breakthrough-plus-level-4-teachers-book-unit-9 - Past regrets

Oct 1, 2026

Unit 9 “Past regrets” learning activities guide students through warm-up discussion of regrets and party experiences, followed by listening, reading, and partner conversation practice. The unit focuses on grammar for expressing wishes and regrets, including If only/I wish with past perfect, and should have + past participle. Vocabulary tasks practice expressions with to be, while listening exchanges develop completing conversations before checking answers. Strategy sections include showing sympathy and matching regrets with responses.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time15 min

AccessFree to download

Warm-up

Conversation

Grammar reference

Vocabulary

Exchange

Strategy: Showing sympathy

9 Past regrets Focus Grammar Vocabulary Strategy wishes and regrets If only/I wish + past perfect should have expressions with to be word formation (2) showing sympathy 1 Warm-up (Books closed.) Write the word regret on the board. Explain that the verb is the same as the noun, and ask students to tell you what it means. Then tell students to call out any words and phrases they think of (e.g., be sorry for, be sad about something, be regretful, regret (not) doing something, regrettable) . Write their ideas on the board. a Discuss the pictures with a partner. (Books open.) Ask students to open their books to page 56. Tell them to look at the pictures. Read aloud the questions and encourage students to call out possible answers. Then tell students to get into pairs and discuss the pictures. Explain they should talk about them in as much detail as they can, not only describing what they can see but also speculating about how the people feel, their character, what their relationship is, etc. b When was the last time you went to a party? Have you ever met anyone special at a party? Ask students to raise their hand if they like going to parties. Encourage them to say how often they go to parties, and explain why they enjoy them. Then ask any students who do not like going to parties to explain their reasons. Ask students to get into pairs, and read aloud the questions. Tell them to ask and answer the questions. 2 Conversation a [2.17] Listen and read. Explain to students that they are going to hear a conversation between two friends. Tell them to read along as they listen. Play the audio. b Practice the conversation with a partner. Tell students to get into pairs and practice the conversation. When they finish, have them switch roles and practice again. 62 9 Past regrets Challenge! Imagine Andrew calls his Uncle. With your partner role-play the conversation. Ask students to stay in their pairs. Explain they are going to role-play a telephone conversation between Andrew and his Uncle. Tell them to choose which character to be, then read aloud the example. Encourage them to continue the conversation with their partner. Fast finishers Tell students that finish quickly to practice their conversation. When the rest of the class has finished, have them role-play their conversation for the class. Grammar reference, p.110 Tell students to turn to page 110. Read aloud the explanation of when to use If only and I wish, and the example sentences. Emphasize that to express a regret in the present, the simple past tense is used, while to express a regret in the past, the past perfect tense is used. Point out that both was and were are used with the first person singular, so we can say I wish/If only I was/were. Then explain that we can use different modal verbs as well, and read aloud the example sentences. Read aloud the explanation of when to use should have, and the example sentences. Explain that should have is followed by the past participle. Tell students to refer back to this page any time they are uncertain about the correct form or use of If only/I wish and should have. 3 Vocabulary a Complete each sentence using the correct form of an expression with to be. Ask students to turn to page 57. Read aloud the expressions with to be. Tell them to read the sentences (1–4) and complete each one with the correct form of an appropriate expression with tobe. Add that they can use their dictionaries to find the meaning of any expressions they do not know. Tell students to begin and monitor, providing help as needed. Check answers as a class. b Circle the expressions with to be in these sentences. Match each expression with a meaning. Tell students to read each sentence (1–4) and explain they should identify and circle each expression that uses to be. Tell them to match each expression they find with a meaning (a–d) . Give students time to do the activity, then ask them to get into pairs an

FAQs

How do students practice the main conversation in Unit 9?

Students listen and read the conversation, then practice it with a partner and switch roles to practice again.

What grammar structures are emphasized for regrets?

The unit emphasizes If only/I wish with past perfect for past regrets, and should have + past participle for regret-related statements about the past.

What does the strategy section teach students to do?

Students learn how to show sympathy by matching regrets with responses and underlining expressions used to show sympathy.

Oct 1, 2026

Uploaded by AfterMidnight