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.