Distancing & Listening

Week 4^th -6^th

First thing first, I’d like to thank you Chus for giving me a lift (take me in her car) to the underground station.

It seems I’m not a reliable or trustworthy person! I promised not to torture you but the listening was sort of a torture, wasn’t it?

Just kidding! It wasn’t that bad so as to be the first one we did following the premises on the test.

In the listening test, we could hear phrases and expressions like these ones:

·         The music had a soothing effect; in fact, she fell asleep listening to it.

·         It was a bit bland, too. More of the same!

·         He knows he should keep fit; do more exercise, had a healthier diet but… it’s like water off a duck’s back. (He doesn’t pay attention to it)

·         He opens up the gym at seven o’clock, for the early birds. (People who get up early, early risers)

·         People are frightened that female comedians break down (collapse into tears) on stage.

·         She pretended to be madder, cruder…but she overdid it (exaggerated) and now people are confused and cannot distinguish between the character and the real person.

·         She’s paid peanuts (very little) but she enjoys what she does.

                                                                                          

We learnt to give information without stating that what we definitely know is true, as a way of distancing ourselves from the information.

Seem /appear.

·         It seems/ appears +that+ a clause.

It seems/ appears that the less the children sleep, the more likely they are to behave badly.

Subject +seem /appear + infinitive.

 Mark seems/appears to have aged a lot over the last year.

It would seem/appear + that + clause, distances us even more from the information and makes it sound less sure. And it’s more formal.

·         The passive with verbs of saying and reporting.

It + passive verb + that + clause

It is said that a washing machine saves people an average 47 minutes a day.

It has been announced by a White House spokesman that the President has been taken to hospital.

(Verbs commonly used in this pattern: agree, announce, believe, expect, hope, report, say)

Subject+ passive verb + to + infinitive

The Prime minister is expected to resign after the affair was published in the papers.

The missing couple are understood to have been living in Canada.

(Verbs commonly used in this pattern: believe, expect, report,say, suggest and think)

There + passive verb + to + infinitive

It is said that there are more than five million people living in poverty in this country.

There are said to be more than five million people living in poverty in this country.

Remember:

It is said that Carol works sixteen hours a day.

Carol is said to work sixteen hours a day.

It is believed that the missing boy is wearing a black hoodie and jeans.

The missing boy is believed to be wearing a black hoodie and jeans.

It is expected that the strike will end soon.

The strike is expected to end soon.

It is alleged that he kicked a policeman.

He is alleged to have kicked a policeman.

·         Other distancing expressions:

Apparently. At the beginning or at the end of a phrase. Informal.

Apparently, they have split up.

According to. We use it to attribute opinions to somebody else. Not according to me

According to new research, the idea that we have to drink two litres of water a day is a myth.

May / might

Dinosaurs may have died out due to extremely rapid climate change.

There are rumours that the band might be planning a comeback.

Well, that was about it!

This week, more!

Listening Practice - Refinancing a loan