Before watching
- Have you ever had to convince someone to support an idea?
- What makes a pitch persuasive: facts, emotion, storytelling or confidence?
- Why might an audience reject a good idea?
- How important is it to understand what your audience cares about?
- Should a speaker openly discuss the weakest point in an idea?
- Can creating a fear of missing out be persuasive without becoming manipulative?
Pitching Ideas
Watch in two parts and complete the tasks.
Prep for Part 1: Vocabulary Matching
Match each phrase to its meaning before watching Part 1.
1. FOMO
2. compelling
3. get buy-in
4. market opportunity
Watch Part 1
Watch from 0:00 to about 2:07. Focus on FOMO, storytelling and knowing your audience.
Open Part 1 on YouTubeComprehension 1
Click each question to reveal the answer.
Vocabulary from Part 1
A good pitch should feel .
Pitching is often a .
You need to understand what your audience .
Your idea should make people feel they might .
Options
compellingstorytelling exercisecares aboutmiss outgloss overPrep for Part 2: Vocabulary Matching
Match each phrase to its meaning before watching Part 2.
1. status quo
2. shore up
3. gloss over
4. irresistible
Watch Part 2
Watch from about 2:07 to the end. Focus on the hero’s journey, weak points and the final advice.
Open Part 2 on YouTubeComprehension 2
Click each question to reveal the answer.
Vocabulary from Part 2
A pitch can start by describing the .
The story should introduce tension and .
A strong pitch should show how your idea .
You should not your biggest weakness.
Options
status quoconflictsolves the problemgloss overslick deckVocabulary Review
| Expression | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| get buy-in | get support for an idea | She needs to get buy-in for her new project. |
| draw someone in | make someone interested | A strong story draws the audience in. |
| market opportunity | a chance for success in a market | Investors want to see a large market opportunity. |
| status quo | the current situation | Start by explaining the status quo. |
| shore up | strengthen a weak point | You need to shore up the weakest point in your pitch. |
Phrasal Verbs and Phrases from the Video
Drag the correct expression into each sentence.
A good story can .
You want people to feel they might .
A pitch should help people with your idea.
Don’t the weak point in your argument.
You need to the weakest part of your story.
Options
come alongturn downshore upgloss overmiss outdraw them inVocabulary Gap Fill
Complete the sentences using expressions from the vocabulary table.
1. To get people to support your idea, you need to .
2. A strong opening should immediately.
3. Investors want to understand the size of the .
4. The is the current situation before your idea changes it.
5. You should the weakest point in your argument.
Options
shore up market opportunity get buy-in status quo draw someone inCollocations from the Video
Drag the correct word to complete each collocation.
deck
format
opportunity
impact
point
story
Options
irresistibleweakestrandommarketsocialstandardslickB2/C1 Grammar: Advanced Persuasive Pitching Language
This video is about pitching ideas persuasively, so the grammar focus is on advanced structures used to create urgency, anticipate objections and present consequences clearly.
Grammar Section 1: Inversion for Persuasion
Choose the sentence with the most advanced and persuasive structure.
1. Which sentence uses inversion correctly?
2. Complete: “___ the audience fail to support the project, they may miss out on a major opportunity.”
3. Which sentence sounds most formal and persuasive?
4. Best rewrite: “If we ignore the weakness, the audience will notice it.”
Grammar Section 2: Anticipating Objections
Choose the best structure to acknowledge a possible weakness while maintaining confidence.
1. Which sentence best anticipates an objection?
2. Complete: “Although this has never been done before, ___.”
3. Which sentence sounds most professional?
4. Best phrase for introducing a weakness directly:
Grammar Section 3: Emphasis with Cleft Sentences
Choose the most natural cleft sentence.
1. Which sentence emphasizes the key factor?
2. Complete: “What makes the pitch compelling ___ the feeling that the audience may miss out.”
3. Best rewrite: “The story makes the pitch powerful.”
4. Which sentence emphasizes the solution?
Thought-Provoking Questions
Discuss these questions in pairs or small groups. Give reasons, examples and possible consequences.
1. Is a good pitch more about facts, emotion or storytelling?
2. Can creating FOMO be persuasive without becoming manipulative?
3. Should a speaker openly discuss the weakest point in their proposal?
4. What makes an audience feel that an idea is too important to ignore?
5. How can a pitch make the audience feel like the hero of the story?
6. Is it better to start a pitch with the problem, the opportunity or the final vision?
7. What ethical limits should there be when trying to persuade people?
Role Play
| Opening the pitch | Creating FOMO | Handling weaknesses |
|---|---|---|
| The problem we’re solving is... Right now, the situation is... Our idea changes this by... | If we don’t act now,... This is an opportunity to... What makes this exciting is... | You may be wondering about... That is a real challenge, but... Here’s exactly what we’ll do about it... |
Context
Student A: Pitcher
Pitch your idea. Explain the status quo, the problem, your solution and why the manager might miss out if they say no.
Student B: Manager
Listen critically. Ask about the audience, the impact and the weakest point in the idea.
Role play task: Act out the pitch for four minutes. By the end, Student B decides whether to support the idea and explains why.