Advertising (Part 2)

Flashy pop-ups, classy magazine ads, entertaining TV commercials, highway billboards — advertising is everywhere. In this unit, you’ll learn the vocabulary to describe it and use it confidently in speaking, writing, listening, and reading. Start practising!

Learning Flow in This Unit:

1. Understand – listen to a dialogue and learn key vocabulary
2. Practice – complete vocabulary exercises
3. Use – apply the vocabulary in speaking and writing tasks
4. Check – see the answers below the exercises

📖 Stage 1 – Understand the Vocabulary

1️⃣ Listening for the main idea

Read and listen to the dialogue below and answer the questions.

1. What types of ads do Jane and Sarah consider their least favorite, and why?

2. Which type of ad does Jane prefer, and what reasons does she give for her preference?

3. What is Sarah’s least favorite type of ad, and what are her reasons for disliking it?

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Jane: Hey Sarah, have you ever thought about what types of ads you like or dislike the most?

Sarah: Hmm, interesting question! I guess I never really paid much attention to it. What about you?

Jane: Well, for me, I think my least favorite type of ad is the internet pop-up. They always seem to interrupt what I’m doing online, and they’re often so flashy and annoying.

Sarah: Oh, I totally agree! Those pop-ups can be so intrusive. I find them really distracting, especially when I’m trying to read something or watch a video.

Jane: Exactly! On the other hand, I think my favorite type of ad is probably a TV commercial. I know they can be repetitive, but I feel like they’re usually more creative and entertaining.

Sarah: Yeah, I can see that. TV commercials often have higher production value, so they can be more engaging to watch.

Jane: And what about you? Do you have a favorite and least favorite type of ad?

Sarah: Well, I think my least favorite would have to be direct mail. I just find it so wasteful, all that paper cluttering up my mailbox. Plus, most of the time, it’s just junk mail anyway.

Jane: That’s a good point. Direct mail can be really annoying, especially when it’s for stuff I’m not even interested in.

Sarah: As for my favorite type of ad, I think I’d have to go with magazine ads. They’re usually well-designed, and since I’m already flipping through the magazine, I don’t mind taking a look at the ads.

Jane: Yeah, magazine ads can be pretty classy. Plus, they often showcase products or services that are relevant to the magazine’s content, so they’re more likely to catch my interest.

Sarah: Exactly! It’s all about finding the right balance between being informative and not being too intrusive.

Jane: Totally agree. So, next time we see a TV commercial, we’ll appreciate its creativity a little more, and maybe we’ll just ignore those pesky internet pop-ups!

Sarah: Sounds like a plan!

2️⃣ Listening for details

Read the dialogue once again and decide if the statements below are True (T) or False (F).

1. Jane finds TV commercials annoying because they are flashy.

2. Sarah thinks internet pop-ups are intrusive.

3. Direct mail is Sarah’s favorite type of ad.

4. Jane believes magazine ads are usually well-designed.

5. Both Jane and Sarah agree that internet pop-ups are pesky.

6. TV commercials have higher production value, according to Jane.

7. Sarah ignores magazine ads because they are irrelevant.

8. Jane enjoys TV commercials even if they can be repetitive.

3️⃣ Vocabulary matching

Based on the dialogue, match the expressions on the left with their definitions on the right:

1. Internet pop-up	a. Annoying because it interrupts or gets in your way
2.  Flashy	b. A short advertisement shown on television
3. Intrusive	c. To display or present something in a way that highlights it
4.a TV commercial	d. to look quickly at the pages without reading carefully
5. Entertaining	e. A small window that suddenly appears on a website, often showing an ad
6. Direct mail	f. To fill a space with too many things, making it messy
7. Clutter up	g. Giving useful or interesting information
8. Well-designed	h. Made in a smart, attractive, or easy-to-use way
9. Flip through (a magazine, a book)	i. Fun or interesting; makes people enjoy it
10. Classy	j. Elegant, stylish, or sophisticated
11. Showcase	k. Annoying or troublesome.
12. Informative	l. Bright, colorful, or attention-catching, sometimes too much
13. Pesky	m. Advertising sent by post or email directly to people

 

✏️ Stage 2 – Practice the Vocabulary

4️⃣ Gap fill 

Use the words from Exercise 3 to fill in the gaps.

Many people dislike (1) __________ because they appear suddenly while browsing online. These ads are often considered (2) __________, especially when they interrupt a video or article. In contrast, some people enjoy watching (3) __________ advertisements on television because they can be creative and fun. Others prefer magazine ads. When they (4) __________ a magazine, they sometimes notice (5) __________ advertisements that beautifully (6) __________ new products. However, not everyone likes (7) __________, since it can create unnecessary paper waste.

5️⃣ Collocations exercise

Complete the phrases with the correct word from the list:

attention, commercial, mail, pop-up, value, intrusive, flashy, video

1. internet __________
2. TV __________
3. direct __________
4. junk __________
5. production __________
6. catch someone’s __________
7. interrupt a __________
8. __________ ads

6️⃣ Word forms exercise

Complete the table using the correct word form.

Verb	Adverb	Adjective	Noun
Engage
Create
Repeat
Inform
Distract

Complete the sentences with the correct form of the word in brackets.

1. Some advertisements are designed very __________ to attract customers. (creative)
2. Many pop-up ads appear __________ while people are browsing online. (distract)
3. Good advertisements should be both entertaining and __________. (inform)
4. Some commercials repeat the same message __________ to help people remember the product. (repeat)
5. A successful advertisement should present a product __________ and clearly. (engage)

7️⃣ Paraphrasing / sentence transformation

Rewrite the sentences using the word in brackets.

Keep the same meaning, but change the structure of the sentence.

This exercise helps you learn different ways to express the same idea.

1. Internet pop-ups often interrupt people when they are browsing online.
(intrusive)

2. Many online advertisements are very colourful and try hard to attract attention.
(flashy)

3. Jane thinks that TV advertisements are creative and fun to watch.
(entertaining)

4. Sarah dislikes advertisements that arrive in her mailbox.
(direct mail)

5. Too many advertisements can fill your mailbox with unnecessary paper.
(clutter up)

6. Many magazine advertisements look attractive and professional.
(well-designed)

7. Sarah notices advertisements while she is looking through a magazine.
(flip through)

8. Some magazine advertisements look elegant and stylish.
(classy)

9. Magazine ads often present products in an attractive way.
(showcase)

10. Good advertisements should give useful information to customers.
(informative)

11. Jane and Sarah often ignore annoying online advertisements.
(pesky)

8️⃣ Error correction

Each sentence contains one mistake. Find the mistake and correct it.

This exercise helps you improve accuracy and natural vocabulary use.

1. Internet pop-ups are very flash and distracting when you are reading online.

2. Many people find online advertisements extremely intrude.

3. Jane thinks TV commercials are very entertain.

4. Sarah dislikes receiving direct mails in her mailbox.

5. Advertising leaflets often clutters up people’s mailboxes.

6. Many magazine ads are very well-design.

7. Sarah often sees advertisements when she flip through a magazine.

8. Some magazine advertisements look very class and elegant.

9. Magazine ads often showcases products in an attractive way.

10. Good advertisements should be information for customers.

11. Jane usually ignores pesty online pop-ups.

🗣️ Stage 3 – Use the Vocabulary

9️⃣ IELTS Speaking tasks.

Practice using new vocabulary in IELTS Speaking Parts 1-2-3:

Answer the questions using vocabulary from this unit.

Try to use some of the vocabulary from this unit, such as:

• flashy
• intrusive
• entertaining
• TV commercial
• direct mail
• well-designed
• classy
• showcase
• informative

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Part 1 (4-5 minutes):

1. What is your name?
2. What shall I call you?
3. Can I see your ID, please?

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1. Do you work or study?
2. Where do you work/ study?
3. Do you enjoy your time there?
4. How could your work/ student life be improved?

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1. Are there many advertisements in your country?
2. Why are there so many advertisements these days?
3. What kind of advertisements do you like/dislike?
4. Have you ever bought something after seeing an advertisement?

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Part 2 (2-3 minutes):

Describe an advertisement that you remember well.

You should say:

• where you saw the advertisement
• what product or service it was promoting
• what the advertisement looked like
• and explain why you remember it.

You should speak for 2 minutes.

Part 3 (5-6 minutes):

Answer the following questions. Give reasons and examples.

1. Why do some people find online advertisements intrusive?
2. Do you think TV commercials are still effective today?
3. Why are some advertisements more entertaining than others?
4. Do people pay attention to magazine advertisements anymore?
5. Do you think direct mail advertising is wasteful?
6. What makes an advertisement well-designed?
7. Should advertisements focus more on being entertaining or informative?
8. Do flashy advertisements always attract customers?

🔟 IELTS Writing tasks

Task 1: Write at least 150 words. You have 20 minutes to plan – write – proofread your task. 

Task 2: Write at least 250 words. You have 40 minutes to plan – write – proofread your task. 

Some people believe that advertisements are a useful way to inform customers about products and services.
Others think that advertisements are intrusive and encourage people to buy unnecessary things.

Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

ANSWERS

EXERCISE 1:

1. Jane’s least favorite ads are internet pop-ups because they interrupt her online activities and are flashy and annoying.

Sarah’s least favorite ads are direct mail because it clutters her mailbox and is often junk mail.

2. Jane prefers TV commercials because they are usually creative, entertaining, and have higher production value, making them more engaging to watch.

3. Sarah’s favorite ads are magazine ads because they are well-designed, classy, and relevant to the magazine’s content. She also doesn’t mind looking at them while flipping through the magazine.

EXERCISE 2:

1. Jane finds TV commercials annoying because they are flashy. – False
Explanation: Jane actually likes TV commercials; she says her least favorite ads are internet pop-ups, not TV commercials.

2. Sarah thinks internet pop-ups are intrusive. – True
Explanation: Sarah says pop-ups “can be so intrusive” and distracting when she’s reading or watching videos.

3. Direct mail is Sarah’s favorite type of ad. – False
Explanation: Sarah dislikes direct mail because it clutters her mailbox and is often junk mail.

4. Jane believes magazine ads are usually well-designed. – False
Explanation: Jane doesn’t specifically comment on magazine ads; she talks about TV commercials as her favorite. Magazine ads are Sarah’s favorite.

5. Both Jane and Sarah agree that internet pop-ups are pesky. – True
Explanation: Both mention that internet pop-ups are annoying or pesky. Jane calls them “flashy and annoying,” and Sarah says they are intrusive.

6. TV commercials have higher production value, according to Jane. – True
Explanation: Jane notes that TV commercials are more creative and entertaining, and Sarah adds that they often have higher production value.

7. Sarah ignores magazine ads because they are irrelevant. – False
Explanation: Sarah actually likes magazine ads because they are relevant and well-designed, and she doesn’t mind looking at them.

8. Jane enjoys TV commercials even if they can be repetitive. – True
Explanation: Jane says she likes TV commercials, “I know they can be repetitive, but I feel like they’re usually more creative and entertaining.”

EXERCISE 3:

1e 2l 3a 4b 5i 6m 7f 8h 9d 10j 11c 12g 13k 

EXERCISE 4:

1. Internet pop-ups 2. intrusive 3. entertaining 4. flip through 5. well-designed 6. showcase 7. direct mail

EXERCISE 5:

1. internet pop-up
2. TV commercial
3. direct mail
4. junk mail
5. production value
6. catch someone’s attention
7. interrupt a video
8. flashy ads

EXERCISE 6:

Verb	Adverb	Adjective	Noun
Engage	Engagingly	Engaging Engaged	Engagement
Create	Creatively	Creative Created	Creativity
Repeat	Repetitively	repetitive	repetition
Inform	informatively	informative	information
Distract	distractingly	distracting	distraction

1. creatively
2. distractingly
3. informative
4. repetitively
5. engagingly

EXERCISE 7:

1. Internet pop-ups can be very intrusive when people are browsing online.

2. Many advertisements are very flashy.

3. Jane thinks TV commercials are entertaining to watch.

4. Sarah dislikes receiving direct mail.

5. Advertisements can clutter up your mailbox.

6. Many magazine advertisements are well-designed.

7. Sarah notices ads when she flips through a magazine.

8. Some magazine advertisements look classy.

9. Magazine ads showcase products attractively.

10. Good advertisements should be informative.

11. Jane and Sarah usually ignore pesky online ads.

EXERCISE 8:

1. flash → flashy
Internet pop-ups are very flashy and distracting when you are reading online.

2. intrude → intrusive
Many people find online advertisements extremely intrusive.

3. entertain → entertaining
Jane thinks TV commercials are very entertaining.

4. direct mails → direct mail
Sarah dislikes receiving direct mail in her mailbox.

5. clutters → clutter
Advertising leaflets often clutter up people’s mailboxes.

6. well-design → well-designed
Many magazine ads are very well-designed.

7. flip → flipS
Sarah often sees advertisements when she flips through a magazine.

8. class → classy
Some magazine advertisements look very classy and elegant.

9. showcases → showcase
Magazine ads often showcase products in an attractive way.

10. information → informative
Good advertisements should be informative for customers.

11. pesty → pesky
Jane usually ignores pesky online pop-ups.