Making a doctor's appointment: essential phrases and vocabulary

Summary

This 90-minute ESL lesson for A2 learners explores Making a doctor's appointment: essential phrases and vocabulary through a real article. Across 10 interactive exercises, you'll develop reading comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, practical communication, speaking skills — all built around authentic English content.

What you'll practise:

• 5 key vocabulary items with definitions and usage notes
• Grammar focus: Making polite requests with 'I'd like to...' with examples and practice
• Real-world phrases for describing your symptoms to the doctor
• Gap-fill and cloze exercises to test vocabulary in context
• Matching exercise to connect terms with their meanings

Lesson activities (10 exercises)

Each exercise builds on the previous one. Work through them in order for the best learning experience.

1. Warm-up — Discussion questions to activate what you already know about the topic.
2. Comprehension — Answer questions to check your understanding of the main ideas and supporting details.
3. Vocabulary — Learn key words and expressions from the article, with definitions and usage notes.
4. Matching — Connect words, phrases, or concepts to their correct counterparts.
5. Grammar — Study Making polite requests with 'I'd like to...' — explanation, examples, and key rules.
6. Fill the gaps — Complete sentences with the correct vocabulary. Drag and drop or type your answers.
7. Practical English — Learn phrases for describing your symptoms to the doctor — ready to use in real conversations.
8. Cloze passage — Fill in blanks within a connected text to practise vocabulary in context.
9. Discussion — Reflect on the topic and share your opinions using the language you've learned.

Vocabulary

This lesson introduces 5 key terms drawn directly from the article:

• Make an appointment — to arrange a time to see a doctor or other professional.
• Feel under the weather — to feel a little sick, but not seriously ill.
• Come down with something — to start to get a common illness, like a cold or the flu.
• Have a check-up — to have a general health examination with a doctor.
• Painkiller — a type of medicine that reduces or stops pain.

Grammar

This lesson focuses on Making polite requests with 'I'd like to...'.

When we want something, we can use 'I'd like to...'. It is a polite and friendly way to make a request, and it's much better than saying 'I want to...'. We often use it when talking on the phone or in formal places like a doctor's office.

Examples from the lesson:

• Hello, I'd like to make an appointment, please. — This is a polite way to ask for an appointment.
• I'd like to speak to the nurse about my test results. — We use 'I'd like to' + a base verb (make, speak, ask).
• I want a new prescription. — This is very direct. It's better to say: 'I'd like to get a new prescription.'

Key rules:

• 'I'd like to...' is the polite form of 'I want to...'
• 'I'd' is the short form of 'I would'
• Always use a base verb after 'I'd like to' (e.g., to go, to see, to ask)

Practical English

Describing your symptoms to the doctor

When you see the doctor, you need to explain how you feel. These phrases will help you describe your symptoms clearly and ask for help.

Phrases you'll learn:

• "I've been feeling really tired lately." — use this to describe a general feeling or a change in your health.
• "I have a sharp pain in my [chest]." — use this to talk about a specific pain.
• "I have a bad cough and a sore throat." — use this to list your symptoms.
• "It started about three days ago." — use this to say when your problem began.
• "Is there anything I can take for it?" — use this to ask for medicine.