Part One: Warm Up
Discuss the following questions with your partner(s).
- Look at the picture. What is happening?
- What are some reasons why you might return an item?
- Is it easy or difficult to return items in your country? Why?
- How is returning an item that you bought online different from returning an item to a physical store?
Part Two: Listening
Open the exercise and complete section #1.
Part Three: Getting Ready to Speak / Your Turn
Look at how the customer service agent gave instructions. As you learned in Unit 2, when we give instructions in English, we usually use sequence adverbs and imperative verbs.
- Next, locate your returns form.
Sometimes, we want to make the sequence a little clearer or express a condition, so instead of just using a sequence adverb, we use an adverbial clause that directly refers to another step in the process.
- Complete the form. After, put the form and your item into a package.
- After you have completed the form, put the form and your item into a package.
To make the adverbial clause, we need to use a subordinating conjunction like ‘after’ in the example above. Some other common subordinating conjunctions for giving instructions are:
- before
- once
- as soon as
- when
- while
- if
- unless
Look at these two examples from the listening. Work with your partner(s) to identify the adverbial clause and the subordinating conjunction.
- Once we receive the package, you will receive an email to let you know.
- If you have proof from Canada Post that you sent the item, we can still refund you.
Sometimes, we might want to be more polite when giving our instructions. To do this, we can use the modal auxiliary verb ‘should’. Look at the example from the conversation.
- Next, you should address the package to our returns centre in Burnaby.
Be careful! Unlike in the imperative, we must state the subject when we use should and follow it with the base form of the main verb.
It would also be very unnatural to use should to give all of our instructions; rather, we use a mixture of the imperative and should like the customer service agent did in the conversation.
Open the exercise and complete the rest of the sections.