What is this lesson about?

This A2-B1 idioms lesson introduces eight everyday expressions for talking about tiredness and energy, from feeling dead on your feet to recharging your batteries. The idioms are chosen for how easy they are to picture, making them accessible even at a lower level. Students match idioms to meanings, apply them to real-life situations, then use them to talk about their own energy levels and routines.

What language will students learn?

Students learn eight simple, high-frequency idioms about tiredness and energy, including:

Useful expressions

• to be dead on your feet

• to run out of steam

• to be full of beans

• to recharge your batteries

• to be running on empty

• to get your second wind

• to burn the midnight oil

• a night owl

  
  

How do students practise?

Learners build fluency through a recognise-apply-produce sequence:

• Reflecting on their own everyday energy levels

• Learning eight idioms in full example sentences

• Matching each idiom to its meaning

• Applying idioms to real-life situations

• Discussing energy and tiredness using the target idioms

• Telling a personal story while actively using the idioms

  
  

Why is this lesson useful?

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

• Understand and use eight common idioms about tiredness and energy

• Recognise which idiom fits a given real-life situation

• Talk about their own energy levels and routines more naturally

• Build confidence with idiomatic English at an earlier stage than usual

  
  

Who is it for?

This lesson is designed for adult ESL learners at A2-B1 level who want an accessible first introduction to idiomatic English, through simple, high-frequency expressions about everyday tiredness and energy.