When a Genius Couldn't Explain
Grammar: Relative clauses with prepositions and non-defining relative clauses
A Business English English lesson exploring business.
What's in this lesson
A Business English ESL lesson on business, practising relative clauses with prepositions and non-defining relative clauses. The worksheet has a reading, target vocabulary, a grammar reference with practice and discussion questions.
From the reading: The Genius Who Couldn't Explain
In 1990, a Stanford psychology student named Elizabeth Newton ran a deceptively simple experiment. She asked one group of people to tap out the rhythm of a famous song, such as "Happy Birthday", on a table. A second group, the listeners, had to guess the song. The tappers predicted that half the listeners would succeed. In fact, only 2.5 percent did. Every tapper could hear the melody in their head, and they could not imagine what bare knocking sounded like to someone else.
Vocabulary
- act on
- answer
- bare
- run
- boil down to
- break down
- cut out
- spell out
Grammar
- Preposition + whom
- The client to whom we wrote was anxious. — formal, preposition first
- Preposition + which
- The deadline by which we must reply is Friday. — things, not people
Discussion questions
- Who explains difficult ideas best in your life?
- When did a simple instruction confuse you?
- Should experts be trained to write clearly?
When a Genius Couldn't Explain
Grammar: Relative clauses with prepositions and non-defining relative clauses
What's in this lesson:
Full lesson plan with reading, grammar, vocabulary, and discussion.
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