If most of your answers were:

a: You are helpful, patient, generous. Your ideal job is one in which you work with people - helping, training or curing them, e.g. doctor, nurse, teacher, social worker.

b: You are reliable, organized, logical, careful. You are good at practical things. You are a good person to work with figures, computers, machines, plants or animals.

c: You are emotional, creative, flexible. You are imaginative and creative and you would be good as a journalist, designer or artist of some kind.

d: You are strong, confident, motivated. You are a natural leader and would be a good manager of other people in a business.

If your answers were mixed, you are probably suited to a job in which you can use your different skills and abilities. Example: manager of a computer company which combines practical abilities (b) and leadership (d).

Spoken Etiquette Apologizing

Formal

I apologize for coming late.	It’s all right.
I must apologize for not calling you up. I really couldn’t.	Yes, I know, but still it’s not too bad.
I beg your pardon for not letting you know I wouldn’t be able to come.	I’m afraid that’s no excuse.
Excuse me for bothering you, but it’s really urgent.	It’s quite all right.
I’m afraid I kept you waiting.	Never mind.
I hope I’m not disturbing you.	Not at all.

Informal

I’m sorry to put you to the trouble.	No trouble at all.
Excuse my back.	It’s all right.
I’m terribly sorry but I forgot to tell you the message.	All right.
Sorry, what did you say?	I said I will give you a ring.

Both I’m sorry and excuse me are used as introductory phrases for something that the person considers to be trouble for somebody.

Excuse me without the following details is also used when one addresses a person whose name one doesn’t know; it is also used in transport when one intends to pass and somebody is in the way.

Sorry just as one word is used when a person apologizes for something he has done.

What would you say?

Complete the conversations with the correct expressions.

• I’m sorry; Excuse me; of course; Pardon

A: …..! Can I get passed?

B: …..?

A: Can I get passed, please?

B: ….. I didn’t hear you. Yes, …..

A: Thanks a lot.

• That’s right; Oh, what a pity; Congratulations; Never mind; I hear

A: …..you’re going to get married soon. …..!

B: ….., next July. July 21. Can you come to the wedding?

A: …..! That’s when we’re away on holiday.

B: ….. We’ll send you some wedding cake.

A: That’s very kind.

Make up and then role-play the dialogues for the following situations.

• A student is late for the lesson, the teacher is not pleased.

• A friend is late for the party; you are happy he has finally come.

• Two passengers on a bus: you are getting off at the next stop and somebody is standing in your way.

• A cup slipped out of your hand and you spoiled the table cloth.

• You insisted on seeing the film, but it turned out terribly boring. Your friend thinks you’ve wasted time.

• Your friend wants to borrow some money from you. You don’t have the money he asks for.

Meals

It goes without saying that I prefer to have meals at home. At the weekend I like to get up late and have a good breakfast of scrambled eggs or pancakes, or something like that. But on weekdays I’m always short of time in the morning. So I just have a cup of strong tea or coffee and a couple of sandwiches.

As I spend a lot of time at the university it’s necessary to have a snack at midday just to keep me going. That’s why I have to go to the university canteen to have lunch. Our university canteen leaves much to be desired. It has become a tradition with our canteen to serve chops and watery mashed potatoes every day with a glass of cocoa or stewed fruit.

But I enjoy my evening meal at home. My mother is a wonderful cook and her dinners are always delicious and various.

To begin with, we usually have some salad – tomato and cucumber salad or mixed salad. For the first course we have some soup – noodle, mushroom or cabbage soup, or maybe some fish soup for a change. For the main course we have meat, chicken or fish dishes, for example, steak or fried fish with spaghetti or potatoes (boiled or fried). We also have a lot of vegetables – green peas, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers. I prefer meat to fish but my mother makes me eat fish from time to time. She says it’s good for my brains.

For dessert we have some fruit, fruit juice or just a cup of tea with a slice of cake.

On Sundays I sometimes go to McDonald’s. I like everything there: cheeseburgers, hamburgers and Big Macs, apple pies and fruit cocktails. But unfortunately I can’t afford to go there very often, because it’s rather expensive and besides, they say it’s not very healthy to eat at McDonald’s.