1) The document provides a lesson plan for analyzing excuses people make and discussing the film "He's Just Not That Into You". It includes vocabulary, scenes from the film to preview, discussion questions about excuses after viewing, and exercises changing direct to indirect speech. 2) The lesson plan examines common excuses people make and why through a short scene from the film. It focuses on indirect speech and how to report what others say. 3) Resources for the lesson include the film clip, film script, and links to further information about excuses in the relationship context.

1. Lesson Plan Sample: Economical with the Truth
By Inma Alcázar
http://myeslcorner.blogspot.com
Here are some common lies. Who might say these, in what circumstances
and why? Why do people make up excuses?
1 2 ‘She means nothing to me – it’s you
‘Please don’t worry about it,
that I really love.’
it wasn’t all that valuable.’
4
3 ‘Wow, it’s so great! It’s just what
‘Sorry, but I haven’t got
I’ve always wanted.’
any cash on me’
5 6
‘Oh, sir! I’m sorry I’m late. ‘Don’t cry – your rabbit’s gone to
There was a terrible traffic rabbit heaven. I know he has.’
jam this morning!’
8 ‘It's really not you; it's me. I mean, you're
great, but the truth is I just got out of
7 ‘Sorry, I had no mobile this relationship two years ago and I'm not
signal.’ ready yet.’
9 10
‘I don’t eat too much – I ‘Sorry, she’s in a meeting at the
have a slow metabolism.’ moment. Can she call you back
later?’
Pre-teaching vocabulary: Match these nouns with the pictures.
JERK HUT WISDOM
SUCCESS CRUSH

2. Lesson Plan Sample: Economical with the Truth
By Inma Alcázar
http://myeslcorner.blogspot.com
Now match these verbs with their definitions.
HANDLE To have confidence in the honesty of a person
TRUST To perceive the scent or odour of a substance
STARE To deal successfully with a person
ENCOURAGE To look at someone or something very directly for a long
time
SMELL To suggest that someone does something that you
believe would be good
Pre-viewing: Look at the title of the film. What do you think it means?
TEACHERS’ NOTES: Prepare a worksheet with some scenes from the video
extract they will see and ask them to predict the situation and the excuses
that the women in the segment say.
While-viewing: Now, watch this short scene from the film ‘He’s Just Not
That Into You’. Pay attention to all the excuses the women in the segment
came up with to justify their friends’ lovers not calling them. Try to
remember all of them.

3. Lesson Plan Sample: Economical with the Truth
By Inma Alcázar
http://myeslcorner.blogspot.com
Post-viewing: Grammar: Analyse the following sentences from the film and
say what changes take place when we report other people’s words.
‘That little boy is doing these terrible things because he has got a crush on you’, the
mother said to his daughter.
The mother told his daughter that that little boy was doing those terrible things
because he had got a crush on her.
‘You are too pretty and too awesome’ her friends said.
Her friends said that she was too pretty and too awesome’
‘He couldn’t handle it’ her friend told her.
Her friend told her that he couldn’t handle it.
‘I’m sure he has just lost your number’ the woman said to her friend.
The woman told her friend that she was sure he had just lost her number.
‘A girl will never forget the first boy she likes’, she said.
She said that a girl would never forget the first boy she liked.

4. Lesson Plan Sample: Economical with the Truth
By Inma Alcázar
http://myeslcorner.blogspot.com
Grammar
 Read this short dialogue between Gigi and Alex, two of the main characters of the film,
and change the underlined sentences into indirect speech.
RED MAPLE –NIGHT
It’s late. The bar is nearly empty. Alex is totaling receipts
–and Gigi is still nursing a drink.
ALEX: Look, you seem like a cool girl, so I’m just going to
be honest – Conor is never going to call you.
GIGI: Oh really? How do you know?
ALEX: Because I’m a guy. It’s how we do it.
GIGI: He said it was nice meeting me.
ALEX: I don’t care if he said you were his favourite
female since his mommy and Joanie Cunningham. Over a
week by – and he didn’t call.
GIGI: But maybe he called and I didn’t get the message.
Or maybe he lost my number, or was out of town, or was
hit by a cab, or his grandma died.
ALEX: Or maybe he just didn’t call because he has no interest in seeing you again.
GIGI: Yeah, but my friend Terri once went out with this guy who never called and she totally
wrote him off – then like a year later she ran into him-.
ALEX: Your friend Terri’s an idiot. And she’s the exception.
GIGI: OK. But what if I’m the exception?
ALEX: You’re not. You’re the rule. And the rule is – if a guy doesn’t call you, he doesn’t want to call
you and he won’t do it.
GIGI: Really? Always?
ALEX: Always. I know what blowing off a woman looks like. Trust me – if a guy is treating you like
he doesn’t give a shit – he doesn’t. No exceptions.
Gigi thinks this over.
GIGI: Why are you telling me all of this? Aren’t these man-secrets – like why men need to watch
televised golf?
Alex LAUGHS.

5. Lesson Plan Sample: Economical with the Truth
By Inma Alcázar
http://myeslcorner.blogspot.com
Alex told Gigi that she seemed like a cool
girl, so he was just going to be honest. He
said that Conor was never going to call her.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
 He is Just Not That Into You (video) by Claudio Azevedo:
http://warmupsfollowups.blogspot.com/2009/12/hes-just-not-that-into-you-
excuses.html
 Film script: http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/HJNTIY_072007.pdf