Health & The Body – A2 ESL Lesson | Lingua Corner
A2 · Lesson 10 of 10

Health & The Body

Master the key grammar and vocabulary for this topic with a full Cambridge-style interactive lesson.

🏥 Health💊 Medicine🔵 should/shouldn’t✅ have to❓ don’t have to

Health & The Body

A2 Pre-Intermediate · should/shouldn’t · have to/don’t have to

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should/shouldn’t & have to/don’t have to
A2 Pre-Intermediate · should/shouldn’t · have to/don’t have to
ExampleRuleNotes
You should drink more water.Advice — it’s a good ideashould/shouldn’t = recommendation
You shouldn’t eat so much sugar.Negative adviceshouldn’t = it’s a bad idea
You have to see a doctor.Obligation — it is necessaryhave to = must, it is necessary
You don’t have to take medicine.Not necessarydon’t have to = it’s not necessary (but possible)

💡 ‘should’ = advice/recommendation. ‘have to’ = obligation/necessary. Don’t confuse them: ‘You should eat vegetables’ (advice) vs ‘You have to wear a seatbelt’ (rule).

1️⃣
Warm-Up – Health Vocabulary
Match the description to the correct health word
DescriptionAnswer
You feel very hot — your body temperature is high
A doctor writes this so you can get medicine
A sign that you are ill
Pain in your head
2️⃣
Vocabulary
6 key words for this topic
🤒 symptom
a sign that you are ill, e.g. fever or cough
“Her main symptom was a high temperature.”
💊 prescription
a doctor’s written order for medicine
“You need a prescription for this medicine.”
🏃 exercise
physical activity to keep your body healthy
“The doctor said I should do more exercise.”
😴 rest
relaxing and sleeping when you are ill
“You should get plenty of rest when you have flu.”
🩺 appointment
a time arranged to see a doctor
“I have a doctor’s appointment at 3 pm.”
🤧 infection
an illness caused by bacteria or a virus
“She has a throat infection and needs antibiotics.”
3️⃣
Reading
Read carefully — answers are in the text!

Tom has got a bad cold. He has a temperature, a sore throat and a headache. His mother says he should stay in bed and drink lots of water. He shouldn’t go to school.


Tom’s friend calls him. “You should try hot lemon and honey — it really helps!” she says. “You shouldn’t eat cold ice cream because it makes your throat worse.”


Tom has to see the doctor because his temperature is very high. The doctor says he has to take antibiotics for a week. He doesn’t have to go to hospital, which is good news.


“You should feel much better in a few days,” the doctor says. “But you have to finish all the medicine, even if you feel better earlier.”

4️⃣
Reading Comprehension
Choose the correct answer for each question
1. What symptoms does Tom have?
2. What does Tom’s friend recommend?
3. Why does Tom have to see the doctor?
4. What does the doctor say about the medicine?
5️⃣
Matching Exercise
Choose the correct option for each sentence
SentenceAnswer
You ___ drink more water every day.
You ___ smoke — it is very bad for your health.
Passengers ___ wear a seatbelt by law.
You ___ come to the party — it’s optional.
6️⃣
Use of English
Cambridge A2-style multiple choice
1. If you have a sore throat, you ___ eat cold food.
2. You ___ finish all your antibiotics, even if you feel better.
3. It’s a free event, so you ___ buy a ticket.
4. She looks terrible. She ___ see a doctor today.
7️⃣
Gap Fill Exercise
Choose the correct word for each gap

If you have a cold, you rest and drink lots of water. You go to school because you might make other people ill. You see a doctor if your temperature is very high — it is important. But you take medicine for a mild cold — just rest!

8️⃣
Speaking Practice
Discuss these topics with your partner
Topic 1
🤒 When you are ill
What do you do when you feel sick? What should you eat and drink?
Topic 2
🏃 Healthy lifestyle
What healthy habits should people have? What shouldn’t they do?
Topic 3
🩺 At the doctor
Have you ever been to the doctor for something serious? What happened?
Topic 4
💊 Health advice
Give your partner 3 pieces of health advice using should/shouldn’t.
9️⃣
Writing Task
Write and practise the grammar from this lesson
✏️ Write 5–6 sentences giving health advice. Use should/shouldn’t and have to/don’t have to at least twice each.

Example: If you want to be healthy, you should exercise at least three times a week. You shouldn’t eat too much junk food or drink fizzy drinks. If you feel ill, you should see a doctor — you don’t have to wait until things get worse. When you have an infection, you have to finish all your antibiotics. You shouldn’t stop taking them early, even if you feel better. Sleep is also very important — you should sleep at least seven hours a night.
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Lesson Complete!

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