Introduction:

This is an activity to introduce and practise clothes idioms. Students complete the sentences with the missing items of clothing and later interview their classmates.

Level: B2

Time: 45 minutes

Objectives:

1. To present students with clothes idioms.
2. To complete the sentences in Exercise 1 with the missing items of clothing.
3. To interview other classmates and write down the reasons why they agree or disagree with the statements in Exercise 1.

Materials:

1. Clothes do (not) make the man Worksheet, one per student.

Procedure:

1. Write the statement Clothes don’t make the man on the board and ask students to tell their partner if they agree or disagree with it.
2. Hand out a copy of Clothes do (not) make the man Worksheet and ask students to individually complete the sentences in Exercise 1.
3. When the students have finished, ask them to compare in small groups and then check together as a class.
4. Clarify meaning if necessary.
5. In pairs, or small groups of 3, ask the students to interview each other (Exercise 2) and write down the reasons why their classmates agree or disagree with the statements they have just completed (Exercise 1).
6. Once they have discussed 2 statements with their current partner(s), change the groups and continue until the students have completed the table in Exercise 2.
7. When the students have finished, ask them to share the most well presented arguments they have heard.

Fast finishers:

1. Ask students to choose 5 clothes idioms and think of situations in their life that could be described using those idioms, e.g. since losing my weekend job, I have had to tighten my belt; If I don’t pull my socks up, I won’t pass the exam at the end of term.

Clothes do (not) make the man Worksheet