Month: May 2026

Posted in B2 First, Conversation Classes

B2: Annoying Habits

Posted on by Tim Warre

This is a B2 version of my C1 annoying habits lesson adapted for the lower level and including a B2 First key word transformation exercise.

Students discuss annoying things that the people around them do. They start off my revising some common structures used to express annoyance, read some short texts about annoying situations, learn some idioms and expressions related to the topic and top it all off my doing some exam practice.

Download the content below:

B2_ Annoying HabitsDownload
B2_ Annoying HabitsDownload

B2: Annoying Habits

Lead-in

Discuss the following questions with a partner:

  • Has anything in particular been getting on your nerves recently? At home? In the street? On public transport?

Expressing Annoyance

Look at the different structures we use to express irritation or annoyance.

  • Present Continuous + always(used to describe annoying, repeated habits)
    • He ’s always leaving his clothes on the floor.
  • Keep + -ing(used to highlight continuous, frustrating actions)
    • She keeps forgetting to lock the door.
  • I wish + subject + wouldn’t(used when you want someone to change their behavior)
    • I wish you wouldn’t play music so loudly at night.
  • It drives me crazy when…(used to express strong, daily irritation)
    • It drives me crazy when people leave dirty dishes in the sink.
  • I can’t stand it when…(used for things you intensely dislike or tolerate poorly)
    • I can’t stand it when my flatmate talks on the phone for hours.
  • Get on my nerves(a very common phrase to describe things that irritate you)
    • It really gets on my nerves when people don’t reply to messages.
  • Would you mind + -ing?(a direct, slightly sharp request for someone to stop doing something)
    • Would you mind cleaning up after yourself for once?

🗣️ Task: Can you apply any of these expressions to the things you mentioned in the lead-in?

Reading & Discussion

1. The “I’ll Do It Later” Person

“Honestly, the thing that drives me crazy is when my flatmate says he’ll do something later, and then just… never does it. If you leave your dishes in the sink for three days, that’s not ‘later’ anymore. And the annoying part is he acts surprised when I bring it up. Apparently, I’m the unreasonable one because I don’t enjoy living in a mess. He keeps forgetting that other people live here too. If procrastination were an Olympic sport, he’d definitely win gold.”

Questions

  • What household habits get on your nerves the most?
  • Do you think some people naturally have different standards of cleanliness?
  • How long is it acceptable to leave dishes in the sink?
  • Is it better to confront someone immediately about annoying habits or ignore them?

2. Thermostat Wars

“My partner and I have completely different ideas about what counts as a normal indoor temperature. She’s always turning the heating up, even when it’s warm outside. I’ll walk into the living room sweating, and she’ll be sitting there wrapped in a blanket saying, ‘It’s freezing in here.’ Freezing? We could grow tropical plants in this flat. At this rate, our energy bill is going to ruin us. I wish she wouldn’t treat our apartment like a sauna.”

Questions

  • Are you usually too hot or too cold at home?
  • Have you ever argued with someone about air conditioning or heating?
  • What’s more important to you: personal comfort or saving energy?
  • Do housemates need strict rules to avoid arguments about shared spaces?

3. The Loud Cleaner

“I appreciate that my boyfriend likes cleaning, I really do. But it really gets on my nerves when he decides to vacuum at the worst possible moment. Sunday morning at 8 a.m., when everyone else in the building is asleep? Perfect time for massive noise, apparently. He doesn’t just clean normally—he cleans aggressively. I can’t stand it when he hits the vacuum against my bedroom door. Meanwhile, I’m lying in bed wondering why I can’t just have a peaceful morning.”

Questions

  • What time is too early to do noisy housework?
  • Would you mind living with an overly tidy person, or do you prefer someone a bit messy?
  • Do you think people should change their routines to avoid disturbing others?
  • Is being considerate more important than being productive in shared living situations?

4. Passive-Aggressive Notes

“My housemate has this incredibly irritating habit of leaving little notes around the flat instead of just speaking to people face-to-face. You’ll open the fridge and see something like, ‘Some people should remember milk doesn’t magically replace itself :)’ with a smiley face that somehow makes it worse. I wish he wouldn’t turn our kitchen into a sarcastic office environment. If you have a problem with me, just say it directly! I haven’t done it yet, but I want to just ask him: “Would you mind talking to me like a normal person?”

Questions

  • Which is worse: direct confrontation or passive-aggressive behavior?
  • Why do you think some people avoid saying things directly?
  • Have you ever received a passive-aggressive message or note?
  • What’s the best way to deal with conflict or arguments at home?

5. Kitchen Experiments

“My partner keeps trying these complicated recipes she finds online, which sounds great in theory. The problem is the kitchen looks like a total disaster afterwards. There’ll be flour everywhere, seventeen dirty pans, and weird ingredients just lying around. She’s always leaving a massive mess for me to clean up. After spending four hours cooking, she made me try some strange ‘mushroom foam’ when all I wanted was pasta. I can’t stand it when I can’t even see the kitchen countertops.”

Questions

  • Do you enjoy cooking, or do you see it as a chore?
  • How much mess is acceptable when someone else cooks a meal for you?
  • Would you rather eat simple food every day or try unusual dishes?
  • Have you ever pretended to enjoy someone’s cooking?

Expressions & Conversation

Guess the meaning of the bold expressions from the context, then discuss the questions with a partner.

  1. I wanted to tell him how messy he was, but I decided to keep quiet to avoid an argument.
    • In what situations do you find it best to just keep quiet?
    • Do you find it difficult to stay silent when you’re annoyed?
  2. My partner gave me the silent treatment for two days when I forgot our anniversary.
    • Do you think the silent treatment is an effective way to deal with conflict?
    • What’s a healthier way to show someone that you’re upset?
  3. He completely hogs the bathroom every morning, so I’m always late for work.
    • What annoying habits do people usually have in shared spaces?
    • How would you deal with a housemate who takes too long in the shower?
  4. During lockdown, we had absolutely no personal space, and every little habit became annoying.
    • Do you think people need a lot of personal space to have a good relationship?
    • How much time spent together is too much time?
  5. My housemate and I constantly clash over how clean the kitchen should be.
    • Do you think people should adapt to each other’s habits when living together?
    • What household rules are most important in a shared house?
  6. Everyone else was cleaning up after dinner while he just sat on the sofa and didn’t lift a finger.
    • How important is it to share household chores equally?
    • Have you ever lived or worked with someone incredibly lazy?
  7. Whenever my brother bakes, he leaves a trail of destruction in the kitchen.
    • Are you a tidy cook, or do you make a mess when you cook?
    • Would you rather do the cooking or the cleaning up afterwards?
  8. I usually apologize first just to keep the peace, even if I know I’m right.
    • Is it better to avoid conflict or always be completely honest?
    • Have you ever apologized to someone just to end a stupid argument?

B2 First: Reading and Use of English (Part 4)

For questions 1–6, complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between two and five words, including the word given.

It really irritates me when people don’t reply to my messages. 

NERVES 

It really gets on my nerves when people don’t reply to my messages.

  1. My brother has a frustrating habit of leaving his clothes on the floor. 

ALWAYS 

My brother ____________________________ his clothes on the floor.

  1. She regularly forgets to lock the door when she leaves. 

KEEPS 

She ____________________________ to lock the door when she leaves.

  1. I really want you to stop playing your music so loudly at night. 

WISH 

I ____________________________ play music so loudly at night.

  1. It makes me very angry when people leave dirty dishes in the sink. 

CRAZY 

It ____________________________ when people leave dirty dishes in the sink.

  1. I absolutely hate it when my flatmate talks on the phone for hours. 

STAND 

I ____________________________ when my flatmate talks on the phone for hours.

  1. Could you please clean up after yourself for once? 

MIND 

____________________________ up after yourself for once?

🔑 Teacher’s Answer Key

(The bolded words indicate the exact 2-to-5-word answer required)

  1. is always leaving (Present Continuous + always)
  2. keeps forgetting (Keep + -ing)
  3. wish you wouldn’t (I wish + subject + wouldn’t)
  4. drives me crazy (It drives me crazy when…)
  5. can’t stand it (I can’t stand it when… — note: the “it” is grammatically required here!)

Would you mind cleaning(Would you mind + -ing)

Posted in Advanced C1, Conversation Classes

C1: Annoying Habits

Posted on by Tim Warre

This is a lesson plan designed for C1 students in which students discuss annoying things that the people around them do. They start off my revising some common structures used to express annoyance, read some short texts about annoying situations, and learn some idioms and expressions related to the topic.

Download the content below:

C1_ Annoying HabitsDownload
C1_ Annoying HabitsDownload

C1: Annoying Habits

Lead-in: 

Has anything in particular been getting on your nerves recently? At home? In the street? On public transport?

Expressing Annoyance

Look at the sentences with different structures and expressions to express annoyance. 

  1. He’s always leaving his clothes on the floor.
  2. She keeps forgetting to lock the door.
  3. I wish you wouldn’t play music so loudly at night.
  4. I’d rather he didn’t use my things without asking.
  5. It drives me up the wall when people leave dirty dishes in the sink.
  6. I can’t stand it when my flatmate talks on the phone for hours.
  7. Would you mind cleaning up after yourself for once?
  8. She acts as if she’s the only person living here.

Can you apply any of these expressions to the things you mentioned in the lead-in?

Reading & Conversation

Read the texts and discuss the situations.

1. The “I’ll Do It Later” Person

“Honestly, the thing that drives me mad is when my flatmate says they’ll do something later, and then just… never does it. Like, if you leave your dishes in the sink for three days, that’s not ‘later’ anymore, that’s basically interior decoration. And the annoying part is they act surprised when I bring it up. Apparently, I’m the unreasonable one because I don’t enjoy living in what looks like the aftermath of a student party. I swear, if procrastination were an Olympic sport, they’d win gold without even training.”

Questions

  1. What household habits annoy you the most?
  2. Do you think some people naturally have different standards of cleanliness?
  3. How long is it acceptable to leave dishes in the sink?
  4. Is it better to confront someone immediately about annoying habits or ignore them?
  5. Have you ever lived with someone whose lifestyle was very different from yours?

2. Thermostat Wars

“My partner and I have completely different ideas about what counts as a normal temperature indoors. I’m convinced she’s secretly part reptile because she keeps the heating on even when it’s warm outside. I’ll walk into the living room sweating like I’ve just run a marathon, and she’ll be sitting there wrapped in a blanket saying, ‘It’s freezing in here.’ Freezing? We could grow tropical plants in this flat. At this point, our energy bill needs its own bank account.”

Questions

  1. Are you usually too hot or too cold at home?
  2. Have you ever argued with someone about air conditioning or heating?
  3. Should the person paying more bills have more control over the temperature?
  4. What’s more important: comfort or saving energy?
  5. Do couples and housemates need rules to avoid arguments about shared spaces?

3. The Loud Cleaner

“I appreciate that my boyfriend likes cleaning. I really do. But why does he always decide to vacuum at the worst possible moment? Sunday morning, 8 a.m., when everyone else in the building is unconscious? Perfect time for industrial-level noise, apparently. And he doesn’t just clean normally either. He cleans aggressively. It sounds like he’s trying to remove the floor itself. Meanwhile, I’m lying in bed wondering if this is how I die.”

Questions

  1. What time is too early to do noisy housework?
  2. Would you rather live with a messy person or an overly tidy person?
  3. Do you think people should change their routines to avoid disturbing others?
  4. Have you ever had noisy neighbours or housemates?
  5. Is being considerate more important than being productive in shared living situations?

4. Passive-Aggressive Notes

“My housemate has this incredibly irritating habit of leaving little notes around the flat instead of just speaking to people like a normal human being. You’ll open the fridge and see something like, ‘Some people should remember milk doesn’t magically replace itself :)’ with a smiley face that somehow makes it worse. If you’ve got a problem with me, just say it directly. Don’t turn the kitchen into some kind of sarcastic office environment.”

Questions

  1. Which is worse: direct confrontation or passive-aggressive behaviour?
  2. Why do some people avoid saying things directly?
  3. Have you ever received a passive-aggressive message or note?
  4. What’s the best way to deal with conflict at home?
  5. Do you think honesty sometimes creates more problems than it solves?

5. The Endless Phone Calls

“My girlfriend calls her friends every single evening, and somehow every conversation becomes a three-hour podcast. The problem isn’t even the talking. It’s that she speaks at exactly the same volume whether the person’s in the room or on another continent. I’ll be trying to watch TV, read, work, think — impossible. And every call ends the same way. She says, ‘Okay, I’ll let you go,’ then continues talking for another forty minutes. It’s honestly impressive.”

Questions

  1. Do you enjoy long phone calls, or do you prefer texting?
  2. How much quiet time do people need at home?
  3. Should people change their behaviour when they live with others?
  4. What’s the most annoying public or household phone habit?
  5. Is it rude to ask someone to be quieter in their own home?

6. Kitchen Experiments

“My partner keeps trying these complicated recipes they find online, which sounds great in theory. The problem is the kitchen looks like a crime scene afterwards. There’ll be flour on the ceiling somehow, seventeen dirty pans, and ingredients I’ve never even heard of just lying around. And after spending four hours cooking, they’ll make me try something called ‘deconstructed mushroom foam’ when all I wanted was pasta. I miss normal food. I miss visible countertops.”

Questions

  1. Do you enjoy cooking, or do you see it as a chore?
  2. How much mess is acceptable when someone cooks for other people?
  3. Would you rather eat simple food every day or try unusual dishes?
  4. Have you ever pretended to enjoy someone’s cooking?
  5. Do social media and food trends make people overcomplicate cooking?

Expressions & Conversation

Guess the meaning from the context.

  1. I had to bite my tongue when my flatmate blamed me for the mess he’d made himself.
    1. In what situations do you have to bite your tongue?
    2. Are you good at keeping quiet? Or do you find it difficult?
  2. My partner gave me the silent treatment for two days when I broke her favorite mug.
    1. Do you think the silent treatment is an effective way to deal with conflict?
    2. What’s a healthier way to show you’re upset with someone?
  3. He hogs the bathroom every morning, so I’m always late for work.
    1. What annoying habits do people have in shared spaces?
    2. How would you deal with someone who takes too long in the bathroom?
  4. During lockdown, we started living in each other’s pockets, and every little habit became annoying.
    1. Do you think people need personal space to have a good relationship?
    2. How much time is too much time to spend together?
  5. My housemate and I constantly clash over how clean the flat should be.
    1. Do you think people should adapt to each other’s habits when living together?
    2. What household rules are important in shared accommodation?
  6. The constant tapping noise he makes with his pen really does my head in when I’m trying to concentrate.
    1. What small noises or habits annoy you the most?
    2. Are you easily distracted when you work or study?
  7. Everyone else was cleaning up after dinner while he sat on the sofa and didn’t lift a finger.
    1. How important is it to share household chores equally?
    2. Have you ever lived with someone lazy?
  8. Whenever my brother cooks, he leaves a trail of destruction in the kitchen.
    1. Are you a tidy or messy cook?
    2. Would you rather cook or clean up afterwards?
  9. I usually apologise first just to keep the peace, even if I’m not wrong.
    1. Is it better to avoid conflict or be completely honest?
    2. Have you ever apologised just to end an argument?
  10. Ever since they started arguing, everyone in the house has been walking on eggshells around them.
    1. Have you ever been in an uncomfortable atmosphere because of other people’s arguments?
    2. What’s the best way to deal with tension in a group or household?