English Conversation – Money
Friday, November 11, 2011 @ 06:11 PM
This is the preparation material for an English conversation lesson about money - earning money, losing money and spending money! There is an audio discussion to listen to, common idioms relating to money and a list of conversation questions that we might use when discussing this important subject.
Audio discussion
Download audio discussion about money
Download transcript of audio discussion
* Audio courtesy of elllo.org
Borrow vs lend money
Use 'borrow' when taking money from someone, use 'lend' when giving money to someone.
Phrasal Verbs
- pay back - to return money owed to someone
- pay off - to finish paying all money that is owed
- save up - to keep money for a large expense in the future
- put aside - to save money for a specific purpose
Idioms
- Money doesn’t grow on trees – money doesn’t come easily
- I’m not made of money – to not have a lot of money
- Time is money – time is valuable so do not waste it
- Beyond one’s means – more than one can afford
- To cost an arm and a leg – to cost a lot of money
- Flat broke – to have no money at all
- Foot the bill – to pay for something
Conversation questions
- Do you think money brings happiness?
- What would you do if you were given $1 million?
- In what ways do people’s lives revolve around money?
- Do you agree with the expression “money is the root of all evil”?
- Have you ever lost a lot of money?
- Have you ever won a lot of money?
- Do you think children should be given pocket money / an allowance?
- How important do you think it is to save money?
- Do you think people behave differently when they have a credit card compared to when they have cash?
- Do you think that money can ever buy love?
- Have you ever had money stolen from you?
- What qualities must a person have to make big money?
- Why do people often want more money, no matter how much they have got?
- Why are poor people in many cases more generous than rich people?
- What do you like spending money on?
- Have you ever lent money to someone?
- Have you ever found any money on the street? If so, what did you do with it?
- When did you open your first bank account?
- How old were you when you earned your first salary? What did you spend it on?