Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
- Tell a story about an annoying or frustrating situation in casual, fluent English
- Use informal expressions to describe people and behavior
- Respond naturally to someone venting (sympathy, humor, sarcasm)
Pre-listening Questions
Have you ever had a roommate or shared a space with someone? What was that experience like?
What makes someone a good or bad roommate?
What would you do if your roommate were always loud at night?
Pre-listening vocabulary
Read the sentences and guess the meaning of each word.
- My little brother gets so moody when he hasn’t eaten — it’s like walking on eggshells.
- After the party, three of my friends crashed on the couch without even asking.
- He always tries to hog the conversation and never lets anyone else talk.
- If you keep leaving dishes piling up, we’re gonna have ants again.
- They blasted music at full volume during the middle of the day — like, who does that on a Tuesday?
- My ex-roommate bailed on rent right before moving out and blocked me on everything.
- I totally lost it when I saw him wearing my favorite jacket without asking.
- The way she clicks her pen over and over again really gets under my skin.
- His workspace is always messy, but somehow he knows exactly where everything is.
Matching exercise
Vocabulary Gap-fill
Listening
Comprehension Questions
Listen again and answer the questions.
- What three things is the speaker frustrated about?
- What’s the roommate’s reaction when confronted?
- What phrase does the speaker use to show he’s extremely annoyed?
- What solution is the speaker considering?
Answers
- Blasts music at 2 am/leaves dishes piling up/ has his friends crash on the couch
- He is passive-aggressive. He tells him to wear eagplugs
- Get under my skin
- He’s going to break the lease
Text
Speaker 1:
I’m seriously gonna lose it. This guy is driving me nuts.
Speaker 2:
Again? What did he do this time?
Speaker 1:
Where do I start? First of all, he hogged the bathroom for like 40 minutes this morning. I was late for work.
Speaker 2:
Classic. He still leaving dishes piling up too?
Speaker 1:
Oh yeah. The sink looks like a science experiment. And to top it off, he blasted music at 2 a.m. — again.
Speaker 2:
Seriously? That guy’s a walking red flag.
Speaker 1:
Right? And his buddy crashed on our couch last night without even texting me. Just there. Snoring.
Speaker 2:
That would 100% get under my skin.
Speaker 1:
And when I brought it up? He got all passive-aggressive like, “Well, maybe you should buy earplugs.”
Speaker 2:
Wow. I’d have lost it. What are you gonna do?
Speaker 1:
Honestly? I’m thinking of breaking the lease. I can’t deal with this mess much longer.
Post-listening activity
Discussion Questions
Answer the questions
Have you ever lived with someone who had annoying habits?
How do you think people should handle conflicts in shared living situations?
What are some common problems roommates face, and how can they be avoided?
Would you rather live alone or with someone else? Explain your preference.
Role Play 1
Scenario: You’re venting to a friend about your nightmare roommate. Use at least 3 vocabulary words and 2 key expressions.
Roles:
Roommate-victim: Describe 2–3 annoying things your roommate does.
Friend: React with empathy, ask follow-up questions, share a similar story.
Role Play 2
Setting: You and a friend are roommates. One of you is messy and inconsiderate. The other finally brings it up.
Roles with Goals:
Roommate A (The Complainer): Bring up your issues and try to keep your cool.
Your Goals:
- Use at least 3 casual expressions
- Try to get an apology or change in behavior
Roommate B (The Offender): Defend yourself or shift blame.
Your Goals:
- Avoid taking full responsibility
- Use humor or sarcasm if you want
