Lesson goal: Students can summarise and discuss research and arguments in an academic style, using precise academic verbs and reporting verbs to present other people's ideas.
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Lesson plan
- 1
Warm-up
Questions to get the student talking and lead into the topic.
- Have you ever had to write an essay or a report in English? What was the hardest part?
- How is the way you write at work or university different from the way you text your friends?
- When you read a headline about a new study, do you usually believe it?
- 2
New words
Meet the words and practise them in games.
HangmanFill the gapanalyse · assess · clarify · derive · emphasise · evaluate · illustrate · imply · interpret · justify · outline · undermine
All words in the set - 3
Exercises
The lesson's words in context. Only you see the answers.
- Fill the gap
The first chapter briefly ___ the main arguments, which are then developed in detail.
Answer: outlines - Fill the gap
Many English words ___ from Latin and Greek.
Answer: derive - Fill the gap
The author ___ that social media has made us lonelier, though she offers little evidence.
Answer: claims / argues / suggests - Fill the gap
The researchers acknowledged ___ the sample was too small to draw firm conclusions.
Answer: that - Multiple choice
Which verb means 'to suggest something without saying it directly'?
implyclarifyemphasiseoutline - Multiple choice
Which sentence is correct?
The report recommends that the scheme be extended.The report recommends the scheme to be extended.The report recommends to extend the scheme.The report recommends extend the scheme. - Multiple choice
Constant last-minute changes to the exam rules ___ teachers' confidence in the system.
underminejustifyillustrateevaluate - True / false
Read: "Smith (2021) argues that homework at primary school has little effect on achievement. Her study, however, assessed children in only two cities, and she acknowledges that the results may not apply elsewhere. Later research has challenged her interpretation of the data." Smith claims that her findings apply to all primary schools.
Answer: False - True / false
Read the text again. Not all researchers agree with the way Smith interpreted her results.
Answer: True - Discussion question
Summarise an argument you have recently read or heard (an article, a lecture, a podcast) in three or four sentences. Use at least three reporting verbs such as argue, claim, acknowledge, emphasise or suggest.
Sample answer: In a recent article, the author argues that remote work has made companies more productive. She emphasises the time saved on commuting and illustrates her point with data from several tech firms. However, she acknowledges that the evidence comes mainly from one sector, and she does not really justify her claim that the same applies to schools or hospitals.
- Fill the gap
- 4
Speaking
The student answers using the new words.
- How would you evaluate whether a teacher is doing a good job?
- Can you justify spending public money on research with no obvious practical use?
- Is it possible to interpret statistics objectively, or do we always see what we want to see?
- What should a good presentation clarify in its first two minutes?
- 5
Review
A quiz on the lesson's words. With a student, it's homework on their link.
Quiz