• Which of these things help you when you're thinking about a problem?
  • having a coffee
  • walking around the room
  • listening to music
  • meditating
  • going out for a walk
  • having a bath
  • getting some sleep
  • thinking about something else for a while
  • doing housework
  • talking to yourself
  • something else
• Do you believe creativity and problem solving are skills which can be taught, or are people with these skills gifted?
• Can creativity and inspiration thrive in a highly structured and controlled environment? Are certain industries or professions more conducive to it?
• Is the pressure to be creative and innovative detrimental to individuals' mental health?

According to the article, which can improve your ability to solve problems?

• having a coffee
• walking around the room
• listening to music
• meditating
• going out for a walk

• having a bath
• Getting some sleep
• thinking about something else for a while
• doing housework
• talking to yourself
• something else

• What do you think of the ideas in this article? Do they match your own experiences of thinking about prblems?

Are the pairs of expressions similar or different in meaning?

Vocabulary | Problems and Solutions

Use the expressions to complete the questions.

What kind of magazine do you think this is?

• Relative Clause -> Participle clause
  • It was a problem which was solved by including English summaries
  • it was a problem solved by including English summaries.
• Used after nouns to add description / describe a scene.

• More examples:
  • The man, who was treated with retroviral drugs, survived until his 90s.
    • the man, treated with retroviral drugs, survived until his 90s.
  • I saw atoms which were dancing before my eyes
    • I saw atoms dancing before my eyes.
  • There was a red stream which was formed by flowing blood.
    • There was a red stream formed by flowing blood.

• Which clauses are formed with present / past participles?
• Which have an active / passive meaning?

• These are scenes from dreams. How would you  describe them? What can we see / hear? Think about participle clauses.
• Describe to your partner. What do you think the images mean? Do you think our dreams can give us inspiration / inform us about happenings around the world / predict the future / help us understand thoughts / feelings?

Flying   lying   pointing   standing   wearing   buried in   connected to    covered in    made of    surrounded by

What's the problem?

Why hasn't Chen taken any action?

Three students on the course discuss the problem.

Which solutions do they decide are best?

Brainstorm ideas. Consider the pros and cons. Decide on the best solution.

Brainstorm ideas. Consider the pros and cons. Decide on the best solution.