Böhme Language Consultancy

Sports Around the World

Grammar Focus: Simple Past vs Present Perfect + Conjunctions
Duration: 60–70 min
B2
PILLAR 1

Strategic Activation

Warm Up

Before We Read...

"For more than 120 years, the Olympic Games have included sports that most people have never heard of — and some that have completely disappeared. In 1900, athletes competed in live pigeon shooting."
01 What's your immediate reaction to that fact?
02 What's the strangest sport or competition you've ever heard of?
03 Is there an unusual sport or tradition from your own country that a foreigner might find strange?
04 Have you ever done something competitive just for fun, not to win?
PILLAR 2

Expressive Thinking

Idioms From Sport

5 Idioms You'll Use Every Day

Move the goalposts
/muːv ðə ˈɡəʊlpəʊsts/
to unfairly change the rules or targets after something has already started
Halfway through the project, the client moved the goalposts.
Down to the wire
/daʊn tə ðə ˈwaɪər/
not decided or resolved until the very last possible moment
The election was so close it went down to the wire.
Level playing field
/ˈlɛvəl ˈpleɪɪŋ fiːld/
a fair situation where everyone has equal chances and conditions
The new rules created a level playing field for smaller companies.
Throw in the towel
/θrəʊ ɪn ðə ˈtaʊəl/
to give up or admit defeat
After three failed attempts, she finally threw in the towel.
Off to a flying start
/ɒf tuː ə ˈflaɪɪŋ stɑːrt/
to begin something very successfully
The new restaurant got off to a flying start.
Use It · Idiom Speed Round

90 Seconds. Go.

Use 3 of the 5 idioms in sentences about your own life. Pick your prompts:

① Can you think of a time someone moved the goalposts on you?
② Think of a decision or deadline that went down to the wire.
③ Is there an area of your life where you'd like a more level playing field?
④ Have you ever wanted to throw in the towel on something?
⑤ Describe something that got off to a flying start.
In Context · Reading

The Wife-Carrying World Championship

Read once. Underline any word or phrase you don't know — don't stop to look it up yet.

Athletics track
Finland has hosted the Wife-Carrying World Championship every summer since 1992, when a group of friends from Sonkajärvi decided to turn an old village legend into a competition. According to the story, 19th-century bandits used to raid neighbouring villages and steal wives, carrying them through the forest as fast as they could. Although the legend sounds cruel today, the modern event has become a playful celebration, and thousands of tourists have travelled to this small Finnish town to watch it. Competitors carry their partner — who doesn't have to be their real spouse — through mud, water and obstacles, while judges make sure nobody drops their "wife." Since the competition began, the prize has changed dramatically: today, the winning couple receives the wife's weight in beer.
Think About It · Deep Dive

From the Text to Your Life

Find It · 1pt eachWhat do competitors carry their partner through? What has the winning prize become today?
Explain It · 1ptIn your own words, explain how a cruel 19th-century legend turned into a playful modern sport.
Question It · 1ptThe text never says whether men have carried men, or women have carried women. Why do you think the writer left this detail out?
Connect It · 2ptsIs there an unusual sport or tradition from your own country or region that foreigners might find strange? Describe it.
First Attempt · Guided Practice

Build It

Complete each scaffold with your own idea. Don't worry about being perfect yet.

01 Since I was a child, I ...
02 Although , I have never ...
03 When I , I decided to ...
04 I haven't since ...
PILLAR 3

Refined Communication

Spot It · Grammar

Simple Past vs Present Perfect

Go back to the text: find 3 verbs in each tense. Which conjunctions connect the ideas?

Use Tense Signal words Example
Finished action at a specific past time Simple Past in 2009, yesterday, when Usain Bolt broke the 100m world record in 2009.
Action continuing up to now / unspecified time Present Perfect since, for, never, already Women have competed in the Olympics since 1900.
Contrast between two ideas although / while although, while Although the legend sounds cruel, the event has become playful.
Point where a continuing action started when + Simple Past when It all began when a group of friends created the contest.
Activity 1 · Grammar & Facts

True or False?

Finland has hosted the Wife-Carrying World Championship every summer since 1992.

✅ True

"Since 1992" + Present Perfect = an action that started in the past and continues today.

The winning couple receives a cash prize of $1,000.

❌ False

The text says the winning couple receives the wife's weight in beer.

"Since" + a point in the past usually signals the Present Perfect.

✅ True

"Since 1992 / since 2009" marks the starting point of something that continues to now.

You should always use Simple Past whenever a sentence contains "since."

❌ False

"Since" pairs with the Present Perfect (has/have + past participle), not the Simple Past.

Activity 2 · Reading & Grammar

Choose the Correct Answer

What do competitors carry their partner through?

A river and a bridge
Mud, water and obstacles
A forest trail only

What does the winning couple receive today?

A trophy and a medal
A cash prize
The wife's weight in beer

Which sentence uses the Present Perfect correctly?

Finland has hosted the championship since 1992.
Finland hosted the championship since 1992.
Finland has host the championship since 1992.
Activity 3 · Grammar in Action

Sentence Scramble

Click the words in the correct order, then check.

Build the sentence:

Build the sentence:

Activity 4 · Error Hunt · Fix It

Correct or Incorrect? Click to Diagnose

Serena Williams has won her first Grand Slam title in 1999.

Women have competed in the Olympics since 1900.

Brazil didn't win a World Cup since 2002.

Usain Bolt broke the 100m world record in 2009, and he has never lost since.

PILLAR 4

Real Performance

Speak Up · Hot Take

Do You Agree or Disagree?

"Hosting the Olympic Games causes more problems than benefits for the country that hosts them."
60sPrepare your case
90sMake your case
30sTeacher argues back
30sYou reply
Debrief: What was the hardest part? Was there a word or phrase you needed but didn't have?
Activity 5 · Conversation Cards

Click to Reveal

💬
Is there an unusual sport or tradition from your country that foreigners might find strange?
💬
Have you ever wanted to throw in the towel on something? What happened?
💬
Describe something in your life that got off to a flying start.
💬
Is there an area of your life or work where you'd like a more level playing field?
💬
Think of a decision or deadline in your life that went down to the wire.
💬
Was there a word or phrase today you needed but didn't have? What was it?
Write It · Final Boss

Travel Blog Paragraph

Write 5–6 sentences about an unusual sport from anywhere in the world you'd love to try. Include:

＋ What the sport is and where it comes from
＋ How long it has existed, or how it has changed (Present Perfect)
＋ One specific, dated event in its history (Simple Past)
＋ One conjunction: since / although / when / while / because
＋ One idiom from today's lesson