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Innovation in Learning

A A GENERAL ENGLISH

Running errands
Lesson code: GIUI-96RC-4GEA UPPER INTERMEDIATE

1 Key words
Study the sentences below. Match the underlined words and phrases with the definitions.

1. According to recent revelations, the government is monitoring our phone calls. Nobody knew
about this before.
2. The scandal was in all the headlines. Everyone was talking about it.
3. Asking me to cook him dinner at 2am was a ridiculous request.
4. His book was so popular, it became a bestseller.
5. If you are a doctor, you sometimes have to be on call 24 hours a day.
6. Joe is a personal assistant -- she has to run errands for her boss all day.

a. a book that sells more than other books in its class

b. available and ready to work or do something at any time
c. extremely silly or unreasonable
d. make short trips to collect or deliver things, usually for someone else
e. surprising and previously unknown facts
f. the titles of major newspaper stories

2 Before you read

You are going to read an article about what it's like to be a famous person's personal assistant. Which
seven tasks below do you think are mentioned in the article? Read the text and check if you were right.

answer phone calls in the middle of the night 2

make sure there is food in the fridge 2
sleep in the same bed as the boss 2
take care of children 2
cook meals 2
park the boss' car 2
reply to fan mail 2
run errands 2
entertain guests 2
write emails 2
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Running errands
Innovation in Learning

A A A A GENERAL ENGLISH

What's it like to work for somebody

famous?
Post a letter, entertain my Aunt Sylvia and boil me 72 eggs. According to recent
revelations, working for somebody famous can be an almost impossible task.

1 If you believe the newspaper headlines, it seems
that being a personal assistant to a famous person
means middle-of-the-night phone calls, ridiculous
demands and getting hit by a flying BlackBerry.
2 And the complex role of the PA has recently
captured the public's attention. According to
recent stories, celebrity cook Nigella Lawson had
her assistant make sure the fridge was stocked
with boiled eggs, while businessman and art
collector Charles Saatchi got his assistant to buy
copies of his book to boost its position in the
bestseller list.
3 Predictably, the media loves stories about a star's
strange demands -- stories like the news that
Lady Gaga made her former assistant sleep in her
bed because she hated being alone.
4 But aside from all the horror stories in the media,
what is it really like to be a celebrity's personal
assistant? And what are the benefits?
5 Deborah Shaw, a former personal assistant to the
actor Charlton Heston, says that salaries "depend 13 "He enjoyed making me call him `governor',"
on who you're dealing with". An assistant who is
expected to be on call around the clock can enjoy
a salary of around ¿75,000 to ¿100,000, while
those who work more regular hours are looking at
14 However, Coulling and Shaw insist that most
¿35,000 to ¿50,000.
6 Diversity in your working day is also one of the
major benefits, says Donna Coulling, an assistant
to Helena Bonham-Carter and Rachel Weisz.
"Every day is different and I love not knowing what 15 "I guess it's the same with any industry," Coulling
I'm doing from one day to the next. Only a certain
type of person can do this job."
7 After working with her clients for more than 11
years, Coulling claims it is easy to switch between
managing a celebrity's lifestyle and returning to
her own more normal existence. "There is some
confusion, I suppose. I sometimes think, `I really
need to get my teeth whitened, too'. And then I
realise I don't because I'm not in the public eye."
8 And while some people think that assistants
receive endless gifts, in reality it's usually just a
nice present for birthdays and Christmas.
9 Both Shaw and Coulling agree that the details of
your tasks should be clear before accepting the
job. "There are people that do get abused, but
honestly, I think they let it happen," Coulling says.
10 "I always tell people to be sure of what they're not
going to do. If you don't want to take care of
children, you need to be clear about it."
11 Discretion is the key. Most assistants have
confidentiality contracts with their employers.
Harrison Cheung, who worked as an assistant to
Christian Bale from 1993-2003, obviously had no
such agreement. In 2012, Cheung published a
book about his time with the actor.
12 Typical tasks included organising the gardener,
replying to fan mail, and running errands. But
Cheung also received 2am phone calls and was
forced to entertain visiting family members.
Cheung recalls. Now working in internet marketing
for IBM, Cheung advises wannabe celebrity
assistants to separate business and pleasure.
personal assistants enjoy their jobs and get on
really well with their employers. It can also open
doors to bigger and better things. For example,
Madonna's assistant later became her manager.
says. "There are a couple of horror stories and it
tarnishes the whole industry."
16 It seems that being a personal assistant is just like
any other job: if your job is like a horror story,
then you can't wait for the weekend -- if your boss
allows you to have free weekends, of course.
Adapted from The Independent, 15/1/14, by
Gillian Orr
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Running errands
Innovation in Learning

A A A A GENERAL ENGLISH

3 Checking understanding
Answer the questions below.

1. What is the media's attitude towards the stories of celebrities' personal assistants?
2. What are the benefits of working as a celebrity's personal assistant?
3. How often do personal assistants typically receive gifts from their bosses?
4. What advice does Donna Coulling give to people who want to become personal assistants?
5. What is the most important aspect of an assistant's relationship with a celebrity?
6. What typical tasks did Christian Bale's assistant have to do?
7. What advice does Harrison Cheung give to people who want to become personal assistants?
8. Which example mentioned in the text shows that being a celebrity's assistant lead to `better things'?

4 Find the word

Find a word or phrase in the text which means:

1. improve, increase (verb, P2)

2. 24 hours a day (phrase, P5)
3. a very large number of (adjective, P8)
4. trying to be like someone else (informal adjective, P13)
5. have a good relationship (phrasal verb, P14)
6. damages the reputation of (verb, P15)

5 Grammar - Causative structures

A causative structure is used when one thing or person causes another thing or person to do something.
Look at the following sentences from the article. Put P (permission) or O (obligation) next to each
sentence.

1. Nigella Lawson had her assistant make sure the fridge was stocked with boiled eggs.
2. Charles Saatchi got his assistant to buy copies of his book.
3. Lady Gaga made her former assistant sleep in her bed because she hated being alone.
4. ... if your boss allows you to have free weekends, of course.
5. There are people that do get abused, but honestly, I think they let it happen.
6. Cheung also received 2am phone calls and was forced to entertain visiting family members.
Study the structures in bold. Which verbs are followed by `to + infinitive'? Which are followed by an
infinitive without `to'?

Which structure expresses a strong obligation?

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Running errands
Innovation in Learning

A A A A GENERAL ENGLISH

The structures with `make', `allow' and `force' can be used in the active or passive. Look at the table
below.

Active Passive
She made me work late. I was made to work late.

He allowed me to have a free weekend. I was allowed to have a free weekend.

She forced me to entertain the guests. I was forced to entertain the guests.

6 Practice 1
Complete the sentences with `get', `have', `let', `allow', `make', or `force' in the correct form. Think
about the context and the structure. In some sentences, more than one answer is possible.

1. It was a military area -- they didn't anyone to enter.

2. It was a fancy-dress party, so we were to wear costumes.
3. They didn't him smoke -- it was a non-smoking area.
4. I don't like it when my boss me call him "boss".
5. My neighbours are playing really loud music. They won't me sleep.
6. When the police caught the thief, they him to empty his pockets.
7. They are not welcome here. Who them enter the building?
8. When I was a child, my parents were very strict. They didn't even me to watch
television.
9. When I was a teenager, my parents were very relaxed. They always me stay out late.
10. 100 years ago, women were not to vote. Now, they have much more freedom.
11. My boss me work late almost every evening. I feel exhausted.
12. Julia talks so much. She doesn't anyone else to speak.

7 Practice 2
Work with a partner. Choose a topic from the list below and make sentences like in the example.

In my childhood, I wasn't allowed to stay up late.

1. your childhood
2. your work
3. your studies
4. your country
5. your culture
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Review your flashcards at least 3-5 times a week for 20 minutes to keep the material fresh in your memory.
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 lingua house
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Running errands - Key
Innovation in Learning

A A A A GENERAL ENGLISH

1- Key words

Students can work individually and check in pairs.

1. e 2. f 3. c 4. a 5. b 6. d

2- Before you read

2

answer phone calls in the middle of the night
2

make sure there is food in the fridge
2

sleep in the same bed as the boss
2

take care of children
2

reply to fan mail
2

run errands
2

entertain guests

3- Checking understanding

1. The media loves stories about a star's strange demands.

2. diversity, salary
3. for birthdays and Christmas
4. Be sure of what you're not going to do.
5. discretion
6. organise the gardener, reply to fan mail, run errands, receive 2am phone calls
7. Separate business and pleasure.
8. Madonna's PA became her manager.

4- Find the word

1. boost 2. around the clock 3. endless

4. wannabe 5. get on 6. tarnishes

5- Grammar - Causative structures

1. O 2. O 3. O 4. P 5. P 6. O
allow/force/get + to; let/make/have + infinitive without `to'; force sb to do sth = a strong obligation

6- Practice 1

1. allow 2. forced/made 3. let 4. makes/has 5. let 6. forced/got

7. let 8. allow 9. let 10. allowed 11. makes/has 12. allow
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You can review this worksheet online at www.linguahouse.com/ex

Review your flashcards at least 3-5 times a week for 20 minutes to keep the material fresh in your memory.
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