Being Child-Free / Prepositions

Intermediate

Being Child-free

It seems views on having children are changing in the USA. New research shows that 25 per cent of adults do not want to have children. A study from Michigan State University (MSU) reveals that a quarter of American adults are happy to be "child-free". It says these people do not want children and are happier without them. MSU psychologists Jennifer Watling Neal and Zachary Neal did research on why people who do not want children might be different. They wanted to find out what the differences were between these child-free people and "non-parents". They said non-parents include "not-yet-parents" (those planning to have kids) and people who cannot have kids due to medical problems.

Being Child-free

The researchers looked at data from 1,000 adults who took part in an MSU survey. Ms Neal said: "We were most surprised by how many child-free people there are. We found that more than one in four people...identified as child-free, which is much higher than...in previous studies." She said child-free people were more liberal than those with children, who were more conservative. She found that unsurprisingly, parents were more likely to be in a relationship. Around half of the child-free adults were single. Ms Neal also said child-free adults were a little younger and less well-educated than parents or non-parents. She added that more research is needed to find out why people make the decision to be child-free.

Questions

• What are the pros and cons of being a parent? 

• What are the pros and cons of not having children?

• Where are the people from in the study?

• Who did the researchers find were more liberal?

• How many adults did researchers look at the information of?

Prepositions of Time

• At: used for specific times

• Ex: lunchtime, at the weekend, at the end of the month, six o'clock

• On: for days and dates

• 1st of April, 4th of November, weekdays

• In: for long periods

• summer, 2016, September

• Be careful: "in": morning, afternoon, evening, "at" : night

Practice

• Friday, September, Christmas day, summer, the 8th of September, the 15th century, the afternoon, Easter, the morning, lunchtime, 1981

Practice

• On which days do you go to work?

• What do you like to do in the summer?

• At what time do you have class?

• At what time do you go to bed?

• When is the next holiday?

Multiple Choice

"Let's meet _______ midday _______ Saturday."

• at, at

• in, on

• at, on

Multiple Choice

The manager isn't here _______ present, but she'll be back _______ half an hour."

• at, in

• at, at

• in, in

Multiple Choice

You won't be working _______ Saturday nights _______ the future, will you?

• at, in

• on, in

• on, at

Multiple Choice

"I'm busy _______ moment, but I'll be free ______ evening."

• at the, in this

• in the, at this

• at the, this

Examples

• Jane is waiting for you at the bus stop.

• The shop is at the end of the street.

• You are standing on my foot.

• I live on the 7th floor at 21 Oxford Street in London.

Addition

expressions that link sentences/clauses

Addition

• Along with: as well as, in addition to

• She fired all the journalists in the company, along with some of the administration workers.

• As well as: In addition to, besides

• The coach, as well as the team is ready

• Also: likewise, besides, too

• They also liked it

Addition

• In addition:

• The job requires a college degree and, in addition, at least two years of experience.

• Besides: as well, also

• The restaurant offers several other dishes besides pizza.

• What's more: used to add more (important) information that emphasizes what you are saying.

• I’ve been fortunate to find a career that I love and, what's more, I get well paid for it.

Addition

• Furthermore: in addition to what

• Texting while driving is dangerous, and furthermore, it is also illegal.

• Moreover: besides, in addition to what has been said

• Swimming alone is against the rules and moreover it's dangerous

Correct the mistakes in the use of addition words and phrases in these sentences. 

• Besides to have a good job, my ambition is to meet someone nice to share my life with.

• Alongside I have many other responsibilities, I now have to be in charge of staff training

• In addition, has a degree, she also has a diploma

• I work part-time as well as I am a student, So I have a busy life.

Practice

• Physical labor can damage the body very quickly. Excessive study can rapidly reduce mental powers too. (equally)

• My cousin turned up and some schoolmates of his came with him (along with)

• He owns a big chemical factory and he runs a massive oil business (as well as)

• I'm their scientific adviser and act as a consultant to the Managing Director (in addition)

• He's a very good singer. He has a degree in music. (what´s more)

• 
  

Practice: In Addition to, Further to, etc.,likewise,furthermore,morever so on, as well as, apart from,besides,

Dear Ms. Smith,

____ my letter of 16 of March, I should like to give you more information concerning my qualifications and experience._____ holding a Diploma in Catering, I also have an Advanced Certificate in Hotel Management. The course covered the usual areas: finance, front services, publicity, space allocation____. I also wish to point out that _____ working in the hotel trade for five years. _____ my experience prior to that was also connected with tourism and hospitality. I hope you will give my application due consideration. 

Practice: Plus, Furthermore, as well as, in addition Besides, and so on,apart from these things, on top of that, additionally,

To become a successful athlete you will need to be fit and you will need to train hard every day. And you will need a very special type of determination and stamina. And you will need support from friends and family, financial support and other things. And a good coach will help a great deal, motivating you and setting goals for you. And with all those other things you will need that indefinable thing: talent.