My Life in Ruins: Get / Have Something Done (Passive Voice with Causative Verbs)

This comedy is amazing and very funny. You'll see why Greece is well known by its scenic and fascinating views .

The title in Portuguese is "Falando Grego".

"Georgia is an American academic who's lost her teaching job in Athens. She's taken a job as a tour guide, but she hates it and it shows: the tourists, mostly American, are bored with history and facts; they want to shop. Every group has a goofy couple, a frat boy, a sullen teen, a feuding couple, divorcées looking for a mate, and a funny guy. This group is no exception, plus there's no air conditioning and a bearded silent driver. Thanks to an unlikely friendship, plus daisies, an ice-cream cone, the history of syrup, and the Oracle at Delphi, Georgia may have a shot at finding her kefi during this four-day tour."

Warm-up Activity
I. Before viewing the segment, talk to a partner about the following questions.
1. Have you ever stayed at a very bad hotel? Tell you partner about it and how you managed to stay there. If you have never experienced that, what would you do?
2. Do you complain when there is a problem in your hotel room? What do you do if they do not resolve the problem for you?
3. Do you prefer to stay at a bad hotel that is very well located in the city or at a sophisticated hotel that is not so well located? Explain it.

II. Read the summary of the movie. What is a goofy couple, a frat boy, a sullen teen, a feuding couple, divorcées looking for a mate, and a funny guy?

III. Watch the movie segment and check the problems that you could identify in the Greek hotel.
01. ( ) The elevator
02. ( ) The air conditioning system
03. ( ) The mini bar
04. ( ) The shower
05. ( ) The toilet
06. ( ) The fan
07. ( ) The bed
08. ( ) The TV
09. ( ) The telephone
10. ( ) The closet

IV. Fill in the blanks with the passive form of the verbs in parentheses.
1. The elevator needs repairing. The hotel needs to __________________ (get/ fix).
2. The shower doesn't work properly. The managers will __________________ (have/repair).
3. The toilet broke. Plumbers will __________________(get/replace).
4. The TV stopped working. The hotel will __________________ (have/send) to the electrician.
5. The telephone is out of order. They will __________________ (get/reconnect) as soon as possible.

V. Now write two sentences about the other problems you identified, using passive construction with get and have. Follow the patterns in exercise III.

VI. Class discussion:
What would you do if you were in such a breathtaking place like Greece, but in that horrible hotel? Would you complain, demand to change rooms or hotels? Justify it.