Language functions: discussing issues; reading comprehension; expressing annoyance

Vocabulary / Topic area: annoyances; bad habits

This time Im not

EVERYDAY
going to fake it!

ANNOYANCES
TEACHER WORKSHEET - LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE

focus on vocabulary
ACTIVITY 1 INDIVIDUALLY
Match the meanings with the underlined expressions.

1. The customers demands infuriated our sales director.

2. Parents were invited to express their grievances at the parents meeting.
3. The waiters mistake in the bill got me red faced with anger.
4. My wife is always grumbling to me about her boss.
5. Sometimes we find it hard to put up with petty annoyances we face everyday.
6. I really worry about Jans antisocial behaviour nobody likes him.
7. He got very hot under the collar seeing his girlfriend dancing with Ken all night.
8. Its too late now the children are getting tired and irritable.

A. complaining in a bad-tempered E. angered

manner
F. getting annoyed easily
B. little things that make you angry
G. angry
C. made me angry
H. something that you think is unfair
D. behaviour that is harmful or and that you complain or protest
annoying to other people about
1-E 2-H 3-C 4-A 5-B 6-D 7-G 8-F

www.english-4U.com: JUNE 2007 1

focus on talking
ACTIVITY 2 WHOLE GROUP
In pairs, ask and answer the questions below.

Do you get annoyed easily? Are you an irritable person?

What kind of things do you find annoying in your everyday life. Make a list of 10
annoyances. Which of them are most infuriating? Why?
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
Do people in your country like grumbling about things. What would be the number one
annoyance for your compatriots?

Focus on reading
ACTIVITY 3 INDIVIDUALLY
Scan read the article to find out what the most
common annoyances.

Britons are the kings of Europe when it comes to

grumbling about everyday annoyances, a new survey
shows.
Dog mess, bad manners and poor personal hygiene are the
things that most get people red faced with anger.
The Reader's Digest poll surveyed people in 17 countries and found only the Portuguese matched Britain
for irritability.
People were asked to list 20 common annoyances on a scale to find which ones were the most infuriating.
Some 90% of Britons rating dog mess on the streets and in parks as the biggest irritation.
Among Europeans as a whole the figure was 82%.
Their biggest annoyance was litter, cited by 86% of those surveyed. Britain was ahead here too - with 89%
getting hot under the collar about litter.
Spitting in public, queue jumping, telemarketers, tailgaters and people talking loudly on mobile phones
also ranked highly.
The list did not ask people about grievances such as delayed train journeys, speed cameras or the weather.
"Europeans may be divided about the EU constitution but they are united about the little things that can
make ordinary life so annoying," Reader's Digest chief Bob Low said.
"Clearly they most dislike anti-social people who make our public spaces so unpleasant to walk round, by
dropping litter, spitting or letting their dogs foul the pavement."
Source: http://news.sky.com/skynews/home

www.english-4U.com: JUNE 2007 2

 focus on comprehension
ACTIVITY 4 PAIRS
Decide whether these statements are TRUE or FALSE.

1. According to the survey British people are the most irritable

people in Europe. T
2. The results of the survey show that the Portuguese are the least
irritable people in Europe. F
3. The biggest annoyance in Europe is dog mess. F
4. Britons are more likely to complain about litter than other
Europeans. T
5. According to the survey people do not find delayed train
journeys or speed cameras annoying. F

focus on talking
ACTIVITY 5 WHOLE GROUP
In pairs, ask and answer the questions below.

What do you think would be the results of such a survey

in your country?
What can we do to get rid of the antisocial behaviour
presented in the article?

focus on vocabulary
ACTIVITY 6 INDIVIDUALLY
Complete the sentences to explain the words and
expressions from the text.

1. Litter is small pieces of rubbish such as paper, cans and bottles, that people have left lying in
a public place.

2. If you jumped the queue, it means that you went to the front of a queue without waiting for
your turn.

3. A tailgater is a driver who drives too closely behind another vehicle.

4. If your dog fouled the pavement, it means that it made the pavement dirty.

www.english-4U.com: JUNE 2007 3