POLITE BEHAVIOR
7:00 PM - Mom: "Dinner's ready!"
7:15 PM - You: "Omw lol"
7:30 PM - Mom: "..."
7:45 PM - You: "Sorry got distracted"
8:00 PM - Mom: "Food is cold"
What habit does this person need to develop?
Punctuality
You're working on a project with colleagues from Japan, Brazil, and Germany. You've researched their communication styles, holiday traditions, and business practices to avoid misunderstandings. You're demonstrating this.
cultural literacy
Maria's flight landed at 6 AM after a 14-hour journey, and she came straight to the office. Her colleague sees her yawning and says, "You ___ ___ exhausted!" What modal verb fills the blank?
must be
Your best friend just surprised you with tickets to see your favorite band in concert. You're jumping up and down, grinning from ear to ear. You're absolutely _____.
delighted
You wake up to find water dripping from your kitchen ceiling. There's a steady drip-drip-drip coming from a pipe. You have a _____.
leak
Rules for polite behavior when eating with other people
Table manners
In Thailand, you notice people greet each other with a slight bow and hands pressed together, rather than shaking hands. This traditional form of greeting is an example of what kind of practice?
customary
The lights are off, the car is gone, and no one answers the doorbell. You're certain they're not home. You tell your friend, "They ___ ___ at home right now." What modal verb expresses this certainty?
can't be
You've been studying for exams for three days straight, surviving on coffee and 4 hours of sleep total. You can barely keep your eyes open and feel like you could sleep for a week. You're completely _____.
exhausted / drained / fatigued
Water won't go down your shower drain. It's filling up while you're standing in it. Your drain is _____.
clogged
In some cultures, it's customary to remove your shoes before entering a home; in others, bringing wine to a dinner party is expected. These unwritten social rules vary across groups and societies.
etiquette
In some Middle Eastern countries, showing the soles of your feet to someone is considered extremely disrespectful. This action falls into this category of strictly forbidden cultural practices.
taboo
Dark clouds are gathering, the wind is picking up, and you see lightning in the distance. You're not 100% sure, but you grab an umbrella saying, "It ___ rain later today." Which modal verb expresses this possibility?
might / may / could
You just got rejected from your dream job, it's raining outside, and you accidentally deleted an important file. You're feeling blue, unhappy, and a bit hopeless. You're feeling _____.
down
It's the middle of winter and your apartment is freezing. The radiators are cold and nothing seems to work. You have a problem with your _____.
heating system
You're at a formal dinner and start eating with your hands instead of using the fork and knife provided. Your host gives you a disapproving look. Your behavior could be described as this.
impolite
You've been emailing with a client for months, and when you finally meet at a conference, you say "Nice to finally meet you ___ ___!"—meaning face-to-face rather than virtually.
in person
Your friend asks if you can help them move furniture tomorrow. You're not sure about your schedule yet, but you want to be optimistic. You respond, "I'm not certain, but I ___ ___ ___ help you." What phrase completes this?
might be able to
You have a huge presentation in 10 minutes, your hands are shaking, your shoulders are tight, and you feel like you can't breathe deeply. You're feeling extremely _____.
tense
Water is pouring from a broken pipe, and you can't stop it. You call the landlord in a panic. "There's water everywhere! We have a _____!"
burst pipe
Making a joke about someone's religious beliefs at a multicultural work event caused several colleagues to walk away. Your comment wasn't just rude - it crossed into this more severe category of behavior.
offensive
At your new workplace in Sweden, everyone calls the CEO "Erik" rather than "Mr. Johansson." When you ask about it, a colleague explains that they use this informal addressing system here.
on a first-name basis / on first name terms
The roads are wet this morning, so it must ___ ___ overnight while we were sleeping. The windows are foggy, and there are puddles everywhere. What's the correct past deduction phrase?
have rained
You tripped on the stairs in front of your entire office, and everyone saw. Your face turns bright red, and you just want to disappear. You feel incredibly _____.
embarrassed
There's a major problem in your apartment. The toilet is overflowing and water is everywhere. You call the landlord and say, "This is _____! I need help immediately!"
urgent