TESOL/Criticizing
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Key sentences
| Criticizing | Responding to criticism |
|---|---|
| Why didn't you (verb) ? | It's just that (excuse). |
| Criticizing | Responding to criticism |
|---|---|
| You could have (past participle) you know. | I'm sorry, (excuse) you see. |
Drills
Say these sentences without looking.
| verb | sentence |
|---|---|
| call me sooner | Why didn't you call me sooner ? |
| check | Why didn't you check ? |
| remember | Why didn't you remember ? |
| watch more carefully | Why didn't you watch more carefully ? |
| excuse | sentence |
|---|---|
| I was busy | It's just that I was busy. |
| I was distracted | It's just that I was distracted. |
| I forgot | It's just that I forgot. |
| I thought you knew | It's just that I thought you knew. |
| past participle | sentence |
|---|---|
| written it down | You could have written it down you know. |
| been more careful | You could have been more careful you know. |
| thought about it | You could have thought about it you know. |
| double checked | You could have double checked you know. |
| excuse | sentence |
|---|---|
| it was an accident | I'm sorry, it was an accident you see. |
| I was overwhelmed | I'm sorry, I was overwhelmed you see. |
| I didn't realize | I'm sorry, I didn't realize you see. |
| they told me it was okay | I'm sorry, they told me it was okay you see. |
Example
Practice this conversation.
| Criticizing | Responding to criticism |
|---|---|
| Why didn't you (call me sooner) ? | It's just that (I was busy). |
| Criticizing | Responding to criticism |
|---|---|
| You could have (written it down) you know. | I'm sorry, (it was an accident) you see. |
Change partners. Use your imagination and change the sentences.
Exercise
Use your imagination. Make your own conversation.
| Criticizing | Responding to criticism |
|---|---|
|
Why didn't you ... ? |
It's just that ... . |
| Criticizing | Responding to criticism |
|---|---|
| You could have ... you know. | I'm sorry, ... you see. |
Change partners. Use your imagination and make another conversation.
Practice
| Criticizing | Responding to criticism |
|---|---|
| Imagine your partner made a mistake. Criticize them. | Apologize and explain. |
Further study
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Resource type: this resource is a lesson in English as a second language. |
Review