It's About Time We Decided (would rather / it's time)

It's About Time We Decided

I'd rather you didn't…

B2 · 60 minutes

Warmer

TASK In pairs. Design your ideal working week, then compare.

How many days would you work, and which ones?

1

Where would you work on each day?

2

When would you start and finish?

3

What would you never have in your week?

4

Three things to decide

TASK A small team has three things to decide this week. Read the items. Then read the chat and choose A or B.

1

The office day this week.

A Thursday

B Monday

2

The team outing.

A a boat trip

B a cooking class

3

Who books the outing?

A Rosa

B Idris

4

Rosa wants the report by…

A Tuesday lunchtime

B Wednesday

The team chat

TASK Read the chat. Go back to "Three things to decide" and choose A or B.

Jakob 9:05 Morning, all! Three things this week, and it's about time we decided all of them. One: our office day. Two: the team outing, which we've been "planning" since June. Three: the client report, due on Wednesday. I'd rather not spend the whole week on this, so quick answers, please.

Rosa 9:26 Idris, I'd rather you didn't book anything yet: I still need to check the budget. And I'd rather we chose something that doesn't depend on the weather, so the cooking class gets my vote. Jakob, about the report: I'd prefer you not to send it until I've seen it. Can I have it by Tuesday lunchtime?

Mei-Ling 9:11 Office day first. Honestly, I'd rather come in on Thursday than Monday: the Monday trains are terrible. I prefer working from home to commuting anyway, but I'd prefer to come in for the client call on Thursday rather than join it online. It's easier to read the room.

Jakob 9:34 Tuesday lunchtime is fine, and Thursday in the office it is, then. I'd rather you checked the figures than the commas, though! Mei-Ling, I'd prefer you to do the slides, if that's OK. You're much better at them than I am.

Idris 9:20 Thursday works for me. For the outing, I've found a boat trip on the river, or there's a cooking class near the office. The boat only has twelve places left, so it's time to book. I'd prefer to do it today rather than lose them. Shall I go ahead?

Mei-Ling 9:41 Happy to do the slides. Rosa, can you check the budget today? I'd rather we didn't lose the class as well as the boat. And honestly, it's high time we had a chat this quick every week.

Rosa 9:58 Budget's fine. Idris, book the class!

Talk about it

TASK In pairs. Answer the questions, then tell the class.

Who seems to be in charge of this team? How can you tell?

1

Would you like to work in this team? Why, or why not?

2

Which is better for team decisions: a group chat or a meeting?

3

Read it again

TASK Look at these sentences from the chat.

I'd rather you didn't book anything yet: I still need to check the budget.

1

2

It's about time we decided all of them.

Honestly, I'd rather come in on Thursday than Monday.

3

What comes next?

TASK Find each start in the chat. What kind of verb comes next? Then choose the rule.

It starts…

What comes next? (find it in the chat)

I'd rather

_______________________________________________

I'd rather you / we

_______________________________________________

I'd prefer

_______________________________________________

I'd prefer you

_______________________________________________

It's about time / high time we

_______________________________________________

It's time

_______________________________________________

After I'd rather or It's about time + a subject (you, we), the verb is:

present

past

to + verb

Grammar reference

I'd rather …

Same subject (I): I'd rather wait. I'd rather not. A different subject (you, we, Idris): past form, now or future meaning. I'd rather you waited. I'd rather we didn't.

I'd prefer …

I'd prefer to wait. I'd prefer you to wait. I'd prefer you not to send it. (Also: I'd prefer it if you didn't.)

It's time …

It's time to decide (now is the right moment). It's time / about time / high time we decided (we should have decided already; about and high make it a complaint).

than / rather than I'd rather come on Thursday than Monday. I'd prefer to come in rather than join online.

prefer on its own is about in general, like I like: I prefer working from home to commuting (to, not than). I'd prefer and I'd rather are about this time, like I'd like. Never I'd rather to stay or I'd rather you to wait.

CAREFUL

Right or wrong?

TASK Read these messages from other team chats. Right or wrong? Correct the wrong ones.

1

I'd prefer you to check the figures before Friday.

right

wrong

2

I'd rather to stay late tonight than come in early tomorrow.

right

wrong

3

It's about time we book the room: it's nearly full.

right

wrong

4

I'd rather Idris didn't send the prices yet.

right

wrong

5

I'd prefer not to join the call online.

right

wrong

6

I'd rather I worked from home on Friday, if that's OK.

right

wrong

Say it another way

TASK Complete the second sentence so it means the same as the first. Use two to five words, including the word in capitals. Don't change the word in capitals.

1

Please don't call the client before Rosa replies.

RATHER

4

I don't want to work late on Friday.

RATHER

I'd ________ the client before Rosa replies.

I'd ________ late on Friday.

2

The printer has been broken for weeks, and we still haven't fixed it.

TIME

5

I want you to send me the file today.

PREFER

It's ________ the printer.

I'd ________ me the file today.

3

I want to take the train, not drive.

PREFER

6

Our team has never had a proper outing, and we really should.

TIME

I'd ________ the train rather than drive.

It's high ________ a proper outing.

Plan the team event

TASK In groups. Plan the team's end-of-year event. Negotiate with I'd rather, I'd prefer and It's (about) time.

On your own: choose your favourite and one you'd hate. A pottery class · a museum visit · a picnic in the park · an escape room. Keep them secret.

1

Agree on one event, the day, and who books it. The rules: last year's event never happened, it's already late to book, a Friday afternoon, three hours at most, and it has to work in any weather.

2

3

Tell the class your plan, and who changed their mind.

Homework

TASK Reply to your flatmate in 60–80 words. Use these four patterns at least once each.

From your flatmate

Hi! The landlord wants to come and look at the kitchen. He can do Saturday at 8 a.m. or Monday evening. I could say yes to Saturday for both of us, or ask for Monday. Also, we said we'd have a dinner for the whole flat in September, and we still haven't picked a date! And should I book the plumber now, or wait until our third flatmate is back? Let me know!

1

I'd rather + verb

2

I'd rather + person + past

3

I'd prefer (+ person) + to + verb

4

It's about time / high time + we + past

TEACHER'S REFERENCE · SKIP OR DELETE BEFORE CLASS

Answer key (1)

THREE THINGS TO DECIDE

1 A (Thursday)

2 B (a cooking class)

3 B (Idris, after Rosa checks the budget)

4 A (Tuesday lunchtime)

WHAT COMES NEXT?

1 a verb with no to · come (I'd rather come in) · not spend (I'd rather not spend)

2 a past form · didn't book, chose, checked, didn't lose

3 to + verb · to come (in), to do (it today)

4 to + verb · not to send, to do (the slides)

5 a past form · decided, had

6 to + verb · to book

The rule past

RIGHT OR WRONG?

Right 1, 4 (a different subject, Idris, so the past), 5

2 I'd rather stay late tonight than come in early tomorrow. / I'd prefer to stay late tonight rather than come in early tomorrow.

TEACHER'S REFERENCE · SKIP OR DELETE BEFORE CLASS

Answer key (2)

3 It's about time we booked the room: it's nearly full. / It's time to book the room.

6 I'd rather work from home on Friday, if that's OK. / I'd prefer to work from home on Friday.

SAY IT ANOTHER WAY

1 rather you didn't call / rather you did not call

2 about time we fixed / high time we fixed / time we fixed / about time somebody fixed · also correct English, but not today's point: time for us to fix · loses the meaning: time to fix (neutral, so the "we're late" is gone)

3 prefer to take

4 rather not work

5 prefer you to send / prefer it if you sent

6 time we had / time our team had / time the team had · also correct English, but not today's point: time to have / time for us to have

HOMEWORK (POSSIBLE ANSWER)

• Hi! I'd rather not get up at 8 on a Saturday, so I'd prefer you to ask for Monday evening. I'll be home by six. About the plumber: I'd rather you didn't book anyone yet, because our flatmate knows a good one. And yes, it's about time we picked a date for the dinner. How about the last Friday in September? I'd rather cook than order food, if that's OK with you both.