1. 1 Read an online article about method acting. Choose the correct forms to complete the text. Then summarise it in two sentences.

2. Answers

3. 1 ’ll hear 2 will mean 3 ’ll have seen 4 probably be seeing Possible summary: Method acting is a technique where actors deeply immerse themselves in their characters both on and off screen. It has gained traction as a marketing strategy today.

2 9.2 Listen to a radio interview with the wife of an actor and answer the questions.

1. How does the actor prepare for a role?

2. What impact does the preparation have on home life?

3. What happened last year? Say why?

Answers 1 researches a character’s background; visits places to observe and become familiar with it; imagines how character grew up; stays in character 2 stays in character at home; adopts unusual habits; stays up all night 3 took on too much and was ill; got tired and run down

 

3 Add examples a-f from the interview to the different uses of will in 1-6.

a. He’ll research his character thoroughly.
b. He will bring his character home with him.
c. If he will keep accepting the sorts of parts he does, ...
d. That quote will be from a director of the play.
e. He won’t discuss new projects in the early stages.
f. He’ll adopt unusual habits.

1. Certainty
   It’s seven o’clock. They’ll be at the theatre by now.
   □ ______

2. Typical behaviour
   Every evening, he’ll shut himself into his study and spend an hour going over his lines.
   □ ______

3. Behaviour that is surprising
   He will leave his books all over the floor after he’s been trying to find something.
   □ ______

4. Insistence
   He will take on these difficult roles.
   □ ______

5. Insistence as part of a conditional
   If he will come home late, what can he expect?
   □ ______

6. Replaces refuse in the present tense
   He won’t accept any advice on the matter.
   □ ______

Answers 1 d 2 a 3 f 4 b 5 c 6 e

 

WHAT’S THE METHOD?

In reviews of upcoming TV programmes over the next few years, it’s highly likely that you “I’ll hear / are hearing the term ‘method acting’ bandied about in connection with some big-name actors. But just what does it mean and how recent an acting technique is this? The truth is that the term “will mean / will have meant different things to different people, but it basically goes back to a Russian director, Konstantin Stanislavski, who developed the idea that an actor should really ‘live’ a part and get completely inside the character, rather than impose emotions superficially. You “I’ll see / I’ll have seen recent dramatic reports of actors insisting on maintaining their character off-screen as well as on. This is something we’ll “probably be seeing / have been seeing a lot more of, as articles about the lengths that actors will go to in order to ‘inhabit’ a role can make extremely good publicity for a TV programme in an increasingly competitive market.

Will vs would

4. Study Watch Out! In pairs, look at the different uses of will in Exercise 3 and decide in which examples will could be replaced by would to talk about the past.

He will take on these difficult roles. = He would take on those difficult roles.

WATCH OUT!

• As many of the uses of will presented in Exercise 3 express the attitude of the speaker, it is more common to find them referring to someone else and not the speaker himself/herself, e.g.,
  He will scroll through messages when I’m trying to talk to him.

• Sometimes, we use would to soften or distance a statement, opinion or hope, e.g., That would be my responsibility.
  Compare: That is my responsibility …
  I would think that he’ll get an award.
  Compare: I think that he’ll …

Answers It’s possible in all of the sentences except for c which must keep will as part of a conditional.

 

5. Rewrite these sentences using will or would.

1. Harry’s bound to be exhausted because he works so hard.
If ______.

2. My hope is for Darcy to get into drama school this autumn.
I ______.

3. I’m sure they’re at the restaurant now.
They ______.

4. Lauren refuses to have fresh flowers backstage.
Lauren ______.

5. Before the play, she always walks up and down the corridor repeating her lines.
She ______.

6. That’s my signature on the programme.
That ______.

7. I know he’s waiting in the wings just about to go on stage at this moment.
He ______.

8. I used to call my grandmother every night at 9 to wish her good night.
I ______.

Answers

1 he will work so hard, he’s bound to be exhausted.

2 would hope Darcy will get into drama school this autumn.

3 ‘ll be at the restaurant by now. 4 won’t have fresh flowers backstage.

5 ‘ll walk up and down the corridor repeating her lines.

6 would be/will be my signature on the programme.

7 ‘ll be waiting in the wings, just about to go on stage.

8 would call my grandmother every night at

9 to wish her goodnight

 

6. 9.3 PRONUNCIATION Using word stress, we can change a statement of fact into an expression of irritation. Listen to the sentences from Exercise 4. Decide which of them express a fact (F) and which express irritation (I). In pairs, discuss what makes the difference.

1 □ He will bring his character home with him!

2 □ He’ll adopt unusual habits and stay up all night sometimes!

3 □ He would say that!

4 □ Rowan would be out of the house 18 hours a day training.

Answers (not contracting but emphasising will and would makes the diff erence) 1 Irritation 2 Fact 3 Irritation 4 Fact

 

7. 9.4 Read the sentences so that they express a fact, and then read again to express irritation. Listen and check.

1 He would / ‘d get up at 5.30 every morning during a film shoot, but it wasn’t necessary.

2 He will / ‘ll wear his stage costume at home for days before a performance.

3 She would / ‘d make me practise her lines with her.

Answers Students’ own answers

 

8 SPEAKING In pairs, tell your partner about …

1 an actor you really like whose performances are very convincing, and how he/she makes them so realistic.

2 a TV programme you would never miss when you were a child. Say why.

3 something that annoys you about the way a certain actor performs. Say why.

Answers Students’ own answers