Society today — ready-made English lesson, C1

Lesson goal: Vocabulary for social issues with inversion for emphasis: a formal discussion.

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 has changed most in society in the last twenty years?
- Which social problem would you solve first?
- Is inequality growing or shrinking?
2
New words
Meet the words and practise them in games.
FlashcardsMatch the pairs
inequality · welfare · policy · legislation · election · campaign · citizen · poverty · unemployment · human rights · controversial · public opinion
All words in the set
3
Exercises
The lesson's words in context. Only you see the answers.
1. Multiple choice
  Never ___ such a breathtaking view in my life.
  I have seenhave I seenI had seendid I saw
2. Multiple choice
  Hardly ___ the house when it started to pour with rain.
  had we leftwe had leftdid we leavehave we left
3. Multiple choice
  Not only ___ late, but he also forgot the tickets.
  he waswas hehe weredid he be
4. Multiple choice
  Which sentence is correct?
  Only later I realised what had happened.Only later did I realise what had happened.Only later did I realised what had happened.Only later realised I what had happened.
5. Fill the gap
  No sooner ___ the phone down than it rang again.
  Answer: had I put
6. Fill the gap
  Under no circumstances ___ you open this door without permission.
  Answer: should
7. Fill the gap
  Little ___ she know that her life was about to change forever.
  Answer: did
8. Fill the gap
  Rarely ___ we see such dedication in young players these days.
  Answer: do
9. Fill the gap
  Not until the results came out ___ how well she had done.
  Answer: did she realise / did she realize
10. True / false
  This sentence is correct: 'Seldom I have heard such a moving speech.'
  Answer: False
11. Discussion question
  Describe a surprising moment in your life using at least two inversions (for example, 'Never had I...', 'Only then did I...').
  Sample answer: Never had I felt so nervous as on the day of my first job interview. Hardly had I sat down when the manager asked me to speak in English. Only then did I realise how much my practice had helped.
12. Discussion question
  Why do you think inversion is more common in speeches, news reports and formal writing than in everyday conversation?
  Sample answer: Inversion sounds dramatic and formal, so speakers use it to emphasise a point and keep the audience's attention. In everyday conversation it would sound rather theatrical.
4
Speaking
The student answers using the new words.
- Two minutes on a social issue you care about.
- Start with an inversion for emphasis: 'Never before has…', 'Not only does…'
5
Review
A quiz on the lesson's words. With a student, it's homework on their link.
Quiz

Lesson plan

Warm-up

Questions to get the student talking and lead into the topic.

What has changed most in society in the last twenty years?
Which social problem would you solve first?
Is inequality growing or shrinking?

New words

Meet the words and practise them in games.

FlashcardsMatch the pairs

inequality · welfare · policy · legislation · election · campaign · citizen · poverty · unemployment · human rights · controversial · public opinion

All words in the set

Exercises

The lesson's words in context. Only you see the answers.

Multiple choice
Never ___ such a breathtaking view in my life.
I have seenhave I seenI had seendid I saw
Multiple choice
Hardly ___ the house when it started to pour with rain.
had we leftwe had leftdid we leavehave we left
Multiple choice
Not only ___ late, but he also forgot the tickets.
he waswas hehe weredid he be
Multiple choice
Which sentence is correct?
Only later I realised what had happened.Only later did I realise what had happened.Only later did I realised what had happened.Only later realised I what had happened.
Fill the gap
No sooner ___ the phone down than it rang again.
Answer: had I put
Fill the gap
Under no circumstances ___ you open this door without permission.
Answer: should
Fill the gap
Little ___ she know that her life was about to change forever.
Answer: did
Fill the gap
Rarely ___ we see such dedication in young players these days.
Answer: do
Fill the gap
Not until the results came out ___ how well she had done.
Answer: did she realise / did she realize
True / false
This sentence is correct: 'Seldom I have heard such a moving speech.'
Answer: False
Discussion question
Describe a surprising moment in your life using at least two inversions (for example, 'Never had I...', 'Only then did I...').
Sample answer: Never had I felt so nervous as on the day of my first job interview. Hardly had I sat down when the manager asked me to speak in English. Only then did I realise how much my practice had helped.
Discussion question
Why do you think inversion is more common in speeches, news reports and formal writing than in everyday conversation?
Sample answer: Inversion sounds dramatic and formal, so speakers use it to emphasise a point and keep the audience's attention. In everyday conversation it would sound rather theatrical.

Speaking

The student answers using the new words.

Two minutes on a social issue you care about.
Start with an inversion for emphasis: 'Never before has…', 'Not only does…'

Review

A quiz on the lesson's words. With a student, it's homework on their link.

Quiz