Room for Two (So do I / Neither do I)

Room for Two

So do I.

Neither can I.

B1 · 60 minutes

Fine or deal-breaker?

Task Your new flatmate does these things. Fine or a deal-breaker? Choose for each one. Then compare with a partner.

1

sings in the shower every morning

fine

deal-breaker

2

leaves dirty plates in the sink overnight

fine

deal-breaker

3

has a big, friendly dog

fine

deal-breaker

4

plays video games until 2 a.m.

fine

deal-breaker

5

invites friends round every Friday

fine

deal-breaker

6

sometimes eats your food from the fridge

fine

deal-breaker

a deal-breaker = a reason to say "no"

Two profiles

Task Amara has a free room in her flat. Kenji wants a room. Read their profiles, then answer the questions in pairs.

Amara

Kenji

has a room

wants a room

Graphic designer.

Two-bedroom flat with a big kitchen and a sunny balcony.

Free time: running, plants, reading.

Looking for: a quiet, tidy flatmate.

Software tester.

Needs: a room with a desk, from next month.

Free time: the guitar, basketball, cooking for friends.

Looking for: a friendly, quiet flat.

1

Do Amara and Kenji have a lot in common? Yes, no or a bit? Guess.

2

Write one question Amara should ask Kenji.

Kenji sees the room

Task Read their chat. Do they have a lot in common? Did they talk about your question?

A

Amara Here's the room. I work from home three days a week, by the way.

A

Amara Neither can I. And mornings?

Kenji So do I, actually. And I love cooking.

K

Kenji I'm not a morning person, I'm afraid.

K

A

Amara Oh, I don't. Pasta is my only dish.

A

Amara Really? I am. I go running at six, but I'm very quiet.

Kenji Then you can do the washing-up! I'm tidy now, but I was really messy as a student.

K

Kenji Good. You know, I've never shared a flat with a stranger.

K

A

Amara So was I! I lived with four people at university.

A

Amara Neither have I. That's why I wrote a list of questions! Last one: my neighbour's cat visits every day. Is that a problem? I don't mind cats myself.

Kenji So did I. What about evenings? I don't watch much TV.

K

A

Amara Me neither. I usually read.

Kenji Oh, I do. They make me sneeze. Can I come back on Saturday and meet her? Then we can decide. I don't want to rush this.

K

Kenji Me too. I play the guitar a bit, but never late. I can't sleep if there's music on.

K

A

Amara Me neither.

What they share

Task Read the chat again. Write each topic in the right column. Add a few words: what's true for Amara and Kenji?

mornings

work

cats

at university

music at night

cooking

evenings and TV

sharing a flat with a stranger

In common

Different

Talk about it

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

You're Kenji. What else do you want to ask Amara on Saturday?

1

Look at your warmer choices. Is one of Amara and Kenji's differences a deal-breaker for you?

2

Same or different?

Task In pairs. Put each exchange from the chat in the right box. Then put Me too and Me neither in the right boxes.

Me too

First speaker:

a yes-sentence

First speaker:

a not-sentence

Me neither

Second speaker:

the same

Second speaker:

different

A

Kenji I can't sleep if there's music on.

Amara Neither can I.

B

Kenji I love cooking.

Amara Oh, I don't.

C

Amara I work from home three days a week.

Kenji So do I.

D

Amara I don't mind cats myself.

Kenji Oh, I do.

Look again

Task Which reply is in the chat? Choose. Then choose the rule and the word order.

1

Amara I work from home three days a week.

Kenji __________, actually.

So do I

So am I

2

Kenji I've never shared a flat with a stranger.

Amara __________.

Neither have I

Neither did I

3

Kenji I was really messy as a student.

Amara __________!

So I was

So was I

4

Kenji I can't sleep if there's music on.

Amara __________.

Neither can't I

Neither can I

The little verb in the reply is…

A

always do

B

the same as the first speaker's, or do / does / did if there isn't one

C

am / is / are if the first speaker uses be, and do for every other verb

After So and Neither, the word order is like __________.

a question

a statement

Say it

Task Listen and repeat. Then say each exchange with a partner.

1

I work from home. – So do I.

2

I can't cook. – Neither can I. / Oh, I can.

3

I was messy as a student. – So was I!

4

I'm not a morning person. – Really? I am.

5

I love cooking. – Oh, I don't. / I don't watch much TV. – Me neither.

Grammar reference

Agree: it's the same for me

Disagree: it's different for me

Which little verb?

After a yes-sentence: So + little verb + I. I work from home. – So do I. After a not-sentence: Neither + little verb + I. I can't sleep with music on. – Neither can I. Informal, very common in speech: Me too. / Me neither.

I + the opposite little verb, often after Oh, or Really?: I love cooking. – Oh, I don't. I don't mind cats. – Oh, I do.

The first speaker's: I'm tired. – So am I. · I can swim. – So can I. · I've lived abroad. – So have I. · I was late. – So was I. No little verb? Use do / does (present) or did (past): I like jazz. – So do I. · I lived in Rome. – So did I.

Word order

Another person

Nor

like a question: So do I, not So I do.

the little verb matches the new person: I love cooking. – So does my brother.

Nor do I = Neither do I (more British).

Neither + a positive little verb: Neither can I (not Neither can't I). never makes a not-sentence: I've never shared a flat. – Neither have I. A positive reply ends with the full form: I am, I have (not I'm, I've). Me too is only for yes-sentences; after a not-sentence it's Me neither.

CAREFUL

Choose the reply

Task Saturday: Kenji is back. Choose Amara's reply. (same) = the same for Amara · (different) = different for Amara.

1

Kenji I really like this street. (same) __________

So do I

So am I

So did I

2

Kenji I'm a bit tired today. (different) __________

I am

So am I

Oh, I'm not

3

Kenji I can't hear the traffic from here. (same) __________

Neither do I

Neither can't I

Neither can I

4

Kenji I didn't bring an umbrella. (same) __________

Me neither

So did I

Me too

5

Kenji I've never been to the café on the corner. (same) __________

So have I

Neither have I

Neither haven't I

6

Kenji I don't drink coffee. (different) __________

Oh, I don't

Oh, I do

Me neither

Complete the reply

Task At a flat-share meetup. Complete B's reply with the right little verb.

1

A I'm going to look at another flat tomorrow. B (same): So __________ I.

2

A I've never lived on my own. B (same): Neither __________ I.

3

A I lived in a flat above a bakery once. B (same): So __________ I! It smelled amazing.

4

A I can't swim. B (different): Oh, I __________. I go every Sunday.

5

A I wasn't at home last weekend. B (same): Neither __________ I.

6

A I don't wear shoes in the house. B (different): Really? I __________.

7

A I've cleaned my kitchen this week. B (different): Oh, I __________. It's terrible!

Your flatmate card

Task Write six true sentences about you. Start each one with a different starter.

1

I can't…

2

I've never…

3

I don't mind…

4

When I was a student, I…

5

I'm (not) a … person.

6

At the weekend, I usually…

Find your flatmate

Task Who in the class are you most like?

Read four of your sentences to each partner, one at a time. Your partner replies: the same, or different? Then swap.

1

2

Count your "same" replies with each partner.

3

Change partners and do it again.

Who do you have most in common with? Tell the class, with two examples.

4

Homework

Task Read the flat-share ad. Write a reply message (60–90 words). Choose five lines: copy each one, then reply with So… / Neither… / Me too / Me neither or I do / I don't… and a few more words. End with one question about the room.

Room free from 1 May

A sunny room in a two-bedroom flat, five minutes from the station. About me:

1

I work nights.

5

I don't cook much.

2

I can't sleep with the window open.

6

I played the drums at university.

3

I watch a film every evening.

7

I'm not very tidy.

4

I've never had a pet.

8

I don't mind guests at the weekend.

TEACHER'S REFERENCE · SKIP OR DELETE BEFORE CLASS

Answer key (1)

KENJI SEES THE ROOM

A lot in common? Yes, quite a lot (five things; see What they share), but there are three differences.

Do they decide? (spoken check) Not yet. Kenji will come back on Saturday to meet the cat; then they'll decide.

WHAT THEY SHARE (CONT.)

Different cooking: Kenji loves it, Amara doesn't (only pasta) · mornings: Amara is a morning person, Kenji isn't · cats: Amara doesn't mind them, Kenji does (they make him sneeze)

WHAT THEY SHARE

In common work: both work from home three days a week · at university: both were messy and lived with four people · evenings and TV: neither watches much TV, and both read · music at night: neither can sleep with music on · sharing a flat with a stranger: neither has done it before

SAME OR DIFFERENT?

Yes-sentence, the same C (So do I) · Me too

Not-sentence, the same A (Neither can I) · Me neither

Yes-sentence, different B (Oh, I don't)

Not-sentence, different D (Oh, I do)

TEACHER'S REFERENCE · SKIP OR DELETE BEFORE CLASS

Answer key (2)

LOOK AGAIN

Which is correct? 1 So do I; 2 Neither have I; 3 So was I; 4 Neither can I

The rule B: the same as the first speaker's, or do / does / did if there isn't one

Word order like a question

CHOOSE THE REPLY

1 So do I (Me too is also right)

2 Oh, I'm not

3 Neither can I

4 Me neither

5 Neither have I

6 Oh, I do

COMPLETE THE REPLY

1 am

2 have

COMPLETE THE REPLY (CONT.)

3 did

4 can

5 was

6 do

7 haven't

HOMEWORK (POSSIBLE REPLIES: THE SAME · DIFFERENT)

1 So do I. / Me too. · Oh, I don't.

2 Neither can I. / Me neither. · Oh, I can.

3 So do I. / Me too. · Oh, I don't.

4 Neither have I. / Me neither. · Oh, I have.

5 Neither do I. / Me neither. · Oh, I do.

6 So did I. / Me too. · Oh, I didn't.

7 Neither am I. / Me neither. · Oh, I am.

8 Neither do I. / Me neither. · Oh, I do.