The Reading / Listening - Full Stop - Level 1

A language expert says ending sentences with a full stop can look rude. In American English, a full stop is called a period. The expert said younger people who use messaging apps prefer to send a completely new message instead of ending a sentence with a full stop. She said: "If you're a young person and you're sending a message to someone, the default way to break up your thoughts is to send each thought as a new message."

The full stop is 2,300 years old. It is necessary in writing. Teachers use red ink if a student forgets the full stop. Technology is changing how we write. Most people now use abbreviations, emojis or emoticons :-) People use 'LOL' instead of 'laugh out loud,' or the abbreviation 'fyi' rather than 'for your information'. Not using the full stop in text messages saves time. The expert said a full stop can also make the writer look a little angry.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Full Stop - Level 0 Full Stop - Level 2   or  Full Stop - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-49182824
  • https://www.thesun.co.uk/tech/9630409/whatsapp-full-stops-rude-text-meaning/
  • https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-7309543/Internet-linguist-reveals-using-stops-text-messages-make-look-passive-aggressive.html


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. a language
  2. ending sentences
  3. In American English, a full stop
  4. messaging
  5. prefer to send a completely
  6. sending a message
  7. the default
  8. send each thought as
  1. is called a period
  2. to someone
  3. new message
  4. way
  5. expert
  6. a new message
  7. with a full stop
  8. apps

Paragraph 2

  1. Teachers use red
  2. Technology is changing
  3. use abbreviations, emojis
  4. use 'LOL' instead
  5. 'fyi' rather than
  6. Not using the full stop
  7. saves
  8. make the writer look
  1. time
  2. of 'laugh out loud'
  3. a little angry
  4. or emoticons
  5. in text messages
  6. how we write
  7. 'for your information'
  8. ink

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A language (1) ___________________ sentences with a full stop can look rude. In American English, a full stop is called a period. The expert said younger people who (2) ___________________ prefer to send a completely new message (3) ___________________ a sentence with a full stop. She said: "If you're (4) ___________________ and you're sending a message to someone, (5) ___________________ to break up your thoughts is to send (6) ___________________ a new message."

The full stop is 2,300 years old. It is (7) ___________________. Teachers use (8) ___________________ a student forgets the full stop. Technology is changing (9) ___________________. Most people now use abbreviations, emojis or emoticons :-) People use 'LOL' instead of (10) '___________________,' or the abbreviation 'fyi' rather than 'for your information'. Not using the full stop in text (11) ___________________. The expert said a full stop can also make the writer look (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Alanguageexpertsaysendingsentenceswithafullstopcanlookrude.In
AmericanEnglish,afullstopiscalledaperiod.Theexpertsaidyoungerpe
oplewhousemessagingappsprefertosendacompletelynewmessagei
nsteadofendingasentencewithafullstop.Shesaid:"Ifyou'reayoungpe
rsonandyou'resendingamessagetosomeone,thedefaultwaytobreak
upyourthoughtsistosendeachthoughtasanewmessage."Thefullstopi
s2,300yearsold.Itisnecessaryinwriting.Teachersuseredinkifastuden
tforgetsthefullstop.Technologyischanginghowwewrite.Mostpeoplen
owuseabbreviations,emojisoremoticons:-)Peopleuse'LOL'insteadof
'laughoutloud,'ortheabbreviation'fyi'ratherthan'foryourinformation'
.Notusingthefullstopintextmessagessavestime.Theexpertsaidafulls
topcanalsomakethewriterlookalittleangry.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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