🇬🇧 ENGLISH

Personal Space and Boundaries

A2/B1 Personal Space, Boundaries, Should-Conditionals, Boring vs Bored, and Everyday Idioms

Progress: 0 / 5 exercises completed

Exercise 1

Match each word or expression to its meaning.

Word or expression

1. personal space
2. barrier
3. quiet environment
4. crowd
5. shopping cart
6. alone
7. acquaintance
8. back off
9. take heed
10. unwitting

Meaning

A person you know, but not very well
Stop coming so close or stop getting involved
The distance where someone feels comfortable
An object used to carry things while shopping
Done without knowing or planning it
A calm place with little noise or interruption
A large number of people in the same place
Pay careful attention to a warning or request
Something that creates separation or protection
Without other people nearby

Exercise 2

Choose the best word or phrase to complete each sentence.

1.This training video is very ___. I feel ___ after ten minutes.

Abored / boring
Bboring / bored
Cboring / boring

2.The library is a place ___ I can study without noise.

Awhich
Bwhen
Cwhere

3.We were ___ at the hotel, so the room felt very quiet.

Aalone
Bcrowd
Csideways

4.In a ___, people sometimes touch each other by accident.

Abarrier
Bquiet environment
Ccrowd

5.He is an ___ violator of personal space; he does it without realizing.

Aanimated
Bunwitting
Cintimate

6.There may be a ___ between noise and stress, but that does not always mean one causes the other.

Acorrelation
Bshopping cart
Cbarrier

7.Please ___ of the sign and keep this area quiet.

Abear fruit
Bback off
Ctake heed

8.The conversation became ___ when both people started using strong voices and big gestures.

Asideways
Banimated
Cunwitting

Exercise 3

Choose the sentence that sounds correct and natural in a formal instruction or polite message.

1.A hotel wants to tell guests what to do if reception does not answer.

AShould no one answers, please call again later.
BShould no one answer, please call again later.
CShould no one answered, please call again later.

2.A manager wants a polite sentence for after-hours contact.

AShould you need to contact me after hours, send a message.
BShould you need to contacted me after hours, send a message.
CShould you needed to contact me after hours, send a message.

3.Choose the best meaning of: Should you require support, please call this number.

AYou must call this number even if you do not need support.
BYou required support in the past, so you called this number.
CIf you need support, please call this number.

4.A driving instructor gives a safe instruction before leaving.

AShould everyone has their seat belts on, you can start.
BShould everyone had their seat belts on, you can start.
CShould everyone have their seat belts on, you can start.

5.A rule explains what to do if a private meeting room is free.

AShould the room is free, you may use it for private calls.
BShould the room be free, you may use it for private calls.
CShould the room being free, you may use it for private calls.

6.Choose the warning that is correct and natural.

AShould you drive too fast, you will probably have an accident.
BShould you drove too fast, you will probably have an accident.
CShould you driving too fast, you will probably have an accident.

7.Choose the best meaning of: If he should come early, ask him to wait.

AHe came early and waited yesterday.
BHe should always come early.
CIf he comes early, ask him to wait.

8.A team wants to say that a new quiet-hours policy might work well.

AShould the plan bears fruit, we can use it again.
BShould the plan bear fruit, we can use it again.
CShould the plan bearing fruit, we can use it again.

Exercise 4

Match each idiom to its meaning.

Idiom

1. separate the wheat from the chaff
2. sow the seeds of something
3. bear fruit
4. reap what you sow
5. go against the grain
6. put all your eggs in one basket
7. bite off more than you can chew

Meaning

Produce successful results
Try to do something that is too difficult
Separate useful things from useless things
Depend completely on only one plan or opportunity
Start something that may develop in the future
Do something different from what is normal or expected
Experience the results of your earlier actions

Exercise 5

Choose the best response for each situation.

1.A colleague often stands very close when speaking. You want space, but you also want to keep the relationship friendly.

ASay nothing and hope the colleague notices your body language.
BMove your chair away every time, but never explain why.
CSay calmly, Could you give me a little more space while we talk?

2.An acquaintance asks how much money you earn. You do not want to answer.

AI'd rather not discuss money, but I can tell you about the work itself.
BI will answer because not answering is always impolite.
CAsk them an equally personal question so the situation is fair.

3.A teammate interrupts your quiet work time every morning. You have already answered politely several times.

AKeep answering immediately so the teammate never feels uncomfortable.
BSuggest a clear time for quick questions and protect quiet work time.
CStop speaking to the teammate completely.

4.On a crowded bus, someone steps on your foot by accident and says sorry.

AAccept the apology if it seems accidental and move if you need more space.
BAssume the person wanted to invade your personal space.
CTell everyone on the bus that the person is dangerous.

5.A friend gives advice about your private life in front of other people. You feel uncomfortable.

ALaugh loudly so everyone understands you are annoyed.
BStay silent in public and complain to someone else later.
CCan we talk about this privately later? I do not want to discuss it here.

6.Your office tries a quiet-hours rule for two weeks, and people concentrate better.

AThe plan went against the grain.
BThe plan bore fruit.
CThe plan bit off more than it could chew.

7.A new employee says yes to every extra task and then cannot finish the important work.

AThey separated the wheat from the chaff.
BThey put all their eggs in one basket.
CThey bit off more than they could chew.

8.A student says, There is a correlation between sitting close and intimacy. What is the careful reply?

AMaybe, but a correlation does not always prove one thing causes the other.
BYes, sitting close always means intimacy in every culture.
CNo, distance and intimacy can never be connected.
N E R D

Word Origin

Naturally Eccentric, Remarkably Different
Word / Phrase Category Origin & Explanation
Groundhog Day idiom Use Groundhog Day for a boring situation that repeats again and again, especially when nothing seems to change.
Personal space etymology Personal connects to the person, and space means an area. Together, the phrase means the area around a person where they feel comfortable.
Barrier etymology A barrier is something that blocks, separates, or protects. It can be physical, like a desk, or social, like a clear rule.
Boring / bored grammar Boring describes the thing that causes the feeling. Bored describes the person who feels it.
Should-conditionals grammar Should you need help, call me means If you need help, call me. It sounds formal and polite, especially in notices and instructions.
Take heed idiom To take heed means to pay careful attention to a warning, request, or boundary before you act.
Unwitting etymology Wit is connected with knowing and intelligence. An unwitting action happens without knowing, planning, or intending it.
Animated etymology Animated is connected with life, energy, and movement. An animated conversation is lively and full of energy.
Reap what you sow idiom This farming image means that your later results come from your earlier actions, choices, or habits.
Go against the grain idiom The image comes from the direction of natural lines in wood. If something goes against the grain, it goes against what feels normal or expected.