Lesson goal: Students can describe change, problems and solutions with precise, high-level verbs and qualify their predictions with fine modal distinctions such as may well, should and needn't have.
Add the lesson to get your own copies of the word set and exercises; the lesson opens in the builder, where you can adjust the steps and teach it.
Lesson plan
- 1
Warm-up
Questions to get the student talking and lead into the topic.
- Think of a problem in your town. What has made it better or worse in recent years?
- Have you ever had to hand over control of something you cared about?
- Do you read contracts and terms and conditions carefully before you sign?
- 2
New words
Meet the words and practise them in games.
FlashcardsUnjumblealleviate · exacerbate · scrutinise · reconcile · advocate · relinquish · deteriorate · circumvent · foster · curtail · embark on · dwindle
All words in the set - 3
Exercises
The lesson's words in context. Only you see the answers.
- Fill the gap
Painkillers can ___ the symptoms, but they won't cure the underlying problem.
Answer: alleviate - Fill the gap
Cutting the number of nurses will only ___ the crisis in our hospitals.
Answer: exacerbate - Fill the gap
At 78, the founder finally agreed to ___ control of the company to his daughter.
Answer: relinquish - Fill the gap
If interest rates keep rising, house prices may ___ fall further next year.
Answer: well - Multiple choice
We ___ have printed the tickets — they were on my phone all along.
needn'tmustn'tcouldn'twouldn't - Multiple choice
Lawyers found a clever way to ___ the new tax rules.
circumventcurtailfosteradvocate - Multiple choice
Which sentence uses 'embark on' correctly?
At fifty, she embarked on a degree in medicine.At fifty, she embarked a degree in medicine.At fifty, she embarked on to study medicine.At fifty, she embarked in a degree in medicine. - True / false
Read: "When the family firm was founded in 1972, its owner advocated one simple rule: no major decision without consulting the staff. As the company grew, that culture of trust gradually dwindled, and profits deteriorated with it. The new owners have now embarked on a review of every department, which, they insist, should be completed by spring." The text suggests that the culture of trust grew stronger as the company expanded.
Answer: False - True / false
Read the text again. The new owners expect the review to be finished by spring.
Answer: True - Discussion question
Choose a social problem (traffic, loneliness, housing...). Explain what has exacerbated it and what might alleviate it, using at least four verbs from the set and one modal such as may well, should or needn't.
Sample answer: Rising rents have undoubtedly exacerbated loneliness among young people, many of whom now live far from their friends. Councils could foster a sense of community by funding cheap local clubs, and employers might alleviate the problem by allowing more flexible hours. Such measures may well seem trivial, but over time they should curtail the isolation that so many people describe.
- Fill the gap
- 4
Speaking
The student answers using the new words.
- Is it ever acceptable to circumvent a rule you believe is unfair?
- How can schools foster creativity rather than just test knowledge?
- Why do people find it so hard to relinquish power, even when they should?
- Which causes do you think are worth advocating in public?
- How can people reconcile ambition with a happy family life?
- 5
Review
A quiz on the lesson's words. With a student, it's homework on their link.
Quiz