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Lesson planC260 minsNew. New: checked automatically for level, grammar, facts and originality; a teacher's review is still to come. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
Economical with the Truth: Connotation, euphemism and spin
Students explore connotation, euphemism and spin in corporate language, then write a plain-speaking email replying to a company announcement full of euphemisms.
Connotation · Euphemism · Spin · Business
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Plan at a glance
Aims
- Learn and use 19 words and phrases in 2 sets: Positive and negative pairs, Euphemisms and spin
- Read for detail: two versions of the same story
- Writing task: say what it really means
Stages · 60 min
- 5 minLead-in: Pairs talk about business and share ideas with the class.
- 5 minLanguage focus: Go through the grammar notes together and check understanding.
- 5 minControlled practice: Ex. 1
- 5 minVocabulary: Ex. 2
- 5 minControlled practice: Ex. 3
- 10 minAccuracy practice: Ex. 4–5
- 10 minReading: Ex. 6
- 15 minWriting: Ex. 7
Printables
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Download all (ZIP, 2 PDFs)Grammar notes
Connotation: same meaning, different attitude
- Many words share a basic meaning but show a different attitude. thrifty (careful with money: approving) / stingy (unwilling to spend or share: critical).
- assertive (confident and clear about what you want: approving) / pushy (trying too hard to get what you want: critical). slim (approving) / skinny (often critical).
Euphemism: softening unpleasant facts
- A euphemism is a mild word used instead of a direct one: pass away (die), let someone go (dismiss someone), downsize (cut jobs), between jobs (unemployed).
- Some euphemisms are kind (pass away at a funeral); others are used to hide bad news (rightsizing, negative growth).
Spin
- put a positive spin on something = present bad news in a way that makes it sound better.
- be economical with the truth = not tell lies exactly, but leave out important facts. It is itself a euphemism for being dishonest.
Study tips
- When you learn a new descriptive word, note whether it approves or criticises: write (+) or (−) next to it.
- Read company announcements and political statements with a pen: underline every euphemism and write the plain meaning above it.
Glossary
- Positive and negative pairs10 items
- Euphemisms and spin9 items
Complete the exercises, then check your answers.
1
Positive or negative?
Each pair of words has a similar meaning. Decide which word in each pair sounds more positive and which sounds more negative.
- a
slim
- b
determined
- c
stingy
- d
stubborn
- e
assertive
- f
skinny
- g
nosy
- h
curious
- i
thrifty
- j
pushy
2
What does it really mean?
Match each euphemism with its plain meaning. There is one meaning you do not need.
Tap an item…
…then its match
3
Choose the word with the right attitude
Complete each sentence with a word from the box. There is one word you do not need.
Word box
Tap a gap, then a word, or type the answer.
- a
My grandmother was wonderfully : she could make a week of meals from one chicken and never wasted a thing.
- b
He's so that he once asked his guests to pay for the coffee at his own birthday party.
- c
A good negotiator is without being aggressive: she says clearly what she wants and why.
- d
The salesperson was so that we left the showroom just to get away from them.
- e
The press office put a positive on the figures, calling a 20% fall in profits 'a period of consolidation'.
- f
'Passed away' is a gentle for 'died'.
- g
The new laptop is light and , so it fits easily in my bag.
- h
The poor dog was so that you could count its ribs.
4
Say it another way
Complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first. Use the word given and between two and six words.
- a
The company dismissed forty employees last month.
LET
The company last month.
Use 2–6 words, including the word given.
- b
The minister didn't tell us the whole truth.
ECONOMICAL
The minister was .
Use 2–6 words, including the word given.
- c
Her grandfather died peacefully last spring.
PASSED
Her grandfather last spring.
Use 2–6 words, including the word given.
- d
The firm is going to reduce its workforce by a third.
DOWNSIZE
The firm is going to a third.
Use 2–6 words, including the word given.
- e
The press office tried to make the bad news sound better than it was.
SPIN
The press office tried to on the bad news.
Use 2–6 words, including the word given.
- f
He's careful with his money, but he isn't mean.
THRIFTY
He's mean.
Use 2–6 words, including the word given.
5
Find and correct the mistake
Each sentence uses one word or expression with the wrong attitude or meaning. Write the correction: the correct word(s) or the whole sentence.
- a
We were impressed by how stingy she was with the budget: she saved the charity thousands.
- b
I admire people who are pushy enough to ask for a pay rise politely but firmly.
- c
The company announced that it had passed away two hundred staff.
- d
The report was refreshingly economical with the truth: every figure was accurate and nothing was hidden.
- e
The new phone is so skinny and elegant that it fits in any pocket.
- f
Our new neighbour is very curious: she reads our post and asks who all our visitors are.
6
Read: two versions of the same story
Read the press release and the staff response. Choose the best answer.
PRESS RELEASE: Corvane Logistics – an exciting new chapter Corvane Logistics today announced the next stage of its 'Fit for the Future' programme. Following a challenging year in which the company experienced negative growth in two of its three markets, Corvane will be rightsizing its operations to ensure long-term sustainability. As part of this process, the company will be letting go of approximately 240 colleagues at its Dunmore depot, which is set to transition to a new, streamlined model. 'We know this news will be difficult for some,' said Chief Executive Fiona Strand. 'But these are bold, assertive decisions that will position Corvane for success. We will be supporting every colleague as they move on to exciting new opportunities.' Ms Strand also paid tribute to the company's founder, Arthur Corvane, who passed away in January. 'Arthur was famously thrifty,' she said. 'He would have understood that sometimes a business has to make tough choices to protect what really matters.' RESPONSE FROM THE DUNMORE STAFF ASSOCIATION We have read today's announcement with dismay. Let us be clear about what it means. 'Rightsizing' means 240 people losing their jobs. 'Transition to a streamlined model' means that the Dunmore depot will close. And 'exciting new opportunities' means unemployment for many workers in a town with few other jobs. We do not doubt that the company had a difficult year. But the press release is, to put it politely, economical with the truth. It does not mention that the directors awarded themselves bonuses in March, nor that Arthur Corvane, far from being stingy, always insisted that staff should share in the company's success. We call on the board to meet us before any final decisions are taken.
- a
In the press release, 'negative growth in two of its three markets' means that the company…
- b
According to the staff association, what will happen to the Dunmore depot?
- c
Why does Fiona Strand mention that Arthur Corvane was thrifty?
- d
The staff association calls the press release 'economical with the truth' because it…
- e
What does the staff association suggest about Arthur Corvane?
- f
What does the staff association want the board to do?
7
Write: say what it really means
Write an email to a colleague.
Your company has just sent all staff an email full of euphemisms about 'changes' and 'a new chapter'. Write an email to a colleague (200–250 words) in which you explain what the announcement really means, point out at least two examples of spin, and say how you feel about the way it was written. Use at least five words or expressions from the box. Word box: thrifty · stingy · assertive · pushy · let someone go · pass away · economical with the truth · downsize · spin · euphemism Example: 'Exploring new opportunities' is just a euphemism: they're letting twelve of us go.
Suggested minimum: 200 words
0 words · aim for at least 200
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.
- Fix ItFind the mistake in each sentence, then correct it.
- 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 19 words and phrases this lesson teaches, in 2 sets.
Positive and negative pairs
- thrifty
- careful with money (approving)
- stingy
- unwilling to spend or give money (disapproving)
- assertive
- confident and direct about what you want (approving)
- pushy
- too forceful in trying to get what you want (disapproving)
- determined
- not willing to give up (approving)
- stubborn
- refusing to change your mind, even when you should (disapproving)
- curious
- eager to learn about things (approving)
- nosy
- too interested in other people's private lives (disapproving)
- slim
- thin in an attractive way (approving)
- skinny
- very thin (often used in a disapproving way)
Euphemisms and spin
- euphemism
- a mild word used instead of one that seems harsh, unpleasant or embarrassing
- spin
- presenting information so that it seems better than it really is
- pass away
- a gentle way of saying die
- let someone go
- a softer way of saying dismiss someone from their job
- downsize
- a business term for reducing the number of staff
- economical with the truth
- a polite way of saying not completely honest
- between jobs
- a tactful way of saying unemployed
- pre-owned
- a sales term for second-hand
- negative growth
- an economic euphemism for a fall
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