Opposite Verbs (A2 Vocabulary)

A2 VOCABULARY · OPPOSITE VERBS

From the Bottom to the Top

PICTURE

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"Monday started at the bottom. It finished at the top."

Verb opposites in pairs; lend / borrow; lose = find or win

Listening

Speaking

LEAD-IN

Fast opposites

The teacher (or a student) says a word; the class shouts the opposite as fast as possible:

big - hot - early - cheap - open - win...

Wait: is the opposite of "lose" the same in "lose a match" and "lose your keys"? Keep that for later.

BEFORE YOU LISTEN

Karl's Monday

You will hear a true story: "My brother Karl's Monday". The story starts badly.

LISTEN ONCE

Does the story ...

a) go from bad to worse

b) start bad and stay bad

c) start bad and get better?

PICTURE

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LISTEN

Audioscript: "Karl's Monday"

A terrible Monday, then a wonderful one

My brother Karl had a terrible Monday - and then a wonderful one. Listen to this. He forgot to charge his phone, so his alarm didn't ring and he woke up late. He ran to the station and missed the 7.40 train. He caught the next one - but on the train, he lost his keys. A woman found them under a seat, and when she gave them back, Karl remembered her face: his old maths teacher! At work things didn't improve: he arrived late and his boss said nothing, which is worse than shouting.

LISTEN (continued)

...it finished at the top

That afternoon Karl had his driving test - his fourth. He was sure he would fail. He passed! He wanted to buy a cake to celebrate, but he had no money, because on Friday he lent his last twenty euros to a friend - so he borrowed ten from me. That evening his football team won 3-0; they usually lose. And at home, he turned on his laptop to download a film and saw a new email. In January he sent his CV to a music company. Guess what they sent him back? An interview. Monday started at the bottom. It finished at the top.

UNDERSTANDING

Put the events in order (1-6).

• he passed his driving test

• he missed a train

• he got an email about an interview

• he lost his keys

• he woke up late

• his team won

QUICK TALK

Lucky days

Discuss in pairs.

1. How easy / difficult was the speaker's accent?

2. Do bad days really "turn around" like this, or only in stories?

3. Tell your partner about one small disaster from your week - with a happy ending if possible.

PICTURE

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FIND THE WORDS

From the story, write the opposite of each verb:

catch (a train) → __________

remember → __________

borrow → __________

finish → __________

find (keys) → __________

lose (a match) → __________

pass (a test) → __________

HOW IT WORKS

Learn these verbs in pairs

arrive

leave

miss

catch (a bus)

break

mend / repair

pass

fail (an exam)

buy

sell

pick up

drop off (sb)

download

upload

push

pull

find

lose

send

receive

forget

remember

start

finish

lend

borrow

teach

learn

love

hate

turn on

turn off

CAREFUL

lose has two opposites: lose / find (your keys) but lose / win (a match). And direction matters with money: I lend money TO you = you borrow money FROM me.

PRACTICE

A - Shout the opposite verb

Your teacher will shout out one of the verbs.

You shout out the opposite!

PRACTICE

B - Choose the correct verb

1. Run! We'll miss / lose the bus!

2. Can I lend / borrow your pen?

3. I passed / won my exam!

4. He broke / mended his phone, so he took it to a shop to break / mend it.

FREER

Two days

Think of (or invent) one very good day and one very bad day.

TELL BOTH STORIES

Use at least SIX verbs from today's pairs. Your partner ticks each pair they hear both halves of (e.g. missed... caught). Most complete pairs wins.

PICTURE

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TEACHER'S REFERENCE · HIDE OR DELETE BEFORE CLASS

Answer key

Understanding - order. 4 · 2 · 6 · 3 · 1 · 5 (woke up late, missed a train, team won, lost his keys, passed his test, got the email).

Find the words. missed · lost · forgot · fail · lent · won · started

A. 1 Pull 2 learned / learnt 3 Turn off 4 received 5 sold

B. 1 miss 2 borrow 3 passed 4 broke, mend