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 Bumblebee   Click either bee to hear everything between the bees non-stop   Bumblebee


Speaking English Course A
Lesson A2
 Convolvulus Royal Ensign
At Work

Click and listen to each sentence as many times as you like

Say each sentence as many times as you like

Practise saying each sentence until it sounds right

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT


 Convolvulus Royal Ensign     Bumblebee    Michael

Hello! I'm Michael.

I work in an office which belongs to an insurance company. On my desk I have a computer and a telephone. There is also a tray on which I keep my pencils, pens and paper clips.

I start work at nine o'clock in the morning. At eleven o'clock, I have a coffee break and at one o'clock I go for lunch in the canteen. In the afternoon I go to see clients. Sometimes they have had a car accident or their house may have been burgled.     Bumblebee
 Comma butterfly    Answer these questions yourself and then click to hear if you were right.

What is on Michael's desk?

Answer:- There is a c . . . . . and a t . . . . .on Michael's desk.

What does he keep on the tray?

Answer:- He keeps p . . . . . , p . . . . . and p . . . . . c . . . . . on the tray.

At what time does he start work?

Answer:- He starts work at n . . . . . o'clock in the morning.

Where does Michael have his lunch?

Answer:- He has his lunch in the C . . . . .

Who does he see in the afternoon?

Answer:- He sees his c . . . . .


 Convolvulus Royal Ensign     Bumblebee    Rosemary

Can I help you? My name's Rosemary.

I'm the owner of a shop that sells fruit and vegetables. It is sometimes called a 'greengrocers'. I have four assistants who help me fill the shelves with fresh produce and also take money from the customers. On Saturdays we have a student who comes in to help us with the extra customers.

Every year, I have two weeks off work for my holidays. Last year I went to Cyprus. This year I have booked to go to Spain.     Bumblebee

 Comma butterfly    Answer these questions yourself and then click to hear if you were right.

What is sold in Rosemary's shop?

Answer:- F . . . . . and V . . . . . are sold in Rosemary's shop.

What kind of shop is this?

Answer:- It is a g . . . . . .

How many assistants does she have?

Answer:- She has f . . . . . assistants.

Who comes in on Saturdays?

Answer:- A s . . . . comes in on Saturdays.

Where is Rosemary going for her holidays this year?

Answer:- She is going to S . . . . . .


 Convolvulus Royal Ensign     Bumblebee    Paul

Hello! My name's Paul.

I work in a factory which makes washing machines. I start work at eight o'clock in the morning. I have to check that the machinery is working properly.

We stop for a cup of tea and a snack at half-past ten and later we have our dinner hour from half-past twelve until half-past one. We finish work at half-past five, when I get the bus home.     Bumblebee

 Comma butterfly    Answer these questions yourself and then click to hear if you were right.

Where does Paul work?

Answer:- Paul works in a f . . . . .

What does he have to check?

Answer:- He has to check that the m . . . . is working p . . . . .

What does he have at half-past ten ?

Answer:- He has a c . . of t . . . and a s . . . .

When is his dinner hour?

Answer:- His dinner hour is from h . . . . .-past t . . . until h . . . .-past . . . . .

How does he travel home?

Answer:- He travels home by b . . . . .


 Convolvulus Royal Ensign     Bumblebee    Lilian

Hello! I'm Lilian

I am a school helper. Sometimes I work in the school office and sometimes I look after the children who have fallen over in the playground. I also type up the letters which the headteacher has written and I order new books for the classroom.

I leave school half an hour after the children have gone home. My seven year old daughter comes into the office and waits for me.     Bumblebee

 Comma butterfly    Answer these questions yourself and then click to hear if you were right.

What is Lilian's job?

Answer:- Lilian is a . . . . s . . . . . h . . . . .

When she is not in the office, what may she be doing?

Answer:- She may be l . . . . . a . . . . . the children who have f . . . . . o . . . . .

What does she do with the letters that the headteacher has written?

Answer:- She t . . . . . them up.

How long does she stay in school after the children have gone home?

Answer:- She stays for h . . . . .an h . . . . .

Who waits after school for Lilian?

Answer:- Her d . . . . . waits for her after school.


 Convolvulus Royal Ensign     Bumblebee    Prepositions

on the desk

in the office

under the chair

over the door

behind the T.V.

against the wall

among the flowers     Bumblebee


 Swallowtail butterfly    Verbs: Past and Present
Regular Verbs
PresentSimple PastPresent Perfect
I work I worked I have worked
You work You worked You have worked
He works He worked He has worked
She works She worked She has worked
I start I started I have started
You start You started You have started
He starts He started He has started
She starts She started She has started
I stop I stopped I have stopped
You stop You stopped You have stopped
He stops He stopped He has stopped
She stops She stopped She has stopped
I fill I filled I have filled
You fill You filled You have filled
He fills He filled He has filled
She fills She filled She has filled
I help I helped I have helped
You help You helped You have helped
He helps He helped He has helped
She helps She helped She has helped


 Swallowtail butterfly    Verbs: Past and present
Irregular Verbs
PresentSimple PastPresent Perfect
I take care of I took care of I have taken care of
You take care of You took care of You have taken care of
He takes care of He took care of He has taken care of
She takes care of She took care of She has taken care of
I keep I kept I have kept
You keep You kept You have kept
He keeps He kept He has kept
She keeps She kept She has kept
I go I went I have gone
You go You went You have gone
He goes He went He has gone
She goes She went She has gone
I sell I sold I have sold
You sell You sold You have sold
He sells He sold He has sold
She sells She sold She has sold


 Small Tortoiseshell butterfly     Differences Between Spelling and Speech

Many English words have spellings that are different from how we say them.

Listen to the words below and notice the difference between the spelling and the speech.

Spelling and Speech
SpellingSpeech
greengrocers "s"
burgled "ul"
accident "ks"
machines "sh"
snack "k"
office "s"
school "k"
insurance "sh"

 Small Tortoiseshell butterfly     When you learn new words, remember that how you say them might be different from how you spell them. Below are some more words with strange spellings.
       Practise them until they sound right.

Spelling and Speech
SpellingSpeech
middle "ul"
bicycle "si"
laugh "f"
enough "f"
cereals "s"
Europe "yu"
foreign "un"
friend "e"
minute "it"


 Small Tortoiseshell butterfly    Stress and Pronunciation

When a word has several syllables, one or more of the syllables is spoken with more emphasis or 'stress' than the others.

Practise saying the following words with the correct pronunciation and stress.

Place the emphasis on that part of the word which is THIS colour.

Be careful of differences between spelling and speech.

 Bumblebee    insurance  afternoon   sometimes  greengrocers  Saturdays
      prepositions   extra   machinery  fallen   assistants
     started  accident  vegetables  customers  flowers
     Bumblebee


Tailpiece

Many Hands Make Light Work.


  Professor of English     Course  A
End of Lesson A2
   Convolvulus Royal Ensign
(Play the Song)

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Links to other lessons in Course A : 1  *  3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10


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