TOPIC_002_Character

2 Character

Useful Expressions

Beginner
1. He is too ambitious and dishonest.
2. They are alike.
3. They are completely different.
4. I think I'm polite.
5. He looks very unfriendly.
6. What do you think of George?
7. Are you generally quiet or noisy?
8. Are you happy with your character?

Intermediate
1. Paul is very sociable and much more honest than his brother.
2. Do you think people get their personalities from their parents?
3. Parents influence their kids' personalities a lot.
4. Most parents want their kids to be like them.
5. It's good that he has an outgoing personality.
6. Do you ever pretend to be polite?
7. She's not only beautiful, but she also has a great personality.

Advanced
1. You are always chatting with new people when we go to a party.
2. Why do you think many kids have personalities that are so different from their parents'?
3. Do you think that teenagers get a lot of their bad behaviour from TV and movies?
4. Many people are considered shy, but are really very extrovert.
5. Taxi drivers find that a lot of careless and forgetful people leave things in cabs.

Dialogues

Beginner
A: Do you like Barry?
B: No, not very much. He's too ambitious and dishonest.
A: I agree. I like his brother, Paul. They are not alike.
B: Yes. They are completely different. Paul is very sociable and much more honest than his brother.
A: What kind of person do you consider yourself to be?
B: I think i'm polite, careful, relaxed and shy.
A: Oh, I don't think you're shy! You are always chatting with new people when we go to a party.
B: Well, yes, but those people always start talking to me. I never talk to them first. Perhaps I'm not as shy as I think. Anyway, you're certainly not shy!
A: You're right. I love going out and *** new friends.
B: So, you'll be at my birthday party on Friday?
A: Of course.

Intermediate
A: How do you think people get their personalities?
B: I think it's mainly from the environment a person lives in.
A: Don't you think people get their personalities form their parents?
B: No, but parents control a lot of the environment that kids grow up in, so they certainly influence their kids' personalities a lot.
A: So why do you think many kids have personalities that are so different from their parents'?
B: Maybe when they become teenagers, they want to be completely different to their parents.
A: You might be right. I guess most parents want their kids to be like them, but kids today grow up in a different environment. You know, they know much more about the world from the Internet, newspapers, and TV.
B: Do you think that teenagers get a lot of their bad behaviour from TV and movies?
A: Maybe some of it. I think a lot of people blame TV and movies when the real problem is that the parents aren't bringing their child up correctly.
B: Parents have a difficult job. They have to bring up their children and usually have to work too.
A: Yes, that's true. Your son is doing well at school, isn't he?
B: Yes, he is. He's very hardworking when he's at school. Then he comes home from school and does his homework before dinner. After dinner, he goes out with his friends.
A: So he's not a bookworm? It's good that he has an outgoing personality. Some kids are very quiet and introverted. You wonder how they'll survive in the real world without their parents to support them.