Conversation, Reading and Grammar (13 July 2015, Monday)

Ms Victoria Galvez

A) Conversation: Handling the job interview

1. A job advertisement from Panda Mart
Panda Mart is looking for people to fill these positions:
Accountant
Merchandiser
Clear ability to communicate in English
Bachelor degree in Business or related
field
At least Bachelor Degree in Accounting
Minimum 2 years of work experience in
merchandising
Minimum 2 years of work experience as
Computer skills, especially Microsoft
Accountant
Excel
Reliable, honest and committed longGood interpersonal and analytical skills
term
Excellent command of English
Available full-time
Design and Marketing Assistant
Friendly and outgoing personality
Excellent command of English
Self-motivated and driven. Strong desire
to achieve goals
Clean, neat and professional appearance
Have own transportation
Experience not essential but certainly an
asset

Store Supervisor / Manager

University graduate
2 years experience in management
Excellent customer service skills
Driven to achieve the highest standards
Extremely reliable, mature and
responsible
Excellent command of English

Cashier
Friendly and outgoing personality
A clean, neat and professional appearance
Able to read and understand English
Reliable and dependable
Have a positive attitude and a great smile
Have own transportation

2. How to prepare for the job interview

3. What to do during the job interview
4. Common job interview questions
a) Tell me about yourself.
b) What do you know about our company?
c) What do you know about the job you are applying for? Why are you right for the job?
d) Why are you thinking of leaving your current job? What would your current boss or co-workers say about you?
e) Are you good at working with people (as a team) or do you prefer to work alone?
f) What is your greatest strength? What is your greatest weakness?
g) What is your greatest achievement or accomplishment? What is the biggest challenge or failure you have faced?
B) Learning Pronunciation: Phonics
1a. Initial Consonant Blends: First two or three letters of a word are blended together
blclflglplBlack
Claim
Flag
Glad
Place
Blame
Class
Flame
Glasses
Plan
Blanket
Clay
Flat
Glider
Plant
brBrain
Branch
Brave

crCrab
Cracker
Crazy

smSmall
Smart
Smash

Snack
Snail
Snake

drDrastic
Draw
Dream

sn-

trTrade
Traffic
Travel

spSpace
Spank
Speak

StStage
Stand
Star

scScab
Scale
School
swSwallow
Swan
Sweat

slSlam
Slap
Sleep
skSkate
Skeleton
Ski
twTwelve
Twenty
Twice

1b. Lets practise: 1. Brendan plans to sleep in class. 2. Bob will slide on the sled.
3. We can plant a rose on this block.
4. The big plane flew at night.
5. The flock flies in the sky.
6. Blake has Math class in this block.
7. Click on
the black plane. 8. Stan, dont slap my cheek!
2a. Final Consonant Blends: Final two or three letters of a word are blended together
-st

-sk

-sp

-nd

-nt

Best
Fast
Just

Ask
Desk
Disk

-nk
Bank
Drink
Junk

-mp
Camp
Damp
Dump

Clasp
Crisp
Cusp
-rd
Afford
Bird
Card

And
Band
Blend
-ld
Child
Cold
Fold

Different
Important
Parent
-lp
Gulp
Help
Kelp

2b. Lets practise: 1. Is it best to ask for help if the task is too hard?
3. I think Ill discard of this lamp and dump it in the junkyard.
5. Please stand and show respect for our president.
7. The kind child left her soft pillow on the aircraft.

2. Grasp the stand behind you and lift it onto the desk.
4. I will accept all the stamps except the one cut in half.
6. The accident wasnt my fault but the result was tragic.

3. Initial and Final Consonant Blends: First and final two or three letters of a word are blended together
Clamp, Plump, Stamp, Stump, Cramp
Crest, Crust
Blond, Blunt
Stand, Stilt
3a. Lets practise: 1. After buying a stamp, the plump lady had a cramp. So, she sat on a stump but found that it was actually a
clamp.
2. The rooster has a crest. The bread crust is really delicious. 3. The blond lady was really blunt with her words.
4. The stilts of the house allow it to stand.

C) Reading Aloud
1 If there was one thing Claire knew about, it was being an outsider. Claire had gone to five different schools by the time she was
in twelfth grade. She had lived in five different cities, including Tokyo, Japan. Her fathers job took the family all over the place.
2 By now, Claire was used to moving and being a homeless migrant. She had acquired a trick or two to getting along in a new
environment. She only had to seek out the popular schoolmates and imitate what they did. For whatever time she had in that
school, at least she would not stand out like a sore thumb.
3 In school, Claire noticed Jane right away. She was the flower girl whom everyone buzzed around, the centre of all attention.
When Jane left a room, it was as if all the air had been sucked out. So, one day, when Jane joined Claire at her lunch table, Claire
was overjoyed. Claires eyes sparkled and her heart pounded quickly.

D) Grammar 1: Concord
- Concord means an agreement between the subject of the sentence (either a noun or a pronoun) and the verb used.
- A singular verb is used with:
1. A singular noun or pronoun: e.g. Marilyn is a good girl.
He plays badminton very well.
2. An uncountable noun: e.g. Rice is the staple food of Cambodians.
Water leaks from that pipe.
3. A collective noun: e.g. A bunch of bananas is hanging from the tree. There is a tube of toothpaste in the bathroom.
4. Nobody (no one, none, nothing), Anybody (anyone), Somebody (someone), Everybody, Anything, Something, Everything, Each,
and Every: e.g. Nobody likes me. Anybody is allowed to participate. Something is missing from this drawer.
5. One of, Any, Neither, and Either: e.g. None of the children has taken a nap. Neither of the boys wants to own up.
6. Distracter Rule: Ignore with, like, together with, as well as
e.g. Jack, with his brother (ignore), is coming.
Mary, like her mother (ignore), enjoys sewing.
You, as well as your family (ignore), is invited.
7. Rule of Proximity: Attend to the noun closest to the verb in Eitheror and Neithernor.
e.g. Either Mary or Yvonne (noun) has cleaned (verb) her room.
Neither he nor his friends (noun) want (verb)
apples.
- A plural verb is used with:
1. A plural noun or pronoun, or I: e.g. These fruits are delicious.
I have to go for a dental check-up.
2. Two singular nouns or pronouns connected by and: e.g. My friend and I are coming to the party.
3. Two uncountable nouns: e.g. Flour and sugar are needed to make this cake.
4. A countable noun + both, a few, many, most and all: e.g. Both boys like you. All of us are excited about the party.
5. Distracter Rule: Ignore noun following but or except in allbut and all except
e.g. All the children but John (ignore) have been found.
All of them except Tom (ignore) died.
Exercise 1.1: Fill in the blanks with is, are, was or were.
1. Bread is made from flour.
2. A bowl of noodles __________ left on the table just now.
3. They __________ waiting for him in the rain yesterday.
4. The band __________ practising extremely hard for the annual concert.

5. All the shops __________ closed last week because of the Khmer New Year.
6. None of the children __________ going for the party tomorrow.
7. Any person below eighteen years __________ not allowed to drive.
8. Everything in that store __________ on sale last Saturday.
9. Kassim, together with his wife, __________ at my home last night.
10. These boys __________ going to participate in the 200 metres race in ten minutes.
Exercise 1.2: Fill in the blanks with either has or have.
1. A bouquet of flowers has been sent to her mother.
2. He, as well as his brother, __________ eaten.
3. The children, together with the dog, __________ fallen asleep.
4. The two loaves of bread __________ been devoured by the hungry girl.
5. __________ you and Simon known each other for a long time?
6. One of the apples __________ fallen out of the basket.
7. Either the boys or Tom __________ taken the food to your room.
8. Mary Ann, like her sister, __________ to be more careful in her school work.
9. All the chairs except this one __________ been polished.
10. I __________ taken a nap.
Exercise 1.3: Fill in the blanks with either does or do.
1. Does anyone want some biscuits?
2. These children __________ not have good manners. They speak to their elders in an impolite way.
3. Mrs Wang __________ not drink coffee.
4. __________ they want to come in?
5. The boys __________ their chores without complaining. They are well-disciplined individuals.
6. She only __________ the ironing once a week, so the family sometimes runs out of fresh clothes to wear.
7. She certainly has many pots and pans in her kitchen. __________ she like cooking?
8. I __________ not know how to ride a bicycle, so I need your help to ferry me around.
9. The dog __________ not like strangers and will bark ferociously at unfamiliar people who enter the house.
10. __________ you know where she lives?
Grammar 2: Forming Nouns
- Nouns are formed from adjectives (words that describe nouns), verbs or other nouns by adding 1) ance; 2) dom; 3) hood; 4)
ion; 5) ment; 6) ness; 7) ship; 8) th; 9) ty, and so on.
- Forming nouns from adjectives
Adjective
Noun
Brave
Bravery
Cruel
Cruelty
Foolish
Foolishnes
s
- Forming nouns from verbs
Verb
Noun
Describe
Description
Grow
Growth
Remember
Remembranc
e
- Forming nouns from other nouns
Other noun
Noun
King
Kingdom
Child
Childhood
Judge
Judgemen
t
- Below is a list of nouns formed from adjectives, verbs or other nouns. Study these carefully.
Adjective / Verb/ Noun

Noun formed

Abandon
Encourage
Better
Retire

Abandonment
Encouragement
Betterment
Retirement

Adjective / Verb/
Noun
Add
Examine
Expect
Inform

Noun formed
Addition
Examination
Expectation
Information

Assess

Assessment

Introduce

Introduction

Adjective / Verb/ Noun

Noun formed

Noun formed

Absent
Affluent
Silent
Confident
Defend

Absence
Affluence
Silence
Confidence
Defence

Adjective / Verb/
Noun
Keen
Bad
Good
Mad
Selfish

Keenness
Badness
Goodness
Madness
Selfishness

Exercise 2.1: Form nouns for each of the following words.

1. assess ______________ 2. draw _______________3. able _______________ 4. warm _______________
5. accept ______________6. inform ______________7. jealous _____________8. famous ______________
9. proud _______________10. enter ______________11. humble ____________12. confident ____________
Exercise 2.2. Fill in each blank with a suitable noun formed from the word in brackets.
1. He showed his _________________ (appreciate) by buying her a _________________ (give).
2. She gave a clear _________________ (describe) of the robber.
3. He spoke with _________________ (clear) and _________________ (confident).
4. The _________________ (long) of this piece of rope is two metres.
5. His _________________ (injure) is a result of not paying heed to the _________________ (warn) given.
6. There is a _________________ (short) of workers in this factory, and that is why we cannot process your order in time.
7. The king was noted for his _________________ (wise) in making sound _________________ (decide).
8. She has invited all of us to her _________________ (wed).
9. Mr Yan had a happy _________________ (child) staying with his grandparents.
10. She was filled with _________________ (jealous) when she heard that her friend had been chosen instead of her.