Speaking Boost · B2 · Lesson 37 of 50
Speaking Boost B2 · Block 8: Society and Behaviour

Why do people sometimes not help?

Psychologists have studied why people in a crowd sometimes do not help someone in need, and when they do. Learn to report questions and commands, and to talk about reactions and responsibility.

1

Warm-up

5 min
1.1

Helping and reacting

Answer each question with 2–3 sentences.

  1. Have you ever helped a stranger?
  2. Has a stranger ever helped you?
  3. What would you do if someone fell in the street?
  4. Do you know any first aid?
  5. Are people in your city helpful?
  6. Would you help a person in an emergency?
2

Words and phrases

12 min
2.1

New words

Read each word and the example. Then say a sentence about helping others.

2.2

Which word?

Choose the word that fits.

  1. Basic help for an injured person, before a doctor comes, is called .
  2. To step in and try to stop a problem is to .
  3. In a big crowd, each person may feel less personal .
  4. In an , you should call for help at once.
  5. If you , you wait because you are not sure what to do.
  6. A person you have never met is a .
  7. In a dangerous situation, some people and cannot think clearly.
  8. A person who sees an accident but is not involved is a .
2.3

Opposites and pairs

Choose the right answer, then press Check answers.

  1. to intervene = to
  2. a stranger is a person you
  3. to hesitate = to wait because you are
  4. courage = the ability to do something
  5. to ignore = to pay
  6. to assume = to think something is true
2.4

Useful phrases

Use these phrases to report questions and commands.

  • He asked me if/whether...Він запитав мене, чи...He asked me if I had ever helped a stranger.
  • She asked where...Вона запитала, де...She asked where the accident had happened.
  • They asked what...Вони запитали, що...They asked what I had seen.
  • He wanted to know why...Він хотів дізнатися, чому...He wanted to know why nobody had called.
  • She told me to call...Вона сказала мені подзвонити...She told me to call an ambulance.
  • He told us not to move.Він сказав нам не рухатися.The doctor told us not to move the injured man.
  • I asked him to help.Я попросив його допомогти.I asked him to help me carry her.
  • The police asked whether...Поліція запитала, чи...The police asked whether anyone had seen the driver.
3

Read and react

8 min
3.1

The bystander effect

Read the text. Hover over the dotted words for help.

Why do people sometimes not help?

In the 1960s, two American psychologists, John Darley and Bibb Latané, began to study what is often called the bystander effect. In one experiment, a student in another room seemed to have a medical problem, and the participants were asked to help. The researchers found that people were less likely to react quickly when they thought other people were also listening.

They suggested two main reasons. First, in a group, each person feels less personal responsibility. Second, people look at one another and assume that nothing is wrong if nobody else moves.

A famous 1964 case in New York is often used to explain this idea. Newspapers reported that many witnesses had seen an attack and had done nothing. Later research suggested that the original reports were exaggerated and that some neighbours did try to help. For this reason, many teachers now use the story with care.

More recent studies have given a more hopeful picture. In one study of camera recordings of real fights and attacks in three countries, researchers asked whether anyone had helped, and they found that in most cases at least one person did.

So, what should we do in an emergency? Experts tell people to point to a particular person and to give a clear command: "You, in the red coat, please call an ambulance."

Would you know what to do?

3.2

True or false?

  1. The first experiments were done in the 1960s.
  2. In the experiment, people reacted faster when others were present.
  3. The text says the 1964 newspaper reports may have been exaggerated.
  4. A more recent study found that in most cases someone helped.
  5. Experts suggest that you give an unclear command.
3.3

What do you think?

  1. Why do people look at one another before they react?
  2. What is the best way to ask a stranger for help?
  3. Would you help if you were afraid of danger?
  4. Should everyone learn first aid at school?
4

Grammar for speaking

10 min
4.1

Grammar for speaking

Reported questions

Use if or whether for yes-no questions. Use the question word for wh-questions. The word order is normal (subject + verb), without do/does/did, and the tense moves back.

"Did you help?" → He asked if I had helped. "Where did it happen?" → She asked where it had happened. "What do you see?" → They asked what I saw.

Reported commands and requests

Use tell / ask + person + to + verb. For a negative command, use not to.

"Call an ambulance!" → She told me to call an ambulance. "Don't move." → The doctor told us not to move. "Please help me." → I asked him to help me.

Block 8 review

Use the grammar from this block.

reported statements and reporting verbs (L36)

Common mistakes: if / whether for yes-no questions, normal word order in reported questions, and told + person + (not) to + verb. ✗ He asked me where was I going → where I was going. ✗ She asked if did I help → if I had helped.

4.2

Choose the right form

  1. "Did you help?" → He asked me
    .
  2. "Where did it happen?" → She asked
    .
  3. "What did you see?" → They asked me
    .
  4. "Why didn't anyone call?" → He wanted to know
    .
  5. "Call an ambulance!" → She told me
    an ambulance.
  6. "Don't move." → The doctor told us
    .
  7. "Please help me." → I asked him
    me.
  8. "Has anyone seen it?" → The police asked
    .
4.3

Fix the mistake

Each sentence has one mistake. Type the correct words.

  1. He asked me where was I going. →
  2. She asked if did I help. →
  3. They told me call an ambulance. →
  4. He told us to not move. →
  5. She asked what had I seen. →
  6. I asked him help me. →
4.4

Talk about it

Answer in detail. Use reported questions and commands.

  1. What did the last person who phoned you ask?
  2. What was the last order or instruction you were given?
  3. What did you ask a stranger for last time?
  4. What question is difficult to ask a stranger?
  5. What would you tell a friend who is afraid to help?
  6. What did a teacher ask you that you remember?
5

Three views on helping and a short talk

8 min
5.1

Three views on helping

Three people talk about helping strangers. Compare their views. Who is the most willing to help? Who is the most careful? What would you do?

Person 1

Sofia, 27

  • Is a nurse
  • Once told a stranger to lie down
  • Asked someone to call an ambulance
  • Says she always knows what to do
Person 2

Dr Marsh, 52

  • Is a psychologist
  • Asked why people hesitate
  • Told students to read the new studies
  • Says the old story was exaggerated
Person 3

Pete, 40

  • Once saw a car accident
  • Asked whether anyone had called
  • Admits he hesitated
  • Learned first aid afterwards
5.2

Mini-talk: asking and answering

Your teacher will time you.

  1. Plan for one minute, then speak for one or two minutes.
  2. Part 1: tell a story about an emergency or a time when you needed help.
  3. Part 2: report what people asked and what they told each other to do (reported questions and commands).
  4. Part 3: say what you would do next time, and what you would advise others.
2:00
6

Personal questions

10 min
6.1

Part I: Me

  1. Have you ever needed help from a stranger?
  2. What do you do if you see someone in trouble?
  3. Do you know the emergency number in your country?
  4. Do you carry a first aid kit?
  5. Do you help your neighbours?
  6. What did you do the last time somebody asked you a favour?
  7. Do you think you have courage?
  8. Would you take a first aid course?
6.2

Part II: Other people

  1. Who would you call in an emergency?
  2. Who in your family knows first aid?
  3. Who helped you the last time you had a problem?
  4. Who asked you for help recently?
  5. Who is the bravest person you know?
  6. Who told you what to do in an emergency?
6.3

Part III: A bit deeper

  1. Should people be forced to help others by law?
  2. Do big cities make people less friendly?
  3. Is it dangerous to intervene?
  4. Should schools teach first aid?
  5. Are people basically good or selfish?
7

Roleplay

12 min
7.1

Reporting an incident

You

Witness

A police officer (your teacher) asks you about an accident you saw:
  • say what happened
  • report what people asked and said
  • say what they told each other to do
  • explain what you did
Speak for at least 2 minutes in total. Use reported questions and commands.
Your teacher

Police officer

Says things like:
  1. What did you see?
  2. What did people say?
  3. What did you do?
  4. Is there anything else?
7.2

Telling a story

You

Storyteller

A friend (your teacher) asks about a time when someone helped you:
  • say what happened
  • report what they asked you
  • report what they told you to do
  • say how you felt afterwards
You do most of the talking. Use: He asked me if... · She told me to... · They asked where...
Your teacher

Friend

Says things like:
  1. What happened?
  2. What did they say?
  3. Were you scared?
  4. What did you learn?
8

Homework

at home

Your homework score

Do all four exercises, then press Check all homework. Correct answers will appear next to your mistakes.

– / 30
H1

Complete with a word

first aidinterveneresponsibilityemergencyhesitatestrangerpanicbystander
  1. Basic help for an injured person, before a doctor comes, is called .
  2. To step in and try to stop a problem is to .
  3. In a big crowd, each person may feel less personal .
  4. In an , you should call for help at once.
  5. If you , you wait because you are not sure what to do.
  6. A person you have never met is a .
  7. In a dangerous situation, some people and cannot think clearly.
  8. A person who sees an accident but is not involved is a .
H2

Choose the correct form

  1. "Are you hurt?" → He asked if I hurt.
  2. "Where do you live?" → She asked where I .
  3. "What happened?" → They asked what .
  4. "Sit down." → He told me down.
  5. "Don't run." → She told us .
  6. "Please come." → I asked her .
  7. "Did anyone see it?" → The police asked .
  8. "Why are you late?" → He wanted to know .
H3

Correct or incorrect?

Decide if each sentence is grammatically correct.

  1. He asked me if I had helped a stranger.
  2. He asked me where was I going.
  3. She asked where the accident had happened.
  4. She asked what had I seen.
  5. She told me to call an ambulance.
  6. I asked him help me.
  7. The doctor told us not to move the man.
H4

Match the two halves

  1. He asked me if
  2. She asked where
  3. They asked what
  4. He wanted to know why
  5. She told me
  6. The doctor told us
  7. I asked him

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© Yevheniia Kolesnykova, Academy of Languages. All rights reserved. No copying or reuse without written permission.