Section 4 - Communicating

Using words to show the way we speak

We use many verbs to show how people say something:

'It's your fault,' she sobbed / grinned / sneered.

Here are examples of verbs we use in this way:
mutter * shout * scream * whisper * bark * bellow * cry

Adding words and phrases to show how things are said

As well as using particular verbs to show how people say something, we can add adverbs and adverbial phrases:

'I didn't mean it to happen,' he said defiantly / tearfully / grim-faced.
'It'll be all right,' he said in a conciliatory manner / in typical fashion / in a mysterious way.
'I've had enough,' he said in a whisper / in a strangely muted tone of voice / under his breath.
'Who cares?' he said with a smirk / with a shrug of his shoulders / with a shake of his head.

Practice

Write in the missing preposition.

'What?' he said the top of his voice / a high-pitched voice / a joke / afar / a frown / himself / a whim.

Using phrasal verbs

We can use many phrasal verbs to express how people say or write something. For example, with the verb come we have:
come out with (a rude word) come up with (a good idea) come back with (a sharp response) come across (as a coherent speaker) come in for (a lot of criticism)

With the verb put, there are even more possibilities: put forward (a suggestion) put across or put over (your message) put in (a claim) put someone down (with a sarcastic comment) put out (a statement)

Phrasal verbs are useful in showing how a speaker expresses himself / herself:

She suddenly blurted out the truth.
He spoke out against her sacking.
He reeled off a long list of reasons.
He sounded off about the lazy students he had.
She only briefly touched on the heart of the problem.

Practice

Complete each sentence with a particle or preposition.

a. Speak ! I can't hear you.
b. Do I need to spell it for you?
c. I'm sorry. I'd like to take what I said.
d. He read a prepared statement.
e. We shouldn't dwell our mistakes.
f. To sum , I'm calling a completely fresh approach.

Idiomatic phrases

There are many idiomatic phrases associated with communicating. Here are some examples:

Don't beat about the bush.
Give it to me straight.
She let the cat out of the bag.
She gave the game away.
He came clean.
He let it be known that he was unhappy.
He ad-libbed.
He spoke off the cuff.
Off the top of my head, I'd say...

Practice

Use one of the words to complete each sentence.
gab * confidence * secret * point * cross * plain * words * shop * syllable * spit

a. Get to the .
b. it out!
c. I'll tell you in words of one .
d. He took me into his .
e. I'm not going to mince .
f. I'll tell you in English.
g. Do I have to dot the i's and the t's for you?
h. She let me in on her .
i. They talked all evening.
j. She's got the gift of the .

	quiet
	loud

	quiet
	loud

	quiet
	loud

	quiet
	loud