Busy bragging and other pet hates

Title separator

Vocabulary - idioms for expressing annoyance

pet peeve lesson

photo of the author Justa |

LESSON OVERVIEW

Busy-bragging has become an element of every talk with friends, family and co-workers and a status symbol in modern society. People boast about being busy in a manner that resembles complaining. Moreover, they often just want to say: “Can you see how important I am?”. This pet peeve lesson consists of various tasks, but the main focus is discussion.

B2 / Upper Intermediate45 minStandard LessonUnlimited Plan
Unlock these lesson worksheets with the Unlimited subscription

VOCABULARY

In this pet peeve lesson, students will learn the ways to express their annoyance and talk about pet hates they have. Firstly, they have to answer questions including such phrases as: get on one’s nerves, drive somebody nuts, etc. Then, they move to the discussion on annoying things in modern life. There is a list of 10 things, however, you can search for other examples too.

VIDEO AND DISCUSSION

Next, students watch the video about busy-bragging and answer the comprehension questions. There are two questions at the end of this exercise which are not based on the video, but students’ own opinions. After watching the video, they will also have the chance to discuss the most annoying things connected with their workplaces. To help them collect some ideas, there is a short text which they have to complete with words given, and then discuss.

RELATED WORKSHEET – COMPLAINING ROLE-PLAY

We prepared a special set of tasks to build on this lesson and have more vocabulary and speaking practice. With this extra worksheet, you will teach your students some informal and formal expressions for complaining and practice them in a role-play activity with a twist. See Complaining and responding to complaints.

WORKSHEETS

1

Comments

Title separator

Leave a Reply

  1. Stephanie

    Very good class!

    1. Justa

      Thanks!

  2. Karan

    Transcripts would be beneficial for all of your lessons.

    1. Stan

      If it is a TED Talk, transcripts are available on TED.com. However, if it is a YouTube video, you can use the auto-generated transcript. Just click the ellipsis button (…) under the video and click Open transcript. Transcript will be displayed on the right from the video. Remember though that it is automatically created and more often than not it is far from perfect.

  3. Natalia

    Thanks a lot for this lesson! Already used it in class and it worked great.

    1. Justa

      Great to hear it! Thanks 🙂

  4. Audrey Smith

    Great topic!

  5. pam

    Very interesting topic, it was a bit fast for some off my students but they liked the challenge.

  6. Paja

    Thanks a lot, excellent lesson plan!

    1. Justa

      Thanks!

Browse other materials recommended for you

Title separator
vocabulary for extreme environments
B2 / Upper Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min
Loading

An unusual place to live

Lifestyle

This lesson invites students to talk about unusual places around the world! They practise vocabulary for extreme environments, watch a video about living underground and share their perspectives on the effects of living under extreme conditions.

Unlimited Plan Show
sustainability in the hospitality industry
B2 / Upper Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min
Loading

Sustainable stays: eco-friendly hotels

Business Global Issues

Students discuss waste and sustainability in the hospitality industry! They watch and discuss a video about an organisation that recycles half-used hotel soaps, learn useful vocabulary, and read and discuss a text about an imaginary hotel.

Free+ Show
ESL lesson about innovation in business
B2 / Upper Intermediate
Speaking Class 45 min / 60 min
Loading

Research and Development

Business

Students dive into the world of innovation in business with this lesson! They explore Research and Development and its various applications, and they watch and discuss a video about an R&D chef. They also analyse R&D case studies and ethical conundrums.

Unlimited Plan Show
ESL lesson on performance reviews
B2 / Upper Intermediate | C1 / Advanced
Flipped Lesson 60 min
Loading

Time for a performance review!

Business

With this lesson, students learn functional vocabulary to talk about performance reviews (e.g. overlook, reassess). They discuss hypothetical situations and engage in a role-play. They also share opinions, watch a video, and discuss performance management tools.

Unlimited Plan Show
first lesson for Business English students
B2 / Upper Intermediate | C1 / Advanced
Standard Lesson 60 min
Loading

Trades and trends! (first lesson with B2/C1 Business English students)

Business

Get to know your new class in this first Business English lesson! Students discuss their language journeys, watch and discuss a video about corporate trends, learn collocations, and revise grammar.

Unlimited Plan Show
ESL lesson on parenting
B1 / Intermediate | B2 / Upper Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min
Loading

Mommunes

Lifestyle

With this lesson, students talk about family structures and shared parenting. They explore vocabulary to talk about parenting and watch a video about single mothers and children who share households.

Premium Plan Show
vocabulary to talk about injuries
B1 / Intermediate | B2 / Upper Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min
Loading

Workplace safety

Business General

Engage in talking about safety in the workplace with this lesson! Students explore vocabulary to talk about injuries, watch a video about safety at work and discuss workplace rules.

Unlimited Plan Show
phrases to talk about leadership
B2 / Upper Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min
Loading

The art of leadership

Business

With this lesson, students talk about job satisfaction and practise vocabulary to discuss leadership! They also watch a video about creating a good work environment, read a text about organisational structures and share ideas on addressing workplace challenges.

Unlimited Plan Show
B1 / Intermediate | B2 / Upper Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min
Loading

Food is more than just fuel

General Lifestyle

With this lesson, students discuss the impact of food on health. They practise vocabulary on nutrition, watch an informative video about the effects of foods on sleep and talk about specific food labels and food philosophies.

Free+ Show
Show more lessons

Questions

Title separator

Is there a minimum subscription period if I choose a monthly subscription?

No, there's no minimum required number of subscription months. You can cancel any time you want. Basically, you can sign up and then cancel your subscription the next day, which will mean you have access for 1 month and won't be charged again.

What currencies can I pay in for my subscription?

Our default currency is USD (American dollar), but you can also pay in EUR (euro), GBP (British pound sterling) or PLN (Polish zloty). You can change the currency you want to pay in at the Pricing page before selecting a subscription plan.

How can I edit an e-lesson plan?

You can get your own editable copy of an e-lesson plan and make changes to it. To do so, either (1) make a copy of it on your Google Drive (preferable method) or (2) download it in a Powerpoint format (but formatting might be a bit off so we can’t guarantee that it will work well).
Read more FAQ
Title separator

ESL Brains

Forgot password?
or continue with
Don't have an account? SIGN UP