The women who fought to win the vote for women in Britain.
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These are the new words for the suffragettes. Match each word (1–8) to its meaning (A–H). Say your answers out loud — "I think 1 is D" — then check.
1 = B (to vote) · 2 = E (a right) · 3 = C (equal) · 4 = D (a protest)
5 = F (prison) · 6 = A (a law) · 7 = G (fair) · 8 = H (to win)
Read each part. Then try the questions from memory, and talk about the last one.
A hundred years ago in Britain, women could not vote. Only men could choose the government. It did not matter how clever or how rich a woman was. She still had no vote. Many women thought this was not fair. They wanted the same rights as men.
For many years, women asked nicely. They wrote letters. They sent lists of names to Parliament, the group of men who made the laws. But the men did not listen. Nothing changed. The women waited and waited, but they did not get the vote.
In 1903, a woman named Emmeline Pankhurst said, "Enough! Asking nicely does not work." She started a new group with her daughters. Their words were: "Deeds, not words." This means: don't only talk — do something! The newspapers called these women "the suffragettes". At first, they marched in the streets and shouted, "Votes for women!"
1. Who could vote in Britain a hundred years ago, and who could not?
2. Who was Emmeline Pankhurst, and what did her group say?
1. Only men could vote. Women could not vote, even rich or clever women.
2. She started a new group of women in 1903 to fight for the vote. Their words were "Deeds, not words" — do something, don't only talk.
Parliament still said no. So the suffragettes did bigger things. They broke windows in shops and government buildings. They started small fires. The police arrested many of them and sent them to prison. But this helped the suffragettes! Every time a woman went to prison, the newspapers wrote about "Votes for women" again.
In prison, some women did something very brave and very dangerous. They stopped eating. This is called a "hunger strike". They said, "We will not eat until you treat us fairly." The government was afraid. If a woman died in prison, people would be very angry. So the prisons made the women eat. It was cruel and it hurt them a lot.
Emmeline Pankhurst went to prison many times. The women did not give up, and the government did not give up. It was like a long, hard game between the two sides. Both sides were strong, and neither side wanted to lose.
1. Why did going to prison help the suffragettes?
2. What is a "hunger strike", and why was the government afraid?
1. Every time a woman went to prison, the newspapers wrote about "Votes for women" again, so more people heard about the cause.
2. A hunger strike is when you stop eating as a protest. The government was afraid that a woman would die in prison and people would be very angry.
In 1913, there was a famous horse race called the Derby. A suffragette named Emily Davison walked onto the racetrack, in front of the King's horse. The horse hit her, and a few days later she died. Maybe she wanted to put a flag on the horse. Maybe she wanted to give her life for the cause. We are not sure. But after this, thousands of women came to her funeral. She became famous all over the country.
Then, in 1914, the First World War started. The suffragettes stopped their protests to help their country. Many men went away to fight. So women did the men's jobs. They worked in factories and on farms. They showed everyone that women could do this work very well.
After the war, in 1918, the government finally said yes. Women over thirty could now vote. It was not everything — younger women still could not vote — but it was a big win. Ten years later, in 1928, the law changed again. Now all women could vote at twenty-one, the same as men. Sadly, Emmeline Pankhurst died just a few weeks before this. But her long fight had won.
1. What happened to Emily Davison in 1913?
2. When did women win the vote, and how did the war help?
1. She walked in front of the King's horse at the Derby race and died a few days later. She became a famous name for the cause.
2. Women over thirty won the vote in 1918, and all women (at twenty-one, like men) in 1928. During the war, women did men's jobs and showed they could do the work well.
This story is about rights and about what is fair. We use should and shouldn't to give an opinion — to say what is right or good, and what is not.
Read the idea in brackets and complete the sentence.
1. Women and men are equal, so women have the vote. (it is right)
2. The government ignore half the country. (it is not right)
3. Everyone be treated fairly. (it is right)
4. A person go to prison just for asking for a right. (it is not right)
1. should (it is right / a good idea)
2. shouldn't (it is not right)
3. should (it is right)
4. shouldn't (it is not right)
Put the verb in the correct form after should or shouldn't. Then read it out loud.
1. The men in Parliament should (listen) to the women.
2. You shouldn't (break) the law.
3. Everyone should (have) the same rights.
1. listen (should + base verb)
2. break (shouldn't + base verb)
3. have (should + base verb, not "has")
Fill each gap with should or shouldn't. Read it aloud when you finish.
I think women and men be equal. A country stop half its people from voting. The suffragettes were right, so we remember them today.
should (it is right) · shouldn't (it is not right) · should (it is a good idea)
Use should for a good idea or a right thing, and shouldn't for a bad idea or a wrong thing.
There is a real podcast about the suffragettes. It is for native speakers, so it is fast and quite difficult — that is normal! You do not need to understand every word.
From the Noiser podcast network. About 50 minutes. It plays on the Noiser site, or search "Short History Of The Suffragettes" on Spotify.
Play on Noiser →Do all three tasks out loud. Use the timer to keep talking.
Tell the story of the suffragettes in your own words. Use these steps to help you: women could not vote → they asked nicely for years → Emmeline Pankhurst and "Deeds, not words" → prison and hunger strikes → Emily Davison at the horse race → women win the vote in 1918 and 1928.
Try to use should and shouldn't to give your opinion, and some of the key words (vote, right, equal, protest, prison, law, fair, win).
Long ago, women could not vote and men could. Was this fair or not fair? What do you think men and women should be able to do? Give your opinion with should and shouldn't.
Talk about something you think is right or not right. Use should and shouldn't.
Not sure what to talk about? Choose one: