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Why are we late? (personality traits)

1. Choose a definition that best reflects your attitude to time and explain your choice.

Time is a resource to be managed Time is a profound mystery to be studied

and optimized. and understood.

Time is a constant pressure, Time is a series of Time exists only in the

always running out. milestones and goals. present moment.

2. Watch the intro to a video [https://youtu.be/uk-JuzGlSgs] (to 00:37) and discuss the questions.
• Can you relate to what the person said?
• How annoying do you find it when people are late?
• Are you more likely to be late for work or for a meeting with friends?
• What do you expect to learn from the video?

3. Watch the second part of the video (from 00:37 to 01:21). Then, read the text and find one thing that
is not true according to the speaker.
After students do the task, ask them to think of three personality traits that timekeepers and
T
timebenders might have.
Timekeepers typically display a sense of punctuality, often feeling anxious
if they are not ahead of schedule. Timebenders are not fans of routine,
often finding themselves quickly losing interest in familiar tasks. They can
focus deeply on subjects that capture their interest and prefer tackling
tasks sequentially, one at a time. They might have a messy desk but
demonstrate a remarkable ability to work efficiently under tight deadlines.

4. Find the definition or synonym of each of the words in bold in one of the other sentences.
If necessary, draw students’ attention to the pronunciation of some words: nonchalant /ˈnɒnʃəl(ə)nt/,
conscientious /ˌkɒn.ʃiˈen.ʃəs/, courteous /ˈkɜː.ti.əs/, inconsiderate /ˌɪn.kənˈsɪd.ər.ət/.
T
Ask students which sentences are more likely to be true about timekeepers or timebenders or when it
could be about both or neither of them. Ask them to explain why they think so.
A. I admire his relaxed and carefree attitude to work, but he can be quite sloppy at times, which
results in many errors. careless and disorganized

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 C1
Why are we late? (personality traits)

B. She’s so determined to pursue goals that she sometimes forgets about everything and everyone
and displays inconsiderate behaviour. not caring much about other people’s feelings
C. Despite his brilliant mind and diligent approach to everything, he often appears fidgety during
meetings, tapping his feet or playing with a pen. restless
D. Apart from being the most conscientious person I know, always double-checking her work for
errors, she’s also consistently polite and considerate in dealing with others. diligent
E. With my restless nature, I always wonder how she manages to remain
nonchalant even in stressful situations, never letting pressure get to her.
relaxed and carefree
F. Her courteous manner made her well-liked by her colleagues and
clients even when she was careless and disorganized. polite and
considerate
G. His tenacious personality helped him overcome many obstacles in his
career, but not caring much about other people’s feelings stopped him
from becoming a good leader. determined to pursue goals

5. Discuss the questions.

• What do you think the major personality trait that affects a person’s punctuality is?
• If you wanted to find out if someone is punctual, what kind of questions would you ask them?
• Do you think timekeepers and timebenders perceive time differently? Can it be measured or proved
scientifically?

6. Watch the third part of the video (from 01:18 to 02:59) and compare the information to your
answers in ex. 5.
Some information mentioned in the video:
• Conscientiousness is one of the major personality traits that affect lateness. [01:30]
• If you want to know how punctual someone is, you can ask them how tidy and organized they are.
[01:42]
• Timebenders perceive time differently than timekeepers. They can get engrossed in a task and
time can slow down and speed up for them. There was a study that found that some people are
naturally better at estimating time passing. [02:09]

7. Watch the fourth part of the video (from 03:00 to 04:57) and elaborate on the statements.
Possible answers:
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Why are we late? (personality traits)

A. I can be on time when it matters. People are not late for everything [03:18] and saying you are on
time when it matters can be hurtful to someone who sees us being late. [03:40]
B. Deadlines should have consequences. Deadlines should be real, external and have consequences to
motivate you to take something more seriously. [03:54]
C. Social expectations make it harder for you to change your habits. If you know people expect you to
be late, you most probably won’t be on time. [04:27] And it is self-sabotaging because you don’t
think that you can change if you make a bit of an effort. [04:53]

8. Think about the points below and give examples.

• situations when people’s perception of themselves is self-sabotaging
• personality traits that are set in stone or extremely difficult to change
• personality traits that are easily malleable and can be improved If students name some traits, ask
them how exactly they can be improved.

9. Think of some things a person can do to become more conscientious. Watch the final part of the
video (from 04:57) and check your ideas.
Ideas from the video: create a comprehensive daily schedule, allocate specific times to organize your
desk or room if they are untidy, be conscious about when you do these things.

10. Work in pairs and ask each other the questions you receive. Based on your partner’s answers, write a
short summary of whether they are a timekeeper or a timebender and explain why you think so. If
you can’t decide, explain why it’s hard to put a person in one of the groups.
EXAMPLE: I think you lean towards being a timekeeper. You are thorough in planning, value
punctuality and have courteous regard for others’ time.
T You can find the cards with questions at the end of the worksheet.

11. Discuss the questions.

• Do you agree with your partner’s summary about your punctuality? What did they get right or
wrong?
• How accurate is the division into two types to categorize people’s punctuality (timebenders and
timekeepers)? Should there be more types?
• Do you think people should have the same regard for time or is it OK if it differs because of
personal or cultural characteristics?

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Why are we late? (personality traits)

This worksheet includes an additional task that you can use as homework or revision. It’s only
T available in the teacher’s version of the worksheet. The task with the answer key is below, while the
students’ version is on the next page. Print it, cut it up and hand it out to your students.
Complete the words for personality traits. Then, replace the phrases in bold with one word from the
list. Read the sentences again and say what the people might do for a living.
A. nonchalant D. courteous G. sloppy
B. fidgety E. conscientious
C. tenacious F. inconsiderate

1. Despite being restless and impatient, she always delivers astounding results at work. fidgety
2. Fans still love him even though he can be so thoughtless and insensitive. inconsiderate
3. If she wasn’t diligent and meticulous, the company would be in big financial trouble. conscientious
4. His ability to remain casually indifferent and relaxed always appeals to clients. nonchalant
5. In her line of work, it is absolutely crucial to be polite and respectful. courteous
6. The company didn’t care about his moral values; they hired him because he seemed determined
and persistent. tenacious
7. The management tolerate the fact that she’s careless and untidy because of her brilliant ideas.
sloppy

Copyrights by ESL Brains. For use only with license.

Why are we late? (personality traits)

Complete the words for personality traits. Then, replace the phrases in bold with one word from the
list. Read the sentences again and say what the people might do for a living.
A. nonc_________ D. cour_________ G. slo_________
B. fid_________ E. conscie_________
C. ten_________ F. incon_________

1. Despite being restless and impatient, she always delivers astounding results at work.
2. Fans still love him even though he can be so thoughtless and insensitive.
3. If she wasn’t diligent and meticulous, the company would be in big financial trouble.
4. His ability to remain casually indifferent and relaxed always appeals to clients.
5. In her line of work, it is absolutely crucial to be polite and respectful.
6. The company didn’t care about his moral values; they hired him because he seemed determined
and persistent.
7. The management tolerate the fact that she’s careless and untidy because of her brilliant ideas.

Complete the words for personality traits. Then, replace the phrases in bold with one word from the
list. Read the sentences again and say what the people might do for a living.
A. nonc_________ D. cour_________ G. slo_________
B. fid_________ E. conscie_________
C. ten_________ F. incon_________

1. Despite being restless and impatient, she always delivers astounding results at work.
2. Fans still love him even though he can be so thoughtless and insensitive.
3. If she wasn’t diligent and meticulous, the company would be in big financial trouble.
4. His ability to remain casually indifferent and relaxed always appeals to clients.
5. In her line of work, it is absolutely crucial to be polite and respectful.
6. The company didn’t care about his moral values; they hired him because he seemed determined
and persistent.
7. The management tolerate the fact that she’s careless and untidy because of her brilliant ideas.

Copyrights by ESL Brains. For use only with license.

Why are we late? (personality traits)
Student A
• Is your daily schedule set in stone, or are
you comfortable with last-minute changes?
• Are you conscientious about being early for
meetings and appointments?
• When running late, do you become fidgety
or anxious?
• Do you often get engrossed in an activity so
that you lose track of time?
Student A
• Is your daily schedule set in stone, or are
you comfortable with last-minute changes?
• Are you conscientious about being early for
meetings and appointments?
• When running late, do you become fidgety
or anxious?
• Do you often get engrossed in an activity so
that you lose track of time?
Student B
• Are you often sloppy with estimating how
long tasks will take?
• Do you notice that the time speeds up or
slows down when you do an engrossing
activity?
• Do you think a person is inconsiderate if
they’re late for a meeting because of
external circumstances, e.g. a late bus or
heavy traffic?
• Do you often engage in self-sabotage by
procrastinating?
Student B
• Are you often sloppy with estimating how
long tasks will take?
• Do you notice that the time speeds up or
slows down when you do an engrossing
activity?
• Do you think a person is inconsiderate if
they’re late for a meeting because of
external circumstances, e.g. a late bus or
heavy traffic?
• Do you often engage in self-sabotage by
procrastinating?
Copyrights by ESL Brains. For use only with license.