Anglistics Study Programme

CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH LANGUAGE 7

Contemporary Language in Use
Week 9

Lecturer: Valentina Gavranovic

Anglistics Study Programme

www.singidunum.ac.rs/admission
Anglistics Study Programme

PLAN

- Topic: career, plans for the future, expectations, hopes and fears
- Focus on:
• Punctuation
• Reading task: What next? The winding road through my early 20s

Anglistics Study Programme

www.singidunum.ac.rs/admission
Anglistics Study Programme

Revising vocabulary

Task 1. Which phrasal verb is a part of the following idiomatic

expressions?

1 It's hard to get a firm decision out of him - he's always ___ on a tangent.
2 He ______ on one because he thought I was threatening his dog.
3 They were really excited about the project, but now they seem to have
_______ the boil.
Anglistics Study Programme

Revising vocabulary

Task 2. Analogies

recursive: repetitive → underscore: ________

elevate: lower → encourage: ________
allow for: consider → dissent: _________
reference: referential → sequence: ________
Anglistics Study Programme

Revising vocabulary

Task 3. Compare.
1 I heard a rumour that she's leaving, but apparently it's not true.
2 A series of apparently unconnected events led to his resignation.
3 The computer trouble was apparently caused by a programming error.

Task 4. Translate the phrase ,,smetnje u učenju’’.

Anglistics Study Programme

Punctuation – the use of comma

Task. Why do we use commas in the following sentences?

1. I bought apples, oranges, and pears.

2. Sue is a lovely girl, isn't she?

3. If you see her, send her my love.

4. I will be late, and he knows that.

5. Broadly speaking, I agree with what you are saying.

6. I do not, however, agree with your last point.

7. My best friend, who lives in Germany, has invited me to visit him there.
Anglistics Study Programme

Punctuation – the use of comma

Commas are used:

- to separate items in lists, e.g. I bought apples, oranges, and pears.

- before question tags, e.g. Sue is a lovely girl, isn't she?

- to separate clauses, If you see her, send her my love.

- after and around certain linking words, e.g. Broadly speaking, I agree with what you are
saying./ I do not, however, agree with your last point.

Note that commas are not used between a subject and its verb, or in defining relative clauses,
e.g. The lady standing over there at the bus stop is my next-door neighbour. Or Will the
pupil who threw that paper dart please stand up now,

but, My best friend, who lives in Germany, has invited me to visit him there.
Anglistics Study Programme

Punctuation – the use of apostrophe

Task 1. Why do we use apostrophes in the following examples?

1. It's warm today.
2. Jack's car, the player's entrance, the people's decision
3. There are two I's in 'specially'. Are these 7's or 3's?

Task 2. Circle the correct form.

1a It’s as difficult question.
1b The dog hurt it’s paw.
Anglistics Study Programme

Punctuation – the use of apostrophe

Apostrophes are used:

- to indicate letters omitted, e.g. It's warm today.
- possession, e.g. Jack's car, the player's entrance, the people's decision
- plurals of letters and figures, e.g. There are two I's in 'specially'. Are these 7's or 3's?

Note: Possessive its does not have an apostrophe.

Anglistics Study Programme

Punctuation – the use of colons and semicolons

Task 1. Why do we use colons and semicolons in the following sentences?

1. There were two possible courses of action: borrowing from the bank, or
asking for more time to find the money elsewhere.
2. I had a huge meal; however, I am already hungry again.
Anglistics Study Programme

Punctuation – the use of colons and semicolons

Colons introduce examples, lists, and statements which give in detail what
has been stated in general, e.g. There were two possible courses of
action: borrowing from the bank, or asking for more time to find the
money elsewhere.

Semicolons divide parts of long sentences or long phrases in a list; it is

usually possible to divide one sentence into shorter ones; in that case
semi-colons are unnecessary.
Anglistics Study Programme

Punctuation: Add the necessary comas, (semi)colons and

apostrophes to these sentences.

1. Water is becoming a more and more precious commodity so save as much as you can.

2. Flushing the toilet accounts for a third of all household water use so don't flush wastefully.

3. If you are only getting rid of a tissue for example resist the habit of reaching for the handle
or chain.

4. Take a shower rather than a bath it uses about a third of the water.

5. And don't keep the water running all the time when you wash or clean your teeth.

6. If you have a garden try to find ways of saving water outside such as using a water butt to
collect rain water rather than using a hosepipe to water your flowers.

7. A simple pipe connecting external gutters to a water butt can save an awful lot of water.
Anglistics Study Programme

Punctuation - Answers

1. Water is becoming a more and more precious commodity, so save as much as you can.

2. Flushing the toilet accounts for a third of all household water use, so don't flush wastefully.

3. If you are only getting rid of a tissue, for example, resist the habit of reaching for the
handle or chain.

4. Take a shower rather than a bath; it uses about a third of the water.

5. And don't keep the water running all the time when you wash or clean your teeth.

6. If you have a garden, try to find ways of saving water outside, such as using a water butt to
collect rain water, rather than using a hosepipe to water your flowers.

7. A simple pipe connecting external gutters to a water butt can save an awful lot of water.
Anglistics Study Programme

Introducing the topic:

Task. Watch the first 7 minutes 10 secs and focus on the following:
- What are kids told when they are in kindergarten?
- How does it change as we grow older?
- Why does Megan talk about ‘real job’? What are its characteristics?
- Why is college important?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARGkp6am3S8
Anglistics Study Programme

Reading for gist: What next? The winding road through my

early 20s

Task. Scan the text and answer the following questions.

1. What is the article about?

2. What does the author of the article discuss?
Anglistics Study Programme

What do I want out of life, and how will I get there? That’s a question we’re given little time to ask ourselves at Cambridge.
We spend so much of it driving in a particular direction without knowing precisely where we’re going – and often it’s
the golden lights of the City that draw us in.

So I applied to a handful of commercial law internships over the winter. I knew others who were applying to dozens of them
without much luck, but trying out the corporate world felt like the thing to do. It’s the next rung on the ladder. I’m also
a privately-educated white man, so I thought, at the very least, I’d look the part. Yet how often do we get to witness the
day-to-day realities of the City life? So I seized the opportunity and made some notes during my time there.

Day 1 – Enter boardroom. Clusters of fresh faces making small-talk. After making tea, I join the nearest circle. Try to cut
tension by picking up breakfast item from across the room – bacon brioche. The rest is lying there, beckoning me. I’ll
never understand why food in corporate spaces is always left so unsatisfyingly uneaten. Rest of the day spent in health
and safety talks. Get a load of free stash, which is superb. Timetable for scheme is busy. Talks by different departments,
workshops, and office-time shadowing with our own solicitors. Later, I meet my solicitor. An Oxford Historian. Like I
was reconstituted in papier-mâché form, with my bucket CV for plaster-caste. Minor existential crisis on the Tube
home as I contemplate how conventional I have become. Sleep.

Day 2 – After one year at the firm no one can tell the difference between Law and non-Law undergraduates, according to my
solicitor. I smile to myself in macabre satisfaction, having prudently avoided the labours of undergraduate Law. Then a
keen fellow intern brings up ‘Due Diligence’ and I feel lost again.

Day 3 – Workshop on ‘responsible business’ – one of those corporate euphemisms of which I tend to be sceptical. Usual
buzzwords come up.

Day 4 – Taken to a local theatre for workshop on body language. Summary: manspreading really is the route to success! In
addition to: direct eye contact; and firm handshakes. Boys school really worked wonders.
Anglistics Study Programme

What next? The winding road through my early 20s

Don't hesitate to ask yourself what you want to do with your life, writes an anonymous student

What do I want out of life, and how will I get 1 What are Cambridge students
there? That’s a question we’re given little mainly concerned about during
time to ask ourselves at Cambridge. We spend their studies?
so much of it driving in a particular direction
2 What does the author refer to
without knowing precisely where we’re going when he says ‘the golden lights
– and often it’s the golden lights of the City of the City’?
that draw us in. So I applied to a handful of
commercial law internships over the winter. I 3. In author’s opinion, what helps
knew others who were applying to dozens of him take the first step in the
them without much luck, but trying out the corporate world?
corporate world felt like the thing to do. It’s
the next rung on the ladder. I’m also a 4. What did the author decide to do
privately-educated white man, so I thought, at
during his visit to the City?
the very least, I’d look the part. Yet how often
do we get to witness the day-to-day realities
of the City life? So I seized the opportunity
and made some notes during my time there.
Anglistics Study Programme

What next? The winding road through my early 20s

Don't hesitate to ask yourself what you want to do with your life, writes an anonymous student

Day 1

Enter boardroom. Clusters of fresh faces making

5. What were his first impressions
during the first day? What did he
small-talk. After making tea, I join the nearest experience first/next?
circle. Try to cut tension by picking up
breakfast item from across the room – bacon
brioche. The rest is lying there, beckoning
me. I’ll never understand why food in
corporate spaces is always left so
unsatisfyingly uneaten. The rest of the day
spent in health and safety talks. Get a load of
free stash, which is superb. Timetable for
scheme is busy. Talks by diferent
departments, workshops, and office-time
shadowing, with our own solicitors. Later, I
meet my solicitor. An Oxford Historian. Like
I was reconstituted in papier-mâché form,
with my bucket CV for plaster-caste. Minor
existential crisis on the Tube home as I
contemplate how conventional I have
become. Sleep.
Anglistics Study Programme

What next? The winding road through my early 20s

Don't hesitate to ask yourself what you want to do with your life, writes an anonymous student

Day 2 6. What happened during the

second day of his visit?
After one year at the firm no one can tell the
difference between Law and non-Law
undergraduates, according to my
solicitor. I smile to myself in macabre
satisfaction, having prudently avoided
the labours of undergraduate Law. Then
a keen fellow intern brings up ‘Due
Diligence’ and I feel lost again.
Anglistics Study Programme

What next? The winding road through my early 20s

Don't hesitate to ask yourself what you want to do with your life, writes an anonymous student

Day 3 7. What is the author’s opinion

about the workshop they had on
Workshop on ‘responsible business’– one of the third day?
those corporate euphemisms of which I
tend to be sceptical. Usual buzzwords
come up.

Day 4

Taken to a local theatre for workshop on

body language. Summary:
manspreading really is the route to
success! In addition to: direct eye
contact; and irm handshakes. Boys
school really worked wonders.
Anglistics Study Programme

MIND THE FOLLOWING LEXICAL ITEMS

To apply to vs apply for

Rung on/of the ladder
To look the part

‘Due diligence’
Corporate euphemism

Buzzword
Macabre satisfaction
Anglistics Study Programme

Reading for specific information. What next? The winding road

through my early 20s – part 2

Task. Read the text again and answer the comprehension

questions.
Anglistics Study Programme

Why your major will never matter | Megan Schwab |

TEDxFSU (cont.)

Task. Watch the last 7 minutes of Megan’s talk and focus on the following:
- the importance of college major

- skills looked for by employers

- what really matters when it comes to the right choice of our careers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARGkp6am3S8