Conversation Gambits - Eric Keller, Sylvia T Warner 1988
45. Illustrating your Point
2. Linking Gambits
Our teacher’s a real show-off. Look at the way he drives up in his Rolls-Royce!
The party was a real disaster. To give you an idea of how bad it was — everyone had left by 10 o'clock!
In conversation we very often want to illustrate what we are saying with an example if we tell a friend that our teacher is a bore’, we cant leave it there The other person wants to know more. The phrases in the list will help you to introduce the extra information.
On the next page there are lists of words used to describe people Use your dictionary to look up words which are new to you Learn the ones you think will be useful to you
Complete the following descriptions.
1. You wouldn’t believe what peculiar people I used to work with. Take my old boss. He was a real ... For instance, he used to ...
2 I suppose it takes all types to make a world The other week we were visiting some of my father’s family We haven t seen them for about 10 years The oldest son, for example, was a complete ... To give you an idea, he ...
3. You should have been at Peter's party There was a guy there who was so ... you just couldn't believe it He was a real ... Take for example the way he ... He ...
4. Write a description of someone you know
Describing people
Knowledge Humour Experts
intellectual comic connoisseur
genius a laugh artist
whiz-kid buffoon gourmet
egghead clown guru
a (computer) buff joker expert
bookworm a giggle educated
Politics Personality Types
activist individualist flirt
chauvinist worrier tease
nationalist devious wolf
revolutionary gracious casanova
liberal polite clock-watcher
Socialist M. С. P. tramp
Conservative feminist down-and-out
democrat boor hippie
conservative with a real gentleman/ bully
a small C lady slave driver
Negative words
gossip nitwit coward
loudmouth blockhead chicken
windbag thick wallflower
bore stupid sissy
indiscreet idiot hypochondriac
snob hypocrite drunkard
smart alec charlatan glutton
egotist quack lecher
primadonna liar sex-maniac
creep do-gooder grumbler
drip go-getter complainer
twit show-off pain in the neck
For example,
For instance,
Take the way (he) ...
Take for example ...
For one thing ...
To give you an idea ...
Look at the way ...
1By way of illustration ...