6. Practice

6.1. Compose the dialogue.

Think of the topic of a small talk (your country/town; family; your study; your work; your free time; sport, the weather...)

Take into consideration phrases given below:

– Tell me a little about yourself.

– I don’t know where to begin. What do you want to know?

– ...

6.2. Fill in the form:

First name Surname Date of birth Place of birth Nationality Occupation Address Telephone number

Mike Brown 15.03.70 London English manager 25, Regent St., London, U.K. 071-839

6.3. Write the letter to the club «Friendship».

6.4. Read the text and discuss the questions:

British Families

British families are usually quite small. An average family consists of a mother, a father and two or three children. No one is really sure how it is possible to have four children. It is quite rare in Britain for grandparents, aunts and uncles to share the house with the family. However, families often share the house with dogs, cats, goldfish and even rabbits which they keep, not to eat, but as pets.

1) Are families in Britain the same as in our country?

2) What similarities and differences do you notice from the passage?

6.5. Develop the situation from one of the given topics or make up a short dialogue:

1. Let’s get acquainted!

2. You have received the letter from England.

3. Introduction your classmates, friends…

Grammar task

1.Revision.

Revise the formation of The Present Simple Tense, The Past Simple Tense, The Future Simple Tense (in an affirmative, negative and interrogative sentence), verbs to be, to have, pronouns, the plural of nouns.

2. Read the texts; translate them in written form, paying attention to the verbs in the past simple tense forms.

A. How english names began

Most names of people in the English-speaking world had the beginning long ago in the British Isles.

About a thousand years ago there were very few people living in the British Isles. Towns and villages were tiny. And in the country-side the small number of people lived very far apart.

Because there were so few people, almost everyone had only one name. A name such as John, David or Mary was all that was needed. As time went on some way had to be discovered to distinguish one John by name from another. The answer was eventually found by adding a family name to the already existing first names.

When John’s son was made into one word “Johnson”, it was used as a family name. There are many examples of “son’ names, such as Davidson, Wilson, Peterson, Dickson, Williamson.

The Scottish «Mac» also meant «the son of» hence Macadam, «Son of Adam». The same can be said about the Irish «0» – O’Neil meant «the son of Neil»

After the Norman Conquest it became common in England to use, the Norman way of showing who a person’s father was: they added «fitz» to make Fitzwilliam, Fitzpatric and so on.

B. Family names from occupations

Later still it became common to call a person according to his work. Many family names first began when people were described as John the Smith, John the Farmer, John the Miller, John the Baker or more simply John Baker; Fisher; Singer, are all occupational names. Some other names of this kind are Barber, Cook, Thatcher and so on.

C. Family names from places

One way to distinguish between one person and another was to say where they lived. In this way places also became family names.

For example, John lived near the water, he was called «John at water» or simply «John Atwater». Another John who perhaps lived by the brook could be described as «John Brook», and John Fields was not the same John as the one who lived by the bridge. Other names of this kind are Hill, Rivers, Waters and so on.

In many towns and villages in Britain today you can see how many of English family names began. Even the word «Town» is a well-known family name, as well as «Hampton», which means «village».

D. Family names from nicknames

Yet another way to distinguish between one «John» and another was to give them descriptive nicknames. Nicknames are very personal. They describe physical or other characteristics and served in the past to distinguish one man; and then his family from another.

«Strong», «Short» and «Long» are only a few of the many names which came from nicknames.