Free Time

Lead-in

  • What kind of TV shows do you usually watch?
    • What type of TV show do you watch the most? Why?

Presentation

Pre

  • Do you prefer watching comedies or documentaries? Why?
  • Talk about a reality show you watched. What was it about?

Top Down

  • What does the text talk about?
  • The history of television and how it was invented
  • Different types of TV shows 
  • How to cook different dishes shown on cookery shows
  • The history of television and how it was invented
  • Different types of TV shows 
  • How to cook different dishes shown on cookery shows

What’s on TV — and What Do You Call It?

These days, there’s a wide variety of TV shows to choose from, and everyone has their favorite. Some people enjoy watching a comedy as a way to relax after a long day, while others prefer a documentary, hoping to learn a new piece of information. If you enjoy discussing news, you might watch a current affairs program or simply turn on the news—both offer useful items of information about what’s happening around the world.

Children often choose cartoons, while adults may prefer a chat show, where celebrities share funny or interesting pieces of gossip. If you like competition, a quiz show might be just your thing. Some quiz shows even award prizes for answering one difficult item of trivia!

For those who love stories, a series is a great option. These shows continue episode by episode and often include emotional or funny moments. If you’re into dramatic storytelling, you might watch a soap opera, where a single episode can include many dramatic pieces of news about the characters’ lives. On the other hand, reality shows often follow real people instead of actors. You may even spot someone packing “a few items of clothing” for their next challenge or adventure.

Cooking fans can enjoy a cookery show, where each episode might include a delicious item of food or teach you a new piece of cooking advice. And if you ever watch closely, you’ll see that chefs often use a pair of scissors to open packages or prepare ingredients—just one of the many handy tools in the kitchen.

Whether you’re watching a piece of art being discussed on a culture program or a contestant showing off a pair of stylish jeans on a fashion show, TV programs often give us more than entertainment—they give us new words, new ideas, and new ways to talk about what we see and own.

Text Generated by A.I.

Bottom Up

  • True or False
  1. Comedies help people relax after a long day.
  2. Current affairs programs and the news give useful items of information.
  3. Cartoons are popular among children.
  4. In a reality show, actors play made-up characters.
  5. Chefs in cookery shows sometimes use a pair of scissors while cooking.
  1. Comedies help people relax after a long day. True
  2. Current affairs programs and the news give useful items of information. True
  3. Cartoons are popular among children. True
  4. In a reality show, actors play made-up characters. False
  5. Chefs in cookery shows sometimes use a pair of scissors while cooking. True

Post

  • Have you ever learned a new skill or idea from a TV show? Which one?
  • Which do you prefer: watching the news or reading it online? Explain.

Target Language

Types of TV Shows

  • Cartoon 
  • Chat show 
  • Comedy 
  • Music program 
  • Quiz show 
  • Reality show 
  • Cookery show 
  • Current affairs program 
  • Series 
  • Soap (opera) 
  • Documentary 
  • The news 

Controlled Practice

  • Match each occupation to their meaning.
  1. Cartoon
  2. Chat show
  3. Comedy
  4. Music program
  5. Quiz show
  6. Reality show
  7. Cookery show
  8. Current affairs program
  9. Series
  10. Soap opera
  11. Documentary
  12. The news

(?) A show where contestants answer questions to win prizes.
(?) A story that continues across multiple episodes.
(?) A daily broadcast presenting reports about current events.
(?) A program that shows real people in unscripted situations.
(?) A program where famous guests are interviewed in a casual setting.
(?) A factual program that explores real topics or events.
(?) A TV program that uses animated drawings, usually for children.
(?) A dramatic, emotional show aired regularly, often daily.
(?) A program made to make people laugh.
(?) A show that features performances or information about music.
(?) A program that discusses recent political or social events.
(?) A TV show that teaches recipes or cooking techniques.

  1. Cartoon
  2. Chat show
  3. Comedy
  4. Music program
  5. Quiz show
  6. Reality show
  7. Cookery show
  8. Current affairs program
  9. Series
  10. Soap opera
  11. Documentary
  12. The news

(5) A show where contestants answer questions to win prizes.
(9) A story that continues across multiple episodes.
(12) A daily broadcast presenting reports about current events.
(6) A program that shows real people in unscripted situations.
(2) A program where famous guests are interviewed in a casual setting.
(11) A factual program that explores real topics or events.
(1) A TV program that uses animated drawings, usually for children.
(10) A dramatic, emotional show aired regularly, often daily.
(3) A program made to make people laugh.
(4) A show that features performances or information about music.
(8) A program that discusses recent political or social events.
(7) A TV show that teaches recipes or cooking techniques.

Freer Practice

  • Complete the sentences with your own ideas. Use the target language.
    • My favorite TV show is…
    • When I was a kid I didn’t like…
    • The worst type of TV show is… because…
    • I feel happy when I…

Production

  • Choose one type of TV show from the list. Write a paragraph explaining:

    • Why you like this type of TV show.

    • An example of a show you enjoy.

    • What you usually do while watching it.

    • How often you watch this kind of program.

Homework

Match the sentences’ halves.

  1. Cartoon
  2. Chat show
  3. Comedy
  4. Music program
  5. Quiz show
  6. Reality show

(   ) A show where famous people talk about their lives.
(   ) A show with animated characters.
(   ) A competition based on questions and answers.
(   ) A show where people live their lives on camera.
(   ) A show that is mainly for making people laugh.
(   ) A show focused on songs and performances.

  1. Cartoon
  2. Chat show
  3. Comedy
  4. Music program
  5. Quiz show
  6. Reality show

(2) A show where famous people talk about their lives.
(1) A show with animated characters.
(5) A competition based on questions and answers.
(6) A show where people live their lives on camera.
(3) A show that is mainly for making people laugh.
(4) A show focused on songs and performances.

Choose the best option for each sentence.

Example: I wish I were less/more stressed. > I wish I were less stressed.

  1. I watch (news / cartoon) to laugh and have fun.
  2. A (documentary / reality show) about lions teaches you about animals.
  3. A (chat show / music program) is good when you want to hear celebrities talk.
  4. (The news / Soap opera) tells you true stories happening now.
  5. A (series / cookery show) teaches you how to make pizza.
  6. A (quiz show / comedy) usually has a lot of jokes.
  1. I watch cartoon to laugh and have fun.
  2. A documentary about lions teaches you about animals.
  3. A chat show is good when you want to hear celebrities talk.
  4. The news tells you true stories happening now.
  5. A cookery show teaches you how to make pizza.
  6. A comedy usually has a lot of jokes.

Judge the sentences as True or False.

  1. A soap opera is a type of quiz show.
  2. A music program often has live performances.
  3. Documentaries are only about imaginary stories.
  4. A reality show follows real people’s lives.
  5. The news gives the latest information.
  6. Cartoons are mostly for adults only.
  1. A soap opera is a type of quiz show. False
  2. A music program often has live performances. True
  3. Documentaries are only about imaginary stories. False
  4. A reality show follows real people’s lives. True
  5. The news gives the latest information. True
  6. Cartoons are mostly for adults only. False

Put the words in the correct order

Example: be / more / relaxed / want / a / bit / I / to > I want to be a bit more relaxed.

  1. a / is / show / comedy / funny / very
  2. cookery / TV / love / I / shows / on
  3. documentary / a / history / about / watching / am / I
  4. is / famous / chat / person / on / show / the / a
  5. music / play / favorite / program / my / songs / the
  6. quiz / a / watch / to / I / show / like
  1. A comedy show is very funny.
  2. I love cookery shows on TV.
  3. I am watching a documentary about history.
  4. A chat show is on with a famous person.
  5. My favorite music program plays songs.
  6. I like to watch a quiz show.

Find and correct the mistakes.

Example: He is bit angrier. > He is a bit angrier.

  1. Cartoons is with real people acting.
  2. Documentary are about fake stories.
  3. Reality shows is only for cartoons.
  4. The news talk about superheroes.
  5. Cookery show teach how to dance.
  6. Chat shows is about asking quiz questions.
  1. Cartoons are animated, not with real people acting.
  2. Documentaries are about real stories, not fake stories.
  3. Reality shows are about real people, not cartoons.
  4. The news talks about real events, not superheroes.
  5. Cookery shows teach how to cook, not how to dance.
  6. Chat shows are about talking, not asking quiz questions.

Writing

Imagine you are creating your own TV show!
Write a short script where:

  • Choose the type of show (cartoon, chat show, comedy, cookery show, quiz show, etc.).
  • Introduce the name of the show and the main characters.
  • Write at least 10 lines of dialogue between the characters.
  • Make sure the dialogue matches the style of the show (funny, serious, informative, etc.).