The Reading / Listening - Full Stop - Level 2

A language expert says ending sentences in text messages with a full stop can look rude. In American English, a full stop is called a period. The expert says more people think ending messages with a full stop is rude. She said this is most common in younger people who use instant messaging apps like Twitter. She added that people 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 goes back 2,300 years. It is an essential part of writing. Teachers can put comments in red ink on a student's writing if he or she forgets the full stop. However, technology is changing how we write. Most people now use abbreviations, acronyms, emojis or emoticons :-) People might use the acronym 'LOL' instead of 'laugh out loud,' or the abbreviation 'fyi' rather than 'for your information'. Not using the full stop in text messages helps the writer save time. The expert said a full stop can also make the writer look a little aggressive.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Full Stop - Level 0 Full Stop - Level 1   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. text
  3. this is most common
  4. use instant messaging
  5. send a completely
  6. the default
  7. break
  8. send each thought as
  1. new message
  2. way
  3. expert
  4. a new message
  5. messages
  6. up your thoughts
  7. apps
  8. in younger people

Paragraph 2

  1. The full stop goes
  2. It is an essential
  3. comments in red
  4. if he or she
  5. technology is changing
  6. acronyms, emojis
  7. 'LOL' instead of
  8. make the writer look
  1. how we write
  2. forgets
  3. a little aggressive
  4. 'laugh out loud'
  5. ink
  6. back 2,300 years
  7. or emoticons
  8. part of writing

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A (1) ___________________ ending sentences in text messages with a full stop (2) ___________________. In American English, a full stop is called a period. The expert says more people think ending messages with a full stop is rude. She said this (3) ___________________ in younger people who use instant messaging apps like Twitter. She added that people (4) ___________________ a completely new message instead of ending a sentence with a full stop. She said: "If you're a young person and you're (5) ___________________ to someone, the default way to (6) ___________________ thoughts is to send each thought as a new message."

The full (1) ___________________ 2,300 years. It is an essential part of writing. Teachers can put comments (2) ___________________ on a student's writing if he or she forgets the full stop. However, technology is changing how we write. Most people now use abbreviations, acronyms, (3) ___________________ :-) People might use the acronym 'LOL' instead of (4) ___________________ ' or the abbreviation 'fyi' rather than 'for your information'. Not using the full stop (5) ___________________ helps the writer save time. The expert said a full stop can also make the writer look (6) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Alanguageexpertsaysendingsentencesintextmessageswithafullstop
canlookrude.InAmericanEnglish,afullstopiscalledaperiod.Theexpert
saysmorepeoplethinkendingmessageswithafullstopisrude.Shesaidt
hisismostcommoninyoungerpeoplewhouseinstantmessagingappsli
keTwitter.Sheaddedthatpeopleprefertosendacompletelynewmessa
geinsteadofendingasentencewithafullstop.Shesaid:"Ifyou'reayoun
gpersonandyou'resendingamessagetosomeone,thedefaultwaytobr
eakupyourthoughtsistosendeachthoughtasanewmessage."Thefulls
topgoesback2,300years.Itisanessentialpartofwriting.Teacherscanp
utcommentsinredinkonastudent'swritingifheorsheforgetsthefullsto
p.However,technologyischanginghowwewrite.Mostpeoplenowusea
bbreviations,acronyms,emojisoremoticons:-)Peoplemightusethea
cronym'LOL'insteadof'laughoutloud,'ortheabbreviation'fyi'ratherth
an'foryourinformation'.Notusingthefullstopintextmessageshelpsthe
writersavetime.Theexpertsaidafullstopcanalsomakethewriterlookal
ittleaggressive.

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.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

Help Support This Web Site

  • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Thank You