Block 4 of 6 · Real English
Work-Life Balance
Stress, burnout, boundaries and wellbeing — the English to talk about one of the biggest challenges of modern life.
30:00
AVocabulary — Stress, work & wellbeing30 min
10 expressions for talking about stress and balance
These are the real expressions English speakers use when talking about work pressure, boundaries and mental wellbeing. Many are metaphorical — they use physical images to describe abstract ideas. Click to reveal.
Fill in the blanks — conversations about work and stress
Context: Four people are talking about their experiences with stress and work-life balance. Complete each line with the correct expression.
Click a word from the bank, then click the blank where you want to place it.
burn out
draw the line
switched off
run-down
take its toll
recharge
1. If you keep working at this pace, you’re going to completely.
2. I’ve decided to at working after 7pm. That time is for my family.
3. I’ve been feeling really lately — tired all the time, no energy, always getting ill.
4. The long hours are starting to on my health and my relationships.
5. I need at least two weeks off to properly my batteries.
6. Since I started leaving my phone in another room at night, I’ve finally properly for the first time in years.
BGrammar — Used to / would & passive voice30 min
Grammar focus — Used to / would (past habits) + Passive voice
Used to + infinitive — past habits or states that are no longer true:I used to work 70 hours a week. / She used to love her job.
I didn’t use to take breaks. / Did you use to feel like this?
Would + infinitive — repeated past actions (not states):
He would stay late every Friday. / We would never switch off at weekends.
Passive voice — used in news, reports and formal discussion:
Millions of workers are affected by stress. / It is estimated that… / Burnout has been linked to long working hours.
Choose the correct form
Select the most natural and grammatically correct option for each situation.
Reorder the sentences
Context: These sentences are about work habits and wellbeing, but the words are in the wrong order. Drag to build them correctly.
Drag and drop each word to build the correct sentence.
CListening — A person describes their burnout experience30 min
Context: You are going to hear Rachel, a 38-year-old teacher from Edinburgh, talking honestly about the burnout she experienced and what finally made her change her approach to work and life.
Press Play to listen. Change speed and replay as many times as needed. Transcript appears after your first listen.
Rachel — Burnout & Finding Balance
Ready to play
Comprehension questions
DProblem solving — Describing problems & solutions30 min
Matching — problem and solution language
Context: When talking about work-life balance problems and solutions, English uses very specific expressions. Match each expression with its function in a conversation.
Click an expression on the left, then click its matching function on the right.
Work-life problem scenarios — what would you do?
Context: Three people describe their work-life balance problems. In each case, choose the most thoughtful and practical response or solution.
Read each situation carefully. Choose the best response — think about both the language and the real-life advice.
EWriting — A personal response30 min
Write a response to a magazine question
Context: A health and lifestyle magazine has asked its readers: «Do you think work-life balance is possible in today’s world? What do you do to maintain it?»
Write a personal response of 80–100 words. Use your own experience or ideas.
Write a personal response of 80–100 words. Use your own experience or ideas.
Use the scaffold below. This response should feel personal and honest — not like an essay. Use «I» and give real examples or ideas.
Your overall view
I think work-life balance is… / In my opinion, it’s becoming harder / easier to…
A challenge you face or have seen
One of the biggest challenges is… / I find it hard to… / A lot of people I know…
Something that helps
One thing that really helps me is… / I’ve found that… / Setting boundaries, like…
Conclusion
Overall, I believe… / In the end, the most important thing is…
Total words: 0 / 100 (aim for 80–100)
set clear boundaries
switch off completely
make time for yourself
learn to say no
it takes real effort to…
FRegister — Talking about stress: formal vs informal30 min
Sort the expressions — HR meeting or chat with a colleague?
Context: You want to raise a concern about your workload. Some expressions are appropriate for a formal meeting with a manager or HR. Others are fine with a colleague friend but too casual for a formal context.
Click an expression to select it, then click the correct zone.
Manager / HR meeting
Colleague / friend chat
Choose the better version — formal context
Context: You are preparing to speak to your manager about your workload. Choose the more appropriate version of each thing you want to say.
Select the more professional version in each case.
★★★
Block 4 complete!
Work-Life Balance
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