Before the Next Move

Your goal

Describe a feeling and choose a practical response using can.

Read the story

Tessa is setting up a small display at an indoor craft market. She makes cloth pencil cases and wants to explain their different sizes in English. Her goal is to describe three cases without looking at her price sheet. She has practised at home, and she feels ready. Across the aisle, Amir is arranging cups on a narrow table. A box stands between their spaces, so they must walk carefully when they carry things to their displays.

As Amir turns with an empty tray, his sleeve catches the edge of Tessa’s sign. The sign falls into a cup of water beside her chair. The ink begins to spread across the paper. Tessa feels angry because she spent an hour making it. She wants to speak immediately and tell Amir to stay away from her table. Then she notices that she is holding a wet sign above several clean pencil cases. Her first useful action is to move the sign.

Tessa puts it on an empty box and asks Amir for a cloth. She takes a moment before she explains the problem. She tells him that the sign is wet and that she needs a dry place for her products. Her voice is firm. She does not pretend that she is pleased. Amir says that he is sorry and helps move the water. He also moves the box out of the aisle. They can now see the edge of each table clearly.

There is no printer at the market, but Amir has a thick pen and some card. Tessa can make a simple new sign before the doors open. Amir offers to write the prices while she dries the table. They check each number together. The new sign is less colourful than the first one, but visitors can read it easily. Tessa is still disappointed about her work. However, she is glad that the pencil cases are dry and the prices are correct.

When the first visitor arrives, Tessa remembers her learning goal. She describes a small case and a larger one, then explains the long case for paintbrushes. Later, she writes about the morning in her notebook. She names her feeling, the problem, and the action she chose. She cannot change the accident, but she can ask for help and decide what to do next. Before packing up, she thanks Amir for the card and places her new sign safely inside her bag.

A conversation to practise

Tessa: I feel angry because my sign is wet.

Amir: I am sorry. What can I do?

Tessa: You can bring a cloth, please.

Amir: I can also give you some card.

Understand the story

1. Why does Tessa feel angry?
2. What does Amir move out of the aisle?
3. How do they replace the wet sign?

Practise the language

1. Complete with ask or asks: She can ___ for help.
2. Rewrite using cannot: It is not possible for them to print here. Begin: They
3. Complete with because or to: I feel disappointed ___ my sign is wet.