34   I can describe actions

A    Using your hands 

3     Test yourself. Look at the pictures and cover the words. Can you remember the sentences? 

B    Making noises    

Word   

Example     

Meaning

 

shout    

Don’t shout! I can hear you.  

speak in a loud voice.

 

whisper

He whispered ‘I love you’ in her ear.   

speak very quietly so that other people can’t hear you.

 

cry 

The baby next door cried all night.

tears drops of liquid that come out from your eyes when you cry.

 

scream 

The plane dropped suddenly and we screamed.

cry out in a high voice because you are in pain, upset, frightened, etc.

 

burst into tears 

He sat down and burst into tears.

start crying suddenly.

 

burst out laughing   

I walked into the room and they all burst out laughing.

start laughing suddenly.

 

breathe (in/out) 

Breathe in, count to ten, and then breathe out.

take air into your lungs and let it out again. breath N.

 

sigh

He sat down and sighed: it had been a hard decision.     

let out a long deep breath that shows you are sad, bored, relieved, etc.

 

sneeze  

I’ve got a terrible cold: I’ve been sneezing all day.    

spotlight  loud, out loud / aloud, silent, silence

Loud means ‘making a lot of noise’. OPP silent. silence N.

The radio’s too loud.

We worked in silence.

If you speak out loud (SYN aloud) you speak so that people can her you.

I read the letter out loud / aloud to my father. The radio’s too loud.

4     Complete the sentences with a suitable word or phrase.

►   If you shout angrily at a child, they might cry.

1     When you have a cold, you might ____ a lot.

2     If you eat onions, your ____ might smell.

3     If something is incredibly funny, you might ____.

4     If your nose is blocked, you have to ____ and out through your mouth.

5     If you don’t want to be heard when you’re speaking to someone, you should ____.

6     If you are very relieved that something has gone well, you might ____.

7     If you suddenly get some very sad news, you might ____.

8     If your friend isn’t looking and a car is coming, you would ____ to him.

9     If all the class wanted to hear a short story you’ve written, you could read it ____.

10   The room was completely ____; no one said a word.

11   If you upset her, she will burst into ____.

12   You can’t speak in an exam; you must work in ____.

1     sneeze

2     breath

3     burst out laughing

4     breathe in

5     whisper

6     sigh

7     burst into tears; cry 

8     shout

9     out loud; aloud

10     silent

11     tears

12     silence

5     ABOUT YOU Write your answers, or ask another student. When did you last…

1     hear someone screaming? Who was it, and why? ________

2     burst out laughing? Why? ________

3     whisper to someone? Why? ________

4     read something out loud? What was it? ________

Answers from an Italian person

1     Yesterday I heard my neighbours’ baby screaming in the night because she was hungry.

2     I last burst out laughing when I went to a comedy show.

3     I last whispered to someone when I was visiting a museum.

4     I last read something out loud to my boyfriend. It was part of a review of a film.