Last week was a really bad week. Mum hit her head on the kitchen door and still has a massive bruise on her forehead. My sister Lou cut her finger when she was preparing some vegetables and we had to take her to hospital for a couple of stitches. Ted, my little brother, twisted his led during a football match at school and an ambulance brought him home. Dad burnt his hand on the kettle whilst he was boiling water for a cup of coffee.

And me? Don't laugh! I fell over a dog in the street and bruised my leg. Even the cat didn't escape. Mum shut the living-room door on his tail and the poor thing was in agony. Yes, there is a curse on our family as far as accidents are concerned. I have suggested we all stay in bed next week and then we'll avoid another week like the one we've just had.

Talking about accidents

Can you match up these two sets of sentences to make short dialogues about accidents? When you've got your dialogue, read it out aloud.

Eg. Have you ever badly banged your head?

Yes. I once knocked myself unconscious when I was little.

1 Have you ever broken your arm?

2 Have you ever burnt yourself?

3 Have you ever seriously cut yourself?

4 Have you ever had to go to the Accident and Emergency Department of the hospital?

5 Have you ever had an accident at school?

a Yes. I cut my face on a broken bottle once when I tripped up in the street.

b Yes. My mother had to take me when I twisted my ankle.

c Yes . I broke both my arm and my leg in a car accident a few years ago.

d Yes. I bruised my foot once during a sports lesson.

e Yes. I burnt my leg badly once on a barbecue.

Have you hurt yourself?

Can you make 'an accident sequence' by piecing together these three ideas. Say what has happened, how it happened and what the result was or what happened next.

1 I've cut my hand

2 I've twisted my foot

3 I've burnt my fingers

4 I've bruised my back

5 I've banged my head

6 I've broken my ankle

A putting a cake in the oven.

B banging against a door.

C playing football at school.

D falling down the steps outside the front entrance.

E picking up some money I'd dropped under the table.

F chopping vegetables.

a It won't stop bleeding.

b Have you got an ice-pack to take away the pain?

c It's very painful and I can't lie down.

d I've got a bruise on my forehead the size of Australia.

e I'll be out of the team for the rest of the season.

f I can hardly walk.

When you've had an accident

What might be involved after an accident? Pick out the correct word to complete the sentence.

1 I was (unconscious / delighted) for three days.

2 She had to have seven (bandages / stitches) in her leg.

3 Dad put a (hospital / plaster) on it and I was fine.

4 She had to keep her arm in a (sling / bucket) for two months.

5 I just put some (antiseptic cream / indigestion pills) on it and I was fine.

6 It was badly bruised and (swollen / white).

7 The (emergency / wound) was deep and it bled a lot.

8 Keep the (bandage / prescription) on for a week and then things should be fine.

Answers

Have you hurt yourself?

1 F a / 2 D f / 3 A b / 4 B c / 5 E d / 6 C e

Talking about accidents

1c / 2e / 3a / 4b / 5d

When you've had an accident

unconscious / stitches / plaster / sling / antiseptic cream / swollen / wound / bandage