B2 grammar – Tim's Free English Lesson Plans

therapy

This is a grammar lesson for B2 students. Students will be introduced to the language for expressing wishes through a short dialogue from a therapy session. The subject of therapy and mental health may be a sensitive subject with some students so gauge your group carefully. Download all the materials below:

A Therapy Session – Wish If Only – PowerPoint

A Therapy Session – Student Handout

Procedure

Warmer

Show the first slide of the presentation, you could either have students come up with their own warmer questions about the topic or use the questions on slide 2.

Language in Context

Give out the handout, have students read the text and then answer the question “how much do you have in common with Natalia?” in pairs. Feedback in open class.

Have students answer the detail questions. These questions are designed to guide students to the examples of the target structures on the text.

Language Focus

Lead students through the next slides. Encourage students to work in pairs to examine the patterns that follow the the target structures. Try to get students to tell you how the structures work rather than vice versa.

Controlled Practice

Have students complete the practice activity individually and then have them compare their answers with a partner. Encourage them to explain the reasoning behind their choices.

Key:

I wish I were/was rich.*
If only I had green eyes.
I wish I had studied more for the exam yesterday.
If only my brother wouldn’t annoy me so much.
I wish I looked like Ariana Grande.
If only my teacher wouldn’t give me so much homework. (hadn’t given me also possible)
I wish I hadn’t eaten so much last night.
I wish I could turn invisible.

*purists would say that “were” is the only correct answer but “I wish I WAS rich” is now perfectly acceptable.

Freer Production

Put students in pairs or threes and have them write a therapy dialogue using the target language as often as possible. Encourage them to be imaginative and be as overly dramatic as possible.

Exam Preparation Classes

These structures often come up in the B2 First Certificate exam in part 4 of the use of English. Here’s a link to a quizlet set for extra practice/revision.

You should also encourage students to use them in their writings, particularly informal emails/letters: “Your holiday sounds amazing I wish I had gone with you!”

research-checklist-blue-640x437

This is a lesson plan designed for students on preparation courses for the Cambridge B2 First (FCE) exam. In particular I think it would be good for students who are close to taking the exam. It works as a diagnostic test of a range of the grammar points that are tested, particularly in part 4 of the reading and use of English exam. Download the handout below:

First Certificate Grammar Checklist

Quizlet set

Procedure:

Self-Assessment

Give out copies of the handout, have students individually assess their grasp of each of the structures. They should fill in the box on the end with either a tick (I know this very well) a cross (I’ve got no idea about this) or a wiggly line (I more or less get this).

Have students compare with their partner. Ask them to look for differences, there should be opportunities for peer teaching here, have one student attempt to explain a grammar point to another.

Practice

Project the quizlet set of key word transformations. Put students in pairs. First students need to identify the structure that is being tested. This is a very important step, getting them to put themselves in the examiner’s shoes and not just jump straight in and answer. Check that they’ve identified the structure, then have them work together to try to complete the sentence. Encourage reflection and comparison between their initial self-assessment and then their scores and performance in the exam task.

The checklist is not exhaustive, have I missed any common structures that come up in part 4?

Grammar Structure	Examples	Self-assessment
Past simple/Present perfect	I haven’t seen John for 5 years. The last time I saw John was 5 years ago.
2^nd conditional	If I won the lottery, I would buy a mansion. If I didn’t work in construction, I would be an actor.
3^rd conditional	If I hadn’t slipped on that banana, I wouldn’t have broken my arm. If I had known you were coming, I would have baked a cake.
The passive voice	Active: The police arrested the man. Passive: The man was arrested by the police. Other example: It is said that cigarettes give you cancer. Cigarettes are said to give you cancer
Wish/If only	I regret eating so much -> I wish I hadn’t eaten so much. It was a bad idea to drink that wine -> If only I hadn’t drunk that wine.
Linkers: Despite/in spite of -> Although/even though	Despite the rain, the party was great -> The party was great even though it was raining. Although he felt ill, he still went to school. -> He still went to school in spite of his illness.
Reported speech	“I went there last year.” -> He said that he had gone there last year. “I will call him tomorrow.” -> She said that she would call him the following day.
Reported questions	“Have you been to Paris?” -> He asked me if I had been to Paris. “Where is the train station?” -> He asked me where the train station was.
Phrasal verbs	He wants to cancel the meeting -> he wants to call off the meeting. He won’t tolerate bad behaviour -> he won’t put up with bad behaviour.
Causative have/get: have/get something done	I need to get my hair cut. I need to have my computer repaired.
Comparatives/superlatives	This restaurant is better than that one -> That restaurant isn’t as good as this one. He’s not nearly as tall as me. My brother is slightly younger than me. No one is as good at football as Messi -> Messi is the best football player.
Past modal verbs: Must have Could/might/may have Should have etc.	The butler must have murdered him, there’s blood on his shirt. It can’t have been Sarah you saw at the mall, she’s on holiday in Dubai. I shouldn’t have drunk so much last night.
So/such	It was so hot that we couldn’t leave the hotel -> It was such a hot day that we had to stay in the hotel. It rained so much that the house flooded. ->It was such a rainy day that the house flooded.
Gerund/infinitive	I’m a big fan of playing water sports. I’m interested in studying history. I have decided to study biology. He spent 10 minutes knocking on my door.

Tag: B2 grammar

A Therapy Session – Wish/If Only

First Certificate (FCE) Grammar/Language Checklist