Conversation Gambits - Eric Keller, Sylvia T Warner 1988
57. Being Sympathetic
3. Responding Gambits
How do we react when we have some bad news9 It depends on the news Some things are more important than others and we react to something serious in a different way from something less serious however unfortunate.
Have you heard that 300 people were killed when a plane crashed this morning?
—Oh, how terrible!
and
I didn't get the job after all.
—Oh, what a pity!
If you reacted to the first situation with What a pity, people would think that you were a strange person indeed!
Work in pairs with these sentences One person give the news; the other react in an appropriate way using a phrase from the list.
1. My girlfriend .... sprained ... ankle.... first day ... holiday.
2. Someone I knew . . . had .... all his money .... stolen .... jacket pocket.
3. My uncle .... passed away . . last week.
4. Someone I know at work .... told . . . cancer.
5. I ... bike stolen.
6. Someone . . . stole ... car radio .... lunchtime.
7. Several hundred people.. . killed.... yesterday 's earthquake.
8. Someone pinched.... passport... .all my cash .... hotel room.
9. A colleague.... made redundant. ..25 years.... samecompany.
10. My sister .... hit.. . mouth .... car door broke a tooth.
Discussion
Talk about what you say AND what you do when you hear very bad news in your country.
1. What would you say in your language in the following situations'
a. A friend tells you that there has just been a terrible earthquake — thousands of people are dead.
b. A friend tells you that she has just heard that her mother has died.
c. A friend tells you that his house has been burgled.
d. A friend tells you that he has to goto the dentist this afternoon
e. A friend tells you that his wife's car broke down in the very centre of town.
2. In your country do people DO something different when they hear a piece of bad news?
Less serious news
Oh no!
What a pity!
What a shame.
What a nuisance.
Poor you.
Very sad news
How awful!
How terrible!
I’m really sorry to hear that.
That must’ve been awful!