If you want your
student to learn how to speak English as it’s actually spoken ,
it’s a good idea to teach them the use of exclamations.
We use exclamations to
express emotional reactions. They are usually accepted as honest
expressions of feelings.
Let’s start off with just
a few:
Incredible! What a shame!
Congratulations! That’s terrible!
Why not? Poor thing!
Fantastic! What luck!
Great! How awful!
Are you kidding? Don’t make me
laugh!
Really? I can’t
believe it!
What a surprise! No way!
Not again!
What a pity!
Now here are some “situations”:
“I won the lottery.”
“I’m going on a trip to the States.”
“I lost my passport.”
“I inherited a million dollars.”
“I broke my leg skiing.”
“I drove a Ferrari.”
“My best friend is in the hospital.”
“Obama invited me to the White House.”
“I flew to New York, first-class.”
“My car broke down on the highway.”
“I passed the exam.”
“I had dinner with Julia Roberts.”
“ I have a terrible cold.”
“I can’t find my car keys.”
“I won a trip to Alaska.”
“My new job is in Hawaii”
“I bought a great stereo for $50.”
“My sister married a Hollywood star.”
“I own a hotel in Capri.”
“I sat on my eyeglasses!”
I’m sure the students will
have fun putting the exclamations next to the above situations.
Before you have them do
this, discuss with them the meaning of each expression.
Sometimes more than one can be used.
Take a look at the
expression “What luck!” It’s unusual because it can have
either a positive or a negative meaning, depending how you say
it.
I found a
$50 bill on the sidewalk. What luck! J
I tripped
and fell. What luck!
L
It’s all in the tone of voice!
Let the students try making
up their own situations, then finding an appropriate
exclamation.
A Nice Thought:
“Someone had said that
those who are mentally and emotionally healthy are those who
know when to say Yes, when to say No, and when to say
Whoopee!”