This live lesson slideshow covers inferring vs implying based on a photograph of a reusable coffee cup. Students discuss what can be inferred and implied about the cup from the picture alone or with additional context pictures. They then analyze a news article on reusable cups from their pre-lesson task, noting inferences and implications using reporting verbs. Finally, students recap the key ideas and are assigned a homework task writing 250 words on whether reusable cups are a viable alternative to disposables.

1. Live Lesson Slides
Sustainability – Academic English Skills
Francesca Reader

2. Objectives
• To understand the difference between infer and imply
• To be able to implement this understanding by analysing a
photograph and a text
• To consider the effectiveness of reporting verbs for hedging and
boosting

3. Pre-Lesson Task Recap
• What activities did you complete for the pre-lesson task?
• What was the topic of the text and some of its key points?
• What is the difference between
infer and imply?

4. A reusable cup
• What can you infer from this
picture?
(based on the evidence)
• What can you imply from this
picture?
(a possible situation – with little evidence)

5. A reusable cup – breakout room 1
• Task: In your breakout rooms discuss and make notes on what you
can further infer and imply about this cup using these two pictures as
additional information

6. Feedback
• Feedback: One student from each group summarise your notes and
discussion for the class

7. Reporting verbs
WooClap activity: Write some examples of reporting verbs
• Smith (2020) states that…
• Reader (2020) argues that..
• Jones (2020) maintains that…
• Green (2020) claims that…
What is the difference between these reporting verbs?

8. A reusable cup text – breakout room 2
Go back to the text ‘Reusable coffee
cups aren’t entirely eco-friendly’ from
the Independent Online that you read
for the pre-lesson task.
Task: In your breakout rooms discuss and make notes on what you
can further infer and imply about this cup using these two pictures as
additional information. Try to include some reporting verbs in your
notes.

9. Feedback
Feedback: One student from each
group summarise your notes and
discussion for the class

10. Recap and questions
• Do you have any questions?
• What were some of the key ideas
covered in this lesson?
• Why do you think inference and
implication might be relevant to your
current studies?
• Why do you think you might need
these skills at university?

11. Post-Lesson Task (Homework)
Write 250 words answering the question ‘Are reusable cups a viable
alternative to disposable cups?’
Remember to consider the topics, resources and vocabulary covered
during the previous lesson and the pre-lesson task.
Submit your work via Turnitin on Blackboard.

12. References
Text
Wood, C. (2019). ‘Reusable Cup aren’t entirely eco-friendly’. The Independent Online. Available at:
https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/reusable-coffee-cups-eco-friendly-sustainable-environment-
a9045426.html [Accessed 30 May 2020].
Images
Freely-available images taken from https://unsplash.com/ [Accessed 30 May 2020].
Cup photos on slides 4, 5 and 6 are personal photos