Download this free B1–B2 English worksheet PDF for English learners and teachers. This lesson explores why people may copy rule-breaking behaviour and how one person’s actions can influence a wider group.
The article describes research from the University of Amsterdam involving 750 adults in the United States. Participants had to identify the brightest square in a moving-light task, but choosing a less accurate answer could earn them more money. This created a simple conflict between following the rules and gaining a personal advantage.
Students read about what happened after participants saw another person’s choice. Watching someone follow the rules made little difference, but people were more likely to follow suit after seeing someone cheat, particularly when the rule-breaking was more serious.
The article also explains that a small number of participants went further and broke the rules more severely than the people they had observed. The effect was stronger when the other person supported the same political party. However, about a quarter of participants consistently followed the instructions even though doing so meant earning less money.
The lesson also considers the limits of the experiment. There were no real-world punishments, and not every broken rule is necessarily harmful. Students are encouraged to think about when people should stand their ground, when following a group becomes a problem and whether breaking an unfair rule can sometimes be justified.
Level: B1–B2
Date: 26 October 2026
Focus: Reading comprehension, phrases, vocabulary and discussion about rule-breaking, group influence and social behaviour
This free worksheet includes:
- A three-paragraph reading article about the Bad Apple Effect and how rule-breaking can spread through groups
- Eight True/False reading-comprehension questions
- A Phrase Match activity with 10 useful expressions
- A Synonym Match exercise with 10 vocabulary items
- A Use the New Language activity in which students write their own sentences
- 16 discussion questions divided between Student A and Student B
- Speaking topics including peer pressure, workplace rules, punishment, leadership and unfair rules
- A complete answer key
- Example sentences showing how the target phrases can be used naturally
Useful phrases from the worksheet include make up your own mind, catch on, find out, pick out, bend the rules, stick to the rules, follow suit, build up, turn into and stand your ground. Students also practise vocabulary such as accurately, violations, serious, wider, effect, punishment, unfair, colleagues, initial and influence.
A useful classroom focus is the difference between simply copying another person and being influenced by the behaviour of a group. The worksheet encourages students to discuss when rule-breaking becomes normal, how leaders affect standards and whether people are more likely to imitate bad behaviour than good behaviour.
More free English resources from Britfluency:
A2–B2 English Worksheets
B2–C2 English Worksheets
IELTS Practice Materials
Free English Grammar Worksheets PDF
