Letters to a newspaper

(!} Read the article and letters quickly. Who:

a) t hinks ch ild ren shou ld work for t heir pocket money?

b) isn't su re if ch i ld ren shou ld work for their pocket money?............................. c) disagrees wi th a)?.............................

Reading a n article and two letters about pocket money

Writing giving an opi nion

Review conditionals; make a nd do

Househusband

By Phil Marsden Pocket money - do

I have three children who are 8, I0 and 12. They

get pocket money every Saturday of between £3 and £5. This is about the national British average but according to a recent survey, British children receive the highest pocket money in Europe. And

of course, they're absol utely convinced that their friends get at least twice as much as they do.

I've always felt that pocket money is a good idea.

I have no doubt that i t teaches children to think about money and to save up for things they want -

We've got two children. They started gelling pocket money when they were about four. But it was always for helping or doing some work. Now, they're 14 and 16 and they volunteer to make dinner and do the housework. As they sec it, they have to earn their pocket money.

I'm positive that your own children will soon learn the same thing. And if they refuse, don't give them their pocket money!

Children who arc old enough - and yours are - have to

learn that home is not a hotel! Ba rry, Nort h London

appropriate training for adult l ife. However, recently we've started to ask our kids to earn their pocket money. They do the washing-up, for example, or do some cleaning. Or sometimes we pay t hem not to make noise!

They're not happy about it! They say that they don't have time. They say their friends don't have to do anyth i ng for their pocket money. My twelve-year-old makes me laugh. As far as he's concerned, we pay less

than the govern ment's minimum wage! When he refused to help my wife do the shoppi ng recently, we didn't give him his pocket money for a week. He was so upset that we had to have a family meeti ng to discuss the situation. (And then later I saw our eight-year-old gave him half

of her pocket money!)

So what do you think readers? We're not being unfair, a re we?

To me, children are becoming obsessed by money just like their parents! If you give children money for helping at home, then they start thinking they should make money out of anything and everything they do.

We have four boys (2, 7, 9 and 13). The three who receive pocket money get it every week on Saturday morning. It docsn 't matter how much work they have done or what they have done at school. Of course, we ask them to help at home. And 11s11ally they do everything we ask them to do. And if they don't do it, there is usually a good reason. If there isn '1 one, we 'II tell them that we're disappointed. We strongly believe that this is a much better idea than the threat of no pocket money.

Nico le, Glasuw

Read the article and letters again. Arc these sentences t rue (T), false (F) or the text doesn't say (DS)?

around the house.

2 Phil thinks pocket money is im porta nt

7 N icole gives pocket money to her four child ren.

because child ren learn abou t saving money

3 DPhil's eldest child never helps wit h t he

B DNicole's child ren alwa)'S hel p her when the)' can.

housework. 9 D Nicole's children don't mi nd doing t he

4 DPhil gives his child ren extra money for doing

• t hings i n the house.

housework.

_, a) Read the article and leuers again. f ill in the gaps

1

/' in t hese ph rases for giving an opinion.

1 I'm .f!.Q..Q/.11./y.. convinced Jh.fJt....

2.......................................................... felt...............................

3................................................................................ doubt that...

4.......................... far........................... I'm...........................,...

s.......... Isec...................

6........... positive...............

7................ Ille, •..

8 lst rongly.

b) f our ph rases i n 3a) arc used lo give st ronger opinions. Which phrases are t hey?

......l......

c) Notice how you can change the phrases in 3a). Underline the fou r phrases in the art icle and letters that don't use the subject pronoun I.

b) Write one sentence giving your opin ion on t hese subjects.

1 Tax

2 Protective paren1s

3 Superstitions

4 Lea rning la nguages

s Pocket money

a) Rewrite these sentences usi ng the words in hrackets

and the phrases in 3a). fQ a) Choose one of the subjects in 4b). What are your

1 We really t hink that he stole the money. (strongly) opinions on the subject? Make notes in the table.

.W..s.trnngl.J'..9-. (i. v..th.?..th.f:stol..t.b.g_.r:non.gy....

opinion reasons

2 She really believes she will wi n. (convi nced)

3 1 believe everyone should be able to afforcl a house. (fell)

4 He t hinks we will find life on other planets. (doubt)

s I'm sure l saw h im earlier. (positive)

I think all children should have a mobile phone.

It's safer when they go out.

6 he thinks that housework is a wast e of t i me. (secs)

7 I think that children spend too much time watching

TV (me)

8 My brot her thinks that child ren should n 't get pocket money. (concerned)

b) Wri te a short article giving your opinion on one of t he subjects in 4b).

• Use you r no tes i n Sa).

• Use the phrases in 3a).

• Read a nd check for mistakes.

• G h·e you r a rt icle to your teacher next class.

Tick the things you can do in English in the

.. Reading and Writing Progress Port folio, p88..

..................................................... •

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