Try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on National Compliments Day. Click on the links above or see the activities below this article:
READ
How often do you say nice things to your friends? Do you ever pay your boss a compliment? Well, for one day of the year, there is no excuse not to. National Compliments Day on January the 24th is one day in the year in the USA when people can give compliments. If someone pays you a compliment, you feel good, so you should pay other people compliments. Be sure to return the compliment if someone says something nice about you. Tell your boss he or she looks great. Let the sales assistant in the grocery store know they always do a fantastic job. It will brighten up their day and maybe they will be kinder to you in the future. Of all the different days we celebrate, National Compliments Day is one that makes us all feel good.
So just what is a compliment? It is a polite expression of praise given to someone to make them feel good. It comes from the heart and is an important part of building relationships. To pay a compliment is a win-win situation. You feel good and the receiver of your compliment is also happy. It is a simple sign of honesty that can bring sunshine into another person’s day. It seems compliments are more necessary today than ever before. We are often too busy and stressed to notice other people. Face-to-face contact is decreasing because of the Internet. This simple and natural skill needs to become a bigger part of the way we interact with others. You never know what new friendships you can build by paying a simple compliment.
Sources: http://www.wikipedia.org/ and assorted sites.
Mail this lesson to friends and teachers. Click the @ below.
PHRASE MATCH
Match the following phrases from the article.
Paragraph 1
1.
say nice things to
a.
return the compliment
2
pay your boss
b.
not to
3.
there is no excuse
c.
up their day
4.
you should pay other
d.
your friends
5.
Be sure to
e.
a compliment
6.
It will brighten
f.
people compliments
Paragraph 2
1.
praise given to someone to make
a.
relationships
2
an important part of building
b.
interact with others
3.
It is a simple sign
c.
stressed to notice
4.
compliments are more necessary today
d.
of honesty
5.
We are often too busy and
e.
them feel good
6.
become a bigger part of the way we
f.
than ever before
LISTENING GAP FILL
How often _________________ things to your friends? Do you ever pay your boss a compliment? Well, for one day of the year, there is _________________. National Compliments Day on January the 24th is one day in the year in the USA when people can give compliments. If someone pays you a compliment, you _________________ should pay other people compliments. _________________ the compliment if someone says something nice about you. Tell your boss he or she looks great. Let the sales assistant in the grocery store know they always _________________. It will brighten up their day and maybe they will be kinder to you in the future. Of all the different days we celebrate, National Compliments Day is _________________ all feel good.
So just what is a compliment? It is _________________ praise given to someone to make them feel good. It comes from the heart and is an _________________ building relationships. To pay a compliment is a win-win situation. You feel good and the receiver of your compliment is also happy. It is _________________ honesty that can bring sunshine into another person’s day. It seems compliments are more necessary today _________________. We are often too busy and stressed to notice other people. Face-to-face contact is decreasing because of the Internet. This simple and ___________________ become a bigger part of the way we interact with others. You never know what new friendships you can build __________________ compliment.
WHILE READING / LISTENING GAP FILL
Put the words into the gaps in the text.
How often do you say nice things to your friends? Do you ever __________ your boss a compliment? Well, for __________ day of the year, there is no __________ not to. National Compliments Day on January the 24th is one day in the year in the USA when people can give compliments. If someone __________ you a compliment, you feel good, so you should pay other people compliments. Be sure to __________ the compliment if someone says something nice about you. Tell your boss he or she looks great. Let the sales assistant in the grocery store __________ they always do a fantastic job. It will __________ up their day and maybe they will be kinder to you in the future. Of all the different days we __________, National Compliments Day is one that makes us all feel good.
return excuse celebrate pay brighten pays know one
So just what is a compliment? It is a __________ expression of praise given to someone to make them feel good. It comes from the __________ and is an important part of building relationships. To pay a compliment is a win-__________ situation. You feel good and the receiver of your compliment is also happy. It is a simple sign of __________ that can bring sunshine into another person’s day. It seems compliments are more necessary today than __________ before. We are often too busy and stressed to notice other people. Face-to-__________ contact is decreasing because of the Internet. This simple and natural __________ needs to become a bigger part of the way we interact with others. You never know what new friendships you can __________ by paying a simple compliment.
face honesty heart skill polite build win ever
CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD
Delete the wrong word in each of the pairs of italics.
How often do you say nice things to your friends? Do you ever payment / pay your boss a compliment? Well, for one day of the year, there is no excuse / excuses not to. National Compliments Day on January the 24th is one day in the year in the USA when people can give compliments. If someone pays / pay you a compliment, you feel good, so you should pay another / other people compliments. Be sure to return the compliment if someone says something nice about you. Tell your boss he or she looks grate / great. Let the sales assistant in the grocery store know they never / always do a fantastic job. It will brighten up / down their day and maybe they will be kinder to you in the future. Of all the different days we celebrate, National Compliments Day is one that makes us all feeling / feel good.
So just what is a compliment? It is a polite / impolite expression of praise given to someone to make them feel / felt good. It comes from the heart and is an important heart / part of building relationships. To pay a compliment is a winner-winner / win-win situation. You feel good and the receiver of your compliment is also happy. It is a simple sign of honesty that can bring / bringing sunshine into another person’s day. It seems compliments are more necessary today than ever before. We are often too busy and stressed / stress to notice other people. Face-to-face contract / contact is decreasing because of the Internet. This simple and natural skill needs to become a bigger part of the way we interact / interaction with others. You never know what new friendships you can build by paying a simple compliment.
MULTIPLE CHOICE
How often do you (1) ____ nice things to your friends? Do you ever pay your boss a compliment? Well, for one day of the year, there is (2) ____ excuse not to. National Compliments Day on January the 24th is one day in the year in the USA when people can give compliments. If someone pays you a compliment, you (3) ____ good, so you should pay other people compliments. Be sure to return the compliment if someone says something nice about you. Tell your boss he or she looks (4) ____. Let the sales assistant in the grocery store know they always do a fantastic job. It will (5) ____ up their day and maybe they will be kinder to you in the future. Of all the different days we (6) ____, National Compliments Day is one that makes us all feel good.
So just what is a compliment? It is a (7) ____ expression of praise given to someone to make them feel good. It comes from the heart and is an important (8) ____ of building relationships. To pay a compliment is a win-win situation. You feel good and the receiver of your compliment is also happy. It is a simple sign of honesty that can bring (9) ____ into another person’s day. It seems compliments are more necessary today than ever before. We are often too busy and stressed (10) ____ notice other people. Face-to-face contact is decreasing because of the Internet. This simple and natural skill needs (11) ____ become a bigger part of the way we (12) ____ with others. You never know what new friendships you can build by paying a simple compliment.
Put the correct words from this table into the article.
1.
(a)
speak
(b)
say
(c)
talk
(d)
voice
2.
(a)
not
(b)
no
(c)
non
(d)
never
3.
(a)
feeling
(b)
felt
(c)
feel
(d)
feeler
4.
(a)
grate
(b)
greatly
(c)
gratefully
(d)
great
5.
(a)
bright
(b)
brighter
(c)
brightest
(d)
brighten
6.
(a)
celebrate
(b)
celebration
(c)
celebrating
(d)
celebrates
7.
(a)
polite
(b)
impolite
(c)
politely
(d)
politeness
8.
(a)
parts
(b)
parting
(c)
part
(d)
party
9.
(a)
sunny
(b)
sunshine
(c)
sunniest
(d)
sun visors
10.
(a)
to
(b)
for
(c)
so
(d)
and
11.
(a)
for
(b)
and
(c)
at
(d)
to
12.
(a)
interaction
(b)
interactive
(c)
interact
(d)
interacts
SPELLING
Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.
Paragraph 1
1.
do you say nice hsngti to your friends
2.
there is no secuex not to
3.
you should pay hoert people compliments
4.
eurrnt the compliment
5.
they always do a catsniatf job
6.
they will be rkiden to you in the future
Paragraph 2
7.
It is a ieltpo expression
8.
It comes from the aetrh
9.
a win-win uintaoits
10.
a simple sign of tesnohy
11.
too busy and edssestr to notice
12.
the way we ictntear with others
PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER
Number these lines in the correct order.
( )
year, there is no excuse not to. National Compliments Day on January the 24th is one day in the year in the USA when
( )
win-win situation. You feel good and the receiver of your compliment is also happy. It is a simple sign of
( )
job. It will brighten up their day and maybe they will be kinder to you in the future. Of all the different days
( )
So just what is a compliment? It is a polite expression of praise given to someone to make them feel
( )
boss he or she looks great. Let the sales assistant in the grocery store know they always do a fantastic
( )
pay other people compliments. Be sure to return the compliment if someone says something nice about you. Tell your
( )
of the Internet. This simple and natural skill needs to become a bigger part of the way we interact with
( )
others. You never know what new friendships you can build by paying a simple compliment.
( )
we celebrate, National Compliments Day is one that makes us all feel good.
( )
good. It comes from the heart and is an important part of building relationships. To pay a compliment is a
( )
ever before. We are often too busy and stressed to notice other people. Face-to-face contact is decreasing because
( )
people can give compliments. If someone pays you a compliment, you feel good, so you should
( )
honesty that can bring sunshine into another person’s day. It seems compliments are more necessary today than
( 1 )
How often do you say nice things to your friends? Do you ever pay your boss a compliment? Well, for one day of the
SCRAMBLED SENTENCES
With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.
1.
not excuse no is there to
2.
other pay should you compliments people
3.
Be compliment the return to sure
4.
day their up brighten will It
5.
maybe be you future will to the they kinder in
6.
a expression praise is polite of It
7.
part important an relationships building of
8.
is simple of It a sign honesty
9.
to too notice busy We and are stressed often
10.
never you know can what build new You friendships
DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)
STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
Write five questions about National Compliments Day in the table. Do this in pairs/groups. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.
Without your partner, interview other students. Write down their answers.
STUDENT 1
_____________
STUDENT 2
_____________
STUDENT 3
_____________
Q.1.
Q.2.
Q.3.
Q.4.
Q.5.
Return to your original partner(s) and share and talk about what you found out. Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.
WRITING
Write about National Compliments Day for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.
1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.
2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information about National Compliments Day. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about National Compliments Day. Write about what happens around the world. Include two imaginary interviews with people who did something on this day.
Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.
4. POSTER: Make your own poster about National Compliments Day. Write about what will happen on this day around the world.
Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.
ANSWERS
Check your answers in "THE READING / TAPESCRIPT" section at the top of this page.
