BD1 · B1+–B2 · Adults · 60–75 minutes · Five student pages + five teacher pages + listening audio.
What would your team do when a giant inflatable duck will not fit in the van, a printer gets the company mugs wrong, or a brass band interrupts a client call? In this free Business English lesson, learners compare options, explain drawbacks and agree a practical next step.
The eight illustrated workplace dilemmas practise decision-making, polite disagreement, suggestions and conditions with provided that and as long as. Students can suggest a better solution of their own.
Download the worksheets
The student PDF is about 35 MB because it contains detailed pictures. No signup needed. Keep the teacher notes and suggested approaches separate when sharing worksheets.
Preview the first student page
Listen and compare: suggested approaches
The recording offers possible ways forward, not the only correct answers. Learners listen for suggestions, assumptions and things to check, then defend or revise their own decision. Pause after each situation.
Download the listening MP3 (9:34). The transcript is in the teacher PDF.
How to use the lesson
1. Get started: use student page 1 to introduce the Brightside scenario and practise useful phrases such as Our best bet is to… and We’d be better off….
2. Compare choices: use pages 2–3. Pairs choose a plan for each dilemma, giving a reason and a drawback or condition. Start with four situations if time is limited.
3. Listen and challenge: use page 4 with the recording. Check what the speakers suggest and what still needs confirming. A different plan with convincing reasons can be equally successful.
4. Hold a meeting: use page 5 for role swaps, twelve discussion questions and an optional 90–120-word recommendation email.
Online and one-to-one: share only the student pages, play one listening section at a time, and take turns recommending a plan and challenging it. The teacher pack includes language answers and suggested approaches.