Lesson goal: Students can describe character and the dynamics of relationships, talk about conflict and reconciliation, and use past modals to judge past behaviour.
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.
- What quality do you value most in a friend?
- Are you still in touch with your friends from school?
- Do you find it easy to apologise?
- 2
New words
Meet the words and practise them in games.
Match the pairsOpen the boxtrustworthy · empathetic · stubborn · compromise · nurture · betray · reconcile · clash · supportive · drift apart · hold a grudge · see eye to eye · a pet peeve · make amends · a kindred spirit
All words in the set - 3
Exercises
The lesson's words in context. Only you see the answers.
- Fill the gap
They haven't spoken for years, but I hope the two brothers will ___ one day.
Answer: reconcile - Fill the gap
She still won't speak to him. She's been holding a ___ since the wedding.
Answer: grudge - Fill the gap
You ___ (tell) her the truth from the start. Now she feels betrayed.
Answer: should have told / ought to have told - Fill the gap
He ___ (forget) your birthday on purpose — he's far too kind for that.
Answer: can't have forgotten / couldn't have forgotten / cannot have forgotten - Multiple choice
We were close at school, but we gradually ___ after university.
drifted apartmade amendssaw eye to eyefell out - Multiple choice
Someone who understands and shares other people's feelings is ...
empatheticstubborntrustworthysupportive - Multiple choice
'She didn't reply to my message.' — 'She ___ seen it. She's on holiday with no signal.'
might not havemustn't haveshouldn't have - True / false
Read: "Jo and Sam had been flatmates for years when they clashed over money. Neither would compromise, and Jo moved out. A year later Sam wrote a long letter to make amends, and they are now closer than ever." Jo was the one who apologised.
Answer: False - True / false
Read the text again. The friendship survived the argument.
Answer: True - Discussion question
Think of a time you fell out with someone. What happened, what could either of you have done differently, and did you make up?
Sample answer: I once fell out with a colleague over a project. Looking back, I should have listened to her ideas instead of being so stubborn, and she could have told me earlier that she was unhappy. In the end we went for a coffee, talked it through and reconciled.
- Fill the gap
- 4
Speaking
The student answers using the new words.
- Can you be friends with someone you don't see eye to eye with on important issues?
- Is it ever right to betray a friend's secret?
- Why do some friendships last for life while others drift apart?
- What's your biggest pet peeve in other people?
- Have you ever met a kindred spirit by chance? How did you know?
- 5
Review
A quiz on the lesson's words. With a student, it's homework on their link.
Quiz