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Lesson planA245 minsNew. New: checked automatically for level, grammar, facts and originality; a teacher's review is still to come. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
She Says She's Late: reporting messages
Students learn to report messages with says and tells, practising texts, emails and calls, then write about their own messages.
Reporting present · Communication · Phone
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Plan at a glance
Aims
- Use reporting in the present accurately
- Learn and use 15 words and phrases in 2 sets: Messages, Saying and asking
- Read for detail: Messages for Sam
- Writing task: My messages
Stages · 45 min
- 5 minLead-in: Pairs talk about communication and share ideas with the class.
- 10 minVocabulary: Ex. 1–2
- 5 minLanguage focus: Go through the grammar notes together and check understanding.
- 10 minControlled practice: Ex. 3–4
- 5 minReading: Ex. 5
- 10 minWriting: Ex. 6
Printables
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Download all (ZIP, 2 PDFs)Grammar notes
says and tells
- say + (that) + sentence: Mum says (that) she's at the shop.
- tell + person + (that) + sentence: Mum tells me (that) she's at the shop.
- Not: Mum says me… / Mum tells to me…
Change the person
- Tom: "I'm tired." → Tom says he's tired.
- Anna and Ben: "We can't come." → Anna and Ben say they can't come.
- Lisa: "My phone doesn't work." → Lisa says her phone doesn't work.
The verb stays the same
- When you report something now, the verb doesn't change: Tom: "I'm tired." → Tom says he's tired.
Study tips
- Look at the messages on your phone. Say what each person says: My sister says she's at home.
- Remember: tell + a person (tells me, tells us); say + no person (says that…).
Glossary
- Messages7 items
- Saying and asking8 items
Complete the exercises, then check your answers.
1
Messages and calls
Choose the correct word or phrase.
- a
Can you ___ me tonight? I want to hear your voice.
- b
I can't speak now — I'm on the train and it's very noisy. I'll ___ you.
- c
I sent my homework to my teacher by ___.
- d
Mr Brown isn't in the office at the moment. Can I ___?
- e
I have a ___ with my boss at ten. We're going to talk about the new project.
- f
I can't come at four — I've got a dentist's ___.
- g
Excuse me, can I ask a ___? — Of course.
- h
"Is it 25?" "Yes, that's the right ___! Well done."
- i
Please ___ carefully. I'm only going to say this once.
2
says or tells?
Choose the correct word.
- a
My mum ___ she's at the supermarket.
- b
My mum ___ me she's at the supermarket.
- c
The teacher ___ the test is on Friday.
- d
Tom ___ us he can't come to the meeting.
- e
My friends ___ they're on the bus.
- f
The email ___ the meeting is at ten.
- g
My boss always ___ me I work too hard.
3
What do they say?
Read what the person says. Then choose the correct words.
- a
Tom: "I'm tired." → Tom says ___ tired.
- b
Anna: "I can't come tonight." → Anna says ___ come tonight.
- c
Sam and Ben: "We're at the station." → Sam and Ben say ___ at the station.
- d
My dad: "I need the car." → My dad says ___ the car.
- e
Lisa: "My phone doesn't work." → Lisa says ___ phone doesn't work.
- f
The waiter: "The kitchen is closed." → The waiter tells us ___.
- g
Maria: "I love my new job." → Maria says ___.
4
Find the mistake
One sentence has a mistake. Choose the correct sentence.
- a
Choose the correct sentence.
- b
Choose the correct sentence.
- c
Choose the correct sentence.
- d
Choose the correct sentence.
- e
Choose the correct sentence.
- f
Choose the correct sentence.
- g
Choose the correct sentence.
- h
Choose the correct sentence.
- i
Choose the correct sentence.
- j
Choose the correct sentence.
- k
Choose the correct sentence.
5
Read: Messages for Sam
Read the text. Then choose the correct answer.
It's Monday morning and Sam is at work. There are a lot of messages on his phone. First, his sister Emma texts him. She says she's at the hospital with their dad. "Don't worry," she writes. "Dad's OK. He's got a broken arm." Then his boss calls. She tells Sam the meeting is at eleven, not ten. She says she needs his report before the meeting. His friend Leo sends an email. Leo says he has two tickets for a concert on Friday. "Do you want to come?" he asks. At lunchtime Sam calls Emma. She tells him their dad is at home now and he's watching TV. Sam is happy. Then he answers Leo's email. He says he wants to come to the concert.
- a
Where is Emma in the morning?
- b
What does Sam's boss tell him?
- c
What has Leo got?
- d
How does Leo send his message?
- e
What is Sam's dad doing at lunchtime?
6
Write: My messages
Report some messages.
Imagine you have five new messages on your phone — texts, emails and calls from family, friends and work. Who are they from? What does each person say? (6–8 sentences) Use says and tells me. Word box: say · tell · call · text · email · take a message · meeting · question · answer · listen Example: My mum texts me. She says she's at the shop. My boss calls me. She tells me the meeting is at three.
Suggested minimum: 40 words
0 words · aim for at least 40
Spotted a mistake in this lesson?· tell us the exercise and item
Revise with a game
This lesson's own words and questions. Play on your own, or in teams on the classroom screen.
- Step UpAnswer the lesson's questions to climb to the top.
- Pair UpMatch the lesson's words to their meanings against the clock.
- SnapA word and a meaning: do they go together? Answer fast.
- Quiz BoardTeams choose questions worth 100 to 500 points.
- Retro arcadeWord Invaders, Word Snake, Word Maze and Word Crossing: classic arcade games with the lesson's words.
Glossary
The 15 words and phrases this lesson teaches, in 2 sets.
Messages
- call
- to phone someone
- text
- to send someone a short message on a phone
- a message that you send on a computer or phone
- take a message
- to write down information for someone who is not there
- meeting
- a time when people come together to talk about something
- message
- words that you send or leave for someone
- phone
- to call someone
Saying and asking
- say
- to speak words
- tell
- to give information to someone
- question
- something you ask when you want information
- answer
- what you say or write after a question
- listen
- to pay attention to sounds or words
- talk
- to speak with someone
- speak
- to say words
- hear
- to notice sounds with your ears
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