A Look at the poster of a well – known film.

(t) Mire el póster de una película conocida

Do you know what it’s about?
(t) ¿Sabes de qué se trata?
It is an American comedy, which is about a
young woman who introduces her boyfriend to
her parents, but her boyfriend is a stupid nurse
and her father is the boss of a mafia
Have you seen it? (t) ¿La has visto?
Yes, I have. I’ve seen it once.

B With a partner, think of two pieces of advice

for somebody who is going to meet their
partner’s parents for the first time.

“think of two pieces of advice” (t) piensa en dos consejos

1. Dress well. ... 2. Be punctual
C Now read an article adapted from the website wikiHow. Is your advice there? Yes, there is.
V: HOWEBER: SIN EMBARGO.
D Complete the gaps with the verbs in the list.

How to…Survive Meeting Your Girlfriend’s Parent for the First Time
It’s stressful, but these top tips can help you to get it right…
Tips
1 You need to do some ‘homework’ before you go. Ask your girlfriend about her parents. Where does her
mother work? Does her father like football? Do you have any common interests? If you do this, it will be easy
a conversation with them.

2 Make sure you dress to have the right impression. Don’t wear a suit, but don’t just wear your old jeans and
the Che Guevara T-shirt you bought in the market.

3 Be punctual. It’s very important not to be late at a first meeting.

4 When they greet you at the door shake the father’s hand firmly (no father likes a weak handshake!). Ask
your girlfriend what kind of greeting her mum will prefer.

5 Call her parents Mr and Mrs (Smith) until they ask you to call them ‘Dave’ and ‘Sharon’.

6 Be ready to answer questions about yourself! Her parents will want to know everything about you and your
ambitions. Make a good impression!

7 If you are invited for a meal, eat everything they give you and say something positive about the meal, like
‘This is absolutely delicious!’. Offer to do the washing-up after the meal (them that you are a ‘new man’).

8 Be yourself, and don’t be a ‘yes’ man. If they ask you for your opinion, be honest. However, try not to talk
about controversial subjects – this isn’t the moment to give your views on religion and politics!

9 If the conversation is dying and you can’t think what, ask them what to say your partner was like as a child.
This is a brilliant tactic! All parents love talking about their children and it shows you have a deep interest in
their daughter.
Cómo... Sobrevivir conociendo a los padres de su novia por primera vez
Es estresante, pero estos consejos principales pueden ayudarte a hacerlo bien...
Consejos
1 Tienes que hacer algunas 'tareas' antes de irte. Pregúntale a tu novia sobre sus padres. ¿Dónde trabaja su madre? ¿A
su padre le gusta el fútbol? ¿Tienes algún interés en común? Si haces esto, será fácil conversar con ellos.
2 Asegúrese de vestirse para tener la impresión correcta. No use un traje, pero no se limite a usar sus jeans viejos y la
camiseta Che Guevara que compró en el mercado.
3 Sé puntual. Es muy importante no llegar tarde a la primera reunión.
4 Cuando te saludan en la puerta, dale la mano al padre con firmeza (¡a ningún padre le gusta el débil apretón de
manos!). Pregúntale a tu novia qué clase de saludo preferirá su madre.
5 Llame a sus padres, el Sr. y la Sra. (Smith) hasta que le pidan que los llame 'Dave' y 'Sharon'.
6 ¡Prepárate para responder preguntas sobre ti! Sus padres querrán saber todo sobre usted y sus ambiciones. ¡Haz una
buena impresión!
7 Si te invitan a una comida, come todo lo que te dan y di algo positivo sobre la comida, como "¡Esto es absolutamente
delicioso!". Ofrécete lavar los platos después de la comida (que eres un "hombre nuevo").
8 Sé tú mismo, y no seas un "sí". Si te piden tu opinión, sé honesto. Sin embargo, trate de no hablar sobre temas
controvertidos: ¡este no es el momento de dar su opinión sobre religión y política!
9 Si la conversación se está muriendo y usted no puede pensar qué, pregúnteles cómo decir que su pareja era como un
niño. ¡Esta es una táctica brillante! A todos los padres les encanta hablar sobre sus hijos y esto demuestra que usted
tiene un profundo interés en su hija.
 E Does the meeting start well or badly?
The meeting starts badly.
How does it end? The meeting finishes well.
F Listen again and answer the questions.
1 What does he do wrong?
He arrives late;
he calls them by their first names he gives his opinion
too strongly about meat eaters;
he doesn't say anything positive about the food;
he doesn't offer to help with the washing-up;
he doesn't find out before meeting him if the father
likes football;
he wasn't very good at answering questions about
himself;
his answers are very short, so the conversation dies.
2 What does he do right?
He asks to see photos of Suzy as a child and he says
she looked 'sweet'.

Uses of the infinitive with to . ..

1 after some verbs, e.g. need, want, etc.
2 after adjectives
3 to give a reason for doing something
4 after a question word, e.g. who, what, how

a Match sentence a-d from the article with rules l-4.

a 2 If you do this, it will be easy to have a

conversation with them.
b 3 Offer to do the washing-up after the meal
(to show them that you are a 'new man').
c 4 If the conversation is dying and you
can't think what to say, ask them what
your partner was like as a chi ld.
d 1 You need to do some 'homework'
before you go.

a2b3c4d1
b Look at the other infinitives you used to complete the article.
Which rules are they?
2 to make (Rule 3)
3 not to be (Rule 2)
6 to answer (Rule 2), to know (Rule 1)
7 to do (Rule 1)
8 not to talk (Rule 11)
c > p.138 Grammar Bank 7A. Learn more about uses of the infinitive and practise them.

3 VOCABULARY verbs + infinitive

a Without looking back at the article try to remember the missing verbs.

1 You need to do some homework before you go.

2 Her parents will want to know everything about you and your ambitions.
3 Offer to do the washing-up after the meal...
4 However, try not to talk about controversial subjects…

1 need 2 want 3 Offer 4 try

b > p.158 Vocabulary Bank Verb forms. Do part 1 (Verbs + infinitive).

4 PRONUNCIATION & SPEAKING

weak form of to, linking
a 3 26 ))) Listen to two sentences. Is to stressed? How is it pronounced?
I want to come.
He decided to leave.

***Linking words with the same consonant sound

When a word ends in a consonant sound and the next word begins with the same or a very similar sound, we
often link the words together and only make the consonant sound once. This happens when a verb ends in
“t” or “d” before to, so want to is pronounced /'wont o. and decided to is pronounced dJ'smdn:li

b 3 27))) Listen and write six sentences. Then practise saying them.

1 He promised to help me.

2 Don't forget to turn off the lights.
3 It's difficult to say.
4 I don't know what to do.
5 Do you want to come with me?
6 It's important not to be late.
c Work in pairs. A a k B the first six questions. B give as much information as you can. Swap roles for
the last six questions.

• Have you ever offered to look after somebody's dog (or another pet)?
Yes, I have. I offered to look after of my niece’s cat last February.
• Do you think it is difficult to stay friends with an ex-boyfriend/girlfriend?
It depends if the relationship ended right or wrong. I think if the relationship ended badly it is
difficult to say friend to an ex-partner
• Have you ever tried to learn something new and failed?
Yes, I have. I tried to learn to ski when I was 10 years old but I failed
• Do you think it is important to learn to cook at school?
Yes, I do. Because some children have the talent to learn to cook and that way they can be excellent
chefs in the future
• How long do you usually spend deciding what to wear in the morning?
I usually do not spend more than five minutes to use in the morning
• Do you know how to change a wheel on a car?
Yes, I do. I learned how to change the wheel of the car in a course to get my driver's license about
ten years ago.
• Do you think it's possible to learn a foreign language studying on your own at home?
It depends if the person is constant to study and if the person has a good online course. In my case I
prefer to learn from a teacher.
• Are you planning to go anywhere next weekend?
Yes, I am. I’m planning to go to the countryside in Santa Bárbara. I’m planning to go to my brother’s
house in the countryside
• Would you like to work or study in another country?
Yes, I’d like. I’d like to work in Australia or Canada, because both countries have modern, clean and
beautiful cities, most of Australians or Canadians are friendly; the weather in these countries is all
right for me. In my case I would prefer to work in Canada, because I work for a Canadian Bank.
• Have you ever pretended to be ill (when you weren't)?
Yes, I have. Because one day I didn’t want to go to school so I pretended to be ill when I was child
• Have you ever forgotten to turn off your mobile phone during a class or concert?
Yes, I have. I forgot to turn off my mobile phone during an symphonic concert in the theater of the
University of Concepcion last year.
• What do you think is the most interesting thing to do for a visitor to your town?
I think to eat delicious seafood dishes or go for a walk in the Barrio Universitario is the most
interesting thing to do for a visitor to in my town.

d >-Communication How to ... A p.l 03 B p.l07. Read and re-tell two more How to.... Articles.
7A HOW TO... Student A
a Read the article How to survive at a party. Then without looking at the text tell B the five tips. When you finish decide
with B which is the most important tip.

How to... Survive at a Party (when you don't know anybody)

1) Don't stand in the corner. You need to be positive. Find somebody you think you would like to talk to and introduce
yourself.
2) Try to ask impersonal questions Like 'I love your bag. Where did you get it?' This will help to start a conversation.
3) Don't dominate the conversation. When you are nervous it's very easy to talk about yourself all the time. Nobody
wants to listen to your Life story when they have just met you for the first time.
4) Smile! Use your body Language to give a positive, friendly impression.
5) If you need to escape from a really boring person, say that you are going to the bar to get a drink or that you need to
go to the bathroom. Don't come back!

b B will tell you five tips for How to survive a first date. Listen and when he or she finishes decide together which is the
most important tip.

***The most important tip for me is Smile! Be friendly.

7A HOW TO... Student B

a Read the article How to survive a first date.
b A will tell you five tips for How to survive at a party. Listen and when he or she finishes decide together which is the
most important tip.
c Look again quickly at How to survive a first date. Then without looking at the text tell A the five
tips. When you finish decide with A which is the most important tip.

How to... Survive a First Date (and make a success of it)

1) Think carefully about what to wear for the date. If you are a man, try to dress smartly but casually (no suits!). If you
are a woman, it's important not to dress too sexily. Don't wear too much perfume or after shave!
2) Choose a place that isn't too expensive (you don't know who is going to pay). Try to go somewhere that isn't very
noisy.
3) Don't be too romantic on a first date. For example, arriving with a red rose on a first date isn't a good idea!
4) Remember to listen more than you talk but don't Let the conversation die. Silence is a killer on a first date! Be
natural. Don't pretend to be somebody you aren’t.
5) If you are a man, be a gentleman and pay the bill at the end of the evening. If you are a woman, offer to pay your
half of the bill (but don't insist!).

***Don’t be too romantic on a first date for me is the most important tip.

5 WRITING
With a partner, write a 'How to...' article. Choose one of the titles below, and try to think of at least four tips.

How to...
• make a good impression on your first day in your English class.
• make a good impression at a job interview.

“How to... make a good impression at a job interview”.

1. Think positive
2. Turn off the mobile phonne
3. Research the industry and company
4. Prepare for common interview questions
5. Bring a copy of your resume to every interview