Everyday Idioms

Lesson 16 of 20 : Relationship Sours

1. Warm Up
Answer and discuss these questions in pairs or as a class.

1. Who do you talk to about your problems?

2. Why is that person a good person to talk to?
3. What kind of problems do you share with other people?
4. What kind of problems do you keep to yourself?
5. What is the best advice you ever got from someone?

2. Dialogue Building
The dialogue below is not in the right order. Your teacher will
provide you with cut up dialogue strips. Work alone or with
a partner to put the dialogue in the right order.

___ Jon: Well I took her out to dinner, the next night.
3. Find the idioms
___ Jon: Things arent going well with Amy. I think I broke
her heart. There are several idioms in this dialogue. Circle any
phrase you think is an idiom from Task 2. With your class,
___ Andrew: Hello? go over your circled answers and then write the idioms
into the table below.
___ Jon: I forgot our anniversary. She got really worked up
about it.

___ Jon: Andrew, hi. Its Jon. New Idiom List

___ Andrew: Im sorry to hear that Jon. Hang in there.

___ Andrew: Hey, whats shaking?

___ Andrew: You sound down. Do you want to get it off

your chest?

___ Andrew: And how did it go?

___ Jon: Yeah. I need to bend your ear.

___ Andrew: Oh, man! So what happened? Did she get

over it?

___ Jon: Not much.

___ Andrew: Whats the matter?

___ Jon: It was okay. But things have a different feel now. I
dont have high hopes.

___ Andrew: What did you do?

1
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 Everyday Idioms
Lesson 16 of 20 : Relationship Sours
4. Match these idioms to their correct definitions.

1. Whats shaking? ____ a. to hurt someones feelings (regarding love)

2. be down ____ b. expecting the best, hoping for success
3. bend ones ear ____ c. to talk to someone
4. Whats the matter? ____ d. Whats wrong?
5. break ones heart ____ e. to be angry
6. worked up ____ f. to be odd or unusual 7. Comprehension questions.
7. get over it ____ g. to be sad 1. How did Jon sound on the phone?
8. How did it go? ____ h. to stay strong; to not give up
2. Did Jon break Amys heart?
9. have a different feel ____ i. What is happening in your life?
10. high hopes ____ j. to talk about a problem 3. What did Jon forget about?
11. hang in there ____ k. to forget or forgive 4. When did Jon take Amy out to
12. get it off ones chest ____ l. What happened? dinner?

5. Fill in the blanks with the correct idioms from above.

1. Justin thought he did well on his test. He had _________________________.

2. Kyle said his new house had a _________________________ than his old house.
3. Ashleys fish died so she was _______________________ all week long.
4. Darrin feels better when he ___________________________________ and talks to his dad.
5. My nephew gets _______________________ when his friends are mean to him.
6. Youre crying! ____________________________?
7. I know things are going badly, but ___________________________, it will get better soon.

6. Dialogue Practice

Practice the dialogue with your partner a few times. Take turns being each
character. Then try having the conversation without looking at the sheet.

Andrew: Hello?
Jon: Andrew, hi. Its Jon.
Andrew: Hey, whats shaking?
Jon: Not much.
Andrew: You sound down. Do you want to get it off your chest?
Jon: Yeah. I need to bend your ear.
8. Write your own sentence
Andrew: Whats the matter?
examples for each idiom from
Jon: Things arent going well with Amy. I think I broke her heart. today's lesson in your
Andrew: What did you do? notebook.
Jon: I forgot our anniversary. She got really worked up about it.
Andrew: Oh, man! So what happened? Did she get over it? 9. Write your own dialogue.
Work alone or with a partner.
Jon: Well I took her out to dinner, the next night.
Write your own conversation
Andrew: And how did it go? using at least four idioms from
Jon: It was okay. But things have a different feel now. I dont have high hopes. today's lesson. Practice and
Andrew: Im sorry to hear that Jon. Hang in there. memorize the dialogue, then
present it in front of your class.

2
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 Everyday Idioms
Lesson 16 of 20 : Relationship Sours

In Task 2, your students are required to put the dialogue in the correct order. Its more fun for students to put the dialogue in
order by physically rearranging dialogue strips. Below are two shuffled copies of the dialogue. Give each student or pair a
shuffled dialogue. Have them cut each into strips and rearrange them until they have put them in the correct order.
Note: Two copies of the dialogue are provided to minimize photocopying and paper usage.

Jon: I forgot our anniversary. She got really worked Jon: I forgot our anniversary. She got really worked
up about it. up about it.

Andrew: And how did it go? Andrew: And how did it go?

Jon: Not much. Jon: Not much.

Andrew: Whats the matter? Andrew: Whats the matter?

Jon: Well I took her out to dinner, the next night. Jon: Well I took her out to dinner, the next night.

Andrew: Hello? Andrew: Hello?

Andrew: Oh, man! So what happened? Did she get Andrew: Oh, man! So what happened? Did she get
over it? over it?

Jon: Things arent going well with Amy. I think I broke Jon: Things arent going well with Amy. I think I broke
her heart. her heart.

Jon: Andrew, hi. Its Jon. Jon: Andrew, hi. Its Jon.

Andrew: Im sorry to hear that Jon. Hang in there. Andrew: Im sorry to hear that Jon. Hang in there.

Jon: Yeah. I need to bend your ear. Jon: Yeah. I need to bend your ear.

Andrew: Hey, whats shaking? Andrew: Hey, whats shaking?

Jon: It was okay. But things have a different feel Jon: It was okay. But things have a different feel
now. I dont have high hopes. now. I dont have high hopes.

Andrew: What did you do? Andrew: What did you do?

Andrew: You sound down. Do you want to get it off Andrew: You sound down. Do you want to get it off
your chest? your chest?

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 Everyday Idioms
Lesson 16 of 20 : Relationship Sours

Teachers Answer Key

2. Dialogue Building

12. Jon: Well I took her out to dinner, the next night.
8. Jon: Things arent going well with Amy. I think I broke her heart.
1. Andrew: Hello?
10. Jon: I forgot our anniversary. She got really worked up about it.
2. Jon: Andrew, hi. Its Jon.
15. Andrew: Im sorry to hear that Jon. Hang in there.
3. Andrew: Hey, whats shaking?
5. Andrew: You sound down. Do you want to get it off your chest?
13. Andrew: And how did it go?
6. Jon: Yeah. I need to bend your ear.
11. Andrew: Oh, man! So what happened? Did she get over it?
4. Jon: Not much.
7. Andrew: Whats the matter?
14. Jon: It was okay. But things have a different feel now. I dont have high hopes.
9. Andrew: What did you do?

4. Matching

1. i 2. g 3. c 4. d 5. a 6. e 7. k 8. l 9. f 10. b 11. h 12. j

5. Fill in the blanks

1. Justin thought he did well on his test. He had high hopes .

2. Kyle said his new house had a different feel than his old house.
3. Ashleys fish died so she was down all week long.
4. Darrin feels better when he gets if off his chest and talks to his dad.
5. My nephew gets worked up when his friends are mean to him.
6. Youre crying! Whats the matter ?
7. I know things are going badly, but hang in there , it will get better soon.

7. Comprehension

1. Jon sounded down.

2. Yes, he did.
3. Jon forgot about his and Amys one year anniversary.
4. Jon took Amy out for dinner the next night.

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Copyright 2009. This eBook is produced and distributed by Red River Press Inc. All rights reserved. The contents within this e-book/document may only be
photocopied by members of ESL-Library.com in accordance with membership terms and conditions. Contact info@esl-library.com for complete details.