Match the phrasal verbs in bold with their definitions.
The comedian did a routine about being drunk at work and the audience lapped it up.
If we get beaten by the junior team we’ll never live it down so we have to play well.
In the past people used to just live off the land, nowadays we’re so dependent on shops for everything.
We spent 3 weeks in India and then we moved on to Thailand. I think we’ve finished talking about that topic, shall we move on to the next one?
As soon as I turn 18, I’m going to move out of my parents’ house and get my own flat.
I lived in Brazil for two months, I didn’t do any classes but I managed to pick up a bit of Portuguese.
You should come shopping with us, we’ll pick you out a nice shirt for the wedding.
Driver! Driver! Pull over! I’m going to be sick!
I’ve got a tonne of work to do but I keep putting it off. I’ll have to do it soon.
I’ve been travelling around all my life. Now I think I’d like to settle down and start a family.
The new school was a bit scary at first but I’m settling in
We finished our drinks, settled up with the waiter and left.
a. Learn/acquire without effort
b. Be allowed to forget st
c. Really enjoy st
d. Pay what you owe
e. Leave a house to live somewhere else
f. To stop moving and permanently live somewhere
g. To drive to the side of the road and stop
h. Choose st from a selection
i. Rely on st to survive
j. To start to feel safe and comfortable in a place
k. To postpone
l. To leave a place and travel to another
Testing
You and your partner have 1 minute to study the phrasal verbs before another pair tests you on them.
Questions
Complete the questions with the phrasal verbs then ask and answer them with a partner.
Do you trust your friends to ______ ______ nice clothes for you when you’re shopping? What about your parents?
How are you _________ ______ in class? Do you feel comfortable? How long did it take you to _______ ___ when you first joined your school/workplace?
What’s the best place to _________ _______ and start a family, the countryside or a big city? Why?
Do you think you could _______ ______ the land? Could you ______ ______ €50 a week?
When was the last time you ________ _____ a performance? What was it? Why was it so good?
Are you _______ ______ any work at the moment? When are you going to do it?
Have you or your parents ever been _______ ______ by the police? Have you ever had to ______ ______ to be sick?
When do you want to/When did you _______ ______ of your parents’ house?
Has anything really embarrassing happened to you that you will never ______ ______? Has anything really embarrassing ever happened to your friends or family that they will never _____ _____?
When you go abroad do you tend to ______ _____ a bit of the language?
This is a peer teaching lesson plan for C1+ students in which students teach and test each other on verbs with dependent prepositions. You will need the cards and worksheet below:
Cut out the cards, fold them over and stick them together so that one side shows the gapped sentence and the other shows the answer. I chose to laminate them for future reuse.
Procedure
Peer testing + teaching
Give out one card to each student. I designed this of a class of 16 so it worked out as one each, for smaller groups either give students 2 each or split the activity over two classes.
Explain to students that they are going to test their partner’s knowledge of verbs with prepositions. They must read the gapped sentence to their partner who must try to guess the preposition. If they can’t do it then the “teacher” shows them they answer. Then they swap roles.
After both students have taught their verb + prep, students swap cards with their partner and find a new partner. They then repeat the process. They continue until they have been tested and taught on all the verb/preposition combinations.
Worksheet
Hand out the worksheet and have students complete the first exercise in pairs.
Students can task check themselves, further reducing teacher talk time, the person holding the card for the first sentence holds it up and calls out the correct answer for everyone to check.
Personalisation
Students then complete the sentences with the correct preposition and some information about themselves. Do a few examples to set the ball rolling and encourage them to share:
I sometimes boast about my cooking abilities.
My problem with my attention span stems from using social media too much.
Worksheet
Sentence Completion
Which verb and preposition combinations can you remember?
1. The school provided me ______ all the materials I needed for the course.
2. The car slid on the icy road and crashed ______ the parked car.
3. He was so engrossed _____ his book that he missed his metro stop.
4. He succeeded _____ playing the symphony without making any errors.
5. I think you would benefit _____ spending a few weeks in an English speaking country.
6. The cute guy kept glancing _____ me during the lecture.
7. He’s so big-headed, he’s always boasting _____ something he has done. (boast=jactarse)
8. I don’t know where she is I’m a little concerned _______ her.
9. I’m sorry but this theme park doesn’t cater _____ little babies. (Cater = atender)
10. We bought a big dog to deter people _____ robbing our house. (deter = disuadir/impedir)
11. I’m not sure but I think the problem stems _____ a lack of car parking spaces in the city centre.
(stem = originate/come)
12. I suspect him ____ having cheated in the exam, but I have no proof.
13. Scientists attribute the melting ice caps _____ global warming. (attribute = atribuir)
14. Messi prides himself ____ his ability to run past any player. (pride yourself = enorgullercerse de)
15. He’s a surgeon, he specialises _____ feet and ankles.
16. Please refrain _____ using mobiles in the library.
(refrain=abstenerse)
17. They charged me €15 _____ a sandwich and a bag of crisps!
Personalise
Complete the sentences with the correct preposition and some information about you.
I sometimes boast _______ _______________________________________________.
I pride myself ______ ___________________________________________________.
My school provides me _______ ________________________________________.
If I were a teacher, I would specialise _____ __________________________________.
The best way to deter people _______ cheating in exams is _____________________.
I suspect _________ (a person) _____ (preposition) __________________________.
Sometimes I’m so engrossed _____ __________________________ that I ________________________.
My problem with ________________ stems ________ _________________________.
I’m a bit concerned ________ ________________________________________.
I find it difficult to refrain _______ _______________________________________.
Cards
The school provided me ______ all the materials I needed for the course.
With
The car slid on the icy road and crashed ______ the parked car.
Into
He was so engrossed _____ his book that he missed his metro stop.
In
He succeeded _____ playing the symphony without making any errors.
In
I think you would benefit _____ spending a few weeks in an English speaking country.
From
The cute guy kept glancing _____ me during the lecture.
At
He’s so big-headed, he’s always boasting _____ something he has done. (boast=show off/say how great you are)
About
I don’t know where she is I’m a little concerned _______ her.
About
I’m sorry but this theme park doesn’t cater _____ little babies. (Cater = atender)
For
We bought a big dog to deter people _____ robbing our house. (deter = disuadir/impedir)
From
I’m not sure but I think the problem stems _____ a lack of car parking spaces in the city centre.
(stem = originate/come)
From
I suspect him ____ having cheated in the exam, but I have no proof.
Of
Scientists attribute the melting ice caps _____ global warming. (attribute = atribuir)
To
Messi prides himself ____ his ability to run past any player. (pride yourself = enorgullercerse de)
On
He’s a surgeon, he specialises _____ feet and ankles.
In
Please refrain _____ using mobiles in the library.
(refrain=abstenerse)
From
They charged me €15 _____ a sandwich and a bag of crisps!
This is a lesson plan for higher levels (C1+) designed with CAE students in mind. Students will teach each other some expressions related to family and use them to describe themselves. Credit to my colleague Julie Banks for some of the expressions. Download the handout and key below:
Write the expression “you can’t choose your family” on the board. What does it mean? Does it exist in your language?
Peer Teaching
Put students in pairs and assign them As and Bs. Cut up the hand out and give them out. Tell students that they are going to teach each other some expressions related to family. Have two strong students do an example at the front of the class. A reads the first question of the first set to B:
“Are you named after another member of your family?”
If B doesn’t understand they say “Sorry I don’t understand” and A reads them the second question, which contains the definition of the expression in bold:
“Were you given your name because an older member of the family has/had the same name?”
So named after means your name was inspired by the name of another member of the family or by another person whose name your parents liked.
In pairs students ask and answer the questions, taking it in turns to ask and teach each other an expression. When they have finished they must test each other, first by asking for a definition of an expression, for example “what does like two peas in a pod mean?” and then by eliciting the expression “what’s the expression that means that two people are very similar?”
Then test them in open class, As should know all of B’s expressions.
Definition match
Students match the expressions with the definitions.
k
e
f
i
b
l
g
j
h
c
d
a
Personalise
Students complete the sentences about themselves and then compare with their partners.
Student handout
Student A
Here you have six sets of two questions. Ask the first question of each set to your partner. If they don’t understand the expression in bold, ask them the second question, which contains the definition.
Are you named after another member of your family? Were you given your name because an older member of the family has/had the same name? Do any specific names run in your family?
Are you the spitting image of another member of your family? Do you look almost exactly the same as another member of your family? If so, who?
Are you the black sheep of your family? Are you the one member of your family who is different to all the others? If not, who is?
Do you often fall out with members of your family? Do you argue of fight with members of your family? If so, who?
Do you want to follow in your parents’ footsteps? Do you want to do the same job as your parents? Why? Why not?
They say that blood is thicker than water. Do you agree? Do you think that family is the most important thing?
Student B
Here you have six sets of two questions. Ask the first question of each set to your partner. If they don’t understand the expression in bold, ask them the second question, which contains the definition.
Do any specific names/characteristics run in your family? Are there any specific names/characteristics that are passed down from generation to generation?
Are you and any member of your family like chalk and cheese? Are you and any member of your family completely different?
Are you and any member of your family like two peas in a pod? Are you and any member of your family exactly the same in looks and personality?
Who is the main breadwinner in your house? Who brings home the bacon? Who supports the family financially?
Who do you get on like a house on fire with in your family? Who do you have a fantastic relationship with?
Who do you take after in your family? Which parent have you inherited the most characteristics from?
Worksheet
Definition Match
Match the expressions on the left with the definitions on the right
1. Take after sb
2. Get on like a house on fire
3. The breadwinner/bring home the bacon
4. Like two peas in a pod
5. Like chalk and cheese
6. Run in the family
7. Blood is thicker than water
8. Follow in your parents’ footsteps
9. Fall out with sb
10. The black sheep of the family
11. The spitting image of sb
12. Be named after sb
a. Your name was inspired by an older member of the family
b. Completely different to sb
c. Completely different to everyone else in the family
d. To look exactly the same as sb
e. To have a great relationship with sb
f. The one who supports the family financially
g. Family is the most important thing
h. To argue/fight with sb
i. Extremely similar in personality
j. Do the same job as your parents
k. To inherit personality/appearance from a parent.
l. When a characteristic is passed down through many generations.
Personalise
Complete these sentences so that they’re true for you.
My ____________ is the breadwinner in my house because________________________.
Me and my ______________ are like two peas in a pod because_______________________.
I often fall out with my ___________________ over ______________________.
I’m named after ____________________________.
I think I take after my ___________________ in my personality and my _________________ when it comes to my looks.
__________________ am/is the black sheep of my family because ____________________.
Me and my ___________________are like chalk and cheese because __________________.
I get on with ____________ like a house on fire because __________________________.
____________________ runs in my family.
I would/wouldn’t like to follow in my Mum/Dad/parents’ footsteps because _________________________________.
People tell me that I’m the spitting image of ___________________________________.
I agree/disagree that blood is thicker than water because___________________________.
This is another worksheet for CAE students to learn 12 phrasal verbs and us them in a discussion. Download the worksheet and key below, you can also use the quizlet set I have made that also contains the phrasal verbs from the first worksheet.
Match the phrasal verbs in bold with their definitions.
The dinosaurs are thought to have died out millions of years ago.
If someone doesn’t deal with the problem soon, it’s going to get much worse.
I dropped off in the middle of the film and missed the end.
He started a law degree but dropped out after 1 term because it was too hard.
He fell asleep on the train and ended up in Glasgow!
When she’s nervous she fiddles with her hair a lot.
Being the only foreign girl in the school, at first it was difficult for her to fit in.
Do you want to go for a coffee after class?
Hhhmmm, I think I’ll go for the steak tartar please.
The fire alarm went off and everybody had to evacuate.
Are you sure it’s this way? Let’s just head for the city centre and hopefully we’ll find someone who speaks English.
My brother walks so fast, it’s difficult to keep up with This course is really hard; I’m struggling to keep up with all the homework.
a. Feel accepted + comfortable
b. Choose
c. Withdraw from/stop doing something
d. Become extinct
e. Go towards
f. Finally be somewhere/do something
g. Take action to solve/talk or work with
h. Touch/move with no purpose
i. Go somewhere to have something (break/drink etc.)
j. Make a noise/start working
k. Maintain the same speed as something/someone.
l. Fall asleep without wanting to.
Collocation match
Some of the phrasal verbs above collocate with the words below. Put them together:
A bomb
An alarm clock _________
__________ a break/a cigarette/ a meal
____________ a competition/ a race/ school/ university
___________ jewellery/ a pen/ keys
__________ a complaint/ people
Question Completion
Complete the questions with the phrasal verbs:
Have you ever _________ __________ in the cinema? Or in an embarrassing situation?
What foods do you normally _______ ________ when you eat out?
If you could bring one animal that has ________ ________ back to life as a pet, which would you choose and why?
How often do you _______ _______ a break when you’re studying?
Have you ever had to _______ ________ of a competition or course? If so why?
Do you normally ______ _______ a problem straight away or put off for later?
Have you ever got lost and _______ ______ in the wrong place?
What’s the first thing you do after your alarm ________ _________ in the morning? Has the fire alarm ever _______ _________ at your school/workplace? Was it a false alarm?
If you get lost in strange place, what’s the best place to __________ ___________?
How important is it for you to ______ ________ in a new situation? Have you ever felt like you didn’t ______ _______? What did you do?
What do you ________ _________ when you’re nervous?
Do you find it hard to ________ _________ _________ the work you have to do? Do any of your friends speak so fast that it’s difficult to ________ _________?
Key
Definition match
d
g
l
c
f
h
a
i
b
j
e
k
Collocations
Some of the phrasal verbs above collocate with the words below. Put them together:
A bomb
An alarm clock goes off
Go for a break/a cigarette/ a meal
Drop out of a competition/ a race/ school/ university
Fiddle with jewellery/ a pen/ keys
Deal with a complaint/ people
Question Completion
Complete the questions with the phrasal verbs:
Have you ever dropped off in the cinema? Or in an embarrassing situation?
What foods do you normally go for when you eat out?
If you could bring one animal that has died out back to life as a pet, which would you choose and why?
How often do you go for a break when you’re studying?
Have you ever had to drop out of a competition or course? If so why?
Do you normally deal with a problem straight away or put off for later?
Have you ever got lost and ended up in the wrong place?
What’s the first thing you do after your alarm goes off in the morning? Has the fire alarm ever gone off at your school/workplace? Was it a false alarm?
If you get lost in strange place, what’s the best place to head for?
How important is it for you to fit in in a new situation? Have you ever felt like you didn’t fit in? What did you do?
What do you fiddle with when you’re nervous?
Do you find it hard to keep up with the work you have to do? Do any of your friends speak so fast that it’s difficult to keep up?
This is a worksheet for C1 students in which they learn 10 phrasal verbs and put them into practice in conversation. Download the worksheet and key below:
This is a lesson plan for B2+ students in which they teach each other some compound adjectives to describe personality and use them in a discussion. You will need the students’ hand-out, teacher’s notes and link to the quizlet set below:
You can use the quizlet set to introduce the concept of compound adjectives. Pick out a few students and ask them the following questions, ask them the question with the compound adjective first and elicit the meaning.
Are you blonde-haired? Are you a person with blonde hair?
Are you blue-eyed? Are you a person with blue eyes?
Are you hard-working? Are you a person who works hard?
Are you a 16-year-old girl? Are you a girl who’s 16 years old?
Are you self-centred? Are you a person who only cares about themselves?
Peer Teaching
Now tell students they are going to teach each other some more compound adjectives. Give out the hand-out, put students in pairs and assign them A or B. A’s are not allowed to look at B’s questions. A should first ask B the first question on the list, they must start with the question with a compound adjective, then ask the question with the definition. For example:
A: Are you tight-fisted?
B: Am I what????
A: Are you a person who doesn’t like to spend or give money?
B: No. I’m very generous.
A: So you’re not tight-fisted then.
Students take it in turns to ask a question and teach the compound adjective. When they have finished they should test their partner to see what they remember.
Test a few students in open class to see how well they’ve been taught.
Student A
Read the questions and answer them yes, no or sometimes (Y/N/S)
Are you tight-fisted? Are you a person who doesn’t like to spend or give money?
Are you thin-skinned? Are you a person who is sensitive to criticism or insults?
Are you easy-going? Are you a relaxed and tolerant person?
Are you quick-witted? Are you a person who thinks and responds quickly?
Are you big-headed? Are you a person who thinks they are better than other people?
Are you self-assured? Are you confident in your own abilities and character? Are you a person who doesn’t worry about what other people think of you?
Now ask them to your partner and see what you have in common.
Student B
Read the questions and answer them yes, no or sometimes (Y/N/S)
Are you thick-skinned? Are you a person who isn’t affected by criticism or insults?
Are you laid-back? Are you a person who is relaxed and casual about everything?
Are you absent-minded? Do you often lose or forget things?
Are you bad-tempered? Do you tend to get angry often?
Are you level-headed? Are you a responsible person who doesn’t get anxious in stressful situations?
Are you self-conscious? Are you nervous or embarrassed about what other people think of you?
Now ask them to your partner and see what you have in common.
Matching Exercises
Students complete the matching exercises in pairs.
Definition match
Positive/negative
Picture match
Sentence match
1. C
2. G
3. I (i)
4. H
5. D
6. J
7. K
8. L
9. B
10. E
11. F
12. A
Positive:
Level-headed
Thick-skinned
Quick-witted
Easy-going
Self-assured
Negative:
Self-conscious
Bad-tempered
Thin-skinned
Absent-minded
Big-headed
Laid-back (could be both)
Tight-fisted
a. Tight-fisted
b. Thin-skinned
c. Absent-minded
d. Self-conscious
e. Laid-back
f. Bad-tempered
g. Big-headed
h. Self-assured
1. Self-conscious
2. Bad-tempered
3. Level-headed
4. Thin-skinned
5. Absent-minded
6. Thick-skinned
7. Big-headed
8. Laid-back
9. Quick-witted
10. Tight-fisted
11. Easy-going
12. Self-assured
Discussion
Students complete the discussion in pairs giving reasons for their answers: “A good teacher should be easy-going so that the students don’t have to do so much homework” encourage them to agree and disagree using the language in the boxes.
Which compound adjectives would you use to describe the people listed below? Discuss in pairs.
A good friend
A bad friend
A good teacher
A bad teacher
A good boss
A bad boss
Good parents
Bad parents
A policeman
A footballer
Agree
Disagree
Ask for opinion
Express opinion
Absolutely.
I couldn’t agree more.
You took the words right out of my mouth.
Uh-huh.
Yep, I’m with you on that.
Totally.
You’re absolutely right.
You can say that again!
Hhhmm, I’m not so sure.
I take your point but…
I see what you mean but…
I agree with you up to a point but…
You must be joking.
Are you kidding?
What do you think about ….?
Where do you stand on…?
What do you reckon to…?
For me personally,
As far as I’m concerned,
In my opinion,
I reckon that…
I’d say that…
Students’ Hand-out
Student A
Read the questions and answer them yes, no or sometimes (Y/N/S)
Are you tight-fisted? Are you a person who doesn’t like to spend or give money?
Are you thin-skinned? Are you a person who is sensitive to criticism or insults?
Are you easy-going? Are you a relaxed and tolerant person?
Are you quick-witted? Are you a person who thinks and responds quickly?
Are you big-headed? Are you a person who thinks they are better than other people?
Are you self-assured? Are you confident in your own abilities and character? Are you a person who doesn’t worry about what other people think of you?
Now ask them to your partner and see what you have in common.
Student B
Read the questions and answer them yes, no or sometimes (Y/N/S)
Are you thick-skinned? Are you a person who isn’t affected by criticism or insults?
Are you laid-back? Are you a person who is relaxed and casual about everything?
Are you absent-minded? Do you often lose or forget things?
Are you bad-tempered? Do you tend to get angry often?
Are you level-headed? Are you a responsible person who doesn’t get anxious in stressful situations?
Are you self-conscious? Are you nervous or embarrassed about what other people think of you?
Now ask them to your partner and see what you have in common.
Definition Match
Match the compound adjective (1-12) with the definition (a-l)
1. Tight-fisted
2. Thin-skinned
3. Easy-going
4. Quick-witted
5. Big-headed
6. Self-assured
7. Thick-skinned
8. Laid-back
9. Absent-minded
10. Bad-tempered
11. Level-headed
12. Self-conscious
a. Someone who worries what other people think of them.
b. Someone who always forgets or loses things.
c. Someone who hates spending/giving money.
d. An arrogant person.
e. Someone who frequently gets angry.
f. A responsible person who stays calm in stressful situations.
g. Someone who is sensitive to insults/criticism.
h. Someone who thinks and responds quickly.
i. A relaxed, tolerant person.
j. Someone who is confident in their abilities.
k. Someone who isn’t affected by criticism.
l. Someone who is relaxed and casual about everything.
Which ones are positive and which are negative?
Positive
Negative
Which compound adjective does each photo represent?
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
Put the 12 compound adjectives from the other page in the sentences.
I felt really _______________ on the first day of school. I didn’t know if the other kids would like me.
My Maths teacher is so __________________, he gets so angry about the smallest things.
When negotiating it’s really important to be ____________________ if you get stressed you can ruin the deal.
My best friend is so ____________________, sometimes I make fun of her just for a laugh and she runs off crying.
You’re so __________________ Mani, you left your bag and all your books on the bus.
In politics you have to be ____________________ you can’t let all the insults or criticism affect you.
Lots of Hollywood stars are so ____________________ they make one good movie and they suddenly think they’re better than everyone.
Sometimes Arnau can be too _____________________, he has 3 exams tomorrow and he hasn’t even started studying yet.
To be a comedian you have to be really ____________________, it’s hard to think of good jokes quickly.
My parents are so ___________________they never give me any pocket money!
Our new teacher is really __________________ he lets us eat sweets in class.
In a job interview it’s important to act __________________, otherwise they won’t give you the job.
Discussion
Which compound adjectives would you use to describe the people listed below? Discuss in pairs.
This is a vocabulary activity designed with proficiency students (C2) in mind. However, it can be adapted for advanced students. Students will learn expressions with the word “mind” and use them in a discussion. Download the students’ handout and teacher’s notes below:
Give out the handout and have students work in pairs to complete as many as they can. For lower levels or if students struggle you could write all the missing words on the board and students could use them to complete the activity. Students can use the list on the back to check their own answers.
Key
1. Great
2. Load
3. Meeting
4. Frame/state
5. Right
6. Give piece
7. Have own
8. Boggling
9. In/of
10. Cast
11. Bearing
12. Crossed
13. If do
14. Half
15. Sieve
16. Tracked
17. Running
18. Put
19. Own business
20. P’s q’s
21. Slipped
Definitions
Great minds think alike – When two people have had the same good idea
A load off one’s mind – news that brings relief
A meeting of the minds – group of experts meeting to discuss something
In a frame of mind – in a mental condition
No one in their right mind would – no sane person would
Give sb a piece of one’s mind – to angrily express disapproval to someone
Have a mind of its own – does things on its own
Mind-boggling – so big/complex that it’s difficult to comprehend
To be in/of two minds about something – to be undecided
Cast one’s mind back – think about a specific time in the past/make an effort to remember
Bear in mind/It’s worth bearing in mind – Remember/take into account
Cross one’s mind/It never crossed my mind to – I never thought about (normally in relation to a solution to a problem)
Don’t mind if I do – I would like to, used when accepting an offer, usually food/drink
Have half a mind to – to be considering doing something (normally something you’re not going to do)
Have a mind like a sieve – bad memory
Have a one-tracked mind – always thinking about one thing, almost always sex
Run through one’s mind – something you’re constantly thinking about
Put one’s mind to st – make a considerable effort to focus on doing something
Mind one’s own business – not interfere in other people’s lives/problems
Mind one’s p’s and q’s – be polite and follow social rules (please, thank you etc.)
Slip one’s mind – forget something
Analysis
This section is important as it gives students an opportunity to process the expressions on a deeper cognitive level and relate them to their lives, this will increase the chances of retention. Allow them to discuss the questions and then briefly in open class.
Discussion Key
Sieve slip
One
Cast
P’s q’s
Own business
Gave
Put
In/of
Right
Own
Bear
Load
Running
Student’s Handout
Sentence completion
Complete the sentences with 1 word to form expressions with “mind”.
So you’ve decided to do a masters too! ________ minds think alike!
They found the lost pendrive down the back of the sofa. Phew! That’s a ________ off my mind.
The UN has organised a council of scientists to discuss the best way to solve the issue, it’s going to be a real _________ of the minds.
Due to the recent speculation about a move to Real Madrid, the player has stated that he’s not in the right _________ of mind to play tomorrow.
No one in their _________ mind would buy that car, it’s a death-trap!
If you two don’t be quiet and go to sleep, I’m going to come up there and _____ you a ______ of my mind!
My mobile phone seems to _______ a mind of its _______. It’s always calling people in my bag.
The distances we’d have to travel to reach another habitable planet are mind-___________, it’s not going to be possible in our lifetime.
I’m ___ two minds about what to do on Sunday, we could have a picnic or we could go to the cinema.
______ your mind back to the day of the robbery Mrs. Jones, what time did your husband arrive home?
It’s worth __________ in mind that the sun goes down at 5:30 in winter, so we have to be off the mountain by then.
It never ___________my mind to ask Tony for help, I figured he didn’t know anything about computers.
Would you like another martini George? Oooo don’t mind ____ I _____.
I have ______ a mind to go up there myself and tell them to turn the music down.
I’m sorry but I’ve completely forgotten your name, I’ve got a mind like a _________.
Most teenage boys have a one-_________ mind, and we all know what that means!
Hi babe, are you tired? No, why? Because you’ve been ________through my mind all night.
You can achieve anything if you ______ your mind to it!
I was just sat at the bus-stop minding my _____ _______ when this guy walked up and started insulting me!
You have to mind your ___’s and ____’s around my grandma, she’s quite sensitive about that sort of thing.
Oh no! I forgot to bring you that letter, sorry, it completely ________ my mind.
Key
Below are the expressions from ex 1. Look at them with a partner, how can you express them in other words?
1. Great minds think alike
2. A load off one’s mind
3. A meeting of the minds
4. In a frame of mind
5. No one in their right mind would
6. Give sb a piece of one’s mind
7. Have a mind of its own
8. Mind-boggling
9. To be in/of two minds about something
10. Cast one’s mind back
11. Bear in mind/It’s worth bearing in mind
12. Cross one’s mind/It never crossed my mind to
13. Don’t mind if I do
14. Have half a mind to
15. Have a mind like a sieve
16. Have a one-tracked mind
17. Run through one’s mind
18. Put one’s mind to st
19. Mind one’s own business
20. Mind one’s p’s and q’s
21. Slip one’s mind
Analysis
With your partner, look at the expressions and answer the questions below.
Which ones are easy to guess from the individual meaning of the words?
Which ones do you like?
Which ones sound good?
Which ones can be used in the most situations? And which in the least?
Which ones can you easily relate to your life? Why?
Which ones would you use in a letter/email/text message?
Which ones would you use in speech?
Discussion
Do you have a mind like a ________? What things normally _______ your mind?
Is it true that men have a ______-track mind?
How far can you ______ your mind back?
Is it important to mind your ___’s and ___’s around your family?
Are you a busy-body? Or do you tend to mind your _____ _____________?
When was the last time you _______ someone a piece of your mind?
You can achieve anything if you ________ your mind to it. Do you agree?
Are you ____ two minds about anything at the moment?
Complete the sentence about something in your city/life/country at the moment: No one in their _______ mind would…..
Do any of your things have a mind of their ________?
What should people ________ in mind if they want to do your favourite hobby/past-time?
Can you think of any news you’ve received recently that was a _______ off your mind?
Has anything been __________through your mind a lot recently? What are you going to do about it?
This is a vocabulary lesson originally designed for higher levels (C1+) but the method can be adapted for any level and any set of vocabulary. The idea is that students teach each other a set of phrasal verbs, analyse them and then put them into practice in a gap-fill and a discussion.
Preparation
Print out the phrasal verb cards and one copy of the worksheet for each student. Cut out the cards so that the phrasal verb is on one side and the definition and example sentences are on the other. I laminated them, as shown below, but you could easily just glue them together. Students will work in groups of 3 and teach 2 phrasal verbs each to their groups so you will need 1 set of cards for each group of 3.
Put students into groups of three and give each member of each group 2 phrasal verb cards. Give students 2 minutes to familiarise themselves with the phrasal verbs and the example sentences. Students then take it in turns to teach their phrasal verbs to their group mates, who can ask additional questions to clarify the use and meaning. Encourage the “teachers” to think of their own example sentences aside from the examples on the cards so that they can personalise it. Also, you could tell them to give their groups an opportunity to guess the meaning before they explain it. For this section I boarded some expressions:
to hazard a guess – make a guess
to put sb out of their misery – kill someone who’s suffering/give sb who is guessing something the answer
When everyone has finished move onto the next stage.
Analysis and Processing
Invite students to come to the board and write a phrasal verb they have learnt and a definition. However, they must board one of the phrasal verbs they have just learnt, NOT one of the ones they taught to their group.
When you have all 6 phrasal verbs on the board, give the students the handout and have them analyse them in their groups using the criteria on the worksheet:
Look at the phrasal verb and decide:
Is the meaning easy to understand from the words?
Put them in order, which one is the most useful?
Which one is the easiest to use?
Which one do you think is easiest to remember?
Which ones could you use at home/work/school/in the street/in emails/letters?
The aim of this section is to force students to process the items at a deeper cognitive level, thus increasing the chances of retention. Feedback briefly in open class. Make a note of the ones students think are hardest to remember.
Gap-fill and Discussion
Students complete the gap-fill exercise on the handout in their groups and then ask and answer the questions.
Put the phrasal verbs in the questions:
What do you do when people _________ when you’re talking? Do people in your country tend to _________ more than other nationalities? Butt/cut in
What fashion trend _____________ when you were younger? Are they still in fashion today? caught on
What did your parents use to do when you ___________? Were they strict or lenient? acted up
How long do you think you could ________________ the internet/TV/music/your favourite food/meat? do without
Have you ever been _____________? What happened to the company? If a company is in trouble, who normally gets _________ first? laid off
What would you do it you saw two people ____________each other in the street? Would you step in? Why? Why not? laying into
Follow up
Test students on the phrasal verbs in the next class and see if their opinions about which are hardest to remember are true.
This is a lesson plan for adult higher-level students (high B2+) in which students learn some political idioms and put them into practice in a discussion. Download the hand out and key below:
the hand-out has pretty pictures but they didn’t come out here 🙁
1. A two/three/four-horse race
2. A political football
3. Hot air
4. Toe the party line
5. A political hot potato
6. A hung parliament
7. Press the flesh
8. Get on/off your soapbox
9. Throw in the towel
10. Bent/crooked
11. Live/be in an ivory tower
12. Have the common touch
a. Be corrupt
b. When there’s no clear winner in an election
c. Empty words
d. To speak passionately about something you believe in
e. A problem that doesn’t get solved because of political reasons
f. To give up
g. A competition/election only a few people can win
h. To shake hands with the public
i. To be able to relate to the public
j. To be detached from reality
k. A potentially controversial topic
l. Conform to and express the same views as the leaders of your party.
Put the expressions in the sentences:
After the speeches the politicians went into the crowd to __________________ with members of the public.
What the chancellor said about trickle-down economics is a load of ________________, I don’t believe it for a second.
The problem with most politicians is that they __________________________ and have no idea how their policies affect people.
I reckon half the politicians in this country are _____________________, you just have to follow the money.
The opposition have decided to __________________________ and accept that they lost the election.
Normally, if a cabinet minister doesn’t ________________________ they’ll soon be out of a job.
Early polls suggest the result will be a _____________________ with no clear winner.
It looks like the election will be a ___________________ between Labour and the Conservatives.
Prison reform has been a ______________________ for years because prisoners don’t vote!
The subject of MPs’ expenses is a ______________________, nobody wants to touch it but I’m sure it’s going to blow up soon.
The new leader of the Liberals _______________________, you can see it in the way he talks to his constituents.
______________________ Tony, you’re always banging on about conspiracy theories but we’ve heard it all before.
Discussion
How much of a politician’s time should they spend on local issues relevant to their constituency?
How much of a politician’s time should they spend on national issues?
Should all politicians have to toe the party line? When should they be allowed to speak out against their leader/policy in their party?
If a politician doesn’t toe the party line, what should the leader do?
Which politicians are always spouting hot air? Can you trust anything a politician says? Are there any politicians in your country that you believe in?
Who should get the first opportunity to form a government in a hung parliament, the party that got the most votes? Or the party most likely to be able to form a stable coalition?
What have been the biggest political hot potatoes in your country in the last few years?
Are there any issues that are treated like political footballs in your country?
What do you think when you see a politician pressing the flesh? Why do you think they do it? Have you ever pressed the flesh with a politician?
What do you get on your soap box about?
Which politicians in your country have the common touch? And which don’t?
Are elections in your country normally a two-horse race?
If you could change one thing about the political system in your country, what would it be?
How much do politicians earn in your country? Is it enough? Why do people get into politics?
Key
Definition match
G
E
C
L (l)
K
B
H
D
F
A
J
I (i)
Sentence match
Press the flesh
Hot air
Live/are in an ivory tower
Crooked/bent
Throw in the towel
Toe the party line
Hung parliament
Two-horse race
Political football
Political hot potato
Has the common touch
Get off your soap box – used to tell someone to stop talking about something
Follow up
Students could write a CAE/CPE style report on the state of politics in their country, the report could then suggest ways in which politicians could get young people to take and interest in politics.
