Teacher Praises an Essay
Listen to the following audio
Answer the following questions
What feedback did the teacher give about the student’s essay?
What does the expression “learn the ropes” mean in this story?
How did the teacher show her appreciation for the student’s work?
What effect did the teacher’s encouragement have on the student?
What message about learning or improvement does this story convey?
Read the transcript if needed
“In class today, the teacher returned our essays. She told me that mine was clear, well-organized, and full of strong ideas. She said I was beginning to learn the ropes of writing and that practice was paying off. After reading it aloud to the class, she took time to go over the parts she especially liked. Her encouragement made me want to keep improving and try even harder on the next assignment.”
How would you use the following expressions?
Idiom: Learn the ropes – we use this idiom when someone is learning how to do something new.
Examples to use:
“I’m starting to learn the ropes in my new job.”
“She is slowly learning the ropes of driving.”
“He finally learned the ropes of the computer system.”
Phrasal Verb: Go over – we use this phrasal verb when checking or reviewing something carefully.
Examples to use:
“We always go over our notes before a test.”
“The teacher went over the answers yesterday.”
“She is going over her notes right now.”
“We will go over the plan tomorrow.”
