Phrasal verbs: activism

This ESL worksheet is about phrasal verbs used to talk about activism and social change. Students will learn and practise 14 phrasal verbs and will discuss questions related to global and local issues. You can also try the worksheet “Phrasal verbs: human rights“.

First, students read short dialogues illustrating 8 key phrasal verbs (fight for, get behind, come together, advocate for, campaign against, fight against). They deduce the meanings from context and match each phrasal verb to its correct definition. To practise, they complete a short matching activity and respond to follow-up questions using the new vocabulary.

The rest of the phrasal verbs (stand up for, speak out, push for, call for, mobilise against, join in) are introduced through another set of dialogues focused on real-world scenarios. Students match these new verbs to their definitions, choose the correct verb in multiple-choice sentences, and complete a gap-fill task to reinforce understanding.

The final activities focus on personalization and discussion. Students apply the phrasal verbs to describe what various international organisations do (e.g. Amnesty International, UNICEF), then brainstorm actions for different social issues such as climate change, education, and homelessness. They work in pairs or small groups to discuss each topic and share ideas using the target language.

For more speaking practice, you can use the conversation cards.