Verbs with ‘back’- Problems and Solutions

Verbs with back problems and solutions

Choose one of the problems below and ask your partner’s advice on what to do. If they don’t understand the problem, explain further, using the words in brackets if you like. Do you agree with your partner’s advice?

I’ve emailed someone three times but they haven’t got back to me (= contacted me).

I’ve left a message on someone’s answer phone but they haven’t called me back (= returned my call).

I think the guarantee covers what went wrong with my computer but the manufacturer is refusing to replace it or to give my money back (= refund my money).

The same customer keeps on coming back to my shop (= visiting my shop again) every day but they never buy anything.

It’s nine p.m. and my boss still hasn’t come back to the office (= hasn’t returned from the place he has gone). I need to speak to him before I go home.

The person I need to speak to often isn’t there, so I usually leave a message with one of their colleagues. When that colleague checks the message back (= says back to me what I just said to me to confirm that they understood), they have usually misunderstood almost everything that I said.

Someone has written back to me (= has replied to my email) three weeks later, and I’ve forgotten what I wrote to them about.

I need to get back to my hotel (= return to my hotel) after a night of drinking but I can’t remember the name or address of the hotel.

My steak is rare even though I asked for medium. I asked the waiter to take it back to the kitchen (= go back to the kitchen with it), but now it is well done, not medium (in other words it is now overcooked).

A customer has brought a dress back to my shop (= has come back to my shop with a dress) saying that they have decided it doesn’t suit them, but I am sure that they have worn it for one big party before returning it (and that they probably planned to do so when they originally bought it).

My girlfriend/ boyfriend sent back my Valentine’s card (= returned my Valentine’s card by post) unopened and hasn’t phoned me back or replied to my texts and emails since, but I have no idea why.

I want to fly back from New York (= return from New York by plane) a day early, but my ticket is non-refundable.

Ask about anything above which you don’t understand, couldn’t think of advice for, etc, working together to think of good solutions each time.

Verbs with back problems and solutions no explanations version

Choose one of the problems below and ask your partner’s advice on what to do. If they don’t understand the problem, explain further. Do you agree with their suggestions?

I’ve emailed someone three times but they haven’t got back to me.

I’ve left a message on someone’s answer phone but they haven’t called me back.

I think the guarantee covers what went wrong with my computer but the manufacturer is refusing to replace it or to give my money back.

The same customer keeps on coming back to my shop every day but they never buy anything.

It’s nine p.m. and my boss still hasn’t come back to the office. I need to speak to him before I go home.

The person I need to speak to often isn’t there, so I usually leave a message with one of their colleagues. When that colleague checks the message back, they have usually misunderstood almost everything that I said.

Someone has written back to me three weeks later, and I’ve forgotten what I wrote to them about.

I need to get back to my hotel after a night of drinking but I can’t remember the name or address of the hotel.

My steak is rare even though I asked for medium. I asked the waiter to take it back to the kitchen, but now it is well done, not medium (in other words it is now overcooked).

A customer has brought a dress back to my shop saying that they have decided it doesn’t suit them, but I am sure that they have worn it for one big party before returning it (and that they probably planned to do so when they originally bought it).

My girlfriend/ boyfriend sent back my Valentine’s card unopened and hasn’t phoned me back or replied to my texts and emails since, but I have no idea why.

I want to fly back from New York a day early, but my ticket is non-refundable.

Ask about anything above which you don’t understand, couldn’t think of advice for, etc, working together to think of good solutions each time.

Work together to rephrase and/ or explain all the expressions with “back” above in ways that don’t use “back”.

Part Two: Verbs with back presentation

Fill the gaps below with one verb. There might sometimes be more than one possibility, but just write one word. The same verb can often be used in more than one place below.

I’ve emailed someone three times but they haven’t ＿＿＿ back to me (= contacted me).

I’ve left a message on someone’s answer phone but they haven’t ___________________ me back (= returned my call).

I think the guarantee covers what went wrong with my computer but the manufacturer is refusing to replace it or to ___________________ my money back (= refund my money).

The same customer keeps on ________________________________________________ back to my shop (= visiting my shop again) every day but they never buy anything.

It’s nine p.m. and my boss still hasn’t ___________________________ back to the office (= hasn’t returned from the place he has gone). I need to speak to him before I go home.

The person I need to speak to often isn’t there, so I usually leave a message with one of their colleagues. When that colleague _______________________________________ the message back (= says back to me what I just said to me to confirm that they understood), they have usually misunderstood almost everything that I said.

Someone has ________________________________________________ back to me (= has replied to my email) three weeks later, and I’ve forgotten what I wrote to them about.

I need to __________________________________________ back to my hotel (= return to my hotel) after a night of drinking but I can’t remember the name or address of the hotel.

My steak is rare even though I asked for medium. I asked the waiter to ________________ it back to the kitchen (= go back to the kitchen with it), but now it is well done, not medium (in other words it is now overcooked).

A customer has __________________________________________________________ a dress back to my shop (= has come back to my shop with a dress) saying that they have decided it doesn’t suit them, but I am sure that they have worn it for one big party before returning it (and that they probably planned to do so when they originally bought it).

My girlfriend/ boyfriend _____________________________________________________ back my Valentine’s card (= returned my Valentine’s card by post) unopened and hasn’t phoned me back or replied to my texts and emails since, but I have no idea why.

I want to _______________________________________________________ back from New York (= return from New York by plane) a day early, but my ticket is non-refundable.

Use the mixed answers on the next page to help with and check the answers above.

 

Mixed answers

Used these mixed answers to help with the task above. Some verbs can be used more than once.

brought                                           called/ phoned/ rang/ telephoned

check/ read                                                 come

coming                                           fly

get                                                                 give

got                                                                 sent

take                                                               written

 

Check your answers with the first page. Other answers might be possible, so check with your teacher if you wrote something different.

 

Language of advice presentation

Brainstorm language for doing each of the things below into the spaces given.

Asking for advice phrases

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Giving advice phrases

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Responding to advice phrases

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Compare with lists of phrases or as a class. Then take turns asking about different problems with “back”.