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This page has the online practice materials for:
LearnEnglish Elementary Podcast Magazine No. 09
Section 8 - Tom the Teacher
You can listen online or download the podcast at Podcast 09 Home
You can also get print versions of the practice materials below in our Podcast 09 Support Pack (pdf file - 351 KB)
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Section 8 is Tom the Teacher. These are more traditional exercises. They look at being accurate in English, and often use the type of exercises you may find in English tests and exams.
Practice materials - Exercise 1
Decide which phrases we use with 'make' and which with 'do'
Practice materials - Exercise 2
Choose the correct phrases with 'yourself' to complete the sentences
Tapescript
Tom: Hello again. My name’s Tom. And at the end of every podcast, I talk about some of the language that you heard, and some ways to help you learn English.
Today I want to talk about the verbs ‘make’ and ‘do’. This is a big problem for learners of English. A lot of languages only have one word for ‘make’ and ‘do’. For example, in Portuguese, the verb ‘fazer’ is sometimes ‘make’ in English, and sometimes it’s ‘do’. So it can be very difficult for Portuguese learners to know when to use ‘make’ and when to use ‘do’.
So what’s the difference between them? Well, it isn’t an easy question to answer. Most of the time there isn’t really any difference in meaning at all. It’s just that in some phrases we use ‘make’ and in other phrases we use ‘do’.
Some grammar books tell you that we use ‘make’ when we are creating something – something that we can touch. This is sometimes true. Listen to Carolina talking about the guasacaca. Which verb does she use?
Carolina: I need to grill the meat - and I need to make the guasacaca - oh dear, and I wanted to have a shower – I’m so hot.
Tom: She says ‘I need to make the guasacaca’. We often use ‘make’ when we’re talking about food – dishes that we’ve created from other things. We don’t ‘make’ meat – that comes from an animal already made! – we just cook it. Now listen to Emily offering to help with the guasacaca.
Emily: Well, why don’t you tell me what to do and I’ll make it while you have a shower.
Tom: Emily uses ‘make’ too. She’s going to make the guasacaca for Carolina. So try to remember this use of ‘make’ with food. You can say to your friend “Mmm, this soup is delicious! You must tell me how to make it”. Or “This cake is very good. Did you make it yourself?”.
But there are lots of other phrases with ‘make’. The quiz in this podcast was about things that you can ‘make’. Listen to the last part.
Ravi: OK then, let’s hear your six Ethan.
Ethan: Erm .. Make a decision, make a mistake, make a mess, make friends, make progress and … make an appointment.
Tom: Ethan gives six examples of phrases with ‘make’.
• you make the bed when you get up in the morning,
• you can make an important decision,
• you can make a mistake – not ‘do’ – we don’t say ‘do a mistake’.
• you can make a mess – if you drop things all over the floor for example,
• you can make friends, just like Carolina has in Newcastle, and
• you can make an appointment to see the doctor or the dentist.
We always use ‘make’ in these phrases. There’s no reason for using ‘make’ – it isn’t because of the meaning of the phrases. It’s just what we say.
It’s a good idea to keep a page in your notebook for phrases with ‘make’ and ‘do’ – and try to learn them. Start with the ones from this podcast and then add to them when you find more.
Here are two phrases with ‘do’ that you can add too. We say ‘do your homework’ – ‘do’ not ‘make’. Say “I’m sorry I didn’t do the homework” to your teacher. And we also say ‘do an exam’ or ‘do a test’. Never ‘make’.
OK. Now for something different. I noticed a phrase in this podcast that might be useful for you to understand. Listen to Ravi talking to Ethan in the quiz. What did Ethan do after he left school?
Ravi: What do you do Ethan?
Ethan: Nothing, at the moment Ravi. I finished school last year and I’m going to university in a couple of months time. I’ve had a gap year and done some travelling.
Tom: Ethan had a gap-year after he finished school. It means that he didn’t start university immediately after he finished school. He waited for a year. Lots of British students have gap-years. Sometimes they work for a few months to get some money and then they go travelling – to see the world. Sometimes they go and do voluntary work for a year. The universities are usually very happy about this. They think it gives the students experience of the real world before they start studying hard again. So now you know what a ‘gap-year’ is if you hear anyone say it.
Now I want you to listen to Carolina again. Carolina speaks very good English – but sometimes there are words that she doesn’t know. Listen to what she says when she doesn’t know the word.
Emily: OK. I’ll start chopping. How much garlic?
Carolina: Um, three of those … what do you call them? The small parts of garlic.
Emily: Cloves? You mean cloves. Three of these?
Carolina: Yes that’s right.
Tom: OK – she asks Emily “what do you call them?” – she asks Emily. But she also tries to describe the thing that she doesn’t know. She says “the small parts of garlic”. This is very important when you don’t know a word. Don’t just stop! Try to describe what you want to say. Listen to Carolina again.
Carolina: But yes, it’s a traditional meal, nearly. We should have fried …. I don’t know the word – they’re like bananas – big, hard bananas.
Henry: Plantains? They look like bananas.
Carolina: Yes, maybe, plantains.
Tom: She doesn’t know the word ‘plantains’ so she says “They’re like bananas – big hard bananas”. And Henry understands what she wants to say. Try to do the same thing when you don’t know a word. Don’t stop – keep talking. Use different words to describe what you want to say. People will understand and give you the word that you need.
Before I go, as usual, I want to give you a useful phrase from the podcast – a phrase for you to use. Listen to what Carolina says to Jamie and Henry.
Carolina: Well, sit down. Make yourselves at home.
Tom: Yes, it’s another phrase with ‘make’. She says “Make yourselves at home”. She wants them to be relaxed and comfortable – as if they were in their own homes. ‘Yourselves’ is plural – Carolina is speaking to two people. If you’re talking to one person then you say “Make yourself at home”. So try to use the phrase when someone comes to visit you in your house. Say “Make yourself at home”.
OK. That’s all from me today. Remember you can send your questions to me at learnenglishpodcast@britishcouncil.org. I’ll be happy to answer your questions! Or write to me about any interesting language that you noticed. In a moment you’ll hear the address for the website where you can read everything you’ve heard in this podcast. So bye for now!
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