Summary
This ESL lesson for B1 English students explores Regret, criticism, past actions. Using a real audio as the basis for discussion, students develop listening comprehension, vocabulary, and grammar skills across a 90-minute class.
The grammar focus is Should have / shouldn't have + past participle. Key vocabulary includes disaster (noun), blame (verb), stayed up (phrasal verb) and more, all drawn directly from the source material. The practical English section gives students useful phrases for real-life situations: You want to express regret about past actions or give advice about what someone should have done..
Activities
- A warm-up discussion to activate prior knowledge and get students thinking about the topic before listening.
- Comprehension exercises based on the audio to check understanding of the main ideas and key details.
- A grammar focus on Should have / shouldn't have + past participle. We use 'should have' + past participle to talk about things we regret not doing, or things we think would have been a good idea to do in the past. It expresses criticism of a past action or inaction.
- Vocabulary expansion with advanced expressions related to Regret, criticism, past actions not found in the source material.
- Practical English phrases for You want to express regret about past actions or give advice about what someone should have done., with exercises to practise using them naturally.
- A speaking task where students role-play a real-world scenario, applying vocabulary and phrases from the lesson.
Vocabulary focus
The vocabulary section introduces B1-level words and phrases related to Regret, criticism, past actions. Key terms include disaster (noun), blame (verb), stayed up (phrasal verb), missed (verb), down (adjective). Students practise using these terms in context through exercises drawn from the source material.
Grammar focus
This lesson focuses on Should have / shouldn't have + past participle. We use 'should have' + past participle to talk about things we regret not doing, or things we think would have been a good idea to do in the past. It expresses criticism of a past action or inaction.
1. Warm-up Discussion
1. Think about a time you made a small mistake, like forgetting something important or being late. What happened, and what did you learn?
2. Have you ever regretted not doing something, like not taking a trip or not learning a new skill? What was the missed opportunity?
3. Is it always helpful to criticize yourself or others? When might it be better to just accept what happened and move on?
2. Listening Comprehension
Listen to the audio and fill in the blanks in the blog post below. You will hear someone talking about their recent regrets.
My Weekend Regrets: Learning from My Mistakes
Last weekend was a bit of a disaster, and I have nobody to blame but myself! On Friday, I really watching movies. I was so tired on Saturday that I missed my friend's birthday brunch. I , that's for sure.
Then, on Saturday evening, I was feeling a bit down, so I ordered a huge pizza. I really ! I felt terrible afterwards. I , like a salad. Live and learn, right?
Sunday wasn't much better. I had planned to clean my apartment, but I just procrastinated all day. Now my apartment is still a mess, and I have a busy week ahead. I and done a little bit each day. Next time, I'll definitely before I act!
3. Key Vocabulary
Drag the words from the bank and drop them next to their correct definitions.
