Barbara's blog. Why does Barbara think families should eat together more often?

Family memories

Listening and writing

Listen to three people talk about their memories of family life. What did they use to do? Number the pictures. Why don't the people do these things now? Write a reason for each one.

Family memories

Listening and writing

Read the blog below and the Help note. Underline the time markers.

Get ready for the self-check!

Don't use to with let, make, or have. They make me come home before 10:00. (NOT They make me to come home...)

Common errors

"It seems like..." "If you ask me,..."

how Rob and Corey use expressions like these to give opinions. Find examples in the conversation. "I think..." "I don't think..." "It seems to me (that)..."

Notice

People often begin a story with used to and then continue with would.

In conversation

You can also say help me to do something but this is much less common.

In conversation

Don't use used to to talk about your routines in the present. I used to skip lunch, but now I usually have a sandwich. (NOT .. now I used to have a sandwich.)

Common errors