Upper-intermediate ESL lesson on social issues, grammar tenses

Upper-intermediate
Level 5 - Module 17
WEEK 1: Unit 1 Beginnings
Slide 1 – Unit 1 Presentation

1 Go over the contents that will be studied during the session.
Slide 2 - Direct and Indirect Questions

The teacher will explain how and when to use this type of questions.
Slide 3 - Direct and Indirect Questions (Activity)

Go over the contents that will be studied during the session.
Slide 4 - Personality
The teacher will pronounce every adjective shown on the slide to help the students work on
their pronunciation and possibly clarify the meaning of some of them; after that, the students
must discuss the questions.
Slide 5 – Past Simple

The teacher will explain how to form the past simple and when to use it.
Slide 6 - Feelings
The teacher will go over the pronunciation of the vocabulary, then, the students will choose
one of the feelings below and talk about a time when they felt that way. They must give
details, and make sure to use the past tense.
Slide 7 – How to Write an Informal Letter for IELTS (General Task 1)

First, you must explain that this type of letter is meant for a friend. Then, proceed to read the
sample task on screen, and explain how this task must be addressed (the steps to writing this
type of letter).
Slide 8 – How to Write a Formal Letter for IELTS (General Task 1)

Explain that this type of letter is meant for a boss, a company, an application, a complaint, an
apology, and maybe a teacher or an invitation. Then, proceed to read the sample task on
screen, and explain how this task must be addressed (the steps to writing this type of letter).
Slide 9 – Marking Criteria for IELTS Writing Task 1

The teacher will go over the criteria examiners use to assess IELTS writing task 1.
Slide 10 – Present Perfect

The teacher will go over when and how to use this tense.
Slide 11 – Experiences: Never Have I Ever
Each student must take a paddle, which reads “I have” on one side, and “I have not” on the
other one. One person says something that they haven’t done. “Never have I ever broken
something at a friend’s house and not told them.” If they have broken something at a friend’s
house and not told their friend, they must use the paddle to say so and they lose a point, then
they must say what happened. Then the next person says something they haven’t done “Never
have I ever + past participle…” and so on.
2 Each student has three points to start and when they don’t have any more points they are out
of the game. The last person with points left wins the game.
Slide 12 – Vocabulary for Polite Phone Inquiries

The teacher will go over the vocabulary with the students helping them work on their
pronunciation and fluency.
Slide 13 – Assignment for next class: Social Issues Vocabulary

The teacher will tell the students they must memorize the vocabulary depicted on the slide,
and that next class, they will check it out.
Slide 14 – Unit 1 Recap and 10-minute Feedback

The teacher will take the last 10 minutes of the session to give each student feedback about
their performance during the session, giving advice and pointing out what they need to work
on in order to improve.
WEEK 2: Unit 2 Issues

Slide 2 – Assignment from Last Class: Social Issues Vocabulary

There are nine definitions on the slide. Students must guess the word according to each one of
3 them. These are the answers:
1. To monitor 6. Debt
2. Famine 7. Law-abiding citizens
3. Accountable for 8. Invasion of privacy
4. Drought 9. Disease
5. A deterrent to something
Slide 3 – Present Perfect Simple and Continuous

The teacher will explain the difference between using the present perfect simple and
continuous.
Slide 4 – Present Perfect Simple OR Continuous

In this activity, the students must complete the sentences with the words in brackets using
either present perfect simple or continuous.
These are the answers:
1. How long have you known Gerry?

2. How many times has Charles visited New York?
3. The children have played ball for two hours.
4. Peter has never smoked.
5. He has been writing his essay all day, but he has not/hasn’t finished.
6. My team has won only two matches so far.
7. The others have always been better.
8. I have been working on this project for six months.
9. Tom has not/hasn’t finished his homework yet.
10. How long has the dog been home alone?
Slide 5 – Surveillance
The students must discuss the questions about surveillance.
Slide 6 and 7 – The Passive

There are nine definitions on the slide. Students must guess the word according to each one of
them.
Slide 8 – The Passive (Activity)

There are 10 sentences on the slides. The students must change them from active to passive.
Here are the answers:
1. I want to be surprised by my friends on my birthday.

2. The cow was being milked by the farmer.
3. Will a new worker be employed by the company?
4. Europe is visited by millions of people year-round.
5. John doesn’t like to be criticized.
6. He said the project could be finished by Monday.
7. The flowers have been plucked by the girls.
4 8. He started to leave before he had been given the directions.
9. Romeo and Juliet was written by William Shakespeare in the 1590’s.
10. The customer was being helped by the salesman when the thief came into the store.
Slide 9 – Icebreaker
The class must be divided in two teams. The teacher will give each team three sets with some
pieces of paper with words on them that they must organize as fast as possible in order to
make sentences in the passive voice. The words with capital letters must be at the beginning
of every sentence, unless it is a proper noun. Once each time has organized the sentences,
they must run to the board and stick them on it using tape. The team that finishes first, wins.
These are the sentences that must be formed:

1. It was so dark that nothing could be seen.
2. A woman was attacked by a shark while swimming in Florida.
3. The city was almost completely destroyed by the earthquake.
4. The Golden Gate Bridge was designed by Joseph Strauss.
5. Can potatoes be roasted in five minutes?
6. My car hasn’t been fixed yet. They’re so slow!
Slide 10 – Social Issues

Discuss the questions related to social issues.
Slide 11 – Giving and Responding to Opinions

Go over the phrases on the slide and then discuss the questions with the students.
Slide 12 – Assignment for next class: Linkers

The teacher will go over the linkers the students must memorize:

WEEK 3: Unit 3 Downtime

Slide 2 – Assignment from Last Class: Linkers

There are nine sentences on the slide. The students must complete them using the linkers
given in the previous session. Each one of them must do it separately and then compare all
together. These are the answers:
5
1. Besides 6. Whereas
2. Due to 7. On the other hand
3. Despite 8. However
4. Although 9. Therefore
5. Moreover
Slide 3 – Habit and Routine

The teacher will go over the use of used to, would, be/get used to, after that, the students
must use those structures to talk about the bullet points on the slide.
Slide 4 – Impromptu Speech Time

The students, one by one, will toss a pair of dice, and depending on the number they get, the
teacher will give them a topic to talk about. They will have 2 minutes to talk, the teacher must
use the sand timer to keep track of the time. The students won’t get extra time to prepare
their speech, and they must stop as soon as the upper bulb of the sand timer is empty.
These are the topics:
1. Talk about a social issue in your country, and what you think should be done in order to solve it.
2. What is something you are obsessed with?
3. What is something that is popular now that annoys you?
4. What do you think of tattoos? Do you have any?
5. What’s the most useful thing you own?
6. If you opened a business, what kind of business would it be?
7. What is the strangest dream you have ever had?
8. What is a controversial opinion you have?
9. What are some of the most annoying habits someone can have?
10. Where is the worst place you have been stuck for a long time?
11. What do you do to improve your mood when you are in a bad mood?
12. What is the silliest fear you have?
IMPORTANT: Once each student has finished their impromptu speech, the teacher must give
them feedback on their performance.
Slide 5 – Future Forms Review

The teacher will go over the tenses used for intentions, plans and predictions while giving
examples.
Slide 6 – Future Forms (Activity)

The students must answer the questions in order to use the future tenses that have just been
explained.
Slide 7 – How to Write an Essay for IELTS (General/Academic Task 2)

6 First, you must explain how long it is advised to spend on this task since test takers are given
only one hour to work on task 1 and task 2. Then, you proceed to explain the types of essay
that could appear on then test, and read the sample task on screen.
Slide 8 – IELTS Essay Structure

Explain how this task must be addressed (the steps to writing an essay for IELTS).
Introduction
Aim to write three sentences around 60 words in total.
 Sentence 1 – Paraphrase the task question or write a general statement relating to

the topic using synonyms of the key words used in the question. E.g. These days, many
local governments spend large portions of their budget not only on public services, but also on
the visual arts.
 Sentence 2 – State your opinion or point of view on the question being asked. E.g –
Although I agree that it is important to invest in local amenities, I do not think spending on the
visual arts is a waste of money.
 Sentence 3 – Give an essay overview including a summarizing phrase like: E.g. This
essay will discuss this issue using examples to support arguments and demonstrate
points.
Supporting Paragraphs
The two supporting paragraphs should include your ideas and supporting examples to
answer the task question. Aim to write only two supporting paragraphs with roughly 85 words
in each. Each paragraph should contain the following four sentences and stick to one idea per
paragraph:
Paragraph 1:
 Sentence 1 – State your 1st position. Eg. On the one hand, spending a significant
amount of the government budget on public services is beneficial for society.
 Sentence 2 – Explain why you hold that position. Eg. Providing for basic amenities, such
as hospitals, roads, and schools, helps to determine the quality of life that most citizens will
have.
 Sentence 3 – Give an academic example that backs up your idea. Eg. For example, a
recent survey by Education Today shows that countries that spend more on schools have a
population that is higher in literacy, by 65%, compared to those that dedicate no money to
education.
 Sentence 4 – Summarise the paragraph showing how your example links your
idea/argument back to the main idea. Eg. Therefore it is apparent that spending on public
services is a worthwhile investment for a government.
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Paragraph 2:
 Sentence 1 – State your 2nd position. Eg. However, this does not mean that the visual
arts should be completely neglected.
 Sentence 2 – Explain why you hold that position. Eg. The visual arts also have an
important impact on our quality of life.
 Sentence 3 – Give an academic example that backs up your idea. Eg. For example, a
recent study conducted by the World Health Organization concluded that individuals that
regularly visit art galleries are cited as being 20% happier in life than people who do not.
 Sentence 4 – Summarise the paragraph showing how your example links your
idea/argument back to the main idea. Eg. Seeing the health benefits that many people get
from the visual arts, it is important that the government assists such institutions so that they can
continue to provide pleasure to the public.
Conclusion
For the conclusion, aim to write just one or two sentences that paraphrase what
you’ve discussed in the essay. Try to keep to under 45 words.
 Sentence 1 – Summarise the essay. Be sure to start this sentence with an

appropriate linking phrase (i.e. In conclusion, To sum up, Consequently) followed by
an overall summary of what you’ve just written. E.g. To sum up, although there are clear
benefits of ensuring a large amount of investment goes into public services, I do not believe
spending money on the arts is a waste of money as this too provides important benefits.
 Sentence 2 – Give a Final Thought. Eg. In the future, governments should consider
budgeting for both.
Slide 9 – Tips for Writing an Essay for IELTS

Go over the tips on the slide.
Slide 10 – Marking Criteria for IELTS Writing Task 2

The teacher will go over the criteria examiners use to assess IELTS writing task 2.
Slide 11 – Behavior
Discuss the questions on bad habits, friendship and parenting.
Slide 12 – Free Time

Discuss the questions about free time.
Slide 13 – Assignment for next class: Multi-word Verbs

The teacher will go over the multi-word verbs the students must memorize.
8 Slide 14 – Unit 1 Recap and 10-minute Feedback

Upper-intermediate
Level 5 - Module 18
WEEK 1: Unit 4 Stories

Slide 2 – Assignment from Last Class: Multi-word Verbs
There are seven sentences on the slide. The students must complete them using the multi-
word verbs given in the previous session. Each one of them must do it separately and then
compare all together. These are the answers:
1. Brenda never turned up for work last Monday.

2. She still hasn’t gotten over her divorce even though it’s been three years.
3. I don’t get why Jeff turned down that job offer. It was a pretty good opportunity.
9 4. Marty is positive his wife will give up smoking soon.
5. It was about time Johnny settled down. He’s not 20 anymore.
6. It was an awfully long drive. No wonder you ran out of gas.
7. I’m not so sure that’s the right move for the business I’m trying to set up.
Slide 3 – Narrative Tenses

The teacher will go over the tenses used to narrate.
Slide 4 – Tell Us a Story

Each of the students will choose one of the four topics suggested and tell a story about it.
Slide 5 – Icebreaker: Name that Tune!

The class must be divided in two teams. Each student must take a turn to hum the song the
teacher will play for them using headphones. Each team gets 10 points to start the game. Each
student gets only 20 seconds to hum the song, if their team doesn’t guess the name of the
song, then they miss 1 point. The team that has the most remaining points wins.
1. This Love – Maroon 5 19.Don’t Speak – No Doubt

2. What’s Up – 4 Non Blondes 20.Dancing Queen – ABBA
3. Shape of You – Ed Sheeran 21.Sugar – Maroon 5
4. More than Words – Extreme 22. Unchained Melody – The Righteous Brothers
5. Hello – Adele 23.Umbrella – Rihanna
6. Losing my Religion – R.E.M 24.Hotel California – Eagles
7. You’re Beautiful – James Blunt 25.Creep – Radiohead
8. Sweet Child O’ Mine – Guns N’ Roses 26.Every Breath You Take – The Police
9. Wonderwall – Oasis 27.Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana
10. Baby One More Time – Britney Spears 28.Is This Love – Bob Marley
11. Thriller – Michael Jackson 29.Pretty Woman – Roy Orbison
12. I Will Always Love You – Whitney 30.Welcome to the Jungle – Guns N’ Roses
Houston 31.Beat It – Michael Jackson
13. My Heart Will Go On – Celine Dion 32.Don’t Stop Believing – Journey
14. Uptown Funk – Bruno Mars 33.Smooth Criminal – Michael Jackson
15. Hey Jude – The Beatles 34.We Will Rock You – Queen
16. Billie Jean – Michael Jackson 35.YMCA – The Village People
17. Imagine – John Lennon 36.Chop Suey – System of a Down
18. Bohemian Rhapsody 37.Stayin’ Alive – Bee Gees
38. Someone Like You – Adele 40.Basket Case – Green Day
39. Otherside – Red Hot Chili Peppers
Slide 6 – Wish and Regrets

The teacher will explain the students how and when to use the expressions on the slide.
Slide 7 – Wish or Regret?

There are five pictures. Each student must come up with one sentence for each using “I wish
10 I... / If only I...”, “I should/shouldn’t have...”, for example:
 I wish she would stop talking OR If only she would let me work.
 I wish he would stop smoking next to me.
 I wish I was/were rich OR I wish I had a lot of money.
 I should’ve gone to bed earlier last night OR I wish I didn’t have to get up so early.
 I wish she hadn’t left me.
Slide 8 – Talk about Wishes and Regrets

The students must discuss the questions on wishes and regrets.
Slide 9 – Tips for the IELTS Listening Section

The teacher will go over the tips for the IELTS listening section, and will inform the students
that in the following session there will be a listening simulation.
Slide 10 – IELTS Listening Sections

The teacher will explain what every section of the IELTS listening part consists in.
Slide 11 – Idioms
The students must say when every idiom depicted on the slide is used. Once they’re done,
every one of them must pick one and talk about a time in their life for which that idiom
applies.
Slide 12 – Expressing Likes & Dislikes

The teacher will go over the phrases to express likes and dislikes and then will discuss the
questions with the students. After that, the students must pair up in order to discuss the topic
of the slide, and talk to the others about each other’s likes and dislikes.
Slide 13 – Assignment for next class: Compound Words

The teacher will go over the compound words the students must memorize.

11
WEEK 2: Unit 5 Ideas

Slide 2 – Assignment from Last Class: Compound Words

There are nine sentences on the slide. The students must complete them using the compound
words given in the previous session. Each one of them must do it separately and then compare
all together. These are the answers:
1. Heat the milk until it is lukewarm.

2. The pull tab was a bit rusty.
3. The main drawback to it is the cost.
4. He has a huge collection of bottle caps.
5. Ibuprofen is a medicine that can be purchased over-the-counter.
6. There was a talk about the downsides of marriage.
7. We are waiting to hear the final outcome of the negotiations.
8. There’s been a breakthrough in cancer research.
9. The doctor took a small sample of bone marrow to confirm the diagnosis.
12 Slide 3 – Indefinite Article

The teacher will explain its uses and rules.
Slide 4 – Definite Article

The teacher will go over its uses and rules.
Slide 5 – What Article Should I Use?

The students must fill in the blank spaces with the right article.
Slide 6 – IELTS Listening Simulation

Explain the students that the IELTS Listening paper is 40 min long (30 min for the recording
and 10 min to transfer answers to the answer sheet, in this class it’s only 30 min since they
don’t have to transfer the answers). Emphasize on the importance of following all instructions
to the letter. Mention all answers appear in sequence. Play the recording for them, and when
they’re done, move on to the next slide to check their scores.
Use the link on the PDF Folder for this class called Test Link and paste it on your browser.
There you’ll find the play button for every audio file needed for this simulation.
Slide 7 – IELTS Listening Simulation Answers

Here the students can check the answers of the listening simulation. Tell the students they will
be sent a PDF file with the details for every answer.
Slide 8 – IELTS Listening Band Scores
On this slide the students can see what their score was based on how many marks they got in
the simulation.
Slide 9 – Conditionals Review: Zero Conditional

Go over the use of this conditional.
Slide 10 – Conditionals Review: First Conditional

Slide 11 – Conditionals Review: Second Conditional

Slide 12 – Conditionals Speaking Activity

The students must discuss the questions with their teacher and classmates.
Slide 13 – Inventions
The students must discuss the questions about inventions.
Slide 16 – Suggesting and Reacting to Ideas

Go over the vocabulary with the students and then discuss the questions.
13 Slides 15 to 17 – Assignment for next class: Irregular Verbs

The students must memorize the 30 irregular verbs depicted on the slides.
Slide 18 – Unit Recap and 10-min Feedback

WEEK 3: Review 5
Slide 1 – Review 5 Presentation

Slides 2 and 3 – Assignment from Last Class: Irregular Verbs

The students must complete the chart with the right form of every verb.
Slide 4 – Impromptu Speech Time

1. Talk about a travelling anecdote.

2. What is the most disgusting habit some people have?
3. What is something that really annoys you but doesn’t bother most people?
4. Is knowledge more important than wisdom?
5. What are some things you want to accomplish before you die?
6. What do you think about reality TV? Why is it so popular?
14 7. What’s the strangest movie you have ever seen?
8. What was the worst book you had to read for school?
9. How has technology changed the music industry?
10. Are there any songs that always bring a tear to your eye?
11. Which app has helped society the most? Which one has hurt society the most?
12. Do you text more or call more? Why?
Slide 5 – Roommates
Discuss the questions.
Slide 6 – Altercations and Criticism

The students must organize individually the questions on the slide and then discuss them with
the teacher and their classmates.
These are the questions:
1. How do you deal with having to confront somebody?

2. Is it easy to control your temper when you’re angry?
3. When was the last time you lost it?
4. What are some things you should never say during a heated argument?
5. How well do you take criticism?
6. Do you think you’re (sometimes)1 too hard on yourself (sometimes)2?
7. Does what people think of you affect you?
Slide 7 – Dictation: The Sinking Ship

The teacher will read aloud the situation the passengers on the sinking ship are in, and the
students must write it all down.
Here’s the situation:

After seven days of sailing in horrible weather, the ship you are a passenger on is about to sink
somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. The captain has lost all contact with the outside world, but he hopes
and believes that the ship is not far from some uninhabited Pacific islands.
The captain informs you that the ship will go down within few minutes. He orders you to wake up five of
the sleeping passengers, because the lifeboat unfortunately only has room for five out of the ten
passengers, in addition of you and the captain. While handing you the passenger list, the captain says:
“Let the other passengers sleep peacefully as long as possible, be careful not to wake them. At worst it
can come to fights, and that would do no good.”
Slide 8 – Double-Check: The Sinking Ship

The students must double-check what they just wrote down using the text on the slide. Once
15 they have corrected their mistakes (if any), the teacher can move on to the next slide in order
to continue the activity of The Sinking Ship.
Slide 9 – The Sinking Ship

The students must choose only 5 out of the 10 passengers to go with them on the boat. The
point of this activity is to have the students give reasons why they choose those passengers.
Slide 10 – Random Talk

Discuss the questions about the random topics on the slide.
Slides 11, 12, 13 and 14 – Assignment for next class: Regular Verbs
The students must memorize the correct pronunciation of the 40 regular verbs on the slide.

Upper-intermediate
Level 5 - Module 19
WEEK 1: Unit 6 Age

Slides 2 and 3 – Assignment from Last Class: ED Ending

The students must complete the chart with the correct pronunciation of the 40 regular verbs
on the slide.
Slide 4 – Modal Verbs and Related Phrases

Go over the use of the modal verbs and related phrases on the slide.
Slide 5 – Toss n’ Tell

Toss a die and talk about the statement on the slide that corresponds to the number you get.
Slide 6 – Mime Me
The class must be divided into two teams. Every player in the team must take turns to stand at
the front and mime the sentences that the teacher will show them. The rest of the team must
try to guess the sentences. Every player will get one minute to mime each sentence, if the
team can’t guess, then another player must take a turn to be the mime and so on. The team
with the most guesses will win the game.
16
Sentences for Team A
1. My mother washed many dishes this morning.
2. I have a small, blue horse.
3. Michael Jackson was an amazing dancer.
4. I am a long, long, black snake.
5. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
Sentences for Team B

1. My brother drank 5 cups of coffee yesterday.
2. She has big, big fingers.
3. Michael Jackson wore white gloves.
4. Shakira is a great belly dancer.
5. I am not an airplane, I am Superman.
Slide 7 – Vocabulary: Age

The students must match phrases 1-5 with definitions a-e.
Slide 8 – Age
The students must discuss the questions about age.
Slide 9 – Future Perfect and Continuous

Go over the use of both these tenses.
Slide 10 – What Is It Going to Be?

The students must match phrases 1-5 with definitions a-e.
Slide 11 – Discussion: Persuading

Slide 12 – Optimism / Pessimism

Slides 13 – Assignment for next class: Multi-word Verbs

The students must memorize the 8 multi-word verbs on the slide.

17
WEEK 2: Unit 7 Media

Slide 2 – Assignment from Last Class: Multi-word Verbs

There are 8 sentences on the slide. The students must complete them using the multi-word
verbs given at the end of the previous session. Each one of them must do it separately and
then compare all together. These are the answers:
1. Wow! That Michael Jackson song really takes me back.

2. Do you remember when Rachel ran off on her wedding day?
3. Nah, it’s too late. I’ll put you up for the night.
4. I told him I wouldn’t put up with his lies anymore.
5. Harry Potter always brings out the geek in me.
6. The movie started off slow, but it turned out to be very amusing.
7. James usually comes across as a rude person, but he’s actually quite nice.
8. I was pretty upset when she wouldn’t take back all the nasty things she said.
Slide 3 – Quantifiers
Go over the quantifiers on the slide.
Slide 4 – What’s the Right Quantifier?

Choose the right quantifier. Here are the answers:
18 1. Any 4. No 7. Another 10. Both / neither

2. Much 5. Each 8. Every
3. Any 6. Plenty of 9. A few
Slides 5 and 6 – Reported Speech

Go over the use of reported speech.
Slide 7 – Reported Questions

Slide 8 – The Faster, the Better

The class must be divided in two teams. Each team gets 5 points. A member from each team
must come to the front of the class, and the teacher will give them a sentence in direct
speech, then he’ll count to three, and the team member that reports the sentence the fastest,
and of course, correctly, will keep their point while the other team will lose one of theirs. Then,
two more team members will come to the front and do the same. The team that has the most
remaining points at the end wins. 5 rounds.
These are the sentences they must report:

1. I don’t want to wake up early tomorrow.
2. Why didn’t you tell me before?
3. Have you ever gone paragliding before?
4. Where is your friend from?
5. I left the party early because I was way too tired.
Explain to them they must start every sentence with “you said (that)” or “you asked me
if/why/what...” depending on what they have to report, of course.
Slide 9 – Discussion: Media

Slide 10 – Adding Emphasis

Explain how to add emphasis in English. The students can be asked to come up with examples
of their own.
Slide 11 – Discussion: Reactions

Slides 12 and 13 – Assignment for next class: ED Ending

The students must memorize the correct pronunciation of the 20 regular verbs on the slides.

19 on in order to improve.
WEEK 3: Unit 8 Behavior

Slides 2 – Assignment from Last Class: Multi-word Verbs

The students must complete the chart with the right pronunciation of every regular verb.
Slide 3 – Hypothetical Past Conditional

Go over the explanation of this grammar content.
Slides 4 – Mixed Conditional

Go over the explanation of this grammar content.
Slide 5 – Handling Awkward Situations

Each student must toss a pair of dice, and depending on what number they get, they must talk
about one of the awkward situations on the slide and how they handled it.
Slides 6 – Impromptu Speech Time

1. Talk about a difficult decision you had to make, and how you went about it.
2. Who would be the worst person to be stuck in an elevator with? How about the best person to be stuck
20
in an elevator with?
3. Do athletes deserve the high salaries they receive? Why or why not?
4. Do you prefer traveling alone or with a group?
5. Will technology save the human race or destroy it?
6. What is the best way to stay motivated and complete goals?
7. If you had to get rid of a holiday, which would you get rid of? Why?
8. What do you think of homeschooling?
9. You have to relive one day of your life forever. Which day do you choose?
10. If you could call up anyone in the world and have a one hour conversation, who would you call?
11. What inanimate object do you wish you could eliminate from existence?
12. What is something that is really popular now, but in 5 years everyone will look back on and be
embarrassed by?
Slide 7 – Gerund or Infinitive (Game)

Each student gets a board and a piece they must use to move forward or go back some
spaces.
Slide 8 – How to Approach IELTS Academic Task 1

The students will be explained what the IELTS Academic task 1 is about, including tips on how
to structure it.
Slide 9 – Academic Task 1 Model Answer

The teacher will show the students a model answer for the IELTS Academic task 1 so they can
get a better perspective of what it consists in.
Slide 10 – Tips for Writing IELTS Academic Task 1

The students will be given some tips on what to do and what not to do when addressing this
task.
Slide 11 – Values
Go over the vocabulary while checking its right pronunciation, then discuss the questions.
Slide 12 – Behavior
Go over the vocabulary while checking its right pronunciation, then discuss the questions.
Slides 13 to 16 – Assignment for next class: Irregular verbs
The students must memorize the 40 irregular verbs on the slides.

21
Upper-intermediate
Level 5 - Module 20
WEEK 1: Unit 9 Trouble

Slides 2 and 3 – Assignment from Last Class: ED Ending

The students must complete the chart with the correct pronunciation of the 40 regular verbs
on the slide.
Slide 4 – -Ing Form and Infinitive

Go over the differences in meaning of the verbs on the slide when used with –ing and
infinitive.
Slide 5 – Match the Phrases

The students must match the sentences on the slide. These are the answers:
1. I tried calling 911, 2. John stopped driving

3. Jenny remembers getting a ride from me, i. after that terrible crash.
4. Sarah went on giving her speech, f. but I don’t.
5. I tried to eat octopus once, g. even though her mic went off.
6. Sarah went on to give her speech h. but I couldn’t. It was gross!
7. I regret saying c. once everyone had been seated.
8. Jenny only remembers to text me k. Sam’s idea was dumb.
9. John stopped to get gas, a. whenever she needs a ride.
10. I regret to say j. but the filling station was out of service.
22 e. but my battery died. d. the wedding has been called off.
Mention that when using the verbs like, love, hate, prefer, can’t stand, can’t bear, start, begin
either followed by –ing or to, there’s no difference in meaning.
Slide 6 – Icebreaker: Charades

First off, the class must be divided into two teams.
ROUND 1
Every team must choose a category. Every category contains 5 cards with words/titles that
must be guessed by the members of every team. If the two teams happen to choose the same
category, it can be decided which teams gets to keep it by tossing a coin, since each team
must have a different category. Every player must stand in front of their team and act out (no
talk) whatever is on the card, getting only 30 seconds to try and get them to guess. Every
guess grants them 10 points. Once the first team is done with their five attempts, it’s time for
the other team to do the same. The team that has the most guesses wins the first round.
These are the categories:
Movies/TV Shows 2. Knitting

1. Finding Nemo 3. Doing yoga
2. The Walking Dead 4. Painting naked people
3. The Little Mermaid 5. Carpentry
4. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone Singers
5. Grey’s Anatomy 1. Michael Jackson
2. Shakira
Song Titles 3. Elvis Presley
1. Oops! I Did It Again 4. Amy Winehouse
2. Shape of You 5. Daddy Yankee
3. That’s What I Like
4. We Found Love Jobs/Occupations
5. Seven Nation Army 1. Accountant
2. Shoeshiner/Boot polisher
Hobbies 3. Taxi driver
1. Pottery 4. Butcher
5. Astronomer 2. Doing laundry
3. Ironing clothes
Household Chores 4. Preparing meals
1. Sweeping the floor 5. Mowing the lawn
ROUND 2
Each team will get 2 minutes to guess as many words as possible. One of them will sit in front
of their team as they try to get him/her to guess the word or phrase that’s on the screen, once
23 they guess it, another team member must take the sit and so on until the time is up. If they
can’t get the word or phrase, they can say “pass” in order to give up their turn. In the end, the
team with the most guesses will win the game.
Slide 7 – Past Modals of Deduction

Go over the use of this grammar content.
Slide 8 – Discussion: What if..?

Discuss the questions with the students.
Slide 9 – Reporting an Incident

Go over the phrases and work on their pronunciation focusing on fluency, then discuss the
questions.
Slide 10 – Discussion: Scams

Discuss the questions with the students.
Slides 11 – Assignment for next class: Adjectives

The students must memorize the 8 adjectives on the slide.

24
WEEK 2: Unit 10 Culture

Slide 2 – Assignment from Last Class: Adjectives (movies)

There are 8 sentences on the slide. The students must complete them using the adjectives for
describing movies given at the end of the previous session. Each one of them must do it
separately and then compare all together. These are the answers:
1. Have you ever seen Schindler’s List? It’s a very poignant documentary.
2. Fight Club is such a thought-provoking film. It really makes you see life differently.
3. Can you think of a movie that’s been more controversial than The Passion of the Christ?
4. Some people don’t like Jim Carrey, but I find his movies hysterical.
5. We watched Friday the 13th. It was quite gory, so she kept covering her face.
6. I love gripping films like Memento. They just get all my attention!
7. Everyone talks about how touching Hachi is, but I didn’t like it one bit.
8. Most people agree Avatar is a superb movie, but I haven’t seen it yet.
Slide 3 – Defining Relative Clauses
Go over this grammar content.
Slide 4 – Non-defining Relative Clauses

Go over this grammar content.
Slide 5 – Relative Clause-Off

The class must be divided into two teams. One member of each team must come to the front.
25 The teacher will read a sentence, then he/she will count to three, and the student that comes
up with a correct piece of information without changing the original sentence scores a point.
For instance, the teacher says “Albert Einstein is a scientist”, and one of the players says
“Albert Einstein, who discovered the theory of relativity, is a scientist”, then that player scores
a point. The team that scores the most points wins the game.
These are the sentences:
1. Arnold Schwarzenegger is an American actor.

2. Paris is a beautiful city.
3. My neighbor has 8 cats.
4. Nelson Mandela died at the age of 95.
5. Gabriel García Marquez was a Colombian writer.
6. Bart Simpson is 10 years old.
7. The Thames river has a length of 346 km.
8. Pablo Picasso was from Spain.
9. Michael Jackson was said to have a dark side.
10. Da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452.
Slide 6 – End of Level Test

The students will have an hour to complete the test. Make sure they don’t go over the time
limit.
Slide 7 – Vocabulary: Adjectives to Describe Movies

Go over the vocabulary and its pronunciation, and then proceed to have the students talk
about the statements on the slide.
Slide 8 – Participle Clauses

Explain how to use them.
Slide 9 – Change It Up
The students must modify the sentences using present and past participle clauses. These are
the answers:
1. Students handing in their essays late will lose 10 marks.

2. The man driving the car is a good friend of mine.
3. This vase, made in China in the 14th century, is very valuable.
4. She only eats cakes made by her mother.
5. Shocked by the explosion, the people ran for shelter.
6. If you think you have received an e-mail containing a virus, you should delete it immediately.
7. Holding the hair-dryer in her left hand, Susan cut her hair with the scissors in her right hand.
Slide 10 – IELTS Reading Section

Here the students must be explained the types of question there are in this section, and the
type of passages they might encounter.
Slides 11 and 12 – IELTS Reading Tips

26
The students will be given some tips for this section of the test.
Slide 13 – Discussion: The Arts

Slide 14 – Dimensions
The students must complete the sentences with the noun or verb form of the adjectives in
parentheses. These are the answers:
8. Do you know what the depth of the river is?

9. The thickness of the wall keeps any sound from coming in.
10.When did they widen the road?
11.The mayor says the new road will go the length of the town.
12.Oh, is that where the road narrows?
13.Why don’t you try enlarging the map?
14.Was the height of the tower really 30 ft?
Note: They must do this individually and then compare their answers.
Slides 15 – Assignment for next class: Reading Simulation

The students will be sent an e-mail with a reading simulation. They have a whole week to work
on it. They must have it ready for next class where they will be given the answers so they can
check your band score.

27
WEEK 3: Review 6
Slide 1 – Review 6 Presentation

Slide 2 – Discussion: Happiness

Slide 3 – Assignment from last class

Let the students know it’s time to check the answers for the IELTS reading assignment they
were given the previous class. Answers on slide 4.
Slide 4 – IELTS Reading Section Answers

Go over the answers for the reading simulation the students did at home the previous week.
Slide 5 – IELTS Reading Band Scores

Here the students can check what their band score is.
Slide 6 – IELTS Listening Simulation

Use the link on the PDF Folder for this class called Test Link and paste it on your browser.
There you’ll find the play button for every audio file needed for this simulation.
Slide 7 – IELTS Listening Simulation Answers

Go over the answers for this simulation. Tell the students they will be sent a PDF file with the
details for every answer.
Slide 8 – IELTS Listening Band Scores

Here the students can check what their band score for this simulation is.
Slide 9 – Dictation: Helium

Tell the students you will read out a text to them and they must write it down. Then, with the
28 help of next slide, they’ll verify how they did.
The possibility of losing helium forever poses the threat of a real crisis because its unique qualities are
extraordinarily difficult, if not impossible to duplicate (certainly, no biosynthetic ersatz product is close
to approaching the point of feasibility for helium, even as similar developments continue apace for oil
and coal). Helium is even cheerfully derided as a “loner” element since it does not adhere to other
molecules like its cousin, hydrogen. According to Dr. Lee Sobotka, helium is the “most noble of gases,
meaning it’s very stable and non-reactive for the most part … it has a closed electronic configuration, a
very tightly bound atom. It is this coveting of its own electrons that prevents combination with other
elements’. Another important attribute is helium’s unique boiling point, which is lower than that for any
other element.
Slide 10 – Helium
The students must double check their writing for possible mistakes. On this slide they’ll find the
text the teacher read to them previously.
Slide 11 – Random Talk

Discuss the question on random topics on the slide.


Upper-intermediate ESL lesson on social issues, grammar tenses

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Upper-intermediate

WEEK 1: Unit 1 Beginnings

Slide 1 – Unit 1 Presentation

Slide 2 - Direct and Indirect Questions

Slide 3 - Direct and Indirect Questions (Activity)

Slide 5 – Past Simple

Slide 7 – How to Write an Informal Letter for IELTS (General Task 1)

Slide 8 – How to Write a Formal Letter for IELTS (General Task 1)

Slide 9 – Marking Criteria for IELTS Writing Task 1

Slide 10 – Present Perfect

Slide 12 – Vocabulary for Polite Phone Inquiries

Slide 13 – Assignment for next class: Social Issues Vocabulary

Slide 14 – Unit 1 Recap and 10-minute Feedback

Slide 1 – Unit 2 Presentation

Slide 2 – Assignment from Last Class: Social Issues Vocabulary

Slide 3 – Present Perfect Simple and Continuous

Slide 4 – Present Perfect Simple OR Continuous

1. How long have you known Gerry?

Slide 6 and 7 – The Passive

Slide 8 – The Passive (Activity)

1. I want to be surprised by my friends on my birthday.

These are the sentences that must be formed:

Slide 10 – Social Issues

Slide 11 – Giving and Responding to Opinions

Slide 12 – Assignment for next class: Linkers

Slide 13 – Unit 1 Recap and 10-minute Feedback

WEEK 3: Unit 3 Downtime

Slide 2 – Assignment from Last Class: Linkers

Slide 3 – Habit and Routine

Slide 4 – Impromptu Speech Time

These are the topics:

Slide 5 – Future Forms Review

Slide 6 – Future Forms (Activity)

Slide 7 – How to Write an Essay for IELTS (General/Academic Task 2)

Slide 8 – IELTS Essay Structure

 Sentence 1 – Paraphrase the task question or write a general statement relating to

 Sentence 1 – Summarise the essay. Be sure to start this sentence with an

Slide 9 – Tips for Writing an Essay for IELTS

Slide 10 – Marking Criteria for IELTS Writing Task 2

Slide 12 – Free Time

Slide 13 – Assignment for next class: Multi-word Verbs

8 Slide 14 – Unit 1 Recap and 10-minute Feedback

WEEK 1: Unit 4 Stories

Slide 1 – Unit 4 Presentation

1. Brenda never turned up for work last Monday.

Slide 3 – Narrative Tenses

Slide 4 – Tell Us a Story

Slide 5 – Icebreaker: Name that Tune!

1. This Love – Maroon 5 19.Don’t Speak – No Doubt

Slide 6 – Wish and Regrets

Slide 7 – Wish or Regret?

Slide 8 – Talk about Wishes and Regrets

Slide 9 – Tips for the IELTS Listening Section

Slide 10 – IELTS Listening Sections

Slide 12 – Expressing Likes & Dislikes

Slide 13 – Assignment for next class: Compound Words

Slide 14 – Unit 1 Recap and 10-minute Feedback

WEEK 2: Unit 5 Ideas

Slide 1 – Unit 5 Presentation

Slide 2 – Assignment from Last Class: Compound Words

1. Heat the milk until it is lukewarm.

12 Slide 3 – Indefinite Article

Slide 4 – Definite Article