PREFACE

Dans le but d’aider tout le monde surtout les élèves des Lycées et collèges à s’exprimer
couramment en Anglais, nous mettons à leur disposition ce manuel intitulé «EASY
ENGLISH».
Dans ce document, vous trouverez tout ce qu’il vous faut pour écrire et parler l’Anglais
sans difficultés.
De nos jours, l’importance de la langue de “Shakespeareˮ n’est plus à démontrer. Elle
s’impose à chacun de nous quel que soit notre domaine d’activité professionnelle dans ce
monde devenu “un village planétaireˮ.
Parlons donc l’Anglais avec EASY ENGLISH.

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 ORAL COMMUNICATION

CHAPITRE I : Les premiers éléments de communication

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I/ Les salutations (Greetings)
A/ Formal
0h – 12h Good morning (bonjour)
12h – 18h Good afternoon (aftnun)
18h – 0h Good evening (ivning) Bonsoir

B/ Informal
Hi [haϊ] ! Salut
Hello salut

C/Questions – réponses pour parler de soi

1/ What is your name ?
 My name is….

2/ How are you ?

 I am fine, thank you And you ?
 Very well thank you I am fine too or
 Fine thanks I am also fine

NB/ La question 2 a une seule réponse et non 3. Ce sont les différentes manières de
répondre à cette question.

3/ How old are you ?

 I am …x...years old x = number of years (20, 30…)
 I am …x...

4/ Where were you born ?

 I was born in + place of birth
Eg : I was born in Banfora

5/ When were you born ?

 I was born on + date of birth
Eg : I was born on the 3rd March 2002

6- Where do you come from ?

 I come from Ouagadougou (BF)
-Where are you from ?
 I am from Ouagadougou (BF)

7/ Where do you live ?

 I live in + the name of the place where you live
Eg : I live in Lomé (TOGO)
NB/ Vous arrivez pour la première fois dans un pays étranger

8/ Why are you here in this country ?

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  I’m here for my studies
 I’m here for business
 I’m here for international conference
 I’m here for visiting your beautyful country
Welcome to USA, France, London…
 Thank you very much

D/ Se présenter (Introduce one’self)

 Hi/ Hello. I’m Joseph (Bonjour je suis Joseph)
 Hi/ Hello. My name’s Joseph (Bonjour je m’appelle Joseph)
 Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Joseph KODJO (permettez-moi de me
présenter je m’appelle Joseph KODJO)

E/ Presenter quelqu’un (introduce somebody)

 This is my cousin Albert (voici mon cousin Albert)
 May I introduce you to my parents ? (Puis je vous présenter à mes parents ?)
 Let me introduce you to… (Laissez-moi vous présenter à…)

F/ Répondre quand on est présenté

 Pleased to meet you (Enchanté de vous rencontrer)
 Nice to meet you (Heureux ou ravi de vous rencontrer)
 How do you do ? (enchanté)

II/ Les expressions courantes (common expressions)

Please Sir may I go out ? → S’il vous plaît Mr puis-je sortir ?
I wish you speedy recovery → Je te souhaite prompt rétablissement
Best wishes → meilleur vœux
Merry Christmas (xmas) → Joyeux Noël
Happy new year → Bonne et heureuse année
Happy Easter → Heureuse Pâques
My deepest sympathy → Mes sincères condoléances
To offer one’s sympathy → Présenter ses sincères condoléances
Have a safe journey → Bon voyage
Have a nice or a good day → Bonne journée
See you later → à plus tard
See you tomorrow → à demain
See you soon → à bientôt
Enjoy your meal → Bon appétit
You are invited ₌ do as we do → Tu es invité ou fais comme nous
Thank you I’m satisfied → Merci je suis rassasié(e)
Who is calling ? → A qui ai-je l’honneur ?
Could you ring back ? → Pourriez-vous rappeler ?
Could you leave a message ? → Pourriez-vous laisser un message ?
Hang or hold on → Ne quittez pas
Could you direct me to Roodwoko market ? Pourriez-vous m’indiquer la voie du marché de
R.W ?

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You are welcome → Bienvenu
Make yourself at home → Faites comme chez vous
Goodbye and see you tomorrow → Aurevoir et à demain
Good night → Bonne nuit

AUTRES EXPRESSIONS COURANTES

A/ How to congratulate
Congratulations → Félicitations
You are the best → Tu es le (la) meilleur(e)
Good job → Bon travail
Well done → Bravo
You did it very well → Tu l’as bien fait
You really deserve it → Tu l’as réellement mérité
You’ve got it → Tu l’as trouvé

B/ Classroom language
May I come in ? → Puis-je entrer ?
Could you repeat that ?→ Pourriez-vous repéter cela ?
What page are we on ? → A quelle page sommes-nous ?
I have finished → J’ai fini
Sorry for being late → Je m’excuse d’être en retard
May I ask a question ?→ Puis-je poser une question ?
Could you speak loud ? → Pourriez-vous parler à haute voix ?
May I open the window ? → Puis-je ouvrir la fenêtre ?
Do we have to write it down ? → Devons-nous le copier ?
Is this right ? → Est-il correct/juste ?

C/ How to say thanks

Thank you → Merci
I’m really grateful → Je suis vraiment reconnaissant
It is so kind → C’est très gentil
I really appreciate it → Je l’ai vraiment apprécié
Thanks a lot → Merci beaucoup
Thank you very much → Merci beaucoup

D/ How to say goodbye

Goodbye → Aurevoir
It was nice meeting you → Ce fut un plaisir
Bye/so long/see you later → A plus tard

E/ How to say I agree

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Absolutely → absolument
Definitely → Définitivement
I think you are right → Je pense que tu as raison
I agree → Je suis d’accord
I couldn’t have said it better → Je ne pourrais en dire mieux
That is right → c’est correct

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 FEW GRAMMATICAL
POINTS

CHAPITRE II : Lecture et écriture des nombres

A/ Cardinal numbers
70₌ seventy

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 80₌ eighty
0 ₌ zero 90₌ ninety / 100₌ one hundred
1₌ one 1,000₌ one thousand
2₌ two 1, 000,000₌ one million
3₌ three 1, 000, 000,000₌ one billion
4₌ four
5₌ five Write in full words and read
6₌ six 98₌ ninety-eight
7₌ seven 61₌ sixty-one
8₌ eight 500₌ five hundred
9₌ nine 7,589₌ seven thousand, five hundred and eighty-nine
10₌ ten 25, 675,005₌ twenty-five million, six hundred and seventy-five thousand, five
11₌ eleven 1,385₌ one thousand, three hundred and eighty-five
12₌ twelve
13₌ thirteen
14₌ fourteen
15₌ fifteen
16₌ sixteen
17₌ seventeen
18₌ eighteen
19₌ nineteen
20₌ twenty
21₌ twenty-one
30₌ thirty
40₌ forty
50₌ fifty
60₌ sixty

B/ Ordinal numbers
1st₌ first (1er) 90th₌ ninetieth
2nd₌ second (2e) 100th₌ one hundredth (100e)
3rd₌ third (3e) 1,000th₌ one thousandth (1,000e)
4th₌ fourth (4e)
5th₌ fifth (5e) Write in full words and read
6th₌ sixth (6e) 22 ₌ twenty-second
nd

7th₌ seventh (7e) 168th₌ one hundred and sixty-eighth

8th₌ eighth (8e) 315th₌ three hundred and fifteenth
9th₌ ninth (9e) 291st₌ two hundred and ninety-first
10th₌ tenth (10e) 1,275th₌ one thousand, two hundred and seventy-fifth
11th₌ elenventh (11e) 432nd₌ four hundred and thirty-second
12th₌ twelfth (12e) 21st century₌ twenty-first century
13th₌ thirteenth (13e)
14th₌ fourteenth (14e)
15th₌ fifteenth (15e)
16th₌ sixteenth (16e)
17th₌ seventeenth (17e)

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18th₌ eighteenth (18e)
19th₌ nineteenth (19e)
20th₌ twentieth (20e)
21st₌ twenty-first (21e)
22nd₌ twenty-second (22e)
23rd₌ twenty-third (23e)
30th₌ thirtieth (30e)
31st₌ thirty-first (31e)
40th₌ fortieth (40e)
50th₌ fiftieth (50e)
60th₌ sixtieth (60e)
70th₌ seventieth (70e)
80th₌ eightieth (80e)

C/ Decimal
, (virgule en Français)/. (Point en Anglais)
0,5 / 0.5
Zéro virgule cinq ₌ zero point five
0.05 ₌ zero point oh five
0.005 ₌ zero point double oh five
12.75 ₌ twelve point seven five
24.09 ₌ twenty-four point oh nine
3.78% ₌ three point seven eight percent

D/ Phone and hotel numbers

70 95 00 42 ₌ seven oh nine-five oh oh four two
78 45 61 32 ₌ seven eight four five six one three two

Room (chambre)
Room 225 ₌Room two two five
Room 79 ₌ Room seven nine

E/ Fractions
1/3 ₌ one third ½ ₌ a half
¼ ₌ a quarter 1/5 ₌ a fifth
¾ ₌ three quarters 1/10 ₌ a teenth

CHAPITRE III : Verbs and Tenses

A/ Verbs (les verbes)

In English, we have at least four types of verbs namely

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 1- Auxiliary verbs : to be, to have…
2- Regular verbs : to play, to clean…
3- Irregular verbs : to speak, to write…
4- Modal verbs : can, must, may

B/ Tenses (les temps)

1- The simple present
 Regular and irregular verbs
A/ Formation
With I, you, we and they, the verb does not change. The structure is the same.
Exemple : to go to clean
I I
You go You
We we clean
They They

But in the third person singular (he, she, it), there are some changes.

Exemple : to go to clean

He He
She goes She cleans
It It
NB : The changes are not the same

 Verbs ending with “ o, s, ch, sh, x and zˮ take “esˮ in the third person singular.
Exemples :
 The pupil does his homework
 God blesses his children
 My sister washes her dress
 Ali boxes his friend
 My mother watches Tv everyday
 The wine always fizzes in a glass

 Verbs ending with “yˮ preceeded by a consonant take “iesˮ in the third person
singular.
Exemple : - He never tries his new coat
- My mother carries her baby
- Nafi usually studies her lessons
Verbs are : to try, to carry, to study….

But when the “yˮ is preceeded by a vowel, the verb takes “Sˮ
Exemple : - He buys, She plays...

B/ The Use
We use the simple present for repeated actions (habits), proverbs and general Truth.

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Exemple : - I get up every morning at 5 o’clock
- It is better late than never
- Water boils at 100°C

C/ Adverbs of frequency and expression used with the simple present.

- Always (toujours), usually (habituellement), often (souvent), sometimes (parfois),
never (jamais)
- Expressions : on + week days (On Monday)
- Expression : every + (day, month, week, year…)
- Today, nowadays, all the time…
Exemple : - I always go to school on time
- Every Sunday, my mother goes to church.
NB/ The adverbs of frequency are always placed just before the main verbs
Eg : Moussa always eats at 7am
But if the verb is an auxiliary, the adverb comes after the verb
Eg : He is always late

D/ Conjugation
A/ To go
 Affirmative form
I He
You go She goes
We It
They

 Negative form

I He
You do not go She does not goes (doesn’t go)
We (don’t) It
They

 Interrogative form
I
You go ? He
Do we Does she go ?
They it

 Interronegative form
I he
You Doesn’t she go ?
Don’t we go ? It

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 They

B/ To be
1/ Affirmative form 2/ Negative form
I am (I’m) I’m not
You are (you’re) you are not (aren’t)
He, she, it is (He’s) He is not (isn’t)
We are (we’re) we are not
You are (you’re) you are not
They are (they’re) They are not

3/ Interrogative form 4/ Interronegative form

Am I… ? Aren’t I… ?
Are you… ? Aren’t you… ?
Is he/she/it… ? Isn’t she/he/it... ?
Are we… ? Aren’t we… ?
Are you… ? Aren’t you… ?
Are they… ? Aren’t they… ?

C/ To have
 Affirmative form
I He
You She has
We have It
They

 Negative form

I He
You have not She has not (hasn’t)
We (haven’t) It
They

 Interrogative form
I he
You Has she  ?
Have we  ? It
They

 Interronegative form
I he
You hasn’t she  ?
Haven’t we  ? It

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 They

D/ Must- Can- May

The above verbs do not accept “Toˮ in infinitive form, they haven’t progressive form, there is
no “sˮ at the third person singular. They are not directly put into future tense and present. We
use their equivalent for these tenses.
Can → to able to (être capable de)
Must → to be obliged to → to have to (avoir à, être obligé à)
May → to be allowed to, to be permitted to (être autorisé à, être permis à)

Can (pouvoir)
A/ Affirmative form B/ Negative form
I can I can’t/ can not
You can you can’t
He, she, it can He can’t
We can we can’t
You can you can’t
They can They can’t

C/ Interrogative form D/ Interronegative form

Can I ? Can’t I ?
Can you ? Can’t you ?
Can he/she/it ? Can’t she/he/it ?
Can we ? Can’t we ?
Can you ? Can’t you ?
Can they ? Can’t they ?

Must (devoir)
A/ Affirmative form B/ Negative form
I must I mustn’t/ must not
You must you mustn’t
He, she, it must He mustn’t
We must we mustn’t
You must you mustn’t
They msut They mustn’t

C/ Interrogative form D/ Interronegative form

Must I ? Mustn’t I ?
Must you ? Mustn’t you ?
Must he/she/it ? Mustn’t she/he/it ?
Must we ? Mustn’t we ?
Must you ? Mustn’t you ?
Must they ? Mustn’t they ?

May (pouvoir, permettre/probabilité)

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A/ Affirmative form B/ Negative form
I may I may not
You may you may not
He, she, it may He may not
We may we may not
You may you may not
They may They may not

C/ Interrogative form
May I ?
May you ?
May he/she/it ?
May we ?
May you ?
May they ?

F/ Short answers
Answer the following questions shortly
1/ Are you a boy ?
Yes, ……………….., No, ……………
2/ Is she a Lawyer ?
Yes, …………., No, ………
3/ Are they intelligent ?
Yes, ……………….. No, ………..
4/Have you a pen ?
Yes, …………… No, …………….
5/ Has she a car ?
Yes, ……………. No, ……………
6/ Do you go to school ?
Yes, ……………. No, …………
7/ Does she get up easly ?
Yes, ……….. No, ………….
8/ Can he swim ?
Yes, ………. No, ………
9/ Must you go now ?
Yes, …………… No, …………..
10/ May he talk to you ?
Yes, ………….. No, …………..

2- The present continuous or progressive

 Formation
1- Affirmative form : S + (am, are, is) + V + ing + O
Eg : To speak
I’m speaking We are speaking
You are speaking You are speaking
He, She, It is speaking They are speaking
2- Negative form : S + (am, are, is) + not + V + ing + O

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Eg : They are not talking in class
3- Interrogative form : (Am, are, is) + S + V + ing + O ?
Eg : Is she going now ?
4- Interrronegative form : (Aren’t, Isn’t) + S + V + ing + O ?
Eg : Aren’t I working… ?
Isn’t she coming now ?
Aren’t they speaking English ?

B/ The use
We use the present progressive for the action which takes place at the same time we are
talking.
Eg : Now we are learning English.
C/ The adverbs of the present progressive are : Look!, Listen!, Now, Stop!, Presently
Exercises
Write the following sentences in the present progressive
1- Now, my mother (to cook) a meal
2- Ali (to study) his lesson now
3- Stop ! the teacher (to come)
4- Presently we (to eat)

3- The simple future

A/ Formation : S + (shall, will) + V without “toˮ
NB/ Shall is only used for “Iˮ and “Weˮ
Eg : to speak
I shall speak We shall speak
You will speak You will speak
He/She/It will speak They will speak

B/ The use : we use “the simple futureˮ with future actions

Eg : Ali will study English next year
C/ The adverbs of the simple future tense are : Tomorrow, the following day, soon
(bientôt), next (time, week, month, year…)

D/ The different forms

1- Affirmative form : S + (shall, will) + V
Eg : Tomorrow I shall go to Bobo
2- Negative form : S + (shall, will) + not + V
Eg : I shall not go…….. (Shan’t)
He will not go………….. (Won’t)
3- Interrogative form : Shall or will + S + V
Eg : Shall I go ?
Will they go ?
4- Interronegative form : Shan’t or won’t + S + V
Eg : Shan’t I go ?
Won’t they go ?

E/ The simple future of definitive verbs

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Can = to be able, Must = to have to or to be obliged to, May = to be allowed to or to be
permitted to
1- Can = to be able to
Affirmative form : S + Shall/ Will + Be able to + V
Eg : I shall be able to speak English
The pupils will be able to drive a car
Negative form : S + Shall/ Will + Not + be able to + V
Eg : The pupils will not be able to drive a car
Interrogative form : Shall/ Will + S + Be able to + V ?
Eg : Will the pupils be able to drive a car ?
Interronegative form : Shan’t/ Won’t + S + Be able to + V ?
Eg : Shan’t I be able to go to school ?

2- Must = To have to (to be obliged to)

 Affirmative form : S + Shall/ Will + Have to + V
Eg : We shall have to do our homework
 Negative form : S + Shall/ Will + Not + Have to + V
Eg : They won’t have to come
 Interrogative form : Shall/ Will + S + Have to + V ?
Eg : Shall we have to do our homework ?
 Interronegative form : Shan’t/ Won’t + S + have to + V ?
Eg : Shan’t we have to do…. ?
3- May = to be allowed to ( to be permitted to)
 Affirmative form : S + Shall/ Will + be allowed to + V
Eg : I Shall be allowed to go with you
 Negative form : S + Shall/ Will + Not + be allowed to + V
Eg : I shan’t be allowed to go
 Interrogative form : Shall/ Will + S + be allowed to + V ?
Eg : Shall Ibe allowed to go ?
 Interronegative form : Shan’t/ Won’t + S + be allowed to + V ?
Eg : Shan’t I be allowed to go ?

F/ The near future

1- Formation
 Affirmative : S + to Be going to + V
Eg : We are going to learn own lessons
 Negative form : S + to be + not + going to + V
Eg : We are not going to learn ….
 Interrogative form : Am/ is /are + S + going to + V ?
Eg : Are we going to learn….. ?
 Interronegative form : Isn’t/ aren’t + S + going to + V ?
Eg : Aren’t we going to learn… ?

2- The Use
We use the near future to express an intention to do something in a near future (futur proche).
It can be a matter of minutes, hours, days, months, even year….
NB/ Don’t use it with verbs : to go, to come, to arrive

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G/ The future continuous
1- Formation : Will/ Shall be + V + ing
2- The use : It is used to show an action that will be taking place in future time.
Eg : Ali will be staying with him during the holidays.

Exercises
A/ Put the following sentences in simple future
1- Tomorrow, Ali (to go) to school
2- Next year, you (must) go to France
3- Next week, my mother (can) drive a car
4- The students (may) do the test next month
5- My father (to buy) a new house next week

B/ Use the following verbs in near future.

1- The pupils (to take) their bags
2- My father (to write) a new novel
3- I (to drive) a car to my office
4- My daughter (to have) 15 years old
5- The Sun (to disappear) because of the clauds.
C/ Put the sentences of A and B in future negative and interrogative forms

4/ The Simple past

A- Formation
1- Regular verbs
S + V + d or ed or ied → Affirmative form
Eg : Moussa played football
Ali arrived – The baby cried.
Negative form : S + did + not (didn’t) + V
Eg : Moussa didn’t play football
Interrogative : Did + S + V ?
Eg : Did Moussa play football ?
Interronegative form : Didn’t + S + V ?
Eg : Didn’t Moussa play football ?

2- Irregular verbs
Affirmative form : S + Preterit
Eg : Last year I went to Paris.
The negative, interrogative and interronegative forms are the same for the irregular verbs. The
past tense of irregular verbs must be learnt by heart because there is no rule for them.
Eg : I went → I didn’t go → Did I go ?→ Didn’t I go ?

3- Defective verbs
 Can = could → was able to
Affirmative form : S + Could + V
Eg : We could speak English yesterday
Negative form : S + Could + Not + V

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Eg : We couldn’t speak English yesterday
Interrogative form : Could + S + V ?
Eg : Could we speak English ?
Interronegative form : Couldn’t + S + V ?
Eg : Couldn’t I speak English ?

 Must = had to
Affirmative form : I had to study my lessons
Negative form : I didn’t have to study my lessons
Interrogative form : Did I have to study my lessons ?
Interronegative : didn’t I have to study my lessons ?

B- The Use
We use the simple past tense for past actions. It also used with the following adverbs : ago,
yesterday, the day before yesterday and last (time, week, month, year), in + year (in 1990)
Eg : I watched Tv last time

C- The past tense of auxiliary verbs

- To be
Affirmative form
I We
He was You were
She They
It

Negative form
I We
He was not (wasnt) You weren’t (were not)
She They
It

Interrogative form
I we
Was he ? Were you ?
She they
It

Interronegative form
I we
Wasn’t he ? Weren’t you ?
She they
It

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 - To have
I had → I had not (hadn’t)
Had I… ? → Hadn’t I… ?

Exercises
A/ Put the following sentences in the simple past
1- Alima (to cook) some delicious meal yesterday
2- We (to play) football las week
3- They (to be) happy two days ago
4- He (to carry) his bag yesterday
5- Last week you (must) go back
6- My father (to go) to office last week
7- George (to give) you much money three days ago
8- Last time my mother (can) drive a car
9- Last year the pupils (to have) long holidays
10- You (break) your rule last week
B/ Write the above sentences into negative, interrogative and interronegative forms

5/ The present perfect

A/ Formation : S + (has or have) + past participle
Eg : I have played – He has spoken
I have been – He has had
Negative form
I haven’t played – He hasn’t spoken
I haven’t been – He hasn’t had
Interrogative
Have I played ? – Has he spoken ?
Have I been ? – Has he had ?
Interronegative form
Haven’t I played ? – Hasn’t he spoken ?
Have I been ? – Hasn’t he had ?

 Can and Must in the present perfect

 Can
1- Affirmative form : S + (has or have) + been able to + V
Eg : I have been able to speak English
2- Negative form : S + (has or have) + not + Been able to + V
Eg : I haven’t been able to speak English
3- Interrogative form : Have or has + S + Been able to + V ?
Eg : Have I been able to speak English ?
4- Interronegative form : Haven’t or hasn’t + S + Been able to + V ?
Eg : Hasn’t she been able to speak English ?

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  Must
1- Affirmative form : S + have or has + had to + V
Eg : She has had to pay the debts
2- Negative form : S + have or has + not + had to + V
Eg : She hasn’t had to pay the debts
3- Interrogative form : Have or has + S + had to + V ?
Eg : Has she had to pay the debts ?
4- Interronegative form : Haven’t or hasn’t + S + had to + V ?
Eg : Hasn’t she had to pay the debts ?

B/ The Use
We use the present perfect for actions which began in the past and continuous in the present
time. It has also the progressive form :
S + has/ have + been + V + Ing
Eg : I have been talking to…
She has been going to…

 Adverbs
 Just (venir de)
Eg : I’ve just bought a new car
 Already (déjà)
Eg : She has already eaten
 Yet (encore) or not yet (pas encore)
Eg : Ali has not yet finished
 Since (depuis, il y a, cela fait)
Eg : It has raining since this morning
 For (pendant, il y a, cela fait)
Eg : I have known her for many years

 The use of For and Since

 For is used for duration (durée)
Eg : We have been studying English for three hours

 Since is used for a date, a reference of an event in the past

Eg : I have been teaching English since 1998
NB/ Use the present perfect progressive for “Sineˮ and sometimes “Forˮ
To translate an english sentence containing “Since or forˮ. We use the french simple present
(Présent de l’indicatif)
Eg : I have been going to school since 2010 → Je vais à l’école depuis 2010.
She has been working here for five years → Elle travaille ici depuis cinq ans.

Exercises
A/ Use “Sinceˮ, “Forˮ, “Agoˮ to complete the following sentences.
1- He has been sleeping ………………………..8’ o’clock
2- I haven’t seen my friend John………..two days
3- I met him two weeks………..in the town

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 4- We have been eating …………….thirty minutes
5- My grandfather has been sick……….2005
B/ Put these sentences in the present perfect
1- Ali can drive a car
2- We must come on time
3- You may follow me
4- Ali is a polite boy
5- They don’t eat benga
C/ Translate into English
1- Elle va à l’école depuis 8 ans
2- Nous travaillons ici depuis l’année passée
D/ Translate in french
1- I have been reading this novel since last week
2- My father has been in U.S.A depuis sept ans

6/ The Past Perfect

A/ Formation : S + had + past participle
Eg : My father had gone
Ali had eaten
He had been → he had had
We had stutied → they had played

B/ The Use
The past perfect is used to show the order of certains events in the past. It used with “Whenˮ,
“Beforeˮ and “Afterˮ
Eg : They had just finished their dinner when we called at their house.
Before he could step aside, the branch had fallen on him.

Exercises
Make some sentences with When, Before and After using correctly the verbs in the past
perfect.

7/ Conditional tenses
I- The present conditional
1- Formation : S + would/ should + V without “toˮ
Eg : I would go - We should go
I wouldn’t go - We shouldn’t go
Would I go ? - Should we go ?
Wouldn’t I go ? - Shouldn’t we go ?

2- The Use
We use the present conditional to show a condition. It used with “ifˮ
Eg : If he came we should go

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 II- The past conditional
1- Formation : S + would/ should + have + past participle
Eg : I should have gone
She would have come

2- The Use
It used to show that an action is not likely to happen
Eg : If he had had money, they would have bought a plane

3- Conditional sentences

 If : Simple present Simple future

Eg : If you are kind, I shall give you a gift

 If : Simple past Conditional tense

Eg : If my sister came, we should go

 If : Past perfect Past conditional

Eg : If my sister had come, we should have gone

NB/ Use “Wereˮ in front of all pronouns whether singular or plural

8/ The simple past progressive

A/ Formation
S + to be (past tense) + V + ing
Eg : I was going
He was talking
They were studying

B/ The Use
We use the past progressive with “Whileˮ (pendant que) to show that two actions are taking
place at the same time.
Eg : While I was learning my lessons, my sister was cooking a meal

IRREGULAR VERBS
Nous avons environs 250 verbes irréguliers en Anglais mais pour faciliter l’apprentissage,
nous les avons classés par groupes.

Groupe 1 : les trois formes sont identiques

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Infinitif Prétérit Participe passé Traduction
To bet [bet] bet bet Parier
To burst [bɜ:st] burst burst Eclater
To cost [kᴐst] cost cost Coûter
To cut [kᴧt] cut cut couper
To hit [hἱt] hit hit Frapper
To hurt [hɜ:t] hurt hurt Blesser, faire mal
To let [let] let let Permettre, laisser
To put [pʊt] put put Mettre
To shut [Sᴧt] shut shut Fermer
To spread [spred] spread spread S’étendre, se
répandre
Groupe 2 : infinitif et participe passé identique
To become [bikᴧm] Became [bikeim] become devenir
To come [kAm] came [keim] come venir
To run [rᴧn] ran [ræn] run courir
Groupe 3 : le prétérit et le participe passé identique
To bend [bend] bent [bent] Bent Plier, courber, se
pencher
To bleed [bli:d] bled [bled] bled saigner
To bring [briŋ] brought [brᴐ:t] brought apporter
To build [bild] built [bilt] built construire, bâtir
To burn [bɜ:n] burnt [burnt] burnt brûler
To buy [bai] bought [bᴐ:t] bought acheter
To catch [kætꭍ] caught [kᴐ:t] caught attraper
To dig [dig] dug [dʌg] dug creuser
To dream [dri:m] dreamt [dremt] dreamt rêver
To feed [fi:d] fed [fed] fed se nourrir
To feel [fi:l] felt [felt] felt sentir
To fight [fait] fought [fᴐ:t] fought se battre
To find [faind] found [faʊnd] found trouver
To get [get] got [got] got (ten) obtenir, avoir,
To hang [hæŋ] hung [hʌŋ] hung recevoir
To have [hæv] had [hæd] had suspendre
To hear [hiə] heard [hɜ:d] heard avoir, prendre
To hold [həʊld] held [held] held entendre
To keep [ki:p] kept [kept] kept tenir
To kneel [ni:l] knelt [nelt] knelt garder
To lay [lei] laid [leid] laid s’agenouiller
To lead [li:d] led [led] led poser à plat, mettre
To learn [lɜ:n] learnt [lɜ:nt] learnt mener, conduire
To live [li:v] left [left] left apprendre
To lend [lend] lent [lent] lent partir, quitter, laisser
To light [lait] lit [lit] lit prêter
To lose [lu:z] lost [lᴐst] lost allumer, éclairer
To make [meik] made [meid] made perdre
To mean [mi:n] meant [ment] meant faire, fabriquer
To meet [mi:t] met [met] met signifier, vouloir dire
To pay [pei] paid [peid] paid rencontrer
To read [ri:d] read [red] read payer

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To say [sei] said [sed] said lire
To seek [si:k] sought [sᴐ:t] sought dire
To sell [sel] sold [səʊld] sold chercher
To send [send] sent [sent] sent vendre
To shine [ꭍain] shone [ꭍon] shone envoyer
To shut [ꭍu:t] shot [ꭍot] shot briller
To sit [si:t] sat [sæt] sat tirer
To sleep [sli:p] slept [slept] slept être assis, s’asseoir
To smell [smel] smelt [smelt] smelt dormir
To spell [spel] spelt [spelt] spelt sentir
To spend [spend] spent [spent] spent épeler
To spoil [spᴐil] spoilt [spᴐilt] spoilt depenser
To stand [stænd] stood [stʊd] stood gâter, gâcher
To stick [stik] stuck [stʌk] stuck être debout
To sweep [swip] swept [swept] swept coller
To teach [titf] taught [tᴐ:t] taught balayer
To tell [tel] told [təuld] told enseigner
To think [Ɵiŋk] thought [Ɵᴐ:t] thought dire, raconter
To understood understood understood penser, croire
[ʌndə’stænd] [ʌndə’stʊd] comprendre
To win [win] won [wʌn] won
gagner
NB/ il existe une forme régulière de burned, dreamed, learned, hanged
Groupe 4 : Toutes les formes sont différentes
A - i, u, a
To begin [bigin] began [bigæn] begun [bigʌn] commencer
To drink [driŋk] drank [drænk] drunk [drʌŋk] boire
To ring [riŋ] rang [ræŋ] rung [rʌŋ] téléphoner, sonner
To sing [siŋ] sang [sæŋ] sung [sʌŋ] chanter
To sink [siŋk] sank [sænk] sunk [sʌŋk] couler, sombrer
To swim [swim] swam [swæm] swum [swʌm] nager
Tous les autres shémas
B
To awake [ə’weik] awoke [ə’wəʊk] awoken [ə’wəʊkn] s’éveiller
To arise [ə’raiz] arose [ərose] arisen [ə’risen] s’élever
To be [bi:] was/were [wᴐz, wɜ:] been [bi:n] être
To bear [beə] bore [bᴐ:] born(e) [bᴐ:n] sup/porter, naître
To bite [bait] bit [bi:t] bitten [bitn] mourir
To blow [bləu] blew [blu:] blown [bləun] souffler
To break [breik] broke [brəuk] broken [brəukən] casser, briser
To choose [tꭍuz] chose [tꭍəuz] chosen [tꭍəuzn] choisir
To do [du] did [did] done [dʌn] faire
To draw [drᴐ:] drew [dru:] drawn [dr:n] dessiner, tirer
To drive [draiv] drove [drəuv] driven [drivn] conduire (voiture)
To eat [i:t] ate [et/ eit] eaten [itn] manger
To fall [fᴐ:l] fell [fel] fallen [fᴐlən] tomber
To fly [flai] flew [flu:] flown [fləun] voler (oiseau)
To forbid [fəbid] forbade [fə’beid] forbidden [fəbidn] interdire
To forget [fəget] forgot [fəgot] forgotten [fəgotn] oublier
To forgive [fəgiv] forgave [fəgeiv] forgiven [fəgivn] pardonner

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To freeze [friz] froze [frəuz] frozen [frəuzn] geler
To give [giv] gave [gei] given [givn] donner
To go [gəu] went [went] gone [gᴐn] aller
To grow [grəu] grew [gru:] grown [grəun] grandir, pousser
To hide [haid] hid [hid] hidden [hidn] cacher
To know [nəu] knew [nju] known [nəun] connaître, savoir
To lie [lai] lay [lei] lain [lein] être étendu
To ride [raid] rode [rəud] ridden [ridn] aller à vélo ou à
To rise [raiz] rose [rəuz] risen [rizn] cheval
To see [si:] saw [sᴐ:] seen [si:n] s’élever
To shake [ꭍeik] shook [su:k] shaken [ꭍeikn] voir
To show [ꭍəʊ] showed [ꭍəud] shown [ꭍəun] secouer
To speak [spi:k] spoke [spəuk] spoken [spəukn] montrer
To steal [sti:l] stole [stəul] stolen [stəuln] parler
To swear [sweə] swore [swᴐ:] sworn [swᴐ:n] voler, dérober
To take [teik] took [tuk] taken [teikn] jurer
To throw [Ɵrəu] threw [Ɵru:] thrown [Ɵəun] prendre
To wake [weik] woke [wəuk] woken [wəukn] jeter, lancer
To wear [weə] wore [wᴐ:] worn [wᴐ:n] reveiller
To write [rait] wrote [rəut] written [ritn] porter, habiller
écrire

25
 WRITTEN
COMMUNICATION

CHAPITRE IV Written communication

Words and expressions for essay writing

A/ Introduction

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  Generally (generallement ou d’une manière générale)
Eg : Generally people think that polygamy is a good thing
 For the great majority of people : pour la grande majorité des gens
Eg : For the great majority of people a moblile phone is good for a pupil.
 People usually say that (les gens disent habituellement que…)
Eg : People usually say taht knowledge is power
 It is often said that (on dit souvent que…)
Eg : It is often said that girl’s’education is very important.
 It is often declared that (on déclare souvent que…)
Eg : It is often declared that children do not respect their parents nowadays
 It is often asserted that (on affirme souvent que…)
Eg : It is often asserted that equality between man and woman must be regnized by the law
 A problem that is often debated is... (un problème souvent débattre est…)
Eg : A problem that is often debated is that of child marriage
 Opinions are divided on that question or issue (les avis sont partagés sur cette
question)
Eg : For the question of early pregnancy opinions are divided
 To begin, let us try to understand… (pour commencer, essayons de comprendre…)
Eg : To begin, let us try to understand what is abortion
 It is a well-known fact that
Eg : It is a well-known fact that with mobile phone, pupils do not learn their lessons.

B/ Organisation and coherence of the body (development)

1/ Presentation of arguments
a/ First (d’abord)
Then/ next (ensuite/ puis)
Finally (enfin)

b/ Firstly (premièrement)
Secondly (deuxièmement)
Thirdly (troisièmement)

c/ In the first place (en premier lieu)

In the second place (en 2e lieu)
In the third place (en 3e lieu)

d/ First of all (tout d’abord)

To begin with (pour commencer)

2/ Expressions of contrast
But (mais)
Instead of (au lieu de)
On the one hand (d’une part)
On the other hand (d’autre part)
However (cependant, pourtant)
Nevertheless (néanmoins, toutefois)

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Nonetheless (quand même)
Yet (cependant)
By way of contrast (contrairement)
Either….or (soit…soit)
Neither…nor (ni…ni)

3/Expressing concession
After all (après tout)
All the same (tout de même)
At any rate
At anyway (en tout cas, de toute faҫon)
In any case
Still (cependant, toujours)
Inspite of (en dépit de)
Despite (malgré)

4/ Expressing addition
More over (en plus)
Furthermore (en outre, par ailleurs)
Besides (d’ailleurs, du reste)
In addition (de surcroît, en plus)
By the way (à ce propos)
As well as (aussi bien que)
Similarly (de la même faҫon)
Also/ too (de même/ aussi)

5/ Expressing result
Thus (ainsi)
Therefore (pour cela)
Consequently (par conséquent)
Hence or henceforth (d’où)
As a result (comme résultat)
For this reason (pour cette raison)
Accordingly (en conséquence)

6/ Expressing degree
In many ways (à bien des égards)
In some respects (à certains égards)
In some way or another (d’une faҫon ou d’une autre)
To certain/ some extent (dans une certaine mesure)
To a large extent (dans une grande mesure)
Somehow (d’une faҫon ou d’une autre)
7/ Expressions for summary and examples
In short or in a word (en bref)
In a nutshell (en un mot)
Roughly speaking (grossomodo)
All in all (some toute)

28
As a whole (dans l’ensemble)
For example (par exemple)
For instance (par exemple)
As exemple (en guise de d’exemple)
To sum up = to summarise (pour résumer)

8/ Expressions for explanation and reinforcement

That is to say (c’est-à-dire)
In orther words (en d’autres termes)
Namely (à savoir)
Such as (tel que)
Really (vraiment)
Actually (en réalité, à vrai dire)
As matter of fact (en fait)
Not only but also (non seulement mais aussi)

C/ Expressions for one’s view points

As far as I’m concerned (en ce qui me concerne)
As for me (quant à moi)
For me (pour moi)
In my point of view (à mon avis)
In my viewpoint (à mon avis)
In my opinion (selon moi)
For my part (pour ma part)

D/ Expressions for conclusion

To conclude (pour conclure)
In conclusion (en conclusion)
As a conclusion (comme conclusion)
To come to the conclusion (pour venir à la conclusion)
Finally (enfin)
All things considered (toute chose considérée)
For all these reasons (pour toutes ces raisons)
All this goes to prove that (tout ceci prouve que…)
In the end (à la fin)

F/ WRITING THE ESSAY

In any English examination, you take, you will probably have to write an essay. An essay has
three different sections :
1- The introduction
2- The body or the main part of the essay

29
 3- The conclusion

1/ The introduction
This is the beginning of an essay and the more attractive it is the better. The introduction is
divided into three parts :
First you give the general idea about the topic that is to say you place it in the global context.
Then you transform it into question or into a problem.
Finally you give the plan you will like to follow in order to answer the question raised by the
topic.

 What is the general idea or the global context ?

It can be the importance or the neccessity of the main item of the topic and the field or the
domain the topic talks about
Eg : if the topic is about “mobile phone” the context will be “means of communication” or the
importance of “mobile phone” for everybody.

 How to transform the topic into question or problem ?

We use interrogative sentence to do that
Eg : can we say that + the topic ?
But why the writer of this statement is saying that + topic ?
Is it possible to say that + topic… ?
In what extent can we say that + topic… ?

 How to formulate the plan ?

If you want to talk about the two sides of the topic before drawing the conclusion, the plan
can be like this :
 After giving the advantages and disadvantages of …. I shall give my view point about
the topic.
 After giving the positive and negative aspects (sides) of the topic, I shall give my
opinion about the topic.

We can also have some topics which have the following plan :
 Definition – causes – consequences and solutions
2/ The body or the main parts of the essay
In this part, the writer says exactly what he wants to write about the topic. The method will be
like this :
 Collect all the information about the topic
 Select ideas considered useful for this particular topic
 Arrange these ideas in the order he wishes to present them.
3/ The conclusion
This is the end of the essay ; you give your opinion by answering correctly the question raised
by the topic or the discussion.
Topic for practice
Talking about the new means of communication, a writer declares : « a mobile phone or cell
phone is bad for pupil » Do you agree with him ? Justify your answer.
There are three ways of dealing with this topic :

30
 a- Your introduce can be like this : I agree with the writer for many reasons. You arrange
your arguments in the body following the method : First – then and finally
b- You do the same thing for this introduction : I disagree with the writer for many
reasons
c- You can also deal with this topic by making some paragraphs about positive sides
(advantages) and negative sides (disadvantages) linking them by a transition sentence
before drawing your conclusion.
This conclusion can be like this : “It is true that mobile phone is bad for a pupil but a pupil
educated by his/ her parents about mobile phone can use it without any problem”

Homework
Write a complete essay (100 words) about the above topic.

Topics for practice

1- What are the advantages and disadvantages of scientific discovery
2- What job (work) would you like to do after your studies ? why ?
3- Are you for or against child marriage ?
4- In your opinion, should women and men have the same rights ?
5- What can be the negative impacts of corruption on the development of a country ?
(100 words)
6- Is school good ? Why or why not ?

2/ Another ways of presenting topics

a- Abortion (avortement)
Definition :
Abortion is defined as the fact of killing a fœtus or a baby before its birth
Types of abortion
 Necessary/ authorized (legal) abortion. It is done to save the mother’s life.
 Miscarry (avortement spontané)
 Provoked abortion (avortement provoqué)
Causes
Fear of parents, financial problem, refusal of the “husband”, the shame to be pregnant,
rejection, disgrace….
Conséquences
Death, barrenness (stérilité), poor health, prison…
Solution
 Parents should educate their children concerning sex (sexual education)
 Use of contraceptive methods
 Abstinence
 Fear of God and respect of social laws

b- Juvenile delinquency
It is a process by which the young people break (violate) the law of a given nation.
Causes

31
Lack of serious education by the parents, bad company, poverty, lack of job opportunity,
impolitness.
Consequences
Insecurity, prison, death, social destability, fornication, theft, use of drug…
Solution
 Parents should be real responsible of their children
 They must educate them
 Creation of jobs
 Every child must be prepared for job

C/ Prostitution
It is the fact of selling one’s body for money or pleasure
Causes
Bad company, bad education, poverty, love of money, laziness…
Consequences
- Diseases (AIDS, gonorrhea)
- Difficulty to find a marriage pastner
- Rejection by the family
- Disgrace
- Divorces
- Barrenness
Solution
- Sensitize young girls and parents about the dangers of prostitution
- Offer jobs to the youth
- Educate the youth about the fear of God

3/ Notes on some essay topics

 Your future career
- Name of the career or profession : teaching, law, farming, medecine, politics…
- Why you have chosen it : love of it, ability to do it, advice by parents or friends,
financial gains, respect and greatness
- What the job is about ?
- Qualities required by this profession, love for people, patience, hard work…
- How you hope to attain this job : study hard, learn science at university

 The description of traditional festival

Introduction – general purposes of festivals : social, spiritual and economic.
- Name of the festival, who take past, its purpose and significance.
- What happens during the festival ?
- Preparation : general cleaning, rituals
- The festival day process : procession, speeches, music, cultural displays
- Church service, dance, picnic…
Conclusion
What are your impression about the festival ?

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  Naming ceremony/ outdooring of a child
- Introduction : significance of the occasion
- When is it done ? Which are people are involved
- Members of the extended family, friends…
Procedure
The rites, pouring or making of libation, naming ceremony, advice, words of advice.
Conclusion : Your impression about it.

 Account of journey
Introduction : purpose, when and where the journey took place.
Body : Describe the background to the journey or the preparation you made. Describe only
the main interesting events of the journey
Conclusion : How do you feel when you remember this journey ? (sad, happy, nostalgie). In
one word give your impression about the journey.

 Account of game you have watched

- State the name of the game : Football, netball, volleyball… ; the teams and when and
where the game took place.
- Why the game was played : friendly match, league match in honour of somebody…
- Estimation of the number of people who watched the match, mention some of
important people who were there.
- Describe the general appearance of the spectators
- Describe the two teams : their uniform, appearance and how they entered in the field.
- Describe the first half : performance of both team, incidents and scores.
- Do the something for the second half
- Comment on the general attitude and conduct of the spectators, the referee, the
linesman…
- Presentation of the cup after the match
- Behaviour of players, spectators after the match.

4/ The practice of Letter Writing

For the pupose of life, we shall need to write letters whether private or official, formal or
informal. Some of our friends will live far away from us and we shall need to write them.
We have also to write out application for employment and our chance of getting selected
may depend on the quality of our letters.
We receive formal invitations to parties, marriages, namming ceremonies… and we
should be able to write correct replies accepting or declining these invitations.
In this chapter, we shall see some examples of layout (disposition) of different letters,
some examples of written letters and the invitations and replies.

A- Informal, friendly and family letter (layout)

33
 Infoline :…………
Sender’s address Ouagadougou
Burkina Faso

24th october, 2019

Date or
October 24, 2019

Dear father / mother ; Different

My dear brother/ sister ; forms of greeting
My dear uncle/ aunt ; or salutations

 …………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
 …………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
 …………………………………………………………………………............
………………………………………………

Your Loving son/daughter

Different forms of Or
close Your affectionate son/ daughter

Signature + the Signature

Sender’s first name First name

B/ Here is an example of informal, friendly and familly letter

34
 Collège zoe
P.O Box 144
Ouagadougou
Burkina Faso
16th June, 2019

Dear Father ;
This lette is to explain you the reasons of the choice of my career after leaving
school.
According to your advice, you want me to be a teacher but I prefer to be a
nurse. This because very soon there will be a great need of nurses in our country.
Furthermore, you know that I have always been good at science especially biology and
chemistry at school. Therefore, I decided to be a well-trained nurse and nothing else.
I am looking forward to hearing from you soon and I will be very happy if you
agree to what I’m asking.
Your Loving daughter
(Signature)
Delwendé

C/ An application for employment (layout)

35
 Infoline
Application’s address P.O Box 245
Ouagadougou
Burkina Faso

Date 11th May, 2019/ May

11 , 2019
th

The Managing Director

SEMCO LTD
P.O Box 108 Inside Address
TENKODOGO
Burkina Faso

Dear Sir ; / Salutation

Dear Madam ;

Application for a job Subject line

 ……………………………………………………………………………
……..
……………………………………………………………………………………
……...
……………………………………………………………………………………
……...
 ……………………………………………………………………………
……...
……………………………………………………………………………………
……...
…………………………………………..

Close + Yours
faithfully
Signature (Signature)

Applicant full name Joseph NACOULMA

36
Example of application letter

Infoline….
P.O Box 144
Ouagadougou
Burkina Faso
28th August, 2019

The Manager of National

Institute of Public Work
Ouagadougou
Burkina Faso
Dear Sir ;

Application for the post of Computer Scientist

I would like to apply for the post of computer scientist advertised in Sidwaya
of 26th August 2019.
I am twenty years old and was educated at University of I.A.M Ouaga where I
got my Bachelor in Computer Science in2018.
I was given temporary job by the University Board of governors when the
computer scientist went on maternity leave.
I enclose copies of two testimonials : one from the Principal, The other from
the board of governors of the University.
I should be grateful if you would grant me an interview where I could furnish
you further information you may require about this application.

Yours faithfully
(Signature)
Zénabo Traoré

5/ Invitation and their replies

Dear Nicolas

My wife and I would be very pleased if you and Mrs Nicolas could come to
dinner with us on Sunday 15th May at 8 p.m. We have an old friend of yours Mr
Yusef, staying with us and he would very much like to see you again.

Yours sinerely
Joseph KODJO

37
Reply (réponse) accepting

Dear Mr KODJO ;

Thank you very much for your kind invitation to dinner on Sunday, 12 May. My
wife and I will be happy to come. We are also looking forward to seeing Mr Yusef
again after so many years.

Yours sincerely
Mr Nicolas

Reply (declining)

Dear Mr KODJO ;
Thank you very much for your kind invitation to dinner on Sunday 12, May. My
wife and I will be happy to come. Unfortunately a previous engagement will prevent
us to accept it.
Yours Sincerely
Mr Traoré.

38
SOME USEFUL EXPRESSIONS

39
 CHAPITRE VI : Some useful expressions

Above all = par-dessus tout

After all = avant tout
Afterwords = par la suite
Any how = n’importe comment
Any way = de toute faҫon, en tout cas
All the better (so much the better) = tant mieux
All the worse (so much the worse) = tant pis
As a + noun = en tant que, en qualité comme…
As a rule = en principe
As far as I’m concerned = en ce qui me concerne
At once = immédiatement
At the same time = hormis cela, à l’exception de cela
Because of/ due to/ thanks to = à cause de, grâce à
Before hand = à l’avance
Being so = ceci étant
Beyond = au-delà de
By no means = en aucune faҫon
By the way = à propos
Compared to = comparer à
Concerning = concernant
Considering = en considérant/ étant donné
Definitely = définitivement
Even if = même si
Eventhough = quand bien même
Although = bien que
Frankly speaking = à vrai dire, franchement parler
Formerly = jadis/ autrefois
Fortunately (luckily) = heureusement
Unfortunately (unluckily) = malheureusement.
For the time being = pour l’instant, pour le moment, en entendant
From then on = depuis lors
Gradually/ step by step = peu à peu, pas à pas/ graduellement
If only = si seulement
You had better go = tu ferais mieux de partir
Inadvertently = par mégard, par inadvertance
In force = en vigueur
In advance/ anticipation = d’avance
In case = au cas où
In case of = en cas de
In opposition to = contrairement à
In return = en revanche
In the long run = à la longue
In the short run/ term = à court terme

40
In the meanwhile = pendant ce temps
In view of = vu, étant donné
The former(s), the latter(s) = le(s) premier(s), le(s) dernier(s), celui-ci, celui-là
Through = à travers/ par
To add fuel to the flames = ajouter de l’huile au feu
Unexpectedly = à l’improviste
Unless = à moins que
Until further notice = jusqu’à nouvel ordre
Unquestionable = incontestable
Within our means = dans la mesure de nos moyens
Whenever = chaque fois que, toutes es fois que
Whereby = par quoi
Wherever = partout où
Never throw the towel = ne baisser jamais les bras
To call a spacle a spacle = appeler un chat, un chat/ aller droit au but
To have a clear field = avoir le champ libre
To bear a grudge against someone = garder une dent contre quelqu’un
It is a red-lettered day = c’est un jour à marquer d’une pierre blanche
A hot tempered man un homme au sang chaud
It boils my blood = cela m’énerve
To be in the seven heaven = être aux anges
To talk to a bright wall = prêcher dans le desert
To look on the bright side of life = prendre la vie du bon côté
Of two evils choose the lesser = entre 2 maux, il faut choisir le moindre
To catch someone red-handed = prendre quelqu’un la main dans le sac
To take the lion’s share = prendre a part du lion
To beat about the bush = tourner autour du pot
To have a lot on one’s plate = avoir du pain sur la planche
To take up the challenge = relever le défi
To take up the slach = prendre la relève
To pave the way = déblayer le terrain
To make great strides = faire de grands progres
To make both ends meet = joindre les 2 bouts
There is a gleam of hope = il y a une lueur d’espoir
To put the spoke in someone’s wheel = mettre les bâtons dans les roues de quelqu’un
To injure someone’s interest = porter atteinte aux interêts de quelqu’un
To cast a glance at something = jeter un regard sur quelque chose
To be adequate to the task = être à la hauteur de la tâche
To pay tribute to someone = rendre homage à quelqu’un
To decide on the spot = décider sur le champ
To prove one’s stuff = prouver qu’on connait
To follow the guide lines = suivre les lignes directrices
It is a burning issue = c’est un sujet d’actualité
Staple foods/ commodities = nourriture de base ou article de base
Complimentary clauses = formules de politesse
To be in the soup = être dans le pétrin
To be in the front = être au premier rang

41
Return to the fold = retour au bercail
To have wind of something = avoir vent de quelque chose
To follow the official channels = suivre la voie hiérarchique
To confirm receipt of = accuser reception de
To try someone for theft = juger quelqu’un pour vol
To feel jaint/ dizzy = avoir un malaise
To consume adulaterated alcohol = consommer de l’alcool frélaté
To know the ins and outs = connaitre les tenants et les aboutissants d’une affaire
To be liable for = être astreint à
Not liable for = être exempté de

42
VOCABULARY

43
A/ SYNONYMS AND OPPOSITES
Artful = rusé, malin Artless = naturel, ingénu
Asleep = endormi Awake = éveillé
Attractive = séduisant, attirant Reppelent = repoussant
Bald = chauve Hairy = chevelu
Beautiful beau Plain sans beauté
Nice, lovely joli Ugly laid
Handsome charmant Horrible affreux
Big = gros Thin, slin, slender = mince
Bored = qui s’ennuie Interested = interessé
Boring = ennuyeux Interesting = intéressant
Bright, brainy intelligent Dull, silly bête
Intelligent brillant Stupid idiot
Broad, wide = large, vaste Narrow = étroit
Broad-minded = aux idées large Narrow-minded = borné
Calm, quiet = calme, tranquille Noisy = Bruyant
Calm = calme Rough = violent, agité
Careful = soigneux, attentif Careless = négligeant
Cheap = bon marché, mons cher Expensive (dear) = cher
Cheerful = joyeux, gai Cheerless (sad) = triste
Clean = propre Dirty-filthy = sale, dégoûtant
Colourful = coloré, vif Colourless = incolore
Confortable = confortable Unconfortable = peu confortable
Compulsory = obligatoire Optional = facultatif
Dark = foncé, sombre Clear, light = clair
Deep = profond, grave Shallow = peu profond
Delious = délicieux Shrill = aigu, perҫant
Dry = sec Horrible = horrible
Difficult = difficile Wet = mouillé
Distant = lointain Easy = facile
Early = tôt, en avance Near = proche
Empty = vide Late = tard, en retard
Fair = juste, blond Full = rempli, plein
Famous = célébre, inconnu Unfair = plein d’injustice
Well-known = bien connu Dark = brun, noir
Far = loin Unknown = inconnu
Fashionable = moderne, à la mode Barren, steril = stérile
Old-fashioned = démodé Informal = informel
Modern, up-to-date = obsolete Imprisoned = emprisonné
Fertile = fertile, féconde Bad = mauvais
Formal = formel Unhappy = malheueux
Free libre Soft = doux
Available disponible Hard = dur, difficile
Vacant disponible Good = bon
Friendly = amicalement Happy = heureux

44
B/ 100 Faux amis
Il existe énormément de mots en Anglais qui ressemblent à des mots franҫais, mais qui ont un
sens différent. En voici une liste.

An ability = capacité Une habileté = skill

Actual = real Actuel = present, current
Actually = really, in fact Actuellement = now, at present
An advertisement = une réclame Un avertissement = warning
An agenda = ordre du jour Un agenda = diary
Ancient = very old Ancien = former, old
Arriver à faire = to manage to do
To assist = to help Assister à = to attend
To attend = assister à Attendre = to wait for
A benefit = advantage Un bénéfice = profit
A camera = appareil photo Une camera = ciné-camera
A car = auto Un car = coach
A cave = grotte Une cave = cellar
A chance = possibilité, hasard Une chance = a luck
Character (disposition) = caractère Un caractère
(personnage litteraire) (trait, aspect) = characteristic
To charge = accuser Charger = to load
College = faculté Collège (lycée) = school, high school (Amer)
Comprehensive = complete, including Compréhensif = understanding
everything
Conference = réunion de travail, séminaire Conférence = lecture
Confident = sûr de soi Un confident = a confident
Confidence = confiance Une confidence = a confidence
Confused = pas clair (idées) Confus = embarrassed
Conscience = conscience (morale) Conscience intellectuelle et physique =
consciousness
Control = diriger, maîtriser Contrôler = to check
Course = stage, programme d’etudes Cours = class, lesson
A critic = un critique Une critique = a criticism
Crier = to shout (voix forte) To cream (cris)
Deceive = tromper Décevoir = to disappoint
Deception = tromperie Déception = disappointment
Definite (ly) = certain (ly) Définitif = permanent, définitivement =
forever
Demand = exiger Demander = to ask
Dramatic = théâtrale ou frappant Dramatique = terrible, disastrous
Education = éducation à l’école Education à la maison = upbringing
Engaged = occupé ou fiancé Engagé = politically involved
Eventually = finallement Eventuellement = perhaps, possibly
Evidence = preuves, témoignage Evidence = something obvious
Evolution = évolution de l’espèce Evolution (autres sens) = development
Experience = expérience (s) vécue (s) To experience = éprouver, vivre, une
expérience scientifique = an experiment
Fault = défaut (it’s my fault = c’est de ma Une faute = a mistake
faute)
Figure = chiffre ou silhouette Figure = face

45
Genial = jovial Génial = brillant ou great, terrific
Gentle = doux Gentil = nice, kind
Grief = chagrin Grief = grievance
Humaine = humanitaire Humain = human
To ignore = ne pas faire attention à Ignorer = not to know
Inconvenient = gênant, pas pratique Un inconvénient = a disadvantage
Infancy = petite enfance Enfance = childhood
Inhabited = habité Inhabité = uninhabited
To injure = blesser Injurier = to insult
Injury = blessure Injure = insult
Interesting = intéressant au sens commercial (un prix intéressant = a good – favourable
price)
Issue = numéro (d’un magazine) ou sujet de Une issue = exit
débat
Journey = voyage Journée = day
Large = grand Large = wide, broad
Lecture = conférence Lecture = reading
Library = bibliothèque Librairie = bookshop
Luxury = luxe Luxure = debauchery
To march = marcher au pas, défier Marcher = to walk
Marriage = mariage (vie conjugale) Mariage (cérémonie) = wedding
Medicine = médecine ou médicament Médecin = doctor
Miserable = triste Misérable = very poor
Misery = tristesse profonde Misère = extreme poverty
The moral = la morale (d’une histoire) La morale (mœurs) = morals, morality
Nervous = anxieux Nerveux = irritable, edgy, restless, worked up
(selon le contexte)
Occasion = jour ou moment spécial Occasion = bargain ou opportunity
To offer = proposer Offrir (cadeau, etc) = to give
To pass (an exam) = réussir un examen Passer un examen = to take/ sit/ do an examen
Pension = retraite (argent versé) Pension = boarding house ou boarding school
Petrol = essence Pétrole = oil
Phrase = groupe de mots, expression Phrase = sentence
Politics = politique (manière de gouverner) Ligne (politique) = policy
Practical = pratique (concret) Pratique (commode) = convenient, handy
Precise (adj) = précis, exact Préciser = to define, specify, make clear
A prejudice = préjugé(s) Un préjudice = a damage
Presently = a little later (Brit.), now (Amer.) A présent = at present
Price = prix (valeur) Prize = récompense
Professor = professeur d’université (sommet Professeur = teacher
de la hiérarchie)
Proper (ly) = correct (ement), comme il faut Propre (ment) = clean (ly)
Property = propriété Propreté = cleanness
Process = procédé Procès = trial
To regard as = considerer comme Regarder = to look at
To remark = mentionner Remarquer = to notice
To respond = réagir Répondre = to answer
Rest = repos ou reste Rester = to stay
To resume = recommencer, reprendre (où Résumer = to summarize, to sum up
l’on s’était arrêté)

46
To ruin = abîmer, gâcher ou ruiner Sensible = sensitive
Sensible = sensé, raisonnable Sentimental = emotional, romantic
Sentimental = larmoyant, à l’eau de rose Sophistiqué = artificial ou snobbish
Sophisticated = complicated or artificial Supporter = to bear, stand, put up with
To support = soutenir ou entretenir
financièrement Support = prop
Support = soutien Starter = choke
Starter = démarreur Sympathique = pleasant, nice
Sympathetic = compatissant Technique (technologie) = technology
Technique = technique (procédé, manière de
faire) Trivial = bad mannered, vulgar
Trivial = banal, sans importance Vers = ligne
Verse = strophe Voyage = journey
Voyage = voyage en bateau

C/ A FEW PHRASAL VERBS

To think about Penser à
To speak about Parler de
To talk about Parler de
To worry about S’inquièter de
About To be crazy/ mad about Etre fou de
To be concerned about Etre préocupé de
To be soory about Etre désolé de
To have something about one’s person Avoir quelque chose sur soi
To look after S’occuper de
To run after something Courrir après quelque chose
After To be after someone/ something Etre à la recherche/ poursuite de quelqu’un /
quelque chose
To go after someone Aller aux trousses de quelqu’un
To take after someone Prendre les traits/ habitudes de quelqu’un
To look at Regarder
To laugh at Se moquer de
To wonder at S’émerveiller de
To stare at Fixer de regard
To be surprised at Etre surpris de
At To be good at Etre bon en/ à
To be bad at Etre mauvais en/ à
To be amazed at Etre étonné par
To be annoyed/ angry at something Etre contrarié par
To be amused at Etre amusé par
To be shocked at Etre choqué par
To look for Chercher
To wait for Attendre

47
 To send for Envoyer chercher
To apologize for S’excuser de
To ask for something Demander quelque chose
To exchange …for Echanger…contre
To pay for something Payer pour quelque chose
For To long for Se languir de
To search for (Re) chercher
To reproach somebody for something Reprocher quelque chose à quelqu’un
To be responsible for Etre responsable de
To be ready for Etre prêt à
To get ready for Se preparer pour
To be sorry for Etre désolé de
To be useful for Etre utile à
To be prepared for something Etre préparé à quelque chose
To be different from Etre différent de
To hear from somebody Entendre parler de quelqu’un/ avoir des
nouvelles de quelqu’un
From To suffer from Souffrir de
To die from Mourir de
To prevent somebody from Prevenir quelqu’un contre
(+verb+ing)
To protect from Protéger contre
To save/ deliver from Sauver/ délivrer de
To keep somebody from (+verb+ing) Interdire/ empêcher quelqu’un de

To borrow something from someone Emprunter quelque chose

To separate from Séparer de

To be absent from Etre absent de
To steal something from someone Voler quelque chose à quelqu’un
To believe in Croire en
To succeed in (+verb+ing) Réussir à
To consist in Consister à
In To be interested in Etre intéressé à
To be involved/ implied in Etre impliqué dans
To be in vogue Etre à la mode
To go into (a car, house, town…) Aller/ entrer (en/ dans)
To translate into Traduire en
Into To turn/change into Transformer en
To divide into Diviser en
To break into (parts) Se casser/ briser en …
To run into somebody Rencontrer quelqu’un par harsard
To think of Penser à
To be proud/ fond of Etre fier/ fan de
To be jealous of Etre jaloux de
Of To be afraid of Avoir peur de
To be ashamed of Avoir honte de
To be aware/ conscious of Etre conscient de
To get rid of Se débarrasser de
To have wind of Avoir vent de

48
 To turn/ switch off Eteindre
To take off Oter/ décoller
Off To put off Ajourner/ passer la nuit
To fall off Tomber de
To shut off Couper/ isoler de
To be off to Partir/quitter pour
To take a day off Prendre un jour de congé
To talk/see off air Se parler/ voir hors antenne
To put on (clothes) Se vêtir
To depend on Dépendre de
To rely on Compter sur
To comment on Faire un commentaire à propos de
To come on term Parvenir à un accord
On To feed on Se nourrir de
To live on Vivre de
To spend time on Passer du temps à
To have mercy on Avoir pitié
To be keen on something Aimer beaucoup quelque chose
To talk things out Mettre/ tirer les choses au clair
To die out Disparaître
Out To send out (from) Renvoyer (de)
To shut out of something Exclure de
To belong to Apartenir à
To listen to Ecouter
To attend to Assister à
To attempt/ try to Essayer de
To be inferior/ superior to Etre inférieur/supérieur à
To consent to Consentir à
To
To be prepared to Etre preparé à
To be accustomed to/ to be used to Etre habitué à
(+verb+ing)
To compare to Comparer à
To be likely to (+verb) Avoir de forte chance de
To look forward to (+verb+ing) Vouloir/ attendre avec impatience
To give up Abandonner
To stand/ get up Se lever/ mettre debout
To bring up (a child) Elever (un enfant)
To wake up Se réveiller
To warm up (se) rechauffer
To catch up (se) rattraper
Up
To make up Se maquiller
To make up one’s mind Prendre sa décision
To take up the challenge Rélever le défi
To walk up and down Faire les cent pas
To shut up Fermer (bouche) Eg : Shut up ! = Tu la ferme
To wind up Terminer/ finir

49
SOME PROVERBS AND THEIR
MEANINGS

CHAPITRE V : Some Proverbs and their meanings

50
A/ English meanings
1- Make hay while the Sun shines.
 Strike while the iron is hot
 Act at the right time.
2- A stitch in time saves nine
 A remedy applied at once prevents further trouble
3- A bird in han is worth two in the bush
 It is better to take or value what you have now than to trust your luck in the future.
4- All that glitters is not gold
 Outward apperances are deceptive
 Not everything that seems or appears good, is good.
5- A friend in need is a friend indeed
 The friend who helps you or stands by you intimes of trouble is the true friend.
6- Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown
 A leader is bound to face many difficulties.
7- Example is better than perfect
 Living an examplary life is better than giving moral instructions
8- Cut your coat according to cloth
 Don’t attempt what is beyond your ability live within your means.
 Avoid spending more than you earn.
9- One good turn deserves another.
 Help, kind service …should be repaid.
10- Let sleeping dogs lie
 Do not look for trouble.
11- Pride goes before a fall
 Excessive pride usually brings about its own fall
12- Half a loaf is better than no bread
 To have something even if it is not all you want is better than not having nothing
13- Don’t count your chikens before they are hatched
 Don’t be hopeful of your chances of success in the future
14- Blood is thicker than water
 Relatives are really more important than friends
15- The darkest hour is just before down
 It is when the battle is raging fiercely or the problem seems acute that victory or
success is as hand.
16- It never rains, it pours
 Troubles, misfortunes never come i singles, they come in chains/ turns.
17- Where is a will, there is away
 Determination paves the way for success.
18- Time and tide wait for no man
 Procrastination is a thief of time ; use an opportunity when you have it
19- A rolling stone gathers no moss
 Changing his work, place of work, aims does not succeed in any venture he undertakes
20- There is no smoke without fire

51
  If unfavorable things are being said about someone, they are probably at least partly
true.

B/ Other Proverbs translated in French

21- Actions speak louder than words = les actions sont plus éloquents que
les paroles.
22- To build castles in the air = Bâtir des châteaux en Espagne
23- That is where the shoe pinches = c’est là où le bât blesse
24- Opportunity makes a thief = l’occasion fait le larron.
25- Ignorance of the law is no excuse = Nul n’est censé ignoré la loi
26- As you sow, so you reap = on récolte ce qu’on a semé.
27- Birds of feather flock together = qui se ressemble s’assemble
28- Grasp all, lose all = qui trop embrasse, mal étreint/ à trop vouloir gagner,
perd tout.
29- Give a dog a bad name and han git = qui veut tuer son chien, l’accuse
de rage
30- He who laughs last, laughs long = rira bien qui rira le dernier.
31- Once does not count = une fois n’est pas coutume.
32- Nothing ventured, nothing gain = qui ne risque rien n’a rien.
33- To be between the devil the deep blue sea = être entre l’enclume et le
marteau
34- Practice makes perfect = c’est en forgeant qu’on devient forgeron
35- To put the carf before the horse = mettre la charue avant les bœufs
36- Unity is force = l’union fait la force.
37- It is better late than never = mieux vaut tard que jamais
38- A fault confessed os half redressed = Un péché avoué est à moitié
pardonné.
39- Once bitte, twice shy = chat échaudé craint l’eau froide
40- The cowl does not make the monk = l’habit ne fait pas le moine.
41- Spare the road and spoil the child = qui aime bien châtie bien.

52
53
 QUELQUES EPREUVES
D’EXAMEN

Text: Environment: Source Life

No one is sure when the word ecology was first used by the German biologist, Ernest
Haechel who was the first to define it in 1869. Ecology is the study of the relationships
between living beings and their environment. The term comes from the two Greek words:
“ecos” which means “house” or “place to live”, and “logos” which means “study”. So,

54
ecology is the study of the house or environment of all living organisms, all their surrounding
including animals and plants, climate and soil…

People are part of the world ecosystems, and have a great and growing effect on many
other ecosystems all over the world. Some of the changes are small and local: a house built
on a vacant lot, a highway through a forest.

Some changes are major: long- lasting insect poisons such as DDT were spread all
over the earth before scientists became aware of the deadly effects of these chemicals on
birds and nature… the burning of lands, coal, oil and other fuels has affected the entire
atmosphere of the earth; and dust particles in the air helped reduce the amount of sunlight
reaching the earth’s surface.

Changes like these, along with thousands of smaller ones, have alerted us to the
dangers of destroying ecosystems before we understand the effects of the alterations. We
fancy ourselves to be rulers of the earth. But we don’t know the rules. The study of ecology
may help us to learn “the rules of nature” on which our survival depends.

From Ecology, Science of Survival, by Lawrence PRINCE.

Vocabulary:

All over the world: Partout dans le monde, the earth: La terre, Coal: le carbon, la
houille, to fancy: imaginer , Survival: La survie

A-GUIDED COMMENTARY: answer the following questions

1) Basing on the text, what is ecology? Define it in one sentence. (2pts)

2) According to the text, has Man a good attitude in the world? Why or why not?(3pts)
3) Cite three Man’s actions on the world’s ecosystem?(3pts)
4) According to the text, what is the advantage of ecology for Man?(2pts)
5) In your opinion, is science a good thing to Man? ( 5pts)

B- GRAMMAR: Use "A" or "An" to fill in the gap (5pts)

(1)….. White horse; (2)…...Honest man; (3)…. Orphan boy; (4)…... Young ewe;
(5)…... NTM mobile company; (6)…...United Nations Organization; (7) …...Year 2001; (8)
…...University teacher; (9)…... Ideal woman; (10) ……. Uniform.

Text: Should Prostitution be Legalised?

As an increasing number of prostitutes are being subjects to beatings, rape and even
murder, feminist groups are becoming more active in calling for the legalisation of

55
prostitution. However, governments world-wide are still failing to respond to these callings
and the issue has not acquired an important place on political agendas.
There are certainly a number of arguments to justify the legalisation of prostitution.
Firstly, it offers increased protection for prostitutes in a number of ways. A prostitute is an
easy target for a sexual attack given that she is involved in an illegal activity. Therefore, she
will be afraid to report a rape or a beating to the police in case she is imprisoned or will have
to pay a huge fine. Legalising prostitution could mean that prostitutes will be encouraged to
report any attacks on them and this could in turn help the police to identify previously
unknown sex offenders.
Secondly, prostitutes would eventually cease to become an underground activity.
Prostitutes could take the time to observe and select clients rather than making rash on the
spot decisions on a street sidewalk. No longer fearing police harassments, clients would
probably be more willing to allow themselves to be “checked out”. This increases a
prostitute’s chances of selecting genuine client rather than some outlaws to pay on a
vulnerable, helpless woman.
On the other hand, the repercussions of legalising prostitution could create problems
for some governments. Firstly, it would almost certainly be condemned by church leaders and
Christian groups who could argue that giving political recognition to such activities makes a
mockery of the sanctity of the human body.
Secondly, they could argue that legalising prostitution could encourage young and
impressionable teenagers to turn to this activity seduced by the promise of easy money and
the security that what they are doing is legal.
Thirdly, governments would also be faced with the problem of establishing an age
limit for prostitutes. At what age one can become a prostitute? There is no easy answer to this
question.

VOCABULARY
Rape: le viol world-wide: à travers le monde to cease : cesser
Underground: clandestine genuine: authentic outlaws: un hors-la-loi
Recognition: reconnaissance
GUIDED COMMENTARY

1- What are the concerns of the feminist groups according to the text? (3pts)
2- Why do feminist groups suggest the legalisation of prostitution? (3 pts)
3- What are the advantages in legalising prostitution according to the text? (4 pts)
4- What are the drawbacks in legalising prostitution according to the text? (4 pts)
5- Are you for or against prostitution? State your reasons. (6 pts)

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TEXT : A Political Prisoner Speaks

In Pretoria, on 28 MArch , Bram Fischer told the court: "I am on trial for my political beliefs
and for the conduct to which those beliefs drove me. Whatever labels may be attached to the
fifteen charges brought against me, they all arise from my having been a member of the
Communist Party and from my activities as a member. I engaged upon those activities
because I belived that, in the dangerous circumstances which have been created in South
Africa, it was my duty to do so.

When a man is on trial for his political beliefs and action, two courses are open to him. He can
either confess to his transgressions and plead for mercy or he can justify his beliefs and
explain why he acted as he did. Were I to ask for forgiveness today I would betray my cause.
That course is not open to me. I believe that what I did was right...

My belief, moreover, is one reason why I have pleaded not guilty to all the charges brought
against me. Though I shall deny a number of important allegations made, this Court is aware
of the fact that there is much in the State case which has not been contested. Yet, if I am to
explain my motives and my actions as I am able, then this Court was entitled to have had
before it the witnesses who testified in chief and under cross-examination against me. Some
of these, I believe, were fine and loyal persons who have turned traitors to their cause and to
their country because of the methods used against them by the State - vicious and inhuman
methods. Their evidence may, therefore, in important respects, be unreliable.

There is another and more compelling reason for my plea and why I persist in it. I accept the
general rule that for the protection of a society, laws should be obeyed. But laws themselves
become immoral and require the citizen to take part in an organized system of oppression - if
only by his silence or apathy - then I believe that a higher duty arises".

Mary Benson, The Sun will Rise

Questions
1. Why is Bram Fischer on trial?
2. Bram Fischer said that when a man is on trial two courses are open to him. Which course
did he choose? Justify your answer.
3. Are the witnesses' evidence reliable? Why?
4. If you were Bram Fischer, would you plead guilty and ask for forgiveness, or would you
stick to your political beliefs and go to prison?

5. Translate into French: "When a man ................ what I did was right."
Text: Breast-Feeding
Breast feeding is an unequalled way of providing food for the healthy growth and
development of infants and has a unique biological and emotional influence on the health of

57
both mother and child. The anti-infective properties of breast milk help to protect infants
against disease and there is an important relation between breast-feeding and child spacing.
For these reasons, professionals and health workers in health-care facilities should
make every effort to protect, promote and protect breast-feeding and to provide expectant and
new mothers with objective and consistent advice in this regard.
The prevalence and duration of feeding have declined in many parts of the world for a
variety of social, economic and cultural reasons. With the introduction of modern
technologies and adoption of a new life-styles the importance attached to this traditional
practice has noticeably reduced in many societies. However, unwillingly, health services
frequently contribute to this decline, either by failing to encourage mothers to breast –feed or
by introducing (...) procedures that interfere with the normal (...) establishment of breast-
feeding. Common examples of the later are separating mothers from their infants at birth,
giving infants glucose water by bottle and (...) encouraging the use of breast-milk substitutes.

‘A’ GRAMMAR, VOCABULARY & COMPREHENSION: rules, meaning &

comprehension in/of the text.
[1] Rewrite these sentences otherwise by replacing at least two of the words or phrases
underlined. Make necessary arrangement without altering their original:
_a- “breastfeeding is.....unequalled way of providing food [....].”
_b- “[...]professional and health workers serving in health carefacilities should.... make every
effort to protect, promote and support breastfeeding[....].
[2] Rewrite the following sentences in the simplest way (the base form of the sentence) by
restarting each one in the way indicated below it:
‫“ ٭٭‬The anti-infective.....child spacing.”
► Breastfeeding......
‫[“ ٭٭‬...]professional and health....in this regard.”
► Health workers
Medical services
‘B’ COMPREHENSION: collecting information from the text
1) Write T for True or F for False in front of each statement according to the text:
a) Breastmilk is not efficient for child’s development....
b) Breastfeeding promotes child spacing......
c) The practice of breastfeeding diminishes with modern technologies....
d) Separating the new-born from their mothers limit the promotion of breastmilk.....
2) Identify the concrete problems or practices which decrease the habit of breastfeeding
(around three arguments to find in the text). Write these ideas in isolated sentences.
3) Write the advantages of breastmilk (around five isolated argts).
4) Indicate the role of doctors, nurses etc. As far as breastfeeding is concerned (around 5
argts).

58
5) Precise some cultural, social and economic reasons (in and out of the text) which have
played a negative role in the decline of breastfeeding:
‘C’ VOCABULARY & COMPREHENSION: meaning of phrases in the text
I. Say what the following means in the context of this text:
1—“biological influence”...
2—“emotional influence”....
3—“expectant mother”....
II. Give examples (from & out of the text) to illustrate the following:
a—“new-life styles”.... b—“ modern technologies”....

Text: Diarrhoeal Diseases: A Strategy for the 90s.

Ten years ago, diarrhoeal disease was the biggest killer of the world’s children,
claiming almost 4 million young live each year. Most of the victims died of dehydration. And
although a cheap and simple method of preventing and treating dehydration had been
available for many years, it was known to few outside the scientific community.
Today, thanks to a decade of promotion, some of Oral Dehydration Therapy (ODT) is
known and used by approximately one family in three in the developing world. The result is
the saving of approximately 1 million lives each year ands the demotion of diarrhoeal disease
to second lace among the causes of child death.
A strategy for the 1990s must therefore give new priority to clean water and safe
sanitation and to educating parents about preventing diarrhoeal diseases and minimising the
impact on their children’s health and growth. Today’s knowledge makes prevention possible
on a large scale and at low cost. The principal means are: breastfeeding; immunising against
measles; using a latrine; keeping food and waster clean; and washing hands before touching
food. The main ways of preventing diarrhoea from causing malnutrition are continued feeding
throughout the illness (especially breastfeeding) and giving the child an extra meal a day for
at least a week after the illness is over. In addition to knowing about the importance of odd
and fluids, all parents should know that trained help is needed if there is blood in the child’s
stool or if the diarrhoea persists or is more serious than usual.
Reducing child deaths by one third ands child malnutrition by half were two of the
most important targets agreed on by the world’s larders at the 1990 world summit for
children. Neither target can be achieved without a widening of the battle against diarrhoea
diseases and a reduction in the toll they take on both the lives ands the normal growth of
many millions of the world’s children.
Adapted from The State of the World’s Children (UNICEF), 1993.
Vocabulary:
Demotion: to demote: to lower in rank or position Stool: selles (déchets)

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Measles : rougeole Toll : prélèvement
Guided commentary
1) Why are diarrhoea diseases less mortals than some years ago?
2) What precautions should be taken to avoid diarrhoeal diseases according to the text?
3) According to the text, how can the reduction of child deaths and child malnutrition be
successful?
4) Why is it important to consult a specialist when a child is subject to diarrhoea?

Text: Traditional Medicine in Africa

With only one trained Western doctor for every 5,400 people on the continent of
Africa, the Alliance between traditional healers, sometimes called « witch doctors, « sand
Western medicine is growing. Last year, 1980, Nigeria officially enrolled herbalists and
spiritualists into the National Health Service. There are 8,000 members in the Zimbabwe
Traditional Healers Association, and they have opened their own medical school. At least
eighteen other African countries have established research and treatment institutes which
deals with traditional medical practices. Traditional healers are also joining clinic ands
hospital staffs.
However there is another side of the subject which causes worry to many people.
« The laws deny the existence of witches » says Dr. Gordon Chavunkuka, Chairman of the
Sociology Department at the University of Zimbabwe. « But witches do exist and the Law
and our thinking must change so we can deal more effectively with them. » Tanzania has
launched a two-year study to assess the impact of witchcraft on national development. The
belief in this magic power over virtually every aspect of life continues to undermine social
and economic advancement. It especially poses a problem for young people today. Professor
Joshua Okong’a of the University of Nairobi, argues that, « Once you become a success you
become an individual. When that happens people become jealous and you may become the
objects of a witch doctor’s curse ». A Kenyan woman university student agrees, « In my home
town if you are good at school people begin to look at you suspiciously ».
The Western medical establishment believes that curses can be explained
scientifically. They are fearful that traditional healers will re-in force what they call
« superstition », that is, non-scientific explanations. “The West sees this as an impediment to
what it calls progress, » a fundamental Western value which it believes all other cultures
should agree with.

In Newsweek, August 31St, 1981

Vocabulary:

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a witch/a sorcerer: a person who is believed to have magic or evil (bad) powers, (Witchcraft
= sorcery)= (noun from ‘witch’).
an impediment = an obstacle, a hindrance (verb: to hinder).
to undermine: to weaken, slow down, to make something move with difficulties.
I-- GUIDED COMMENTARY
1) Why is there now an alliance between “traditional healers” and « modern doctors »
according to the text?
2) Do people share the same opinion about « witchcraft » or « witches » according to the
text? Explain yourself.
3) For Dr GORDON Chawunkuka : « witches do exist and the laws and our thinking must
change so we can deal more effectively with them. » Explain this statement and give your
own opinion about it.
4) Is there any relationship between « witchcraft » and « development » in your opinion?
Explain yourself fully.

II-- GRAMMAR: match the two halves of statements by writing the letter in front of the
corresponding number. Use each half only once. Then say what the words underlined in
italics below express.
1. He was very tired and it was very late
2. some of the questions in the test were very hard
3. Take an umbrella with you
4. Unfortunately the phone rang
5. He decided to go by plane
6. We’ll be late for work
7. Madjansé told her boyfriend that he should leave
8. Flaure tried at least six pairs of shoes

            
A. unless the bus comes soon.
B. in case it rains.
C. while I was having a bath.
D. before her father came home.
E. so he didn’t get good marks.
F. until she found what she liked.
G. although he hated flying.
H. but he still didn’t go to bed.

Text: Three Definitions of Africa

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 The ambivalence has been so deep that in order to demonstrate that ancient Egypt was
an African civilisation, some have found it necessary to seek evidence that ancient Egypt was
a black civilisation. Skeletons and skulls of ancient Egyptians have been checked to see if
they were Negroid. Noses in ancient Egyptian paintings have been examined to see if they
were flat. The Sphinx has been scrutinised to see if it had Negroid features before wind and
sand eroded its nose.
My own feelings is that to insist that nothing is African unless it is Black is to fall
into the white man’s fallacy. No one insists that the Chinese on the one hand, and black
Sinhalese or Tamils of Sri Lanka on the other hand, must be the same colour before they can
be regarded as “Asians”.
The problem originally arose because Europe itself was regarded as unipigmentional
continent –the inhabitants of each country being regarded as primarily “white”. Was Africa
going to be as multi-coloured as Asia? Or was it going to be as uni-coloured as Europe? In
its hegemonic days of imperialism, European leadership never resolved the issue. Some
thought of Africa as being three zones: white-dominated Africa south of the Tropic of
Capricorn, Arab-dominated Africa north of the Tropic of Cancer, and Black Africa between
the two tropics. The question of “where is the real Africa?” was in this case answered in terms
of what lay between the tropics of Capricorn and Cancer.
To summarise, they have until now been three definitions of the “real Africa”. The
racial definition of Africa restricted identity of the Black populated parts of the continent. The
continental definition of Africa is the principle of which the Organisation of African Unity is
partly based -Africa is a continent as a whole. The power definition of Africa would exclude
those parts of Africa which are still under “non-African” control –especially the Republic of
South Africa. But this is, I hope, a very temporary situation.
The Africans: A Triple Heritage by Ali A.MAZRUI.
GUIDED COMMENTARY:
[1]- How do some experts prove that there was an African civilisation?

[2]- Does the writer agree with the way the experts explain the existence of a Black/African
civilisation? How does he justify his position?

[3]- Explain the ambivalence related to the ‘definition’ of Africa as shown in the text.

[4]- What are the three definitions of Africa? Specify the characteristics of each definition.
Translate from “The problem originally arouse…” down to “….the tropics of Capricorn and
Cancer”.

Text: The Gikuyu System of Education

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 The striking thing in the Gikuyu system of education and the feature which most
sharply distinguishes it from European system of education, is the importance given to
personal relations. Each official statement of educational policy declares that the aim of
education must be the building of character and not the mere acquisition of knowledge. But
European practice falls short of this principle: knowledge is the dominating objective in the
European method of teaching in Africa and, as long as exams rule, it is hard to see how
anything else can be given primary importance. While the Westerners assert that character
formation is the chief end, he forgets that character is formed primarily through relations with
other people, and that there is really no other way in which it can develop. Europeans assume
that, given the right knowledge and ideas, personal relations can be left largely to take care of
themselves, and this is perhaps the most fundamental difference in outlook between Africans
and Europeans. It can be safely said that, in the Europeans system of education, marriage, the
family, the school, vocation, relation of people to the State, etc., are all regarded as things
which have evolved as historical forms which, however, are still capable of change, and over
which the free man, that is the personality, must have authority. For, freedom of personality is
the highest good, and co-ordination with other people and especially mutual subordination are
on the contrary something accidental. Here it is worth while to ask a question which seems
very pertinent to our subject: “If it is true that the Europeans system of education aims at
individuality, is it then logical that Europeans educated in this way have some difficulty in
understanding African tribal relationships?” We may sum it up by saying that to the
Europeans “Individuality is the ideal of life”, whereas to the Africans the ideal is the right
relations with, and behaviour to, other people. No doubt educational philosophy can make a
higher synthesis in which these two great truths are one, but the facts remain that while the
Europeans place the emphasis on one side, the Africans place it on the other.
From Facing Mt Kenya (Jomo Kenyatta)
(A) Guided commentary
1] What are the principles of the Gikuyu system of education? (Contrast them with the
European ones). (l.3,4,25# l.5,14,18).
2] What are the assumptions underlying the European system of education? (Historical forms,
things accidental because individuality, freedom=most important elements).
3] Comment upon this statement: “Character is formed primarily…it can develop”. (l.9-11).
4] Does school knowledge promote personality/ personal character? Justify jour answer.
(B) Translate from “the striking thing….” down to “…way in which it can develop”

Text: Is Democracy Dangerous?

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 America’s prescription for developing nations is simple: democracy and free-market
capitalism. But what if these ideas turn out to be like medicines that produce nasty side effects
when taken in combination? There you have the fascinating and disturbing World on Fire:
How Exporting Free Market Democracy Breeds Ethnic Hatred and Global Instability.
It would be easy to dismiss this as yet another attack on globalisation. But this book is
hardly that. Author Amy Chua understands the economics of developing nations: The 40-
year- old Yale Law School professor served a stint at the World Bank, worked for four years
on Wall Street, and helped privatise the state – owned Teléfonos de Mexico. Chua sees no
inherent evil in capitalism, thinks representative democracy is a good thing, and writes with
an authority born of rigorous research.
Yet Chua warns that the phenomenon of “market-dominant minorities”-taken in
combination with globalisation and democracy-can cause huge tensions in the developing
world. Chua chillingly describes how, in 1994, her Aunt Leona, a Chinese businesswoman in
the Philippines, was stabbed to death by her chauffeur. Despite eyewitness accounts by other
servants, there were no arrests. Why not? Ethnic Chinese, at just 1% of the Philippines
population, control 60% of its wealth. Meanwhile, two-thirds of the 80 million ethnic
Filipinos live on less than $2 a day.
In fact, in the police report of the case, under the section on motive, is written
“revenge”. Chua makes clear, when economic inequality is combined with other factors,
existing hostilities are exacerbated. Free-market policies often concentrate wealth in the hands
of the tiny business elites that dominate many developing nations. Throw democracy into the
fermenting mixture, and the oppressed majority is emboldened to strike the rich few,
particularly if there are an easily identified ethnic group. That’s what occurred in the
Philippines after the alliance between the ethnic Chinese and dictator Ferdinand Marcos was
broken by Marcos’ exile and the arrival of democracy. The Lebanese in West Africa, Asian
Indians in East Africa, Jews in Russia, and whites in Zimbabwe have all suffered after
democratic rule arrived. “The competition for votes fosters the emergence of demagogues
who scapegoat the resented minority, demanding an end to humiliation, and insisting that the
nation’s wealth be reclaimed by its “true owners” says Chua.
No two countries are precisely the same. But it’s remarkable how many developing
nations are affected by the perilous mixture the author describes. In Nigeria-a free-market
country that is constantly experimenting with (and failing at) democratic rule- tens of
thousands of the indigenous Ibo tribe have been slaughtered by their poorer but more
numerous tribal rivals. In Rwanda, the Tutsi tribe held the political and economic reins until
far-more-numerous Hutus murdered hundreds of thousands of them in the 90’s.
In Zimbabwe, a regime set up by European colonialists gave to democratic institutions
in 1980. Today, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe maintains his political power by
urging his fellow veterans of the liberation struggle to throw whites off their lands by force. In
Kenya, a tiny Indian elite hangs on, “uncomfortably dependent on the corrupt and
increasingly authoritarian President [Daniel Arap] Moi...as African opposition leaders
intensify their ethnic hatemongering”, says Chua.
Mercifully, Chua doesn’t try to solve all the world’s problems in an easy “solutions”
chapter, nor does she think that more democracy is the solution. Her best suggestions: reduce

64
the impact of globalisation with progressive government tax and transfer programs, encourage
greater small-business growth and wider stock ownership, and, above all, go slow, and respect
local customs. The U.S. didn’t become a free-market democracy overnight and it shouldn’t
expect the same of others.
Adapted from Business Week, December 30th, 2002, (p.24)

VOCABULARY:
a stint: for a short period of time Chilling: qui donne des frissons
Ethnic hatemongering: that inspires ethnic hatred To embolden : to make bold, fearless

GUIDED COMMENTARY
1) What are America’s solutions for the problems facing the developing countries
according to the text?
2) Explain in your own words the “market-dominant minorities” phenomenon developed
in the text.
3) Find examples in the text to show how a lot of countries in the world are concerned
with that problem of “market-dominant minorities”.
4) What does the author mean when she says: “Reduce the impact of globalisation...
respect local customers”?
5) How can democracy bring about economic growth or particular difficulties in your
country?

Text: A BIRTH CONTROL BREAKTHROUGH

Thirty years have passed since the pill acquainted America with sexual freedom. Yet
unintended pregnancy is still rampant. Every year more than 3 million U.S. women
conceive without meaning to, and half of them opt for abortions. It’s not as though people
haven’t heard about contraception. The problem is that the available methods aren’t doing
the job. Pills get misplaced or forgotten. Diaphragms demand great concentration and
dexterity at unlikely moments.
The challenge, many experts agree, is not to make people more conscientious but to
arm them with better technology to make birth control easier. Scientists have brought real
progress on that front.
For the first time since the 1960s, the U.S. federal government approved an entirely
new technique: a small surgical implant that blocks conception for five years when placed
under the skin of a woman’s upper arm. This new device under the name of Norplant, is
cheaper than the pill and nearly as reliable as sterilisation (its annual failure rate is well
below 1 percent). And unlike sterilisation, it’s totally reversible. Reclaiming one’s fertility
is as simple having the device removed.
Norplant doesn’t contain any new medicine; it’s just a novel way of delivering
progestin, an antifertility hormone contained in birth control pills. The mechanics are
fairly simple. After administering local anaesthesia a physician makes a small puncture in

65
 the flesh between a woman’s elbow and armpit and inserts six flexible capsules the size
of matchsticks. The capsules lodge just under the skin and starts releasing progestin at a
slow, steady pace. The hormone takes effect within 24 hours, serving both to block
ovulation and to keep sperm out of the uterus by thickening the cervical mucus. Removing
the device involves re-opening the small incision through which it was inserted.
Newsweek, December 1990.
Progestin: an antifertility hormone.
GUIDED COMMENTARY
1-) Why do many women continue to have undesired pregnancies according to the text?
2-) What does the technique of Norplant consist in according to the text?
3-) What are the problems(difficulties) women may face in using some of the contraceptive
methods according to the text?
4-) Is there any drawbacks in using contraceptives in your opinion?
5-) Do you personally approve of the use of any of the contraceptive methods? Say why/
why not.

Text: Calcium
When you were a child, your mother probably told you: “Drink your milk. You need
the calcium for healthy bones and teeth”. She was right. Calcium does help keep bones and
teeth strong, and it also plays a key role in other vital bodily functions. What your mother
couldn’t have predicted are the recent headlines heralding calcium as a possible player in the
fight against many ailments. Here is how children can help protect your health- and how to be
sure you’re getting enough.
More than fifty million Americans have high blood pressure (hypertension). What’s so
frightening about the so-called silent killer is that it often does not produce symptoms for
years, secretly damaging arteries and organs throughout the body until it erupts in the form of
stroke, heart attack, congestive heart failure or kidney disease. If left untreated, even mild
hypertension can reduce life expectancy of a 35-year-old by several years.
That is why high blood pressure is commonly treated with antihypertensive drugs. But
studies suggest that in some people an increase in calcium consumption can help control
blood pressure without medication. Calcium also seems to help prevent high blood pressure.
Evaluating the results of a 13-year survey undertaken by the National Center for Health
Statistics, James H. Dwyer, associate professor of preventive medicine at the University of
Southern California School of Medicine, found that people who consumed 1,300 milligrams
of calcium a day were 12 percent less likely to develop hypertension than those consuming
only 300 mg a day. In people under 40, risk was reduced by up to 25 percent. Soon doctors
may urge some hypertension patients to increase their calcium intake, much the way they now
advise sodium restriction. “It’s easier to add food or supplements than to go on low-sodium
diet” asserts Dr David Mc Carron.

66
 Several studies suggest that there’s yet another way calcium may shield the heart from
harm: it may help lower blood cholesterol. In a study led by Dr Margo A. Denke, 13 men with
moderately high cholesterol levels were given a low calcium diet for ten days, and had their
cholesterol levels checked. Then, for another ten days, the men were on fortified diet that
supplied 2,200 mg of calcium a day. End result: the high-calcium regimen reduced their levels
of total cholesterol by six percent and slashed “bad” cholesterol by 11 percent. Mc Carron
agrees: “If you increase your calcium intake whether with diet or supplements, your
cholesterol gets better”.
An excerpt from Reader’s Digest, April 1996, pp.251-54
GUIDED COMMENTARY
1- According to the text, what is the importance of milk?
2- Why does the writer call high blood pressure “a silent killer”?
3- State the easiest way to treat hypertension
4- Which milk would you recommend for a baby? Is it mother’s or artificial milk? Why?
5- Explain why the life expectancy is lower in Africa than in Europe.

Text: Chronotherapeutics
Our bodies are wonderfully deft at maintaining balance. When the temperature jumps,
we sweat to cool down. When our blood pressure falls, our hearts pound to compensate. As it
turns out, though, our natural state is not a steady one. Researchers are finding that everything
from blood pressure to brain function varies rhythmically with the cycles of sun, moon and
seasons. And understanding them is giving new strategies for avoiding such common killers
as heart disease and cancer. Only one doctor in 20 is well versed in the growing field of
“chronotherapeutics”, the strategic use of time in medicine. “The field is exploding”, says
Michael Smolensky, the University of Texas physiologist who heads Houston’s Hermann
Centre for Chronobiology and Chronotherapeutics.
In medical school, most doctors learn that people with chronic conditions should take
their medicine at steady rates. For example, asthmatics are most likely to suffer during the
night, when mucus production increases, airways narrow and inflammatory cells work
overtime. Yet most patients strive to keep a constant level of medicine in their body day and
night, whether by puffing on an inhaler four times a day or taking a pill each morning and
evening. In recent studies, researchers shave found that a large mid-afternoon dose of a
steroid or bronchodilator can be as safe as several small doses, and better for avoiding night-
time attacks.
In 1989, Dr. William Houshesky of Albany’s Stratton VA Medical Centre analysed
the records of 41 women who’d undergone surgery for breast cancer land found that those
operated on midway through the menstrual cycle enjoyed better 10-year survival rates than
those treated at other times of the month. His colleagues laughed at the time, but nine studies
involving 2,300 women have turned up the same result. Those studies suggest that mid-cycle

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breast surgery may bring a 30 percent survival advantage. If so, it could prevent 15,000 deaths
a year in the United States alone. And unlike most new treatments, this one would cost no
more than what it replaced. Time, after all, is free.
Adapted from Geoffrey Cowley in Newsweek, March 11, 1996.
To be deft at: être adroit à To narrow: rétrécir
Versed in: experienced in Steady: regular, constant
To strive: make great efforts
GUIDED COMMENTARY
1) According to the text, how do the cycles of sun, moon and seasons influence our health?
2) Give the definition of chronotherapeutics according to the text.
3) Referring to the text, when can asthma treatment be more effective?
4) Referring to the results of studies in the text, what is the most suitable time for performing
breast – cancer surgery and why?
5) In Burkina Faso, people contract some diseases at particular seasons. Give one of these
typical diseases and say when and how it is contracted. Then, suggest the most effective
way of preventing it.

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 Burkinabé de l’exterieur, Mr Joseph Kodjo SEGBE, diplômé du Département
d’Anglais et des Sciences de l’Education de l’Université de Lomé (TOGO), est né au Togo en
1968.
Instituteur et professeur certifié d’Anglais, nous enseignons la langue de
“SHAKESPEAREˮ depuis plus de deux (02) décénies.
Après avoir mis à la disposition des écoliers “Easy English for primary schoolsˮ en
vue de leur donner du goût et l’amour pour l’Anglais, nous venons avec un autre document
“Easy English for secondary schoolsˮ pour aider tout apprenant et surtout les élèves des
classes d’examen à réussir l’épreuve orale ou écrite d’anglais.
Nous invitons donc tout ce beau monde à avoir une copie et en faire un bon usage.
Les suggestions et les critiques positives ou constructives seront les bienvenues.

L’auteur

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