English Lessons for The Office A Course for advanced students by David Nicholls A new approach to learning English, this is a series of lessons based on the episodes of the hit UK comedy show ‘The Office’. Lessons include grammar explanations, exercises, vocabulary tasks and discussion questions. They are ideal for self-study and classroom use.
The Office – Series 1 Episode 1 Downsize Match the words and definitions: Warehouse Redundancy
Small amount of money for minor purchases Turnover – costs
Nutter Petty cash Witness Rumours Profit Starving Rowdy
A person who sees an event Gossip Loss of job due to management making cuts in staff numbers A place for storing goods and equipment Very hungry Drunk and loud Lunatic
Convince Take on (someone) Call back Concentrate Do (something) up Interfere Advertise Offend Examine Muck about Downsize
Focus Make cuts (to the workforce) Persuade Publicize for the purpose of selling Insult / upset Look closely Misbehave Employ Meddle Phone someone later Repair/redecorate
Fill in the sentences from the episode with the words above 1) The man who gives the jobs in the ……. is a personal friend of mine. 2) This does, however, mean that there are going to be ……… 3) Have you ……….. for the forklift drivers job yet? 4) You seem to know a lot about my drinking. Does it …… you? 5) Tag along with my friends if you want, but I must warn you, David, they do get a bit …… at times.
6) They’re going ‘Who’s that ……?’. – ‘That’s my boss’. – ‘Well we can’t stand it anymore, we’re going.’ 7) Head office don’t really ……. with me at all. Jennifer might come down once a week. 8) It’s up to either you or him to ……… me that your branch can incorporate the other. 9) We have to decide. Do you …… ... Swindon’s people at this branch, or the other way around? 10) Mr Davis, can I just …… you …., something has just come up. 11) Im just pushing this stuff off my desk. I can’t …….. when it’s all overlapping and coming on my side. 12) Do you want to get some batteries for Billy Big Mouth? Take it out of …….. ……. You can’t put a price on comedy. 13) - Tell them about your car and your kung fu and everything. – Yeah, got a TR3. Bought it for 1200. …… it …. Now it’s worth 3 grand. 14) Don’t do that! Eat it out! There are people ……. in the world (which I hate) 15) You can be my ……… Give him an official warning. 16) I was in the territorial army for 3 years, and you can’t …… ……. there. It’s against the rules. 17) I thought I found a lump. I mean, I ……… myself regularly but…it’s fine. Terrifying. Testicular cancer. 18) I am aware of the ……. which have been circulating and I want to take this opportunity to put the record straight. 19) Head office has deemed it appropriate to enforce an ultimatum. Jennifer is talking of either ……. the Swindon branch or this branch. 20) You steal a thousand post-it notes at 12p, and you’ve made ………
Discuss the following questions. Which companies have had lots of redundancies recently in Russia? Have any companies been taking on more staff? Do people muck about at your place of work? How? Do you have a warehouse at work? What is kept there? Has anyone ever offended you at work? What happened? Does anyone interfere in your working or private life? Jennifer says that she wants David to ‘keep a lid on this’ when they speak about redundancies. Do you have any information which you should ‘keep a lid on’?
www.skype-lessons.com ANSWERS: Warehouse Redundancy Nutter Petty cash Witness Rumours Profit Starving Rowdy
A place for storing goods and equipment Loss of job due to management making cuts in staff numbers Lunatic Small amount of money for minor purchases A person who sees an event Gossip Turnover – costs Very hungry Drunk and loud
Convince Take on (someone) Call back Concentrate Do (something) up Interfere Advertise Offend Examine Muck about Downsize
Persuade Employ Phone someone later focus Repair/ redecorate Meddle Publicize for the purpose of selling Insult / upset Look closely, scrutinize Misbehave Make cuts (to the workforce)
1) Warehouse 2) Redundancies 3) Advertised 4) Offend 5) Rowdy 6) Nutter 7) Interfere 8) Convince 9) Take on 10) Call back 11) Concentrate 12) Petty cash 13) Done it up 14) Starving 15) Witness
16) Muck about 17) Examine 18) Rumours 19) Downsizing 20) Profit
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The Office – Series 1 Episode 2 Work Experience Match the words and definitions: Responsibility Cutbacks
Redundancies policeman
Copper Sign Filth Culprit
Dirt. Often used for pornography. The guilty man Obligation or duty Picture or notice conveying information
To trust To reward To punish To make s.t up To accuse s.o of doing… To instigate To investigate To interrogate To put s.o off To undermine s.o To delete To figure s.t out To let s.o go To be up for something
To repay worthy behaviour To want to do s.t To blame s.o for doing… To believe in s.o To distract To remove from a computer To weaken s.o’s authority To work s.t out To repay bad behaviour, penalize To make s.o redundant To ask a suspect questions To carry out, bring about To lie or invent a story To look into s.t
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Fill in the sentences from the episode with the words above (in the correct forms and with pronouns) 1) 2213 matches. Just click on one at random. Dutch girls must be ……. for having big boobs. Now you do not ……. anyone for having big boobs. - If anything they should be ………. - They should be equal! 2) Donna. My ………… away from home. I know boys will be boys but, word from the top is. - Hands off! Out of bounds! Look but don’t touch! - What do you mean look? - Talk to her, be friendly, don’t get any ideas. - Yeah, good. - What if she’s ………. ? 3) Ask around, find out who did the picture discreetly. Don’t go steaming in, ……….. people. - OK, I will need some stuff. I’ll have to make a ……….. 4) Ive just spent 2 days in Swindon with Neil and he’s made some pretty big changes. When we spoke on Friday you said you were going to ………. some changes of your own. 5) You’re not the boss here, and you don’t have to do anything for me because I’ve already made ………. 6) - ………, where? - Staff. - So there have been some redundancies? Have you ……. anyone …..? 7) That’s actually one of the main arguments against letting gay men in the army. I haven’t got a problem with that. A gay mans not gonna …….. me …… . I can handle myself. 8) She (Julie Middleton) never existed, did she? Because you ……… her …….. 9) I just can’t believe their total lack of respect. - Yeah, not only did they ……… you in an authoritative sense, they left an image in my mind of you naked, on all fours, being literally done doggy style! 10) Porno laughs are not funny. - You think I did this? Columbo here, ……. it …..? I must be guilty if you’ve got your best man on the case!
Questions for discussion What kind of punishments and rewards have you personally had at work or school? What are you responsible for at work? What are your daily duties? Have you ever felt that a colleague at work undermined your authority? What happened? Who (or what) puts you off your daily tasks and errands? Have you ever been wrongly accused of doing something? Who was the real culprit? Why does David make up the story about Julie Middleton? Have you ever made s.t up, and then been caught?
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ANSWERS: Responsibility Cutbacks
Obligation or duty Redundancies
Copper Sign Filth Culprit
Policeman Picture or notice conveying information Dirt. Often used for pornography. The guilty man
To trust To reward To punish To make s.t up To accuse s.o of doing… To instigate To investigate To interrogate To put s.o off To undermine s.o To delete To figure s.t out To let s.o go To be up for something
To believe in s.o To repay worthy behaviour To repay bad behaviour, penalize To lie or invent a story To blame s.o for doing… To carry out, bring about To look into s.t To ask a suspect questions To distract To weaken s.o’s authority To remove from a computer To work s.t out To make s.o redundant To want to do s.t
1) punished, punish, rewarded 2) responsibility, up for it 3) accusing, sign 4) instigate 5) cutbacks 6) cutbacks, let anyone go 7) put me off 8) made her up 9) undermine 10) figured it out
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The Office – Series 1 Episode 3 The Quiz Comprehension: 1) Whose birthday is it today? What presents does he get? 2) What does David say we mustn’t laugh at? 3) What kind of TV program is ‘Blockbusters’? 4) How do Dawn and Tim make fun of Gareth? 5) What kind of wedding does Lee (Dawn’s fiancé) want? 6) Why was there a dispute in the quiz two years ago? 7) Who has won the quiz 6 years in a row? 8) Why is the last question of the quiz only for Chris Finch and Ricky? 9) Why does Chris Finch throw Tim’s shoes over the building in the last scene? Character Adjectives: Match the characters with their corresponding personality TIM / GARETH / RICKY / CHRIS FINCH / DAVID BRENT / LEE (Dawn’s Fiance) mean, pragmatic, unromantic Sharp-tongued, arrogant, malicious Vain, childish, petty and self-obsessed Mild mannered, friendly, laid-back Quick-witted, competent, self-confident Gullible, weak, responsible, delusions of power
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Match the two columns to make well known expressions from the episode I can’t get….. Do you want…..
….old graves ….a word in edgeways
I’m not…. 7 o clock….. 6 years….. You’ve proved…. Get (that)….. Don’t go raking up…
….in a row. …a hand ....on the dot …having a go ….my point ….out of my sight
Fill in the sentences with the expressions in the correct form 1) I can’t stand garlic – get it ….. …… ……. …….! 2) I’ll meet you at 10 am ….. ….. …… No later! 3) Their football team has won the cup 9 times ….. …… …… 4) I’m sure something must have upset him in his childhood but I won’t ask him because I don’t want to .... ..... ….. ….. …. 5) He’s so talkative – I cant ….. …… …… ……. …….. 6) Is Dad fixing the car? ….. …….. …….. ……. ……..? 7) He told her he loved her and then walked for an hour in the pouring rain and just because she had left her purse at home. He …….. …… ……… 8) He’s always …….. ….. ….. at me because he’s jealous!
www.skype-lessons.com Answers: 1) Tim’s. A hat from his mum and an inflatable (????) from Lee and Dawn 2) The handicapped and people with deformities 3) A quiz show which Ricky won when he was a student. 4) They pretend he is gay. Sexual innuendo is used.
5) Cheap, registry office ceremony. 6) Some teams thought that their answer (Vulcan) was correct. But David Brent insisted that Dr Spock (from Star Trek) was half Vulcan, half human. 7) David Brent and Chris Finch 8) Both teams have the same scores (a draw or ‘dead heat’). So, Gareth decides to ask a ‘tiebreaker question’ to determine who will be the winner 9) To prove that they are the winners and Tim and Ricky are the losers. Character adjectives Lee Chris David Tim Ricky Gareth
www.skype-lessons.com I can’t get….. Do you want…..
….a word in edgeways ….a hand
I’m not…. 7 o clock….. 6 years….. You’ve proved…. Get (that)….. Don’t go raking up…
…having a go ....on the dot …..in a row ….my point ….out of my sight ….old graves
1) out of my sight 2) on the dot 3) in a row 4) rake up old graves 5) get a word in edgeways 6) Does he want a hand? 7) He proved his point 8) having a go
The Office – Series 1 Episode 4 Training Comprehension: 1) What, according to Gareth, is the problem with long term marriage? 2) What’s the single most important thing in a business, according to David? 3) Why is David certain that the presenter isn’t burning real money on the show? 4) What are the ultimate fantasies of Rowan, David and Gareth? 5) How did Lee propose (marriage) to Dawn? 6) What problem do the teams have to solve at training? 7) What’s the solution to the problem? Match the expressions To kick off with To call off
To give your view or opinion To start with
To deal with s.o/s.t To make profit To make a complaint To make a point To make s.t up To have a word with s.o To have your say To dump s.o
To make monetary gains To cancel To cope with/manage To lie or invent To have a quick chat To carry on (quickly or soon) To complain To develop or mention an idea (often for discussion) To recognise the quality or significance of something To give a summary of what has already been said To value something too low. To be connected to To break off a relationship To pity To look into s.o’s personal affairs
To crack on To pry To have something to do with To underestimate To feel sorry for To recap To appreciate
www.skype-lessons.com Fill in the sentences with the expressions in the correct form 1) Lets …… ……… with a roleplay. 2) If Dawn and Lee keep on arguing they may have to …… …… the wedding. 3) Can I ….. …. ….. ….. Dawn, please? 4) Tim thought that Lee …… …… Dawn, and that’s why he asked her out on a date. 5) Rowan became impatient during the lunch break and asked David if they could ……. ……. 6) The video recommended not ………….. the value of customer care. 7) David’s story about a little dog looking at his reflection in the water had …….. ….. ….. …… the point which Rowan was trying to make. 8) Tim thinks that Lee doesn’t ……….. his fiance.
Grammar
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PAST MODALS
must have 3rd might/could have 3rd can’t have 3rd
When Rowan arrives to give the staff some training, David explains I COULD HAVE DONE this myself. We use these modal forms in the past to speculate about past events. E.g The murderer MUST HAVE BEEN left handed – look at the injuries on the victim. You CAN’T HAVE LEFT your keys at home – you were holding them in the restaurant. Complete these sentences with past modals 1) Tim …… …….. known that Lee and Dawn were still together or he wouldn’t have asked her out on a date. 2) Rowan …….. ……… been shocked by David’s attitude to managing a business. 3) Lee ……. ……… spent much money on such a small advert in the paper. 4) Dawn ……. ……… said yes to Tim if she hadn’t made up with Lee a few moments earlier. 5) Tim ……. …… been embarrassed when Dawn turned him down.
Discussion questions Do you have regular staff training courses? How are they? Are they run successfully? Do you find them useful? What are the aims of these courses? Do you have to chair meetings or give presentations at work? How do you find speaking in public? Have you ever tried in English? How do people usually propose in your country? Which way do you think is the most romantic? What do you think is the single most important thing in running a business? What’s your ultimate fantasy?
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1) Inevitably, the sex suffers. 2) The staff. 3) Because it is illegal to destroy or burn anything containing the queen’s image. 4) Rowan would like to own his own island. David would like everlasting life. Gareth would like to watch 2 lesbians. 5) He put an advert in the valentines message section of the local newspaper. 6) A farmer must take a chicken, a fox and a bag of grain across the river, but he can only take 1 thing at a time. 7) First he takes the chicken over. Then he comes back for the fox, but when he drops the fox off, he takes the chicken back with him, and then swaps the chicken for the grain. He then drops the grain off, and finally goes back for the chicken.
To kick off with To call off
To start with To cancel
To deal with s.o/s.t To make profit To make a complaint To make a point
To cope with/manage To make monetary gains To complain To develop or mention an idea (often for discussion) To lie or invent To have a quick chat To give your view or opinion To break off a relationship To carry on (quickly or soon) To look into s.o’s personal affairs To be connected to To value something too low. To pity To give a summary of what has already been said To recognise the quality or significance of something
To make s.t up To have a word with s.o To have your say To dump s.o To crack on To pry To have something to do with To underestimate To feel sorry for To recap To appreciate
Vocabulary 1) Kick off 2) Call off 3) Have a word with 4) Had dumped 5) Crack on 6) Underestimating 7) Nothing to do with 8) Appreciate
www.skype-lessons.com Grammar 1) Can’t have 2) must have 3) can’t have 4) might have 5) must have
The Office – Series 1 Episode 5 The Interview Comprehension: 1) Why does Donna turn up to work late? 2) Where is everyone going in the evening? 3) Why is Tim so pleased to see Gareth at lunch break? 4) What are the hidden dangers of the workplace according to Gareth? 5) How should you correctly pick up a box? 6) What mark does Gareth give Donna for her health and safety training? 7) Why doesn’t Gareth like the nightclubs in Slough? 8) Why wouldn’t Donna ever sleep with Gareth? Match the common expressions Armed with Get off
a bus period
Get off with probationary Hire debauched venereal Put you neck Obey Hand in Bend over backwards
a knife the law for s.o staff someone your notice drunkard disease on the line for s.o
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Use these expressions in the following sentences (in the correct form) 1) The murderer must have been …… ……. a heavy, blunt weapon. 2) Ive spent the last 3 weeks doing overtime everyday. Ive ….. …… …… to get the project finished. 3) When you start work its common to begin with a 3 month …….. ……… 4) When you risk your own success in order to help someone you …… …… ……. …. …. ….. for someone. 5) If you want to resign you must ….. …. ….. ……. first of all. 6) David thinks that ……. ……… is a better way to cut costs than making people redundant. 7) David and Chris Finch turn into a pair of ……… ……. After a few hours in the club. 8) Chris and Gareth both manage to ….. ……. …… someone before the night finishes. Grammar – First conditional. If + present / will (likely/real situations) Second conditional. If + past / would (unlikely and hypothetical) When Karen Roper arrives for an interview David says: She will brighten up the place if she gets the job. David means that she will make the place more cheerful in the (very likely!) case that she gets the job David also tells the girls of the office that: If I DID stay at Dawn’s, there WOULD BE no funny business. This is a hypothetical situation in the present. David is saying that in the (unlikely!) case that he stayed at Dawn’s there would be no sexual relations between them.
www.skype-lessons.com Answer the questions If David accepts the job, what will happen to the Slough branch? What would you do if you were made such an offer? If Gareth were giving you a health and safety class, how would you react? If you worked in a similar office, would you want to resign? Would Tim be happier if he resigned and went back to university? Why did Ricky Gervais (the writer of this comedy – he plays the role of David Brent) include a poem by John Betjemen? Is it making an important point?
Slough
Come friendly bombs and fall on Slough! It isn't fit for humans now, There isn't grass to graze a cow. Swarm over, Death! Come, bombs and blow to smithereens Those air -conditioned, bright canteens, Tinned fruit, tinned meat, tinned milk, tinned beans, Tinned minds, tinned breath. Mess up the mess they call a townA house for ninety-seven down And once a week a half a crown For twenty years. And get that man with double chin Who'll always cheat and always win, Who washes his repulsive skin In women's tears: And smash his desk of polished oak And smash his hands so used to stroke And stop his boring dirty joke And make him yell. But spare the bald young clerks who add The profits of the stinking cad; It's not their fault that they are mad, They've tasted Hell. It's not their fault they do not know The birdsong from the radio, It's not their fault they often go To Maidenhead And talk of sport and makes of cars In various bogus-Tudor bars And daren't look up and see the stars But belch instead. In labour-saving homes, with care Their wives frizz out peroxide hair And dry it in synthetic air And paint their nails. Come, friendly bombs and fall on Slough To get it ready for the plough.
The cabbages are coming now; The earth exhales.
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Answers 1) She slept at ‘a friend’s house’ (Ricky) 2) Chasers (the nightclub) 3) Because since he asked Dawn out their relationship has become really awkward. And he feels more comfortable with Gareth! 4) Coffee on the computer and picking up heavy objects. 5) Straight back and bend your knees. 6) A 7) Because they are full of ‘loose women’ (promiscuous women) and he might catch a venereal disease. 8) Because he’s a weasel-faced arse.
Armed with Get off
a knife the bus
Get off with probationary Hire debauched venereal Put you neck Obey Hand in Bend over backwards
someone period staff drunkard disease on the line for s.o the law your notice for s.o
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1) Armed with 2) Bent over backwards 3) Probationary period 4) Put your neck on the line 5) Hand in your notice 6) Hiring staff 7) Debauched drunkards 8) Get off with
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The Office – Series 1 Episode 6 The Party Comprehension: 1) What’s the difference between a dwarf and a midget? 2) Tim quotes John Lennon when talking about his decision to resign. What does he say? 3) What is Tim’s advice for Dawn? 4) What has happened to Jennifer? 5) How many people on the board voted for David to be promoted? 6) What will happen if David takes the promotion? 7) What military rank is Gareth? 8) What does David give to Gareth as a memento? 9) Why did David turn down the promotion? 10) What must we remember to do if we see David Brent?
Match columns to make common expressions Its out of….. My hands…..
…my mouth .....my head
Put words in… Learn… Do….. Go over….
….are tied …..a good deed …the ropes …my hands
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Use these expressions in the following sentences (in the correct form) 1) Andrew was unhappy about being made redundant so he decided to …… ……. David’s ………. 2) David said that he had no choice in making Andrew redundant, claiming it was ….. ……. his …….. 3) When David had a word with Tim, he always …….. ……… his ……. He wouldn’t let him answer for himself. 4) The new secretary, Karen, has to …….. …. …….. in her first few weeks. 5) David tells his staff that he …… …… ……. ……. and refused the promotion in order to save the company.
Use the following phrasal verbs from the first series of The Office to complete the sentences: Do s.t up Make s.t up Muck about Take on s.o Put s.o off Let s.o go Be up for s.t
figure s.t out deal with s.o/s.t call off s.t crack on kick off with s.t ask s.o out go out with s.o
get off with s.o let s.o down take over (a company) get rid of s.o/s.t crack up (burst out laughing)
www.skype-lessons.com 1) You’ll fall over with shoes like that. ……. your shoelaces ………! 2) The company have decided to ……. …. 30 new members of staff. 3) We’ll have to ……. …… the meeting if his flight is cancelled. 4) How do you …… …… stress? 5) Everybody in my office just ……. ……. They just have fun and don’t really do any work. 6) Due to cutbacks, we will have to …….. 20 employees …… next year. 7) Journalists often ……. ……. stories just to sell newspapers. 8) If you want to ….. …… …… her, first of all you should ….. her ……. I recommend taking her to a French restaurant. 9) I feel like I have …… the whole department ……. with my poor sales figures. 10) I’m not ….. …… doing anything tonight – I just want to stay at home and watch TV.
Answers: 1) A dwarf has arms and legs which are not in proportion to their head. A midget has arms and legs in proportion to their head. 2) Life is what happens when you are making other plans. 3) Its better to be at the bottom of a ladder you want to be on, rather than half way up one which you want to get off. 4) She has been promoted and made a member of the board. 5) 5 out of 7 6) The Slough branch will be closed. Any staff members who aren’t made redundant will have to move to Swindon to keep their job. 7) Lieutenant 8) Hole-puncher 9) He didn’t turn it down. He failed the medical test due to high blood pressure. 10) To thank him. Its out of….. My hands…..
…my hands ….are tied
Put words in… Learn… Do….. Go over….
….my mouth …..the ropes …..a good deed …my head
1) go over David’s head 2) out of his hands 3) put words in his mouth 4) learn the ropes 5) did a good deed
www.skype-lessons.com Phrasal verbs 1) do them up! 2) take on 3) call off 4) deal with (cope with) 5) mucks about (messes around) 6) let them go 7) make up 8) go out with her, ask her out 9) let them down 10) up for