This is a lesson plan in which high level students get to grips with functional language and expressions used for complaining and criticising. Download the handout below:
Procedure
I recommend having your students complete the excellent lesson plan from the Macmillan Pragmatics page before using this lesson plan as it gives a great insight into language used for introducing and couching criticism.
Once you’ve done that, give out the handout and have students start to tackle the dialogue between Bob and his boss. Students should try to paraphrase the expressions and discuss their use.
Further idiomatic expressions and structures are then listed, have students discuss them in pairs and field any questions and doubts they may have.
Students then complete a controlled practice activity:
Complete the sentences with one word:
- You could at least call to let us know you’re running late.
- If you will keep leaving the heating on, you can’t complain about the gas bill.
- Your work has not been up to scratch for some time now and you really need to pull your finger out.
- I resent having to listen to your complaints every morning.
- The onus is on you to apologise to her, you were way out of line.
- You could/might/should have told me you were sick this morning, now there’s no time to organise a substitution.
- You had better knuckle down and start making an effort in this relationship, otherwise I’m gone.
- I don’t mean to throw Dave under the bus but it was his responsibility to lock up after the show.
Now have students roleplay the scenarios and write up a dialogue for their favourite.
Set the writing task for homework, point out that the tone should be firm but friendly and informal. Encourage the use of as many expressions as possible.
