Looking Ahead Level 2

LOOKING

AHEAD ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL ENGLISH

Skills and Grammar

LEVEL 2

Tracey Azlyn Diane Boisvert Katherine Elliott Ryan Fisher Michael James Jane Petring Julie Raymond

CONTENTS*

UNIT

Lead or Follow: The Fine Line PAGE 9

1 2 3 4 5 6

Born and Made This Way PAGE 33

Speak Your Truth PAGE 57

The Workplace Challenge PAGE 81

Taking Charge PAGE 105

Is It All Fun and Games?

PAGE 129

*A bonus Unit 7 is available for teachers on the MyCECZone platform.

WATCHING / LISTENING

LISTENING STRATEGY

WATCHING: Naomi Klein, following in the footsteps, p. 14 WATCHING: Catherine O’Hara, a humorous take on leadership, p. 25

READING

READING STRATEGY

Listen for focus words, p. 14 Listen for details, p. 26

The art of followership, p. 9 Natural-born followers, p. 11 Inspired leadership: Women who lead by example, p. 19

Connect the title and the first paragraph, p. 11 Distinguish between fact and opinion, p. 16 Predict the author’s point of view from the title, p. 19

Springboard, p. 9 Check understanding, p. 24 Talk correctly about uncountable nouns, p. 24 General imperative advice, p. 25 Non-verbal communication, p. 25

WATCHING: Super-learners, p. 41 LISTENING: Generation debaters, p. 48

Predict, p. 41 Take notes to summarize, p. 41 Anticipate the main idea and supporting details, p. 48

The rise of Generation Z, p. 34 The four harsh truths that everyone in my generation needs to accept, p. 43

Find the main idea, p. 35 Identify the purpose, p. 43

Springboard, p. 33 Distinguish between voiceless and voiced sounds, p. 38 Explore strengths and weaknesses across generations, p. 39

LISTENING: Interview with an author about the confidence game, p. 58 WATCHING: Being yourself in a presentation, p. 70

Take notes, p. 58 Jot down main ideas, p. 70

A drug to improve performance and creativity, p. 59 Schmooze, pitch and close in that job interview, p. 66

Distinguish between fact and possibility, p. 60 Identify parts of an article, p. 62 Focus on context, p. 66

Springboard, p. 57 Use the reduced form of the present perfect, p. 74 Embellish your experience, p. 75 Give a presentation, p. 75

LISTENING: Mandantory co-op placements, p. 88 WATCHING: Designing dream jobs, p. 95

Read questions first, p. 89 Prepare for the second listening, p. 95

Applying for jobs without experience?, p. 82 Recruiting Gen Z: It’s like Tinder but instead of a date you get a job, p. 90

Read the first sentence of each paragraph, p. 83 Read questions first, p. 89 Find credible sources, p. 96

Springboard, p. 81 Distinguish between “farther” or “further”, p. 87 Rephrase and stall for time, p. 97 Job experiences and aspirations, p. 97

LISTENING: Swedish solution to our throw-away culture, p. 111 WATCHING: Music made out of what some call garbage, p. 118

Understand non-native speakers, p. 111 Understand meaning through context, p. 119

Pay it forward: The New Zealand town where your time is a currency, p. 106 Girls auto clinic gears up for patrons, p. 115

Understand new vocabulary, p. 106 Journalistic agenda, p. 109

Springboard, p. 105 Recognize compressed sounds, p. 114 Be an active contributor in a discussion, p. 121 Develop a time bank for an emergency, p. 121

LISTENING: Gamification at work, p. 135 WATCHING: Thiagi jolts for fun while you work or study, p. 137

Understand reduced speech, p. 135 Follow instructions carefully, p. 137

Gamification is taking over our lives, p. 130 Fears grow for children addicted to online games, p. 138

Identify subjects of passive sentences, p. 131 Identify false cognates, p. 139 Recognize intent and tone, p. 141

Springboard, p. 129 Practise word stress, p. 143 Avoid filler words, p. 143 Play Thwip-Thwop, p. 144

REFERENCES Numbers p. 223 Understanding new vocabulary p. 224 Doing research p. 226

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SPEAKING / FUNCTIONAL LANGUAGE / PRONUNCIATION STRATEGY

CASE STUDY

GRAMMAR CAPSULE

ACADEMIC: What to do with my free time, p. 28 PROFESSIONAL: Showing leadership skills, p. 29

Present tenses, p. 17 Nouns, p. 23

ACADEMIC: The paragraph: topic sentence, supporting details and concluding statement, p. 30 PROFESSIONAL: Email formatting and tone, p. 31

Present Tenses and Nouns

ACADEMIC: Dealing with poor grades, p. 52 PROFESSIONAL: An internship at risk, p. 53

Simple past, p. 38 Modals, p. 50

ACADEMIC: Summary writing, p. 54 PROFESSIONAL: Practising tone and style in an email summary, p. 55

Past Tenses and Modals Simple past: affirmative, negative interrogative and spelling.................. 166 Past continuous: affirmative, negative and interrogative and differences with the simple past.......................................... 169 Modals: can, could, may, might, should, must, have to and ought to........................... 174

ACADEMIC: Procrastination in a group setting, p. 76 PROFESSIONAL: Trouble with an online scam, p. 77

Pronouns and possessive adjectives, p. 65 Simple past versus present perfect, p. 73

ACADEMIC: Essay structure and organization, p. 78 PROFESSIONAL: Essay-style motivational letter, p. 79

Perfect Tenses and Pronouns Present perfect and present perfect continuous: affirmative, negative and interrogative............. 181 Past perfect.............................................. 188 Pronouns and possessive adjectives................ 190

ACADEMIC: Internship or co-op placement?, p. 98 PROFESSIONAL: Finding the right candidate for the job, p. 99

Adjectives, p. 86 Comparative and superlative, p. 87 Adverbs, p. 94

ACADEMIC: Descriptive essay, p. 100 PROFESSIONAL: Resumé and cover letter, p. 101

Adjectives and Adverbs Adjectives................................................ 194 Comparative and superlative forms................. 196 Equative form............................................ 197 Adverbs................................................... 198

ACADEMIC: Time-bank co-op service, p. 122 PROFESSIONAL: Makerspace for creative thought and design, p. 123

Future forms, p. 110 More modal auxiliaries, p. 114

ACADEMIC: Persuasive writing, p. 124 PROFESSIONAL: Response to a complaint, p. 127

Future Forms, More Modals and Conditional Forms The future with will and (be) going to: affirmative, negative and interrogative............. 201 Modal auxiliaries........................................ 205 Conditional forms....................................... 209

ACADEMIC: Helping a game addict, p. 145 PROFESSIONAL: Advising a company to gamify, p. 146

Passive voice, p. 134 Sentence types, p. 142

ACADEMIC: Argumentative essay, p. 147 PROFESSIONAL: Persuasive email, p. 148

Passive Voice and Sentence Types Passive voice............................................ 213 Sentence types.......................................... 217

WRITING

GRAMMAR SECTION Simple present: affirmative, negative, interrogative and spelling............................................. 151 Present continuous: affirmative, negative, interrogative and differences with the simple present................................................... 153 Nouns..................................................... 160 Proper and possessive nouns...................... 164

Writing models p. 227 Documenting sources p. 231

LOOKING AHEAD | Contents

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HOW TO USE LOOKING AHEAD: LEVEL 2 Skills Units and Grammar Sections This book is designed for intermediate Cégep students in any field of study. The separate skills units and grammar sections provide teachers the flexibility to add or drop material at any time; they can be used either in conjunction with or independent from one another. Each skills unit consists of 22 or 24 pages of tasks and activities for listening, speaking, reading and writing. At the end of each skills unit, there are two consolidating activities: a case study for spoken production and a complete task for written production, with theory, editing practice and useful models.

CONTENT IN SKILLS UNIT Reading There are 13 reading texts that increase in difficulty throughout the book. The reading activities usually consist of starter questions, a vocabulary activity, a comprehension activity and follow-up discussion questions.

The Take-Away provides a summary of the topics covered in the unit theme as well as the grammar and writing task.

Springboard introduces the theme of the unit with a warm-up activity as well as a preview of a video to help elicit ideas and engage students.

Further online practice with the reading is indicated with this logo.

Watching and Listening There is a variety of Canadian and American reports and documentaries on a specific topic related to the unit’s theme.

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Further online practice with a video or an audio is indicated with this logo.

Grammar Capsule Concise yet detailed, the capsules introduce grammar theory and practice in the grammar section for each unit, and include cross-reference to the Grammar Section.

Speaking The speaking tasks are warm-ups to the more complex case studies in the unit. In most of these activities, functional language and/ or speaking strategies are provided.

More Info These rubrics are provided to give cultural context to topics that may be less familiar to students.

Glossary Selected words and terms are defined in the margins to help students with vocabulary in reading and other activities.

Definitions are presented like dictionary entries.

Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing Strategies Strategies for each of the skills, as well as pronunciation, appear in margin rubrics.

LOOKING AHEAD | How To Use

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Case Study These challenging and almost real-world scenarios allow students to consolidate their learning using a less formal activity in planned and spontaneous communication. Depending on the makeup of the class, students can choose either an academic or a more workplace-related professional case study.

Review: Edit before you write gives students a short prewriting activity to sharpen their grammar skills.

Writing The final writing activity provides students the opportunity to consolidate their skills and choose between either an academic or a professional writing assignment.

In both options, theory and models are offered to help students get started in the writing process.

Grammar Section Grammar theory and practice for each of the grammar capsules in the skills units are offered in a separate grammar section, which can be used in conjunction with the skills section or as student material for autonomous study and practice.

References Useful support materials in this section include information on the alphabet, how to say numbers, understanding vocabulary, how to do research, more writing models and documenting sources.

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Grammar To Go Included in the purchase of this skills and grammar book is the handy booklet Looking Ahead: Level 2 Grammar To Go, perfect for self-study and exam preparation.

U NIT

SPEAK YOUR TRUTH SPRINGBOARD EXERCISE 1 > Listen to the lead-in to “Inside the Con Artist’s Confidence Game” and discuss the following questions.

1. What does it mean to be authentic? Is there only one definition?

Try to reach a consensus.

2. What makes someone authentic? How do we know if someone is authentic?

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The Take-Away Texts: Learn about personal authenticity and the effects of “smart drugs.”

Grammar: Pronouns and possessive adjectives; simple past versus present perfect Writing: Essay structure

3. How important is it to be authentic?

EXERCISE 2 > Complete the following exercise with a partner.

1. Discuss the definition of con artist. How would you describe this type of person to someone who doesn’t know what it means to be conned?

2. Match the following con artists with their schemes. Do research if necessary.

CON ARTIST

SCHEME

Frank William Abagnale, Jr.

1. stole the identity of a doctor and became a surgeon for the Canadian Navy during the Korean War

Samantha Azzopardi

2. proclaimed psychic who exploited vulnerable people for money

Elizabeth Bigley

3. became friends with wealthy Australian women, then stole their identities and emptied their bank accounts

Fred W. Demara

4. operated the largest financial fraud in US history, creating a Ponzi scheme of around 18 billion dollars

Jody Harris

5. created multiple personalities to live an extravagant lifestyle and make millions of dollars at a young age

Victor Lustig

6. invented a scam to sell the Eiffel Tower, twice

Bernie Madoff

7. claimed to be a victim of sex trafficking and sex crimes to attract public attention

Sylvia Mitchell

8. convinced bankers she was the illegitimate daughter of a wealthy steel industrialist

G L OS SA RY

conned (verb): fooled, deceived schemes (noun): plans of action

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EXERCISE 3 > Complete the following exercise in a small group.

■■ Research and discuss three common online fraud schemes.

Describe the nature and objectives of each scheme and how it is pulled off.

LISTENING ■■ It has been said that “everybody is somebody’s fool.” Listen to the CBC’s

Listening S T R A T E G Y Take notes Summarize the main points as you listen. Focus on specific details the second time you listen when the structure and the vocabulary are more familiar.

“Inside the Con Artist’s Confidence Game” for an interview with author Maria Konnikova on her book The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It Every Time.

PART 1

Before listening

■■ Discuss with a partner your views on whether con artists are more

common today or in the past.

While and after listening

G L OS SA RY

PART 2

fraud (noun): criminal deception; dishonest trick

1. What two types of characteristics are said to be in common among people who fall for con artists?

pulled off (expression): done successfully

a. weak immune systems

fall for it (expression): be deceived, fooled

b. emotional vulnerablity c. cautious and rational nature 2. Define the following three traits that many con artists are said to possess. a. psychopathy

b. narcissism

c. Machiavellianism

3. Which trait is best described by “sway people to do your own bidding for your own personal ends?” a. psychopathy b. narcissism c. Machiavellianism For more practice with this recording, go to the interactive activities.

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UNIT 3 | Speak Your Truth

4. Is it suggested that people who lie are also con artists? Explain.

5. How is “the put-up” defined and why is it so important?

6. Why is it easier today for con artists to identify their marks?

What are the main sources of fodder?

G L OS SA RY

marks (noun): target victims fodder (noun): potential victims PART 3

Discussion

If you were the victim of online fraud would you report it? Why or why not?

What steps could you take and suggest to others to avoid being the victim of a con?

READING ■■ Do we use our brains to full capacity? What if a drug let you access that

potential? Learn about “smart drugs” and consider the ethical and moral issues of their use.

PART 1

Before reading

■■ Discuss the following with a partner.

1. Are you familiar with smart drugs? a. If no, what do you think they might be? b. If yes, explain what you know. Have you or someone you know ever taken smart drugs?

2. How long is your attention span when studying? How long on average do you remember things that you have to learn for an exam?

3. If a drug could give you access to more of your brain’s capacity, would you take it? Why or why not?

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■■ Match the words to their definitions. Use a dictionary if necessary.

To learn more about using a dictionary, go to page 225 of References.

For more practice on this vocabulary, go to the interactive activities.

Reading S T R A T E G Y Distinguish between fact and possibility Check carefully for words such as always or never that express fact versus modals such as may, might or could that suggest possibility.

When answering true or false comprehension questions, these terms will help you to make informed choices.

1. enhance (verb)

a. without a prescription

2. attention span (noun)

b. alert; not tired

3. non-medically (adjective)

c. alcohol

4. wakefulness (noun)

d. length of time of ability to concentrate

5. weed (noun, informal)

e. dismiss or reject

6. booze (noun, informal)

f. simply

7. merely (adverb)

g. improve

8. mugging (noun)

h. attack to steal possessions or money

9. set aside (verb)

i. tolerate

10. put up with (expression)

j. marijuana

PART 2

While reading

■■ Read how smart drugs are being used in colleges and universities today.

Reflect on their impact on the authentic study or work experience.

A Drug to Improve Performance and Creativity:

Do Smart Drugs Result in Unfair Advantages and Inauthenticity?

By Berit Brogaard D.M.Sci., Ph.D.

Psychology Today 930 words October 16, 2016 01

02

03

60

The film Limitless tells the story of starving writer Eddie Morra (played by Bradley Cooper) who gains access to an experimental drug, called NZT, which allows him enhance his brain function to have an amazing attention span, impeccable memory and problem-solving skills to die for.

While a brain enhancer of the sort portrayed in the movie has yet to be invented, drugs that enhance concentration and improve memory, also known as smart drugs, study drugs and nootropics, are becoming increasingly more popular, especially among college students. Researchers estimate that up to 30 percent of college students have used prescription stimulants, such as Ritalin, Adderall and Modafinil, non-medically, to optimize brain function.

Most of these nootropic drugs work on the attention centres of the brain. They have a rather specific effect: they enhance our working memory and impulse control.

They also increase wakefulness, thus allowing students

UNIT 3 | Speak Your Truth

to fit in more study hours without losing concentration and the ability to remember what is studied.

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Whether these drugs are more efficient than a few cups of coffee remains a topic of great controversy.

Caffeine, like many of the smart drugs, stimulates the central nervous system, leading to the “speedy” feeling a user feels a short time after taking it. It also gives the user significantly increased alertness and attention span.

G L OS SA RY

die for (verb): crave, desire intensely nootropics (noun): cognitive enhancers concentration (noun): focus

05

If, however, study drugs do give you a significant cognitive advantage, one might ask whether taking them is cheating and whether enhancing our cognitive performance is more properly achieved through hard work. The idea of giving someone a drug to improve performance and creativity is radical. We don’t like it when a cyclist or a bodybuilder takes steroids. But we don’t seem to mind when musicians smoke a bunch of weed or alcoholic writers drink gallons of booze to produce things that entertain us.

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Would many of the Beatles’ legendary songs exist without experimentation with acid? It’s no secret that the lyrics of many of the pop legends’ famous tracks were inspired by LSD, including “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” “I am the Walrus,” “Tomorrow Never Knows” and “What’s the New Mary Jane.” The Beatles’ creating during a hallucinogenic trip is hardly a rare case of acid-driven creation, invention, or discovery.

What if there is a way to use compounds to promote optimal functioning and creativity?

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One difference between using performance-enhancing drugs in science and sports is that in the case of intellectual abilities, you are merely facilitating access to capacities our brains already have. In bodybuilding you are literally building something new. So enhancing your brain seems less like cheating than popping muscles.

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A further problem, though, may be that smart drugs may make us too narrowly focused on just a small range of interests. Or worse: they may make people feel comfortable engaging in studies and working jobs that don’t really interest them without the drugs. The drugs may seem to destroy the potential for living an authentic life by discouraging you from doing something that really is you as opposed to the product of societal expectations plus brain mints to keep up the enthusiasm.

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This line of thought is tempting, until we remember that few of us have the opportunity to do just what we really want or really have a true talent for. You might have an amazing talent within the visual arts but without being in the right environment to cultivate the talent and without meeting the right sort of people who can promote you and your work, your talent is not

going to earn you a living. Fortunately, most of us have adaptive interests. At least those who are most resilient have interests that are shaped in part by the environments they find themselves in and the opportunities they have.

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It’s possible that some smart drugs can alter people’s focus and interests to the extent where they become narrowly focused on, even obsessed with, a subject matter they would never have been interested in without the drug. But we should ask ourselves whether that is, in fact, in any way problematic. Consider people who develop extraordinary talents after a brain injury (described in further details in our book The Superhuman Mind). Jason Padgett, for example, started seeing the world in terms of complex mathematical figures after a mugging incident. Leigh Erceg began drawing and writing poetry with much acclaim after taking a fall in the mountains of Colorado. And Derek Amato became a talented pianist after diving into the shallow end of a pool. In each of these cases their brain injury changed their ability to access their hidden talents, their ability to focus on a narrow intellectual or artistic task and their interest in the respective subject matter. In none of these cases would we judge that they are not living authentically.

We might even be inclined to think that they live more authentically now that they can access the potentials of their brains, something they were unable to do prior to their brain injuries.

G L OS SA RY

hallucinogenic (adjective): perception-altering popping (verb): quickly growing brain mints (expression): stimulants

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Taking smart drugs is not altogether different from hurting your head in the right way. There are a number of side effects to worry about before taking any cognitive enhancers. But setting aside the negative effects, taking a smart drug is not the same as disguising your true interests and putting up with areas of study and lines of work that go against your ability to be yourself. Rather, they are better seen as a way to unlock part of the true you: a more focused, satisfied and talented you.

PART 3

G L OS SA RY

side effects (noun): secondary consequences on a person’s health

Critical comprehension

Complete the chart below by answering the questions.

2. What’s the main point of the article?

General topic: Smart drugs

Thesis statement: 1. Look at the title and subtitle for clues.

Article source:

3. Where was it published, such as the geographical location and type of publication?

4. When was it published?

5. What is the tone of the article?

What type of vocabulary is used and what is the level of the language?

Purpose:

Audience:

6. Who wrote it? Why did she or he write it?

7. What are the author’s background and commercial links?

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UNIT 3 | Speak Your Truth

PART 4

After reading

1. Which of the following statements about smart drugs is not correct? a. They enhance concentration and improve memory. b. They make you smarter. c. They are nootropics. d. They are ADHD prescription stimulants for people without this diagnosis.

2. What effects of smart drugs on the centre of attention in the brain are mentioned in the text?

3. According to the author, what is the difference between using performance-enhancing drugs in sports and in academic studies? a. In sports, the drugs build muscles that did not exist before. In academics, the drugs enhance abilities that are already present. b. In sports, the drugs enhance muscles that already exist. In academics, the drugs create new ways of thinking that did not exist before.

4. What four disadvantages of using smart drugs are cited by the author?

5. What happened to Padgett, Erceq and Amato after their brain injuries?

Match the source of the injury to the special talent that was developed. climbing accident

pianist

mugging

mathematical visionary

swimming mishap

artist and poet

6. According to the author, smart drugs make you smarter.

True

False

Explain:

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7. According to the author, smart drugs could be used to help discover a more authentic and fulfilling life by accessing the potential of the human brain.

True

False

Explain:

8. What is the main point of the author? a. Students who take ADHD medication now have an unfair advantage over non-medicated students. b. People using stimulants to promote creativity is not a new idea. c. Some people develop amazing abilities after suffering a brain injury. d. Using smart drugs is not cheating, but can destroy the potential for living an authentic life by making users comfortable in certain fields of work or studies that really don’t interest them.

PART 4

Discussion

■■ Discuss the questions with two other groups of students.

Do you consider it cheating if someone uses a smart drug? Why or why not?

Would you ever consider taking a smart drug? What would be the advantages and disadvantages to you?

Group #1

Group #1

Group #2 Group #2 Group #3

Group #3

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UNIT 3 | Speak Your Truth

GRAMMAR CAPSULE >

Pronouns and Possessive Adjectives • Pronouns are used to replace nouns to make sentences less repetitive.

Berit is a university professor. Berit She works at the University of Miami. Berit She studies the potential of the human mind.

• Possessive adjectives indicate the person who possesses an object.

The drug allows Eddie to enhance his brain function.

(Whose brain function? Eddie’s.)

Note that a possessive adjective must agree in number and with the gender of the person who possesses the object, not the number or type of the object.

Berit wrote her book in 2015. (Her agrees with Berit, not with book.)

SUBJECT PRONOUN

OBJECT PRONOUN

POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVE

POSSESSIVE PRONOUN

REFLEXIVE PRONOUN

She writes about smart drugs in her book.

She talks to us about her book in the text.

She talks to us about her book in the text.

The book is Berit’s. It’s hers.

She wrote the book herself.

I/you/he/she/it/ we/you/they

me/you/him/her/ it/us/you/them

my/your/his/her/ its/our/your/their

mine/yours/his/ hers/ours/yours/ theirs

myself/yourself/ himself/herself/ itself/ourselves/ yourselves/ themselves

> To learn more about pronouns and possessive adjectives, see pages 190–193.

EXERCISE 1 > Underline each pronoun and possessive adjective, then replace it with the first-person singular or plural form.

You might have an amazing talent within the visual arts, but without being in the right environment to cultivate the talent and without meeting the right sort of people who can promote you and your work, your talent

For more practice on this grammar, go to the interactive activities.

is not going to earn you a living. Fortunately, most of us have adaptive interests. At least those who are most resilient have interests that are shaped in part by the environments they find themselves in and the opportunities they have.

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EXERCISE 2 > Choose the correct pronoun or possessive form.

1. (It works / Its work) on the concentration area of the brain.

2. I have many friends who have tried these drugs. They found (theirselves / themselves) in tough situations and couldn’t see an alternative solution.

3. My best friend Jane once used smart drugs to help (him / her) study for an exam.

4. She reacted badly: She felt (she / herself) falling into a tunnel and she panicked.

5. John and (I / me) don’t agree on this. (Our / Ours) opinions are too different.

6. Do you think that smart drugs can unlock our ability to be (yourself / ourselves)?

EXERCISE 3 > Do the following exercise with a partner.

■■ Think of a member of your family or a friend or someone in the public eye who

you believe is authentic. Describe this person and why you consider him/her to be authentic. Provide examples to support your opinion. Make sure you use the correct pronouns and possessive adjectives for the gender of the person.

READING ■■ You finally have landed an interview for that job you’ve always wanted!

The best piece of advice you’ve been given so far to prepare for the interview: Be yourself! Read on to find out why and how to be the most authentic you.

Reading S T R A T E G Y Focus on context Pay close attention to the context in which words are used for clues to their meaning. Awareness of background political, historical, economic or sociological conditions can be helpful in understanding a text.

PART 1

Before reading

■■ Discuss each question with a partner.

1. Do you consider yourself to be an introvert or an extrovert?

What adjectives can you use to describe yourself?

2. Have you ever had a job interview? a. If yes, what was the job? Do you remember any unusual questions?

Did you get the job? Did you feel comfortable talking about your strengths and selling yourself in the interview? b. If no, what kinds of questions do you think an employer might ask?

Is it important to prepare for an interview? How can you prepare?

For more practice on this vocabulary, go to the interactive activities.

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UNIT 3 | Speak Your Truth

PART 2

While reading Schmooze, Pitch and Close in That Job Interview? Don’t Fake It,

Just Be Yourself

By John Lees

The Guardian 989 words April 7, 2016

Going all out to sell yourself won’t get you noticed—focus instead on showing energy and telling stories to engage others 01

We’re conditioned to think that the only way to get a job or make an impact in life is to become a confident, high-energy performer. People tell you to get out there and sell yourself—schmooze, pitch and then close. We’re coached to deliver punchy statements about strengths at the drop of a hat, and to drop all modesty.

02

The snag with this advice is that we hear it and then do nothing. You try to be more outgoing, discover it makes you feel uncomfortable, and so revert to old behaviours— being self-effacing, ignoring your achievements, failing to prepare for interview questions because you don’t want to anticipate the experience. The problem is that the advice comes from outgoing and practiced communicators who we know we can’t emulate. If self-assertion doesn’t feel right, the advice to sell yourself feels like going from crooning in the shower to singing solo at the Royal Albert Hall.

MORE INFO

?

The Royal Albert Hall is an impressive concert hall in London, England. Since 1871, the hall has hosted the most famous names in music and theatre, including Adèle, Pavarotti and Sir Alec Guinness, to name a few. You would need to control your stress levels if you wanted to sing there rather than just in your shower!

Finding an authentic style 03

It’s probably true that a small amount of people will never feel comfortable talking about their strengths, and others need no encouragement at all. Everyone else can successfully adapt their behaviours, even to a small degree. Practise talking about yourself and what you’ve done in a style that works for you. A style that works, gets you remembered, but doesn’t make you feel grubby or fake.

04

People find it tedious to listen to self-promotion. We don’t like being sold to unless we have a need to buy. Interviewers get tired of hearing the kind of empty clichés they hear on “The Apprentice.” They long for hard evidence of what you’ve done, not your ability to convince.

05

How do you find your authentic voice and make sure it sounds that way to others?

Talk the way you talk when you’re relaxed. With friends you’re far more likely to express interest, curiosity, or happiness than to talk about your abilities. You are less likely to say “I am good at,” and more likely to say “I really enjoy.” That’s the place to start. Recruit a couple of supportive friends to listen to you talking about your abilities and experience, and get feedback about the things that sound great, or sound forced.

Communicate energy rather than ego 06

The concept of personal branding can lead to statements which sound naively egotistical. Getting noticed doesn’t mean over-selling. In a job hunt this is usually counterproductive. It can easily sound bland and naive to an employer if you clearly don’t have relevant experience, or your claims lack evidence. In a networking conversation it makes people feel they don’t want to risk helping you because that will associate them with your pushy style.

G L OS SA RY

going all out (verb): giving total effort snag (noun): obstacle crooning (verb): singing grubby (adjective): dirty tedious (adjective): boring, monotonous long for (verb): desire bland (adjective): uninteresting pushy (adjective): aggressively assertive

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G L OS SA RY

07

However don’t fall into the trap of believing the safest thing is to say less.

The worst interview performance is the one where you remember what you could have said on the way home. Focus on evidence rather than ego. When talking about yourself: Show, don’t tell. It’s better to give an example rather than state a fact. Most of us prefer to hear stories. Stories are remembered longer than information, and good stories even longer. This is true for describing skills, but even more for claims you make about your working style or personal values.

08

When it comes to networking as part of your job hunt, being authentic helps.

Listening to people praise themselves is dull and doesn’t prompt you to help or recommend. How many times have you found yourself cornered at lunch by someone who wants to practise their elevator pitch? We hate being sold to even more in a social setting, which is why you need to develop a style for soft conversations when you’re trying to reach out to people and discover information.

elevator pitch (expression): short sales talk seek (verb): search showcase (verb): highlight awkwardly (adverb): lacking skill or ability overbearing (adjective): unpleasant and forceful

What does being authentic sound like?

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09

Take the focus off yourself. Seek conversations, not speech-making opportunities.

Show a genuine interest in other people’s experience and responses. If you’re in a conference, talk to new people about why they are there and what they have heard. Ask and discover before you pitch information about yourself. Train yourself to listen more than you speak – seek information before talking about your own experience.

10

Even when someone says: “Tell me about you,” focus on what you’re interested in rather than your skills. Talk about products, ideas and organizations you find fascinating. “I’m fascinated by X” is much easier to hear than “I’m good at Y,” it also opens up the conversation.

11

Prepare for interviews by working out the top five strengths required by an employer. Then practise packaging your evidence into memorable stories which showcase these qualities. Talking about subjects that inspire you communicates motivation and energy—good for being remembered.

12

Don’t be afraid to begin with “I started” or “I had an idea,” then shift the emphasis onto what happened. Rather than awkwardly beginning “I’m a great team leader,” say: “Let me tell you about the last team I worked with,” or “Let me tell you about the impact of that project.” Focus on the story rather than the storyteller. Stories are more powerful than assertions. “I did” is far more convincing than “I am.”

Talk about your impact on others. Saying “My manager was delighted with that,” works effortlessly compared to “I was employee of the month.”

13

Making people feel they’ve been sold to is also a poor way of building longterm relationships. Getting an interesting job in today’s complex market is definitely about influencing, discovery, and being visible – but that doesn’t mean adopting an overbearing style. You don’t need to fake it, just show the best version of you.

PART 3

After reading

1. Complete the chart with the vocabulary appropriate for the interview style. egotistical unprepared energetic modest over-confident punchy schmoozer self-effacing understated self-promotion shy stressed cliché uncomfortable Sales-pitch (extrovert) Less outgoing (introvert) 2. What does the author mean by schmooze, pitch and close?

3. According to the author, it’s easy to project confidence and be bold in a job interview, even if you feel uncomfortable.

True

False

If false, explain:

4. For what two reasons is it suggested that personal branding may not be the best technique to use? a. You may be offered a job that requires specific experience, attitudes or skills you don’t possess. b. You may come across to people as egotistical and they won’t want to work with you. c. Employers aren’t interested in what brands you like; they want to know why you like them.

5. How does the author suggest to prepare for an interview?

6. What is the main point of the author? a. Everyone can become a confident speaker in a job interview if they practise. b. The best way to secure a job is to prepare your personal branding statement. c. Interview candidates should focus on finding an authentic style and giving concrete examples of their achievements.

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PART 4

Discussion

What does “be yourself” mean to you? In what ways are you “yourself”? In what ways would you like to be more “yourself”?

In what circumstances do you think a sales-pitch style is appropriate? Not appropriate? Explain why.

WATCHING

For more practice with this video, go to the interactive activities.

It’s difficult to be yourself at the start of your career when you are just beginning to learn about yourself. A job interview or public speaking often can raise your stress and anxiety levels so high that it’s almost impossible to be yourself.

Watch the video to learn 10 techniques to help you present in a more confident and compelling manner.

PART 1

Before watching

■■ Discuss the following questions with a partner.

Listening S T R A T E G Y Jot down main ideas Not all videos require that you watch intently for visual clues.

With some videos, it’s best to simply listen for important points and write them down.

1. How comfortable are you speaking in public? Is it easier in French or in English?

2. Talk about a good or bad past experience of speaking to a group of people.

3. What techniques do you use to help control your anxiety in situations like these?

■■ Write a sentence for each word using the word in an appropriate context.

nerve-racking (adjective): stressful, distressing compelling (adjective): power ful; demanding of attention jitters (plural): nervousness, anxiousness quell (verb): suppress, stop tremendously (adverb): extraordinarily, remarkably bandwidth (expression): range of intelligence or ability empowering (adjective): giving of strength and confidence self-fulfilling (adjective): happening as expected polling (adjective): surveying, sampling contingencies (noun): plans for unexpected possibilities hang your hat on (expression): depend on, believe in

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Example: It was really nerve-racking when I did my first bungee-jump.

1.

UUUm...

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

PART 2

While and after watching

1. Place the list of techniques for confident speaking in the order you hear them.

ORDER

TECHNIQUE Prepare and practise speaking beforehand.

Have a plan B, just in case.

Acknowledge that you are stressed—and that it’s normal.

Create a solid plan supported by a visual aid.

Involve your listeners and respond to their needs.

Think of it as a conversation, not a presentation.

Make a list of what makes you afraid.

Don’t wait until the last minute.

Focus on your breathing.

Imagine a best-case scenario.

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71

2. Complete the statement: Glossophobia is a fear of (speaking in public / speaking in a second language) that affects around (15 per cent / 85 per cent) of the population.

3. What slows down when you take deep belly-breaths?

4. Which two exercises are suggested before you begin to speak? a. Practise your speech in your head. b. Stretch or sing a song. c. Say a tongue twister to warm up your voice.

5. Complete the statement: When we write down our fears on paper, we make our fears and rational; by gaining some

, we get them out of our

and seeing them gives us a sense of

.

6. Describe three ways it is suggested you can reframe a speaking situation.

PART 3

Discussion

Which of the techniques for confident speaking do you already apply? Do you find these techniques effective?

Explain why or why not.

Which of the techniques for public speaking are you not inclined to try? Why?

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Which of the techniques for public speaking are you inclined to try? Why?

GRAMMAR CAPSULE >

Simple Past Versus Present Perfect It is essential to use or imagine key expressions of time when you choose between the simple past and the present perfect tenses. The present perfect has multiple functions.

SIMPLE PAST Function: finished action and finished time in the past Key words: last month, yesterday, three days ago, in 1974, when I was a child He passed the driving test last month.

Did you see her yesterday?

I did the presentation three days ago.

President Nixon resigned in 1974.

I played soccer when I was a child.

PRESENT PERFECT Function: finished action with indefinite time in the past Key words: already, recently, before, ever, just, at some point, many times I’ve just finished my homework.

Have you ever been to Germany?

Berta has seen this man many times.

Function: unfinished action in the present Key words: for + a period of time / since + a specific past time I have lived in Québec since October.

She hasn’t seen her father for decades.

Function: unfinished action and unfinished time Key words: this week, this month, this year, today, so far, in my lifetime Haven’t you seen her today?

Simon hasn’t found a job so far.

> To learn more about the simple past and the present perfect, see pages 186–188.

EXERCISE 1 > Underline each present perfect verb structure and key expression of time. Then, circle the verb function for each sentence.

1. Practise talking about yourself and what you’ve done in a style that works for you.

Function: finished action with indefinite time in the past unfinished action in present unfinished action and time 2. The brand managers have worked 200 hours on the project this month alone.

Function: finished action with indefinite time in the past unfinished action in present unfinished action and time 3. For far too long, this community has listened to the tedious promises of the mayor.

Function: finished action with indefinite time in the past unfinished action in present unfinished action and time

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73

4. You’re right. Where is he? I haven’t seen him today. Is he sick?

Function: f inished action with indefinite time in the past unfinished action in present unfinished action and time 5. The children have felt alone ever since their father started travelling for work.

Function: finished action with indefinite time in the past unfinished action in present unfinished action and time EXERCISE 2 > Choose the correct verb-tense forms for the sentences.

1. (Did you ever considered / Have you ever considered) working abroad?

2. Last week Julie (has returned / returned) from a work placement in Japan.

3. She (have given / gave) many English oral presentations in Japan.

4. When I (am / was) a child, I (have wanted / wanted) to be an astronaut.

5. In high school, I (started / have started) to learn French.

6. Before you (worked / have worked) in Rimouski, where (did you work / have you worked)?

EXERCISE 3 > ■■ With a partner, imagine you are going to interview a candidate for an

unusual job. Use the following verbs to come up with five “Have you ever …?” questions to ask that call for answers in the present perfect.

Pronunciation S T R A T E G Y Use the reduced form of the present perfect Listen carefully for the present perfect structure. Native speakers often contract the pronoun and the auxiliary. These contractions can be difficult to hear.

I’ve

I have he/she is

he/she’s

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

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UNIT 3 | Speak Your Truth

be

eat

lie

swim

break

fall

meet

take

build

find

play

travel

burn

forget

receive

try

buy

give

see

visit

cheat

go

shoot

win

cry

hear

sing

witness

drink

jump

speak

work

drive

laugh

steal

write

SPEAKING For some, studying means to survive their schooling and pass the courses they don’t enjoy as soon as possible—the ultimate goal is a diploma and job offers. For others, the journey is just as important as the end result, with study experiences—both positive and negative—helping them learn more about themselves and their goals in life.

Speaking S T R A T E G Y

EXERCISE 1 > Discuss in a small group.

Embellish your experience

1. What in your opinion is the value of studying? Are you putting up with college to simply obtain a diploma that will enable you to access the job market or are you experiencing learning in an authentic way to discover more about yourself?

Make sure you use the correct pronouns and possessive adjectives in context.

Feel free to embellish a little as you probably don’t have the work experience or educational requirements yet, but make sure you never lie in a real interview!

2. What obstacles stop you from doing or studying what you really want to do in life? If these obstacles no longer existed, what would you really like to do or study? In other words, what is the field of work of your dreams?

EXERCISE 2 > Do research for a job offer and work with a partner.

1. Choose a field of work that interests you, then find a job advertisement online for one of the following: real future job dream job interesting job student job 2. Analyze the job description and identify the top five strengths required by the employer.

3. List your top five strengths as examples of how well suited you are for the job.

4. Write down five typical interview questions, including at least one about the required strengths. Use the present perfect for two of the questions.

5. Practise and record yourself with your partner asking you and you answering the interview questions for your chosen job.

EXERCISE 3 > Prepare to present.

1. Prepare a five-minute presentation with visuals about one of the subjects covered in this unit: con artists, smart drugs or job interviews.

2. Use the public-speaking techniques you have learned for confident and organized presenting.

3. Record yourself or ask your partner to watch you do your presentation and give constructive feedback. Submit a final version to your teacher.

Outline

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75

CASE STUDY

Authentically Speaking GET READY The goal of each case study is to help a friend at school or a family member find a solution to a problem. Both scenarios focus on authenticity. Work with a group on one case study to come up with an effective solution.

CATEGORY 1: Academic 1. Read the scenario

G L OS SA RY

procrastinator (noun): person who delays or postpones action

As usual, Henry is finishing his part of a group project at the very last minute for an end-of-session evaluation. There is a written document to produce and a group presentation to prepare, but he is going to have to work all night if he wants to finish on time. He knows the other members of his team are depending on him and that he should have started earlier, but he is a top-class procrastinator and says he works better under pressure. He has confessed his situation to the group through social media and he is asking for advice.

2. Choose a role

Henry: You know what you’ve got to do, but you don’t know if you have the energy to perform to the best of your ability and help the group get a good result. You would feel really guilty if the group got a bad mark because of you. Is it too late?

Teammate 1: You have an ADHD diagnosis and know how your medication has a positive effect on you. You also know that your diagnosis has had a huge impact on your academic performance so you have put 110% into your final project and used all of your new tools and skills to get the best result possible.

Teammate 2: You are confident and outspoken. You excel in oral presentations, and feel little stress or anxiety beforehand. You know that Henry is struggling, so you offer him some ADHD medication that you got from a friend in another course. You’ve tried it before without too many side effects.

Teammate 3: You are highly organized and driven, focused on getting the best possible score in this course. You hate oral presentations and often have anxiety attacks. You are angry that Henry has not finished because it means you can’t learn your text by heart.

Teammate 4 (optional role): Your objective is to enjoy your studies. You don’t prepare too much for oral presentations because it is easier for you just to be yourself and improvise.

You hate the idea of people using study drugs because it takes away from an authentic learning experience.

3. Follow the procedure Objective: Discuss each person’s point of view, then try to come up with advice that Henry can use to survive the long night ahead. Present the plan of action to your teacher at the end of the activity.

STEP 1: For 5 minutes, Henry explains why he is so late finishing the project and how he feels about the effects on the rest of the group.

Then he asks for advice.

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UNIT 3 | Speak Your Truth

STEP 2: For 10 minutes, teammates #1 and # 2 argue why Henry should or shouldn’t use a study drug. Teammate #1 offers a detailed plan to help complete the work.

STEP 3: For 10 minutes, teammates #3 and #4 discuss strategies to reduce anxiety during a group presentation.

STEP 4: As a group, help Henry create a plan of action for getting the work finished and giving a great presentation.

Help him to decide if he should try the study drug or not.

CATEGORY 2: Professional 1. Read the scenario Rachel has just found out that a member of her family has fallen for an online scam. She is helping this person to deal with the consequences by writing a report for the police inquiry, calling the insurance company and speaking with a local journalist who can potentially warn other people about the dangers of being taken in by such a scheme.

2. Choose a role Rachel: You are really angry that the con artist took advantage of your family member. You want to get justice and hope to share the story in the local media to help others avoid falling into the same trap. You tell the story to as many people as possible.

Victim: You are so embarrassed that you fell for a scam that seems so obvious after the fact. You don’t really want anyone to know what happened or how much money you lost as you feel very stupid and ashamed. You appreciate Rachel trying to help, but you’d rather just forget about it.

Police officer: You need to know all the details of the scam to be able to write a full report.

What was the objective of the scam? How did it work? Who was the target? How much money was involved? You are very sensitive to the distress and embarrassment of the victim.

Insurance company employee (optional role): You need to learn all about the scam to write a report for the insurance claim. You want to find out if there were any obvious indicators that this was a con, so that you don’t have to reimburse the victim.

Local journalist: You want to know everything about the situation and focus on the emotional impact on the victim. You’re not surprised by how common these kinds of cons are today, and can offer advice to help protect potential victims.

3. Follow the procedure Objective: Discuss each person’s point of view as a group and try to come up with some solutions and advice that Rachel can use to help her family member.

Write a 50-word outline summary of two of the group's final decisions and include reasons to support them. Give the summary to the teacher at the end of the discussion.

STEP 1: For 5 minutes, Rachel describes the con and its consequences to the members of her family—emotionally and financially. She asks for advice on how to protect her own online identity from future con artists.

STEP 2: For 5 minutes, the victim tries to convince Rachel and the other group members to drop the subject and forget about the situation. S/he tries to minimize the impact it has had on her/him.

STEP 3: For 10 minutes, the police officer and insurance company employee ask for as many details about the scam as possible, and point out elements to the victim that prove the scam was clearly too good to be true.

STEP 4: For 5 minutes, the journalist reassures the victim and offers advice for protecting his/her online identity, and on what questions to ask if s/he suspects a con again in the future.

STEP 5: Help the victim make a choice on whether to file an official report and decide if the insurance company will reimburse the money lost.

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WRITING THEORY Essay Structure and Organization The basic structure for any type of essay is the following:

Writing S T R A T E G Y Write effective thesis statements Your controlling idea for the essay should not be a rhetorical question.

Don’t use vague words or ellipses (…). Don’t use expressions such as “I’m going to talk about…” or “this text will discuss…” Focus on your main idea and make sure your position on this subject is clear and specific.

• Introduction: An attention-grabbing opener is crucial—such as a surprising fact, an interesting quotation or a humorous anecdote. Provide basic information about the general topic and end with the thesis statement.

• Body: This part of the essay should include two or more paragraphs that open with topic sentences and follow with supporting details—relevant examples or evidence.

• Conclusion: This section should only summarize your main idea and in different words. At the very end, finish with a point for reflection or a call to action—not a question.

A. ACADEMIC ■■ Write an essay on one of the topics below. You may use information that you

learned in this unit, but you will also have to do some research of your own.

Make sure you cite all your sources in a bibliography.

Humanities •• To what extent does your lack of access to the right environment or the right opportunities have an impact on your realistic capacity to do what you really want in life?

•• Can anyone be the victim of a con artist? Why or why not? What can make even the most skeptical person vulnerable? Why do people often believe too-good-to-be-true scams?

•• What is the value of studying? Are you putting up with college to obtain a diploma that will enable you to access the job market or do you find the journey as enriching as the end result?

Sciences •• Research teaches us that it is advantageous to trust other people— for economic, social and political reasons—because it helps us to survive as a species. Why do you think this is true?

•• Research how brain injuries can give people access to certain abilities that they didn’t possess before. Do you consider these people to be living an inauthentic life? Why or why not? How is this different from using brainenhancing drugs to improve performance and creativity?

•• If someone healthy uses stimulants not banned by the World AntiDoping Agency (WADA) for performance-enhancement, is this cheating? Why or why not? Discuss the ethical and physical consequences of using stimulants that have not been banned. > To warm up before you write, review the grammar for this unit on page 80.

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MODEL: ESSAY STRUCTURE

How Can Being Bilingual Help a Person’s Professional Development?

As a native English-speaker living in a francophone working environment, I was always afraid that my language skills would mean my job opportunities would be limited. Even though I am bilingual, I still have an accent, mix up gender agreements, and need help to review any written documents I produce. Would an employer really choose me rather than someone fluent in written and spoken French? I quickly learned that being bilingual would greatly help my career development and my integration into the work environment.

My language skills were never a limitation for the type or level of job that I felt comfortable working in, even if I sometimes questioned my own abilities. To help me build my confidence, my employer offered me opportunities for specialized professional development in writing in French, and supported my everyday functions by allowing me to work with a secretary who checks my work and helps me to progress. Today, I am able to share my language skills with a variety of people in the workplace. For example, I can help colleagues communicate with anglophone organizations, and I can translate for international travellers visiting Québec.

These bilingual skills not only help with my integration into the work environment, but they also provide me with more work and job advancement opportunities.

Also, because so many academic studies are published in English, colleagues regularly ask to share with them the latest research and find ways to implement new ideas more quickly. In fact, some of the most recent research has shown that bilingual workers are better at multi-tasking and problem-solving, and that learning another language can even help delay the symptoms of cognitive brain impairment, as well as Alzheimer’s disease. By sharing this and a lot of other relevant information, I have even been able to demonstrate the benefits of being bilingual to my students and work colleagues.

Finally, being bilingual is a real advantage in the workplace, even if that place of employment is a regional centre in the eastern part of the province of Québec.

I am fortunate to work for an employer who sees the advantages of having bilingual employees, and who encourages our integration into the workforce by offering professional language development and personal support.

B. PROFESSIONAL ■■ Write an essay-style motivation letter to apply for a job or work placement/

internship position. Showcase your skills by identifying five qualities required for this position and creating stories. Think about the advice given in the reading text on pages 67–68 about being yourself and using specific vocabulary to avoid the “sales-pitch” style.

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REVIEW: Edit before you write Correct the errors in the following text. Pay special attention to use of pronouns, possessive adjectives and verb tenses. Underline key words to help you.

The Worst Job Interview

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01

Have you ever have a job interview like my? Two years ago, I have applied

02

for a summer work placement with the company of my dreams—or so

03

I thought. It has all started to go wrong on the journey to the interview.

04

My car it was involved in an accident during a police chase! I haven’t hurt,

05

but I have had to make a report and talk to the police. When I have arrived

06

and explained why I have been late, the secretary obviously didn’t believe

07

mine, and she has made me wait for over an hour until all the other

08

candidates had finished. When I eventually meet the employer, we shook

09

hands, but he has had really sweaty palms, smelled of garlic and had

10

forgotten to zip up their pants. I was really embarrassed. In addition,

11

he hasn’t pronounced my name correctly during the interview and kept

12

asking my irrelevant and personal questions about mine religious beliefs,

13

marital status and how many children I have wanted to have. Then he spilled

14

coffee all over him! At the end of the interview, he has explained that

15

I needed to complete two special tests to see how I would fit in with the

16

other members of the team. He has asked to me to do a dance and to eat

17

a fried scorpion! I was so shocked and terrified, but I REALLY wanted the job,

18

so I quickly crunched and did a jig for him. A week later, I have received

19

a phone call saying I was the only candidate who agreed to the stupid

20

requests and I got the job. But I finally have decided that these were

21

not the kind of people I wanted to work with, so I turned her down.

UNIT 3 > Perfect Tenses and Pronouns REFRESHER 1 The present perfect always uses a form of the verb have as an auxiliary verb. Read the text below and underline the present perfect and the present perfect continuous in questions, affirmative statements or negative statements.

Has data become the new oil? Over the last century, oil has given unprecedented opportunities to economies around the world. The auto and aviation industries have been relying on cheap fuel for decades, and other industries that use complex plastics or fabrics have also used refined oil for their products. In today’s digital era, however, data has been fueling the new economy.

Our ability to share, store, exchange and analyze enormous amounts of information has already changed the way we live and work. Businesses have modified their sales and marketing strategies, and social networking sites have provided them with tools to collect, analyze and compute our personal data. Some people have not been happy about the extraction of this “new oil” as they feel their privacy has been invaded and sold for profit.

REFRESHER 2 Read the following sentences and circle the correct answer.

1. In which sentence does Daniel live in Sherbrooke now? a. Daniel lived in Sherbrooke for two years. b. Daniel has lived in Sherbrooke for two years.

2. In which sentence did the speaker know that a specific program on TV was an ongoing series and not a one-time event. a. Did you watch “Game of Thrones”?

b. Have you watched “Game of Thrones”?

3. Which sentence indicates that Marie probably left just a few minutes ago? a. Where did Marie go?

b. Where has Marie gone?

4. In which sentence is the coffee probably still warm? a. Who left this cup of coffee on the table? b. Who has left this cup of coffee on the table?

5. In which sentence is it now afternoon? a. I saw Anne this morning.

b. I have seen Anne this morning.

6. In which sentence is Nicole still studying Arabic? a. Nicole was studying Arabic.

b. Nicole has been studying Arabic.

7. Which sentence was in Professor Shaw’s obituary? a. Professor Shaw wrote over 30 plays.

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UNIT 3 | Perfect Tenses and Pronouns

b. Professor Shaw has written over 30 plays.

PRESENT PERFECT SUBJECT PRONOUN

AFFIRMATIVE

NEGATIVE

INTERROGATIVE

SHORT ANSWER

has/have + past participle (verb + −ed)

has/have + not + past participle

has/have + subject + past participle

subject + has/have/ hasn’t/haven’t

I/you/we/they

I have worked.

I have not worked.

I haven’t worked.

Have I (ever) worked?

Yes, I have.

No, I haven’t.

He/she/it

She has worked.

She has not worked.

She hasn’t worked.

Has he (ever) worked?

Yes, he has.

No, he hasn’t.

> See pages 22–23 of Grammar To Go for past participles of irregular verbs.

GRAMMAR SEC TION

THEORY

The present perfect is used to express an action that: •• occurred at an indefinite time in the past Tom has already visited New York. (We don’t know when.)

•• repeated at an indefinite time in the past and may be repeated in the future I have been to Vancouver several times. (And I will probably go again.)

•• started in the past and has continued until the present Lisa has worked at the library for a year. (She still works at the library now.)

Tom and Lisa have worked here since 2010. (They still work here now.)

•• happened within a time frame that is not over yet I haven’t seen Jim this morning. (It is still morning.)

The present perfect cannot be used with a definite time in the past. For this, use the simple past:

wrote didn’t eat I have written him last week. I haven’t eaten lunch yesterday.

WARNING

Key words: already, just, recently, still, always, frequently, often, many times, rarely, yet, never, ever, for, since, today, this morning, this week, this year

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS SUBJECT PRONOUN

AFFIRMATIVE

NEGATIVE

INTERROGATIVE

SHORT ANSWER

has/have + been + present participle (verb + –ing)

has/have + not + been + present participle

has/have + subject + been + present participle

subject + has/have/ hasn’t/haven’t

I/you/we/they

I have been working for an hour.

I have not / haven’t been working for an hour.

Have I been working for an hour?

Yes, I have.

No, I haven’t

He/she/it

He has been working.

He has not / hasn’t been working.

Has he been working?

Yes, he has.

No, he hasn’t.

• The present perfect continuous describes an action that started in the past and is continuing in the present: Karen has been reading that book for two hours. (two hours is a duration of time) We have been sitting here since 10:00. (10:00 might be a long time ago)

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181

• The continuous form cannot be used with a specific number of units or times.

has read She has been reading four books already.

has gone He has been going to Paris three times this year.

• In many sentences, either the present perfect or the present perfect continuous can be used.

Tom has worked here for two months. Tom has been working here for two months.

• The continuous form cannot be used with non-action verbs. For a list of non-action verbs, see page 155.

• Asking information questions Most information questions follow the same QASVR order: Question word(s), Auxiliary, Subject, Verb and Rest of sentence. Notice that in the present perfect have or has is the auxiliary.

QUESTION WORD(S) Who What kind of work Why Where How many films

AUXILIARY

SUBJECT

VERB

to contact? in this job? how to do this? your money? this month?

tried been doing explained been hiding seen

the agent you anyone you the students

has have hasn’t have have

REST OF SENTENCE

When who or what is the grammatical subject of the question, use this word order: QUESTION WORD(S) = SUBJECT Who What

AUXILIARY

VERB

has (ever) has

REST OF SENTENCE

written happened

a message to the director? to the participants?

loved Nicole has always been loving this place.

Key words: since, for, how long, this year, this week, recently

PRACTICE EXERCISE 1 > Complete each sentence with the present perfect of the underlined verb.

Example: Mark sings in a band. He

for five years now.

1. Alison drives a Honda. She

a Honda for three years.

2. I think Alison’s car is ugly. I

Alison’s car is ugly since she bought it.

3. Greg sells used cars. He 4. Monica loves to drive too fast. She 5. Rachel has a pilot’s license. She 6. Rachel flies small planes. She 7. Greg and Monica speak Spanish. They 8. Monica sings in the shower. She 182

has sung

UNIT 3 | Perfect Tenses and Pronouns

used cars since he was 17. to drive too fast since she started driving. a pilot’s license for only two months. small planes since she got her license.

Spanish since they travelled in Mexico. in the shower since she was a little girl.

FOR AND SINCE The prepositions for and since are often used with the present perfect because they indicate an action that started in the past and continues into the present: • For describes a duration of time—how long an action took place: for a month, for seven days, for 20 minutes

WARNING

• Since indicates when an action began: since 1995, since last week, since I woke up Do NOT use since with a duration of time:

for for for since two hours since a century

since 10 days

GRAMMAR SEC TION

THEORY

PRACTICE EXERCISE 2 > Write for or since before the following time expressions.

1.

a week

6.

seven years

11.

I woke up

2.

2012

7.

three months

12.

this morning

3.

Tuesday

8.

I was born

13.

my whole life

4.

3:30

9.

an hour

14.

2013

5.

a long time

10.

10 minutes

15.

August

EXERCISE 3 > Complete each sentence with the correct form of the verb in parentheses.

Example: T om (work) worked in Peru in 2016. Tom (work) has worked in Peru since 2016.

1. Marie (love)

art since she was born. Marie (love)

art when she was in high school.

2. We (live)

here since the referendum. We (live)

here during the referendum.

3. It (rain)

for three hours last night. It (rain)

for three hours now.

4. The children (play)

in the park yesterday. The children (play) since noon.

5. I (see)

that film two years ago. I (see)

that film,

but I don’t remember when.

UNIT 3 | Perfect Tenses and Pronouns

183

EXERCISE 4 > Complete each sentence with the negative present perfect form of the underlined verb.

Example: Lisa doesn’t work here. She has not / hasn’t worked here for a year.

1. I don’t like Alison’s car. I

it since we started going to work together.

2. Rachel doesn’t sing in tune. She

in tune her whole life.

3. Greg and Monica don’t speak Spanish anymore. They

Spanish

since they returned from their trip to Mexico.

4. Rachel and Monica don’t work Thursday afternoons. They Thursday afternoons since last summer when they started having lunch together.

5. Rachel doesn’t fly planes anymore. She

planes for two months now.

THEORY

NEVER AND YET • Never / not ever is placed between the auxiliary verb has/have and the past participle: I have never eaten squid. The boys have never seen a bull. Tom has never won the race.

I haven’t ever eaten squid. The boys haven’t ever seen a bull. Tom hasn’t ever won the race.

• Yet is usually placed at the end of the phrase: I haven’t eaten squid yet. The boys haven’t seen a bull yet. Tom hasn’t won the lottery yet.

PRACTICE EXERCISE 5 > Change the underlined verb to the present perfect and add never or yet.

1. Greg does not sell Mercedes.

2. Rachel does not fly long distances.

3. Monica does not have a ticket for speeding.

4. Rachel and Monica don’t meet on Fridays.

5. Alison doesn’t drive a Volvo.

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UNIT 3 | Perfect Tenses and Pronouns

ASKING QUESTIONS To find out if a person has done a certain action at any time, use have you ever.

The adverb ever is used only in the question: Have you ever written a letter to the prime minister? No, I have never written to the PM. Has Miguel ever driven a Porsche? Yes, he has. He drove* a Porsche last year. *drove is in the simple past because last year states a specific time

PRACTICE

GRAMMAR SEC TION

THEORY

EXERCISE 6 > With a partner or in a small group, ask questions about the following activities using have you ever. Be sure to use the correct form of the verb. you ever won the lottery?

Example: win the lottery  Have

1. sleep in a tent

2. teach someone how to swim

3. break the law

4. grow tomatoes in a garden

5. eat octopus

THEORY

ASKING ABOUT DURATION To find out the duration of an action, ask a question using how long. Note that because you are asking about the duration of the activity, sometimes it is better to use the present perfect continuous: How long has Lisa worked at the library? She has worked there for three months.

How long have you been writing that essay? I have been writing it since noon.

UNIT 3 | Perfect Tenses and Pronouns

185

PRACTICE EXERCISE 7 > Write questions using how long for the following answers.

Example: How long has Juanita been studying?

Juanita has been studying for 30 minutes.

1.

I have worked in that garage since January.

2.

Greg has been selling cars for a long time.

3.

Monica has been singing in the shower her whole life.

4.

We have been here for an hour.

5.

Daniel has spoken Spanish for two years now.

THEORY

PRESENT PERFECT VERSUS SIMPLE PAST • Use the present perfect if no specific time is mentioned: John has written a letter. I have broken my pencil. We have already seen that movie.

• Use the simple past if a definite time in the past is mentioned: John wrote a letter yesterday. I broke my pencil last night. We saw that movie on Saturday.

PRACTICE EXERCISE 8 > Put the verb in parentheses in the correct tense.

Example: Terry (eat, never) 1. John (see, never)

eel. a giraffe.

2. Bob (buy)

a new car last year.

3. Kurt (take)

my car last night.

4. I (fly) 5. (you, drive, ever)

186

has never eaten

UNIT 3 | Perfect Tenses and Pronouns

to Florida during the break. to Florida?

PRESENT PERFECT VERSUS PRESENT CONTINUOUS • Use the present perfect or the present perfect continuous if you know how long an action has taken place: Ed has worked here for 10 years. He has worked here since he was 17.

Ed has been working on the car for two hours. He has been working on it since 2:00 p.m.

WARNING

• Use the simple present if an action is happening now and you do not know how long it has taken place.

Do NOT use the continuous form with Greg works at the garage. non-action verbs. See page 155 for a list He is working there right now. of these verbs.

owned

GRAMMAR SEC TION

THEORY

Greg has been owning his car for five years.

PRACTICE

EXERCISE 9 > Complete each sentence with the appropriate tense: simple present, simple past, present continuous, present perfect or present perfect continuous. am writing

Example: Right now, I (write) letter for 20 minutes. I (not finish)

a letter. I (write) have been writing this

have not finished the letter yet.

1. Jenny (write, negative)

me since she moved to Ottawa last year.

She (live)

there for six months. She (work)

a government agency. She (like)

for

living in Ottawa.

2. Sam is confused. Right now, he (try)

to set up the network for his

company’s new computer system. He (install, already)

installed

the hardware and connected the computers to a hub, but he (able, negative) to configure the network yet.

3. Right now, Jacob (watch) He (watch)

a training video for his job as a display manager. it for 20 minutes. His supervisor (send)

it to him

last week to help him set up the display for next season’s inventory. Every season, he (receive) He (have)

a video similar to this one and he (think) this job for 18 months now. Before he (become)

a display manager, he (sell)

shoes in a shopping mall.

4. Molly and Marie work in the same office. They (work) since 2015. After work on Fridays, they always (do) Friday, they (go)

they are helpful.

to a show downtown. They (see)

in the same office something together. Last a band play and they UNIT 3 | Perfect Tenses and Pronouns

187

(drink) (see)

some beer. While they (listen) their former colleague Ben. Ben (start)

Ben (drink, negative) (give)

to the music, they a new job last year.

any alcohol, which was a good thing because he

them a ride home in his new car.

THEORY

PAST PERFECT • The past perfect is formed by using had + past participle: had worked, had seen, had broken • The past perfect is used to indicate an action in the past that happened before another action in the past: When we arrived at the theatre, the film had started.

What happened first? The film started. What happened second? We arrived at the theatre.

See pages 22–23 of Grammar To Go for past participles of irregular verbs.

PRACTICE EXERCISE 10 > Read each pair of sentences and underline the past perfect. Then, answer the question. Provide a reason for each answer.

1. In which sentence was Grace disappointed that she didn’t get to see David? a. David had already left the party when Grace arrived. b. David left the party when Grace arrived.

2. In which sentence did the company take advantage of the latest technology? a. The company had bought 10 new computers when the next model became available. b. The company bought 10 new computers when the next model became available.

3. In which sentence was the person not influenced by the review when he saw the film? a. Miguel had already seen the film when he read the review. b. Pierre saw the film after reading the review.

4. In which sentence did the person probably write novels in the evenings and on weekends? a. Jennifer had worked as an accountant when she started writing novels. b. Alicia worked as an accountant when she started writing novels.

188

UNIT 3 | Perfect Tenses and Pronouns

Before the architect Antoni Gaudi died in 1926, he 1 (leave) beloved city of Barcelona. As a boy, he 2 (spend) nature, and as a young man he 3 (become)

his mark on his many hours outside studying very skilled in crafts such as

ceramics and stained glass. Today, visitors can still enjoy Gaudi’s curving shapes and whimsical colours throughout the city, but if they 4 (be)

alive in 1888,

they would have experienced the World’s Fair where Gaudi and other architects displayed their avant-garde plans. In 1883, five years before the Fair, Gaudi 5 (already take)

GRAMMAR SEC TION

EXERCISE 11 > Complete each sentence with the past perfect form of the verb in parentheses.

over the project of building a cathedral known as Sagrada Familia.

Although the initial inspiration for the cathedral 6 (come) bookseller and the construction 7 (begin) project. Gaudi 8 (see)

from a Catalan in 1882, it quickly became Gaudi’s

the completion of less than a quarter of this colossal

project when he died. Work has continued since then with an anticipated completion date of 2026. Legend has it that before Gaudi died, he 9 (say)

, “My client is not in a

hurry.” Perhaps, but wouldn’t he have been surprised if he 10 (know)

how

much the world would change before his project was completed?

CLASS ACTIVITY ■■ What Team is Most Qualified?

Your college is hiring a team of students to work on a series of week-long day camps during the summer. They are looking for teams with the widest range of skills, experiences and interests. You want to present your team as the most qualified.

• Work in a small group to find out each other’s skills.

Examples: Have you ever gone skydiving? Have you ever slept in a tent?

When someone answers, “Yes, I have,” then ask questions in the simple past to find out where and when. When did you go skydiving? I went skydiving last year. Where did you go skydiving?

It was in Saint-Jean.

When all members of the group have asked their questions and received answers, report back to the class about some of the most interesting activities that members of your group have done. Remember to use the simple past if a sentence refers to a specific time.

UNIT 3 | Perfect Tenses and Pronouns

189

REFRESHER 3 Read the paragraph below and identify the antecedents of the underlined words.

Tom and Marie were both looking for jobs. 1 They wanted to leave Sherbrooke and start a new life for 2 themselves. They wanted to have 3 their own house. The condo they lived in wasn’t 4 theirs and sometimes the owner caused problems. Marie was bored with 5 her job as an accountant and wanted to open her own business so 6 she could work for 7 herself. Tom was offered a job in Vancouver, but 8 he wasn’t sure he would like 9 it and he didn’t want to live so far away from 10 his parents. Finally, 11 they decided to move to Granby, to build 12 their own house and start a new business together. Marie said, “ 13 We will have a new life for 14 ourselves—both the house and the business will be 15 ours!”

1.

6.

11.

2.

7.

12.

3.

8.

13.

4.

9.

14.

5.

10.

15.

THEORY

PRONOUNS AND POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES Pronouns are used to replace nouns already mentioned—that is, they replace antecedents.

A possessive adjective is used to indicate possession and refers to an antecedent.

Observe how each type of pronoun and possessive adjective is used in a sentence, and review the different forms.

SUBJECT PRONOUN I/you/he/she/it/ we/you/they

OBJECT PRONOUN me/you/him/her/ it/us/you/them

POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVE my/your/his/her/ its/our/your/their

POSSESSIVE PRONOUN mine/yours his/hers/(not used)/ours/ yours/theirs

REFLEXIVE PRONOUN myself/yourself/himself/ herself/itself/ourselves/ yourselves/themselves

• He and she refer only to people in the singular: the boy, Marie, her mother.

• It refers to animals or things in the singular: the house, the job, the information, the cat.

• They can refer to people or animals or things in the plural: the children, the issues, the dogs.

• Subject pronouns replace the subject of a sentence: Tom seems tired. He worked late last night.

• Object pronouns can be direct or indirect objects.

John helped Mary. John helped her buy a car. (her = a direct object) John wrote a letter to Mary. He wrote her a letter. (her = an indirect object)

190

UNIT 3 | Perfect Tenses and Pronouns

• Possessive pronouns replace a noun and its possessive adjective.

This is my book. It is mine. These are our pictures. These are ours.

• Reflexive pronouns are used when the subject and object refer to the same person or thing (or people or things). Reflexive pronouns are often used in expressions with the preposition by: by myself, by ourselves, by himself.

John hurt himself. (not hurt him.) The light turns itself off at 10:00 p.m.

All of you will need to wake up by yourselves.

GRAMMAR SEC TION

• Possessive adjectives indicate possession by the antecedent: her refers to a female antecedent, his refers to a male antecedent and their refers to a plural antecedent.

Alice helped her father and her mother. David helped his father and his mother.

Alice and David helped their father, their mother and their grandparents.

PRACTICE EXERCISE 12 > Underline the correct pronoun.

1. Joe called (his/her) sister last night.

2. The students invited (theirs/their/hers) parents to the exhibition.

3. Solar panels generate (its/theirs/their) own energy.

4. This apartment has (its/her/his) own patio.

5. The computers in the lab need to have (their/theirs/its) monitors cleaned.

6. Adrienne spoke to (his/her) father about the agreement.

7. We shouldn’t put (our/ours/hers) desks so close to the window.

8. The dog hurt (its/hers/our) leg.

9. Sam tripped on (my/his/their) own shoes.

10. The restaurant has improved on (its/our/their) menu.

EXERCISE 13 > For each pair of sentences, rewrite the second one using a possessive pronoun.

Example: Ann presented her project. Jim presented his project.

Jim presented his.

1. Todd’s car is very fuel efficient. My car is not.

2. The Soviets launched their first satellite in 1957. The Americans launched their first satellite in 1958.

3. I do my homework in the library. You do your homework at home.

4. Nicole keeps her cellphone in her purse. Alex keeps his cellphone clipped to his belt.

UNIT 3 | Perfect Tenses and Pronouns

191

5. My neighbour’s internet connection is slow. Our internet connection is very fast.

6. Tom took off his sweater. Jane put on her sweater.

7. You remembered my birthday. I forgot your birthday.

8. You ate your lunch outdoors. I ate my lunch at my desk.

9. I saw David's selfie on Facebook. David didn't see my selfie on Facebook.

10. Joanne's mother paid for her dress. I paid for my own dress.

EXERCISE 14 > Complete each sentence with the correct reflexive pronoun.

1. Frank taught

how to play guitar.

2. Nicole had trouble lifting the heavy keyboard by

.

3. Marc and Ghyslain created the visual effects (by)

.

4. Carolynn said, “I think I can figure this out for 5. My computer turns

.”

off after 30 minutes.

EXERCISE 15 > Complete each sentence with the correct possessive adjective or pronoun.

Brian May is one of the most accomplished songwriters and guitar players of 1 (Brian’s) generation. What many people don’t know is that 2 (Brian’s) expected 3 (Brian)

to become a world-famous scientist. In 1974, 4 (Brian’s teachers)

were very surprised to learn that 5 (Brian’s teachers’) had abandoned 6 (Brian’s) He called 7 (the band)

teachers

prize student

doctoral studies in astrophysics to start a band.

Queen. Thirty-six years later, 8 (Brian)

decided

to complete what he had started as a young man. He can be proud of 9 (Brian) because he completed a 48,000-word dissertation. 10 (The dissertation’s)

title

was “Radical Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud.” In 2007, when he was 60 years old, Imperial College in London, England, awarded 11 (Brian) Ph.D. in astrophysics.

192

UNIT 3 | Perfect Tenses and Pronouns

with 12 (Brian’s)

making all the necessary changes.

Example: The first sentence will be: Belinda May is one of the most accomplished songwriters and guitar players of her generation.

GRAMMAR SEC TION

■■ Imagine that the story happened to a female named Belinda May. Rewrite the story,

CLASS ACTIVITY ■■ A Famous Person

Choose a famous person in your field of study or a famous person you would like to learn more about. Do an internet search to learn about this person’s background. In a small group, tell the other students about this person. Pay close attention to your use of pronouns.

UNIT 3 | Perfect Tenses and Pronouns

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NUMBERS ■■ Cardinal Numbers

10 ten 11 eleven 12 twelve 13 thirteen 14 fourteen 15 fifteen 16 sixteen 17 seventeen 18 eighteen

19 nineteen 20 twenty 21 twenty-one 30 thirty 40 forty 50 fifty 60 sixty 70 seventy 80 eighty

90 ninety 100 one/a hundred 1,000 one/a thousand 2,000 two thousand 10,000 ten thousand 1,000,000 one/a million 2,000,000 two million 1,000,000,000 one/a billion 2,000,000,000 two billion

Stress the last syllable of numbers ending in –teen and the first syllable of those ending in –ty.

14 = fourTEEN 40 = FORty ■■ Dates

Although the date is usually written as a cardinal number, it is pronounced as an ordinal number.

Written Spoken Nov. 2, 2008 November (the) second, two thousand (and) eight Jan. 31, 1965 January (the) thirty-first, nineteen sixty-five Thursday, October (the) fourth or the fourth of October Thursday, Oct. 4 ■■ Money With amounts of money, put the currency symbol before the number and use a period (.) for decimals—e.g. to separate dollars from cents.

$24.99 $4.79 US £12.65 €14.65 ¥44 ■■ Fractions Use a cardinal number and an ordinal number for fractions. With fractions that begin with the word one, such as one-half or one-quarter, there is no –s at the end of the expression.

1/2 = one-half 2/3 = two-thirds 1/3 = one-third 3/4 = three-quarters (or three-fourths) 1/4 = one-quarter (or one-fourth)

3/5 = three-fifths 1/5 = one-fifth 7/8 = seven-eighths 1/8 = one-eighth 7/10 = seven-tenths

Use a period (pronounced “point”) for decimal fractions, and say each digit after the point separately. A comma is used to separate thousands.

3,024.75 = three thousand (and) twenty-four point seven five ■■ Phone Numbers They are usually said as a series of cardinal numbers.

879-6700: eight seven nine (pause) sixty-seven hundred or six seven oh oh or six seven zero zero 693-4000: six nine three (pause) four thousand Say “area code” or “area” before numbers in parentheses.

(525) 239-6996: area code five two five (pause) two three nine (pause) six nine nine six REFERENCES

223

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UNDERSTANDING NEW VOCABULARY ■■ Context

Often, the words and expressions in a text can give you clues to the meaning of words you don’t know. Look at the following example: Stan’s world was being threatened; he began to shake with fear when he read the spiteful message on his computer.

The message made Stan “shake with fear” and feel that his world was being threatened, so it must have said something frightening or threatening. Even if you don’t know what “spiteful” means, the other words provide enough clues to understand the sentence.

■■ Cognates

Many English words have French or Latin origins and therefore look similar to words you may already know. It is often possible to guess the meaning of a new English word by relating it to its French counterpart.

Sometimes if you replace an accent in a French word with s, you will find its English cognate. forêt: forest établir: establish pâte: paste hôpital: hospital Occasionally a vowel disappears in English. école: school étudier: study ■■ False Cognates

Meanings change over time, and some English words that look very much like French words have completely different meanings. Such words are known as false cognates.

They went on a three-month journey across Europe.

If it can last three months, “journey” can’t be the same thing as journée.

False cognates are not always obvious, however, and it’s important to be aware of them to avoid misunderstanding.

ENGLISH WORD

SIMILAR FRENCH WORD

ENGLISH MEANING

EXAMPLE

actually

actuellement

in fact

I didn’t expect to like the film, but actually, I enjoyed it.

deceive

décevoir

mislead

I was deceived by his lies.

experience

expérience

exposure

My trip to Africa was a fascinating experience.

formation

formation

shape

The soldiers marched in formation.

furniture

fourniture

beds, chairs, etc.

I have too much furniture in my room.

journey

journée

long trip

The journey by horse to Mongolia took three weeks.

quit

quitter

stop doing something

I quit my job last night.

sensible

sensible

making good sense; well thought out

It’s sensible to save money.

■■ Word Parts

Another way to determine the meaning of new vocabulary is to look at the way words are made up. If you know the meaning of the different parts, you can often work out the meaning of a whole word.

224

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REFERENCES

■■ Converting Your Notes into Your Own Words

Whether you are using the internet or other sources for your research, you must not plagiarize. Your report must be written in your own words, based on the important points you have highlighted. Use the same strategies you would use to summarize a text.

•• Read the text and highlight or underline the most important points. If you are listening to an audio or video excerpt, write down the most important points.

•• Rephrase the important points in point form.

•• Use the important points to write a short, clear paragraph. Refer to your notes and the original material as necessary.

WRITING MODELS DESCRIPTIVE TEXT Snowboarding makes me love the winter season because of the challenging tricks I can master and the beautiful landscapes I can enjoy. First of all, the snowboard allows me to defy gravity with backflips and 360-degree jumps. The magic of these moves makes me feel superhuman when I’m up in the air. Jumping from a seven-foot “Big-Air” is an amazing feeling, and whenever I raise my head to take in the blue sky and the surrounding snowcovered forest, I feel like I am sailing through another world. Second, snowboarding has taken me to beautiful destinations straight out of a storybook. Here, in Québec, there are hundreds of destinations that are perfect for beginners, but they are nothing compared to the French Alps. Last year, I went to France with my school and there were so many different mountains that I got to discover a new way to ride with every inch of snow.

Sailing on a snowboard truly makes the sky the limit. In conclusion, the snowboard is a revolutionary invention because it allows boarders to challenge themselves with superhuman feats while enjoying nature’s most beautiful landscapes.

The topic sentence and controlling idea (double-underline) should be at the start of your text.

Provide support for your topic sentence with background information, concrete ideas and evidence.

Restate the topic sentence using different words; you may include emotion.

SUMMARY To learn the theory about summary text, go to Unit 2, page 54. The summary below is based on the reading on page 83.

In his article “Applying for Jobs Without Experience? Here’s How to Build and Sell Your Skills,” journalist David McCall provides strategies to help inexperienced job applicants get ahead in a difficult career market. He begins by underlining how an applicant should show that he or she wants to improve on existing skills and that he or she is prepared to learn new skills autonomously. This is especially true with students who think they have an irrelevant academic background. The journalist explains that a theatre student, for example, needs to demonstrate to a potential employer that his or her performance skills are relevant for sales, company presentations and event management. Similarly, a student in sports sciences has a skill set ideal for a company specializing in data analysis and information processing. There are also many opportunities to learn and relearn with today’s technology, and being a good writer will give you that edge you need to compete. The ability to lead yourself, or take on the responsibility of a job or project on a personal level, will be a skill that you will be able to transfer to any job. In a CV, or resumé, describe everything that you have done to illustrate how you can adapt, improve and keep an open mind, whether personally or professionally. Self-leadership is a skill you will have for your whole life. Finally, when you apply for that job, be specific about how your skills match with the job description. In a job application process, it’s not the number of jobs you apply for, but how well you can connect your skills to the job offer. Above all, if you have (hard) skills, demonstrate your awareness of those skills and how you could transfer them to various roles.

REFERENCES

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ESSAY The essay includes a complete introduction, with a thesis statement, and in every body paragraph a topic sentence helps to support the thesis statement. Essay structure is very similar to the structure of a paragraph, but the ideas in a thesis statement of an essay are usually broader in scope.

Keep in mind the following points when writing an essay: •• Avoid asking questions and do not conclude your essay with a question.

•• Avoid vague words such as thing or stuff.

•• Do not use ellipses (…) to show irony or suspense in a formal paper.

•• Do not refer to the essay you are writing in the essay itself.

Good writers write, revise, rewrite, revise and rewrite. Don’t expect your first draft to be perfect.

Share your draft with classmates or a partner to get feedback. Don’t be afraid to cut, rework and add information. Writing is a process. Your first draft should never be your final product.

DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY To learn the theory about the descriptive essay, go to Unit 4, page 100.

Sliding Through Winter Snowboarding used to be a sport for radical rebels, but since 1998 when it became an Olympic event, the sport has attracted all kinds of people who want to feel the thrill of flying on white powder. Snowboarding makes me love the winter season because of the challenging tricks I can master safely and the new destinations I can enjoy while I travel.

First, snowboarding allows me to defy gravity in relative safety. The magic of these moves makes me feel superhuman when I’m up in the air. Jumping from a seven-foot “Big-Air” is an amazing feeling, and whenever I raise my head to take in the blue sky and the surrounding snow-covered forest, I feel like I am sailing through another world.

Thankfully, many ski resorts now rebuild and reserve parts of their slopes so that any snowboarder can perform these tricks in a “safe zone” and with the help of experienced snowboarder monitors.

Second, snowboarding provides a window to a new world, both in North America and Europe. In Québec and out West, there are hundreds of destinations that are perfect for beginners, and there is a real variety of terrains to choose from, such as hard-packed in the East and big powder in the West. The Alps in Europe are probably the best place to experience true snowboarding. Last year, I went to France and Austria with my school and there were so many different resorts, festivals and snowboarding competitions that I felt like I was in heaven.

In conclusion, snowboarding is a fantastic hobby because it allows boarders to challenge themselves with superhuman feats while enjoying nature’s most beautiful landscapes.

I have to thank those radical rebels for sending my spirits uphill on a cold winter’s day.

PERSUASIVE ESSAY

Before a clear thesis statement, provide a more attentiongetting opening statement.

In writing the body of your essay, remember to include a topic sentence for every paragraph. Expand on the details you came up with when brainstorming. Your initial thesis statement should guide the direction of your body paragraphs.

A good conclusion consolidates information by highlighting the main points in different words and leaving the reader with a statement to reflect on. Do not end your essay with a question.

To learn the theory about the persuasive essay, go to Unit 5, page 124.

The People’s Money Traditional banks are having trouble keeping your money safe. Every minute of the day, banking institutions are spending tens of millions of dollars to protect your debit and credit card information. Larger transactions between companies are even more at risk. In the future, digital wallets and fintech will wash all of our concerns away regarding secure money on the internet.

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Fintech, or finance technology, is the other new wave in personal finance and secure banking. Patrick and John Collison are brothers. As computer programmers and entrepreneurs, they were fed up with paperwork at their local bank whenever they applied for loans or a new commercial service. One day, they decided to take all of their money out of that bank and start their own bank. What happened next was a revolution in secure business banking. Thanks to their programming skills and determination, they have made banks irrelevant for business transactions.

REFERENCES

Digital wallets was the first step in that direction, but they certainly are not new. In 2007, phone giant Vodaphone offered a digital payment system called M-PESA for its East African market because many business people in that part of the world did not feel secure carrying cash in their wallets. The new digital payment system was simple and inexpensive. Vodaphone provided a safe and secure money transfer via phone texting, and users paid a few cents for every transaction. In three years, the project was a total success, and the service is now used in many countries around the world to conduct person-to-person transactions, securely.

Traditional banks need to face the facts: true person-to-person money banking is just a few years away. With digital wallets being developed by Apple and Amazon, and the evolution of digital money such as Blockchain, banks could face some heavy competition if they do not adapt. They could even become a relic of the past.

ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY To learn the theory about the argumentative essay, go to Unit 6, page 147.

Why the University System Needs to Change When my parents and grandparents started their careers, a university education was one of the few paths to obtaining a well-paying job. Today, this is no longer the case. Although a university education is largely desirable, it is becoming more obvious every year that the value of a university education is probably in decline.

The first point to consider is the dramatic increase in the number of inexpensive technical schools compared to the cost of a university education. The programs in technical schools directly compete with university programs.

When students realize that their chances of finding a well-paying job with a technical diploma are often better than with a university degree, then their decision is simple. Also, students today understand return on investment better than previous generations. They know all too well that university degrees take longer to complete and, in many cases, put them into debt longer because only a few university degrees, such as engineering, medicine and law, open the door to financially interesting careers following graduation.

The second important point is what is happening in the recruitment industry today. Two years ago, many companies and corporations began hiring graduates from a variety of fields with only technical training.

Accounting firms, in particular, were and continue to be very interested in finding talented employees great with technology and numbers, but who are also open to learning new skills by doing their jobs within the company. In other words, employers no longer seek out the university graduate—they just want someone who is competent in the job and has determination to learn.

Of course, a university-educated population holds enormous value to a society as a whole. We need universities to train students in medicine, law, education, engineering and business administration and many other practical fields of study. There is no doubt. Where university education may have lost its value is in not responding to the rapidly-changing needs of a shrinking 21st century global economy, and in oversupplying the workforce with too many professionals who may never find permanent employment.

In conclusion, universities need to immediately rethink how they work. With competition from technical and online schools, university administrators need to consider agile management solutions and lowering expenses.

It may be time to start abolishing faculties and replacing them with more practical fields of study that students desire and need. Most important, it is time to start regulating university admission policy on a yearly basis to avoid future oversupply challenges.

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COVER LETTER AND RESUMÉ 522 Main Street Lévis, QC G0S 3D3 (418) 555-2899 Katie.Joncas@email.com September 12, 20XX Ms. Anna Carrier Mountain Trek Hobbies Inc. 362 St-Joseph Blvd.

Banff, Alberta T1L 8H7 Dear Ms. Carrier, I am writing in response to your ad on the Workopolis website for the position of sales representative in your Banff equipment store. I am very interested in business and marketing, and I believe you will find that I am the reliable and competent candidate you are looking for.

As you will see from the enclosed resumé, I will graduate from the business administration program at Cégep de Lévis next spring. I believe that the knowledge I acquired and the skills I developed throughout my courses in marketing and accounting will be very useful for your sales team. In addition to my formal education, I was a volunteer accountant in the Pee-Wee hockey league in Lévis for many years, and I have been working for the last two years as a part-time sales representative for a local paper company. Also, my energy and passion for marketing, and the fact that I am bilingual means I would be a great asset to your business.

Thank you very much for taking the time to consider my application. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely, Katie Joncas Katie Joncas

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Katie Joncas 522 Main Street Lévis, QC G0S 3D3 (418) 555-2899 Katie.Joncas@email.com Objective: To acquire experience in sales and management EDUCATION 2014–present Expected graduation: May 2017

WORK EXPERIENCE 2014–2016

2010–2014

DEC in Business Administration Cégep de Lévis •• Specialization in accounting and management •• More than 200 hours of internship •• Pertinent courses include business and marketing, project management and sales development Sales representative–Paper, Paper & Co., Lévis •• Welcome and advise customers •• Place orders to head office •• Use cash register and bill customers •• Offer after-sales service Volunteer accountant – Pee-Wee Hockey League, Lévis •• Attended board of directors meetings •• Received and cataloged invoices •• Supervised book keeping and invoicing

PRACTICAL, TECHNICAL AND INTERPERSONAL SKILLS •• Skilled user of Acomba, Microsoft Office Suite and social networks •• Bilingual: French and English •• CPR/First Aid Course (2015) AWARDS AND CERTIFICATES •• Governor General’s Academic Medal (2011) References available upon request

REFERENCES

DOCUMENTING SOURCES At the end of a researched paper or presentation, you need to include a list of the resources you used. Below are guidelines using the MLA (Modern Languages Association) style. List all sources in alphabetical order and indent the second and subsequent lines of an entry.

•• Authors. One author: last name, first name. Two or more authors: last name, first name of the first author; first name, last name of the other authors.

•• Titles. Book titles in italics; article and other titles in quotation marks. Capitalize all important words.

•• Publisher Information. City of publication: Publisher. If there is no publisher, write “n.p.”

•• Dates. Year for books. Day Month Year for articles and other sources. If there is no date, write “n.d.”

•• Medium of Publication. Indicate Print, Film, DVD, Web, etc.

MLA STYLE GUIDELINES Book

Textbook Article

Author(s). Title, Edition. City of publication: Publisher, Date. Medium.

Coyle, Daniel. The Talent Code: Greatness Isn't Born. It's Grown. Here's How. New York City: Bantam Books, 2009. Print.

Author(s). “Title of Article.” Book Title, Edition. City of publication: Publisher (Date of book publication): Pages. Medium.

Carr, Nicholas. “The Bookless Library.” Insight, 2nd Edition.

Montréal: Les Éditions CEC (2012): 13-14. Print.

Magazine/Newspaper Article

Author(s). “Title of Article.” Publication Title. Day Month Year: Pages. Medium.

Featherstone, Emma. “Recruiting Gen Z: ’It’s Like Tinder, but Instead of a Date, You Get a Job’.” The Guardian. 16 Jun. 2016. Web.

Website Page

“Title of Page.” Website Title. Website Publisher. Date. Medium. Date accessed.

“The Music Industry in 2026—Technology and Trends Changing the Future of Music.”

Linkedin. 2016. Web. 17 Jan. 2017.

Web Magazine Article

Author(s). “Title of Article.” Web Magazine Title. Publisher. Publication Date. Medium. Date accessed.

Walsh, Matt. “The Four Harsh Truths that Everyone in My Generation Needs to Accept.”

The Huffington Post. 10 May 2014. Web. 12 Dec. 2016.

Online Podcast or Audio

Cited Contributor(s). Nature of contribution. “Title of Podcast.*” Name of Podcast Program.

Publisher, Publication. Date. Medium. Date accessed.

Surendra, Rajiv. Rajiv Surendra explores what it means to fail in his new memoir. Q. CBC, 24 Nov. 2016. Web.16 Nov. 2016.

Online Video

Principal Contributor. Nature of contribution. “Title of Video.” Name of Distributor. Date.

Medium. Date accessed.

Thiagi. Performer. “Palm Reading.” Thiagi Group.10 Dec. 2012. Web.10 Oct. 2016.

*Omitted in example because it is not relevant.

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LOOKING

AHEAD

A Complete All-in-One Skills and Grammar Book for Any Field of Study

Looking Ahead: Academic and Professional English Level 2 is designed for a broad range of intermediate students.

This book’s refreshing approach to learning English engages all students in any field of study, and allows for practice in not only the four skills but also the essentials of grammar for the level. Learning is consolidated at the end of each unit with three outcomes: speaking, writing and role-playing in case studies. A complete grammar section can be used as a stand-alone feature. Teachers will find the layout very practical for classroom management and lesson-planning.

FEATURES Six engaging units and one bonus unit in the online version of the book Recurring opportunities to practice English in any field of study Integrated grammar in all units and a grammar section for independent learning Strategies for all skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking Level-appropriate and motivating videos, audios and readings from authentic sources

Case studies for scenario-based learning Writing outcomes to help all students prepare for an academic or a professional career Grammar To Go reference booklet for homework and exam use 2,000 digital interactive exercises that practise vocabulary, comprehension and grammar Supplementary evaluation materials, transcripts, CD and DVD are all provided in the annotated Teacher’s Edition.

Digital Versions, accessed with or without the internet Skills and Grammar Book (All-in-one)

Teacher’s Edition

The digital skills book allows students to: ■■ flip through the book, take notes and write in their answers ■■ save voice recordings in an audio player ■■ access all videos and audios in the units ■■ do 2,000 FREE interactive activities on vocabulary, comprehension and grammar

For in-class use and correcting, the digital version allows you to: ■■ project, take notes and flip through the entire skills book ■■ show the answer key, question by question ■■ share the teacher’s notes and documents with your students ■■ correct your students’ answers directly on their digital workbook ■■ access all videos and audios ■■ save voice recordings in an audio player ■■ follow your students’ results in the interactive exercises with the MyCECZone dashboard.

Six-month access for students to the digital version of the book is FREE upon purchase of the paper version of the skills and grammar book.

One-year access to only the digital version of the skills and grammar book is also available for purchase online.

Go to www.editionscec.com.

CODE DE PRODUIT : 217146 ISBN : 978-2-7617-9199-1