What can make a person famous? How has that changed over time? Does being famous mean that a person is interesting?Who do you consider an interesting person? Give examples.

DISCUSSION

VOCABULARY

Interesting PeopleUNIT 23

• determined• talented• brave• brilliant• dedicate one’s life• play a part (in)• proficient• easy-going

• encourage• inspire• be involved (in)• be committed (to)• be a great example to• arrogant• conceited• industrious

Can talk about your workday, as well as describe things you are doing these days.

‘CAN DO’ OBJECTIVE

Can justify your position on a subjective issue.

‘CAN DO’ OBJECTIVE

Interesting PeopleUNIT 23

EXERCISE

Complete the text with a word / collocation from the box below.

Mary Anne sat at her desk and sighed sadly. She (1) ____________________in

a conspiracy to overthrow the government. Though she still had no idea how

somebody like her could be (2) ____________________ such a plan. She had (3)

____________________ to teaching kindergarten students. Teaching them the

rights and wrongs in life and here she (4) ____________________ helping Professor

Gibson and his group of visionaries. What madness had (5) ____________________

her to play a part in such a horrible plan?

Was it the (6) ____________________ reasoning behind Professor Gibson’s

words that had (7) ____________________ her? She still didn’t know. All she knew

is that she had to be (8) ____________________ and (9) ____________________ to

finish the job or there would be no more Mary Anne Jones to teach future

generations of ____________________ children.

4

5

1

8

7

6

9

2 3

10

was committed to

talented was involved brave inspired

involved in brilliant determined encourageddedicated her

life

We often use Past Simple, Past Continuous and Past Perfect Tense for narratives.

• The Past Simple is used for the main completed events or for actions that follow each other in a story.E.g. One evening last year Sue drove into a garage to get some petrol.Mary walked into the room and stopped.

• The Past Continuous is used for an action in progress over a period of time. It’s often a background action in the narrative.E.g. It was a warm summer’s day. The sun was shining and the birds were singing.

Review of Past Tenses

GRAMMAR FOCUS

Interesting PeopleUNIT 23

EXERCISE

Put the verbs in brackets into the correct narrative tenses: Past Simple, Past Continuous, or Past Perfect

We got to the little hotel in the village square very early in the morning. At first

we (1) _______________________ (think) there was no one there because al-

though we (2) ___________________ (ring) the bell again and again there was no

answer. We were just going to give up when the door (3) ____________________

(open) and an elderly porter (4) ___________________(let) us in. While Su-

san (5)__________________(fill) in the register, I (6)____________________

(take) our suitcases up to the room. As soon as I opened the curtains and

looked out onto the square I (7) _______________________ (know) that we

(8)_______________________ (make) a terrible mistake coming here again. There

I (9 ______________________ (see) Charles who ___________________ (sit) at

a table in the outdoor café. Before I _______________________ (have) a chance

to move away from the window he _______________________ (look up) and

_____________________ (see) me. It ______________________ (take) him six

years but he _____________________(finally find ) us.

4

3

6

7

5

8

9 10

11

12

1413

15

2

1

• The Past Perfect is used for an action that happened before another action.E.g. They were excited because Judy’s father had managed to get them tickets for the match.

Notes:• We often use Past Simple and Past Continuous together when one action was in progress and the other one happened suddenly.E.g. I was sleeping when the earthquake began.• We often use Past Simple and Past Perfect together to make it clear which action happened before another action in the past or to describe earlier events when telling a story in the past.E.g. Everything had gone wrong from the moment she woke up.I felt ill because I had eaten bad food.

Forms:• Regular verb + -ed / Irregular verb: past tense form → Past Simple• Was / were + verb + -ing → Past Continuous• Had + past participle → Past Perfect

Interesting PeopleUNIT 23

SAMPLE FLASHCARD

TASK

1. Students work in pairs. Distribute flashcards to each pair. 2. Each flashcard has a quotation from a famous person. View a sample flashcard.3. Say if you admire the person and describe him / her with a few adjectives. If you don’t know a lot about this person, try to describe them based on their quotations. 4. Discuss the quotation with your partner. Say if you agree or disagree with it

and give your reasons.

USEFUL LANGUAGE

I really admire this person for _______________.

I find him / her impressive because _______________.

I can say he / she is _____________.

I am at one with him on that point.

I have come to the same conclusion.

We are of one mind / of the same mind on that question.

I am afraid that is not quite true.

I don’t share his / her view.

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

-Nelson Mandela – South African President anti-apartheid campaigner

Flashcard A

NOTES

Interesting PeopleUNIT 23

UNIT 23

(adjective) having or revealing an exaggerated sense of one’s own importance or abilities

(adjective) showing a strong desire to follow a particular plan of action even if it is difficult

(verb) to help someone to feel confident and able to do something, or to give advice to someone to do something

(adjective) having a natural ability to do something well

(verb) to fill someone with confidence and desire to do something

(adjective) showing no fear of dangerous or difficult things

(adjective) to take part in an activity or event, or be connected with it in some way

(adjective) extremely intelligent or highly skilled

(adjective) willing to work very hard at something

(verb phrase) to give completely your energy, time, etc. to something

(verb phrase) to have such a good behavior in a situation that it should be copied by others

(verb phrase) to be involved in something

(adjective) competent or skilled in doing or using something

(adjective) very social and without many worries

(adjective) excessively proud of oneself

(adjective) diligent and hard-working

arrogant

determined

encourage

talented

inspire

brave

be involved (in)

brilliant

be committed (to)

dedicate one’s life

be a great example to

play a part (in)

proficient

easy-going

conceited

industrious

WORD / PHRASE DEFINITION