Is Your Tone Passive-Aggressive?
This C1 ESL lesson dives into the world of passive-aggressive language, exploring subtle yet sharp phrases people use and how to express thoughts more clearly. Students will analyze an article on passive-aggressive expressions, their hidden meanings, and better alternatives, sparking lively discussions on tone, intent, and communication. The lesson includes a mix of reading, listening, vocabulary practice, and engaging pair work, challenging advanced learners to identify, interpret, and improve such phrases. A fun guessing activity will have students recognizing passive aggression in context, while ranking exercises encourage deeper thinking about levels of subtlety and directness. Perfect for sparking debate and sharpening communication skills, this lesson ensures students leave with a sharper awareness of language and its impact.
| Level | Vocabulary | Reading time | Lesson time |
| C1 / Advanced | 16 words | 661 words / 4 min | 60-80 min |
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Vocabulary
- corrosive
- offensive
- kiss-off
- guise
- pseudo-compliment
- begrudge
- glib
- kissing cousin
- pique
- feigned
- blurt out
- insult
- faux-backtracker
- proffer
- silent crybaby
- scorn
Contents
- Lead-in
- Vocabulary preview
- Definitions
- Article
- Comprehension
- Matching
- Listening
- Pair-work
- Discussion
Lead-in
The lesson begins with a lead-in activity where students reflect on the most passive-aggressive person they know—whether from work, school, or family. They describe the phrases this person frequently uses, their typical behavior, and how they manage interactions with them. This warm-up sets the tone for the lesson and gets students thinking about real-life examples. Next, students analyze eight passive-aggressive phrases, ranking them from least to most aggressive and discussing what people truly mean when they say them.
Vocabulary preview, Definitions
Before diving into the reading, students preview 16 key vocabulary words from the article. They mark familiar words and provide brief explanations, focusing on the ones they don’t know. If they struggle, they can refer to the next page for definitions. The goal is to build confidence with new terms before encountering them in context.
Article, Comprehension, Matching
Students then read the article, paying close attention to how the new words are used and grasping the main ideas. Though only 600 words long, the article is packed with nuanced vocabulary, so encourage students to read carefully. Afterward, they answer five comprehension questions that delve deeper into the meaning of the phrases. To reinforce learning, they complete a matching activity, finding two stronger alternatives for each passive-aggressive phrase—all sourced from the article.
Listening, Pair-work
Next is the listening activity, where students hear 16 sentences and identify the implied word from two options, justifying their choices. This is followed by a pair-work task where students create two better alternatives for each passive-aggressive phrase. Additional phrases are provided for further practice, and you can adjust the number of alternatives or group size based on your class dynamics.
Discussion
The final page offers an optional discussion section. If time allows, students can explore thought-provoking questions to deepen their understanding of the topic. Feel free to use this section whenever it fits best within your lesson.
