Objectives & Sequence: This lesson is intended to be used as a preview of Grammar 8-3.
Part One
Work with a partner and practice the following conversations. Use the recordings to help you with the pronunciation and intonation of the words. Try to mimic the style of the speakers.
A: Have you heard that the city’s banned the use of plastic bags in grocery stores?
B: Seriously? What do they expect us to use instead?
A: I guess paper or reusable ones.
B: Don’t they have bigger problems to worry about?
A: This isn’t a small issue. A lot of pollution comes from plastic. I’ve even heard that if we don’t do anything, there’ll be more plastic than fish in the oceans by the year 2050.
B: Hmmm. I didn’t know that.
A: Yeah, trust me. It’s a good thing plastic bags are banned. The planet will be much better without them.
A: Do you do anything to save power?
B: Um, I guess the only I do is try to unplug things when I’m not using them.
A: You mean like your toaster or something?
B: Yeah, like this morning, after I finished breakfast, I unplugged all the appliances that I used in the kitchen, like the toaster, blender, coffee machine… you know.
A: Wow. So everything in your place is unplugged because you aren’t at home. What about your lights? Do you make sure to turn them off too?
B: Yeah, of course. All my lights are turned off when I’m out.
A: Errghhh.
B: Woah. What’s wrong?
A: Oh, I’m just super frustrated.
B: Why? What’s frustrating you so much?
A: People.
B: Could you be more specific?
A: Well, I try really hard to be kind to our planet, but it doesn’t matter what I do if everyone else doesn’t care. It seems like everyone drives their cars when they could be taking a bus or bicycle, nobody recycles, and it’s almost impossible going to a restaurant in this city if you choose to be a vegetarian.
B: Yeah, that is frustrating, but relax, the world is changing. It’s just going to take time.
A: Yeah, I guess.
A: Man, that documentary was amazing!
B: Amazing? Are you serious?
A: Absolutely? What? You don’t think so?
B: Not at all. I was pretty bored for most of it.
A: Oh, come on! It talked so much about our environment and all of the things we can do to help reduce the effects of climate change. I thought it was incredible!
B: Incredible? No way. It was all fake. There isn't anything one person can do to save the entire world.
A: I am amazed that you still don't understand. It takes everyone doing little things in their daily lives to change the world. Not just one person. Remember when the narrator talked about the effects of smog on that city in China? How were you bored?
B: Yeah, that part was interesting, but the movie certainly didn’t amaze me.
A: Okay, whatever. You can choose the next one.
Part Two
All of the words in blue and orange are either past participles or the "~ing" form of a verb. How are the blue words used differently than the ones in orange? Which ones are verbs? Which ones are adjectives?