Verbs followed by -ing or a noun, verbs followed by -ing or a noun or a thnt-c\ame, verbs followed by -ing or infinitive: little change of meaning, verbs followed by -ing or infinitive: change of meaning, verbs followed by the infinitive, verbs followed by the infinitive or a //Mil-clause, verbs followed by -ing or infinitive without to | Explanations What are functions We can describe language by using words to talk about grammar grammatical description . But we can also describe language by saying how it is used. This is the function of the language functional description . If I were you I d leave now. grammatical description second conditional functional description giving advice Choosing what to say Our choice of words can be influenced by the situation we are in by the person we are talking to and by what we are talking about. Compare these different phrases for asking permission. Asking permission from a friend Is it all right if I use the phone Asking permission from the same person but about a more serious topic Do you think I could possibly phone Australia Asking permission from a stranger Do you mind if I open the window The first example was informal and friendly. The second two examples were more formal and polite. There are no exact rules about when to use an informal phrase and when to use a polite phrase but usually we use polite language when we talk to strangers or people we don t know well. talk to people who have higher status. talk about sensitive topics. This unit practises the following functions and possible responses. Asking for and giving advice Agreeing and disagreeing Apologising Complaining Ending a conversation Asking for and giving directions Greeting Asking how someone is Asking for information Introducing yourself and others Inviting Accepting and declining invitations Offering something Offering to do something 105 FIRST CERTIFICATE LANGUAGE PRACTICE Practice Match each sentence a-j with a function from 1-10. a That s very kind of you I d love to_4. b Well it s been nice talking to you but I m afraid I have to go. c Could you tell me how to get to the post office . d You might have told me you were having a party . e Shall I carry this bag for you . f What do you think I should do . g Actually I don t think that s right. h Would you like to come round for a drink .
