November 13 2009 Topic FROM RAGS TO RICHES

November 13, 2009 Topic: FROM RAGS TO RICHES The story of Zara stores Language focus: - Present perfect for experience - ever/never - Present perfect or Past simple?

1. 2. 3. Have you ever been to a Zara store? When did you last go there? What did you buy? Ø What tense are questions 2 & 3? Ø Which questions refer to a specific time in the past? Ø Which question is about some time in your life? Ø So, what’s the difference in meaning between question 1 and questions 2 & 3?

Answers Ø What tense are questions 2 & 3? PAST SIMPLE Ø Which questions refer to a specific time in the past? QUESTIONS 2 & 3 Ø Which question is about some time in your life? QUESTION 1 Ø So, what’s the difference in meaning between question 1 and questions 2 & 3? QUESTION 1 IS ABOUT EXPERIENCE IN YOUR LIFE UP TO NOW, QUESTIONS 2&3 REFER TO PAST FINISHED ACTIONS.

Read the text and answer the questions Have you ever been to a Zara store? You probably have because it’s one of the fastest-growing chains in the world. The person behind Zara is Amancio Ortega. He is the richest man in Spain, but very few people know his face. There are only few official photographs of him, and he rarely gives interviews. Although he is a multimillionaire businessman, he doesn’t look like one – he doesn’t like wearing suits or ties, and prefers to wear jeans and a shirt.

1. Who is Amancio Ortega? 2. What is unusual about him?

1. He is the person behind Zara, a businessman, the richest person in Spain. 2. He is a multimillionnaire but he likes wearing casual clothes.

When he was young he worked as a shop assistant in a clothes store, but he always dreamed of having his own business. In 1963 he started a small company which made women’s pyjamas. In 1975, at the age of 40, he opened his first clothes shop in La Coruna, a small city in north-west Spain, and named it Zara. Now you can find Zara shops all over the world, from New York to Moscow to Singapore. So why is Zara so successful?

3. What was his first job? 4. When did he open his first Zara shop? 5. Where are there Zara shops now?

3. He was a shop assistant. 4. In 1975. 5. All over the world, from New York to Moscow to Singapore.

The main reason is that Zara reacts incredibly quickly to the latest designer fashions, and produces clothes which are fashionable but inexpensive. Zara can make a new line of clothes in three weeks. Other companies normally take nine months. The clothes also change from week to week – so customers keep coming back to see what’s new. It produces 20, 000 new designs a year – and none of them stay in the shops for more than a month. So if you’ve seen a new jacket or skirt you like in a Zara store, hurry up and buy it, because it won’t be there for long.

6. What are the secrets of Zara’s success?

6. It reacts to top designer fashion very quickly and cheaply, the clothes change every week, they produce 20, 000 new designs a year.

Listening practice Listen to three people being interviewed about Zara. Complete the chart with their information. WOMAN 1 WOMAN 2 MAN 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Have you ever been to a Zara store? When did you last go there? What did you buy? Are you happy with it? Look at the red word above: what does it mean? What are the possible replies?

Answer 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Woman 1 Yes 3 weeks ago In London A white jacket Quite happy Woman 2 Yes Last Saturday In Paris a scarf Yes Man Yes In August At Barcelona airport nothing -- ‘ever’ = at some time in your life up to now. It is used in questions. Possible replies: Yes, I have No, I haven’t

Active grammar: PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE + I ____ been to a Zara store - I _____ been to a Zara store I _____ bought a skirt at Zara ____become a success story I ______ bought a skirt at Zara ____become a success story ? ____ you ____ to ____ you _____ a Zara store? a skirt at Zara? ___ Zara ______ a success story?

Active grammar: PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE + I HAVE been to a Zara store I HAVE bought a skirt at Zara HAS become a success story - I HAVEN’T been to a Zara store Zara HASN’T I HAVEN’T bought become a success a skirt at Zara story ? HAVE you BEEN to a Zara store? HAVE you bought HAS Zara become a skirt at Zara? a success story?

Focus on language n n We form present perfect simple with ____ + ____ We use this tense to talk about ______ In negative sentences and questions we don’t use ______ !! When we mean ‘in your life up to now’ we use _____ in questions and ______ in answers

Answers n n We form present perfect simple with HAVE/HAS + PAST PARTICIPLE We use this tense to talk about experiences in our life without a precise time reference In negative sentences and questions we don’t use DO/DOES/DON’T/DOESN’T!! When we mean ‘in your life up to now’ we use EVER in questions and NEVER in answers

Further reflection on language n n n You can find explanations and further practice on ‘present perfect for experience’ in “Working with Grammar Gold” (Longman) – Unit 12 p. 256 to 264 You can find more info and examples on the following websites: http: //www. englishgratis. com/1/risorse/grammatica/g ram-v-20 -presentperfect. htm http: //www. englishgrammarsecrets. com/presentperf ect/menu. php http: //www. englishpage. com/verbpage/presentperfe ct. html