English for Informatics 1: Seventh Edition

UNIT 7
IT Support Staff

Picture 7.1

Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the lesson, the students are expected to be able to use appropriate
English to:
▪ identify common computer problems and their solutions.
▪ identify and use appropriate modals in asking and giving solutions.
▪ identify and use appropriate expressions to state reasons and purpose.
▪ make a phone call about asking and giving solutions using appropriate
modals and expressions.
▪ write an email about asking and giving solutions using appropriate modals
and expressions.

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Exercise 1: Look at the photos. Then answer the following questions.

1. What do you think is happening? Have you ever called an IT help desk call
center to ask for assistance for your problem? What happened? How was the
experience?
2. When you have problems with a computer hardware, what do you do? Do you
always ask for a help? To whom? If not, how do you solve your problem?
3. Make a list of computer hardware problems. What may cause the problems
and what are their solutions?

Exercise 2: Listen to six people describing problems. Complete the sentence about
each speaker’s problem with the words in the box.

connection error crashes failure

fault hanging running slowly

1. The application is __________.

2. The computer ___________.

3. There is a __________.

4. The computer is ___________.

5. The speaker had a disk __________.

6. The speaker’s mobile phone has a _________.

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Exercise 3: Refer to exercise 2, which of the six problems above has the meaning

that the computer or program is still running but nothing can be typed into it?

Describe the rest of the problems as the example. How will you solve them?

Exercise 4: Put these following sentences in the correct order. Then listen and check
your answer. Then, identify the problems and their solutions.

1. Ah. Have you tried restarting your computer?

2. Could you do that? And if you still have a problem, just call me again.

3. Does it say anything else?

4. Hi, help desk here. My name is Suki. How can I help you?

5. Er, … no I haven’t.

6. OK. Can you tell me exactly what happens?

7. OK. Thanks very much. I’ll do that.

8. Sure. When I press ‘Send’, I get an error message saying ‘This program

has found a problem and needs to close’.

9. Yes, hi. I’ve got a problem with my email. Whenever I try to send a

message, the program crashes.

10. Well, something about sending an error report to the software

company. Oh, an error code: It says ‘Error 35A4’.

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Exercise 5: Read this dialog and complete it with the words in the box.

checked disconnected found go switched

type tight unplugged worked working

Haider : Hello, IT Help Desk.

Maryam : Hi, this is Maryam from Human Resources.
Haider : Hi, this is Haider. How can I help you, Maryam?
Maryam : I (1) __________ my computer off yesterday and today I can’t turn it on.
Haider : What (2) _________ of computer do you have?
Maryam : I’m not sure. It’s a desktop computer. It (3) _______ fine yesterday.
Haider : Don’t worry. Have you (4) ________ the cable connections?
Maryam : No, I haven’t. I can see some cables but I don’t know which cable goes
where.
Haider : Make sure all the cables are (5) ________ and fully plugged in.
Maryam : OK. Give me a sec. Oh, I think I’ve (6) ______ the problem. I have one
cable that is (7) ________. It’s the power cable. Where does it go?
Haider : The power cable should (8) ______ in the three-pronged port on the
computer.
Maryam : OK, done. Let me try now. It’s (9) ______ fine. Sorry about that. Stupid
of me.
Haider : Maybe the cleaners (10) ______ your PC by mistake last night.
Maryam : Maybe. Good, we’ve solved the problem. Thank you, Haider.
Haider : You’re welcome. Have a good day.
Maryam : You too.

Exercise 6: Now listen and check your answer.

Exercise 7: Look at the dialog again. What is the problem? What is the solution?

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Exercise 8: Listen to a phone call to a company IT help desk. Answer these following

questions by choosing the best option. Then identify what Tuka’s problem is and

what solutions are offered by the IT help desk.

1. What is Tuka’s problem?

A. can’t print out B. has lost files C. is not connected to the

network

2. How does Tuka sound?

A. worried B. angry C. tired

3. What is the possible cause of the problem?

A. a hardware upgrade B. a server problem C. a software upgrade

4. What is the technician’s first suggestion?

A. go to a folder on the server

B. go to a folder on the desktop

C. go to a folder on the C drive

5. What is the technician’s second suggestion?

A. He will call back in five minutes.

B. He will come down to Tuka’s office.

C. He will get help from someone else.

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Exercise 9: Say what you think the problem is in these situations. Use the

language from the table below. Look at the example:

I cannot connect to the network. I wonder why.

→ The server might not be working.

Modal of speculation and deduction

We use the modal verbs may, might, and Example:

could to speculate about possible I’m not sure what the problem is. It
reasons and causes. might be a software problem.
Could it be a hardware issue?
We use must when we are sure that Example:
something is true and can’t if we are sure It shouldn’t do that: it must be a fault.
that something is not true. The server can’t be busy! No one’s using
the website.

1. My computer won’t switch on. There have been many reports in the

newspaper about viruses recently.

2. I can’t find the file I need. I’m sure it’s not on the server. I’ve looked

everywhere.

3. Mehmet, the support technician, isn’t at his desk. He often has to help

people at their desks.

4. I left my mobile phone on for three days without recharging. I’m sure the

battery will be flat by now. It usually only lasts a day.

5. I’m not sure what the problem is. I’ve checked the cables and they’re fine.

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6. I can’t connect to the internet. I should check whether the network cables

are plugged in.

Exercise 10: Put these steps in solving an IT problem in the correct order.

 Decide which of the possible solutions is the most likely.

 If that doesn’t work, try another solution.

 Check what the symptoms of the problems are.
 Continue the process until something works.

 Think of some possible solutions.

 Try the most likely solution.

Exercise 11: Complete the service reports for the IT Support team. The words may
be used more than once.

check file saved version install resend run move

1. Service Report #1

Service Report

Date 6. 05
Name Bolek
Fault 1. What ___________ of Office do you have?
Diagnosis 2. What is the version of the __________?
Questions
Possible 1. If you have newer version, _________ an Office
Solutions patch.
2. Ask the sender to save the file in an older version
and __________ it.

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2. Service Report #2

Service Report

Date
Name
Fault Diagnosis 1. Have you __________ the file?
Questions 2. Are there any messages about ___________ in the
attachment?

Possible 1. ___________ the attachment changes.

Solutions 2. Look for the file in Internet Temporary Files.

3. Service Report #3

Service Report

Date
Name
Fault Diagnosis 1. What ___________ of Office do you have?
Questions 2. Have you checked the Recycle Bin?
3. Have you __________ disk fragmented recently?
Possible 1. If the file is in the Recycle Bin, __________ it to a
Solutions folder in My Document.
2. If the file isn’t in the Recycle Bin, install undeleted
software.

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Expressing reasons and purpose

We can use the following forms to express reason and purpose

For + noun phrase I should update my OS for its new features.

So that + clause I should update my OS so that I can use its new features.

To + infinitive (verb 1) I should update my OS to use its new features.

Because + clause I should update my OS because it has new features.

Exercise 12: Work in pairs or small groups. Match 1-6 with a-f then complete the

gaps with for, so that, to, or because.

1. Back up everything a. ________ enter the BIOS.

2. Put the DVD in the drive b. ________ that the computer

3. Press “F2” while rebooting the restarts from the operating system

computer DVD.

4. During the installation process, the c. ________ use the different

computer will ask you some questions partitions for different purpose.

5. You might want to partition the hard d. ________ safety.

drive e. ________ that the process can

6. Change the boot drive to the optical start.

drive f. _________ it needs to know some.

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Exercise 13: Work in pairs. Practice a phone call to the company IT help desk. Pay

attention to the telephone manners (greeting, introducing yourself, stating your

purposes, and so forth). Use modals and expressions that you have learned

previously.

STUDENT A STUDENT B

Call the IT help desk. Help Student A with the problem.

You cannot access email server. The mail server asks for username and
Ask for help. password.
You changed your password last Has student A used the wrong
week. password?

Help student B with the problem. Call the IT help desk.

At the moment the internet You cannot access the Internet at the
connection is down. moment.
Try again later. Ask for help.

Call the IT help desk. Help student A with the problem.

You can’t print out on network. There is a new default printer.
Ask for help.

Help student B with the problem. Call the IT help desk.

Change screen resolution? The opened page is too large for the
screen.

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Exercise 14: Work in pairs. You are technicians in an advertising company. You

look after operating system and software. Look at this email from your manager

and decide whether to use an open source OS, a proprietary OS or some of each.

Then explain your decision to the class. Pay attention to emailing manners

(netiquette) and use modals and expressions that you have learned previously.

Hi Jonathan,

We need to replace the computers in our administration office and our design office. The
administration staffs are using old computer that need updating. The design staffs need to keep
the software they are currently using (e.g. Photoshop, CorelDRAW, etc.).

What are your recommendations from operating systems? Please let me know.

Many thanks.

Tom Hiddleston

Exercise 15: Write an email to your manager giving your recommendation.

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