1Lesson Goals
I will be able to:
- summarise Fogg’s journey.
- use vocabulary about travel and time.
- make first conditional sentences.
- discuss plans, kindness and changing priorities.
Start here: What could delay a journey with a strict deadline?
Home › Classic Literature › Around the World in Eighty Days
Around the World in Eighty Days
Jules Verne · Travel, time and unexpected choices
Teacher note: An original simplified overview, not an extract or a complete retelling. Includes the ending. The novel appeared as a French serial in 1872 and as a book in 1873. Explain the date change simply. The full novel reflects nineteenth-century stereotypes; contextualise further reading. No balloon journey occurs in the novel.
2Read the Story
Jules Verne’s Around the World in Eighty Days appeared as a book in 1873. The story is set in 1872. Phileas Fogg, a wealthy English gentleman, believes that modern transport makes a journey around the world possible in eighty days. He makes a £20,000 bet with friends at his London club.
Fogg sets off with Passepartout, his French servant. They travel mainly by steamship and train. Their route takes them through Egypt, India, Hong Kong, Japan and the United States before they return to Britain. Delays and missed connections threaten the plan.
A detective called Fix follows Fogg because he mistakenly thinks Fogg is a bank robber. Meanwhile, Fogg and his companions rescue Aouda, an Indian woman in danger. She joins their journey. Fogg shows that helping someone matters more than keeping every minute of his schedule.
Near the end, Fix arrests Fogg in Liverpool. The mistake is discovered and Fogg is released, but he thinks the delay has cost him the bet. Back in London, Aouda asks him to marry her.
Passepartout then discovers that they have miscounted the date. By travelling east around the world, they have gained a calendar day relative to their own count. Fogg still has time to reach his club and win.
The journey changes more than Fogg’s location. It brings friendship and love into his carefully ordered life. The story combines planning with unexpected events and asks what makes a journey worthwhile.
Original simplified overview; not a quotation. Read the original novel. AI illustration.
3Vocabulary
Match 1–6 with A–F.
- deadline
- wager
- route
- connection
- delay
- rescue
A. to save someone from danger
B. a planned path from one place to another
C. a bet
D. a wait or event that makes something late
E. a journey that links with another service
F. the latest time by which something must happen
Use two words in your own sentences.
4Check Your Understanding
- Who wrote the novel, and when did it appear as a book?
- What does Fogg bet he can do?
- Who is Passepartout?
- Which two types of transport do they mainly use?
- Why does Fix follow Fogg?
- How does Aouda become part of the journey?
- Why does Fogg still have time to win?
Answer in sentences. Find evidence in the reading.
5Language Focus
First conditional: if + present simple, will + base verb.
If the train is late, they will miss the ship.
Use it for a possible future result, not a finished event.
Imagine you are planning a journey. Complete the verbs.
- If we ___ (leave) now, we will catch the train.
- If the ship is late, we ___ (miss) our connection.
- If she ___ (need) help, we will stop.
- We will arrive on time if there ___ (be) no delay.
Try it: Join with if: The train is late. We will change our plan.
6Think & Speak
Discuss in pairs:
- Was rescuing Aouda worth risking the schedule? Why?
- What does Fix’s mistake show about judging someone?
- What does Fogg gain besides winning money?
Useful language: If… , we will… / I would prioritise… / The reading suggests… / One reason is…
Use evidence and consider more than one viewpoint.
Around the World in Eighty Days — continued
7Use Your English
Write 80–100 words. Choose one:
- A travel plan explaining how you will handle possible delays.
- An imagined letter from Passepartout about the journey.
Include two first conditional sentences about possible future events and two vocabulary words.
Check sentence structure, capitals and punctuation.
8Puzzle or Game
Put these events in story order. Write the letters.
A. Fix arrests Fogg in Liverpool.
B. Fogg makes a bet in London.
C. Fogg reaches his club and wins.
D. Aouda joins the travellers.
E. Passepartout discovers the date mistake.
Compare your answer with a partner and explain your choices.
9Success Criteria ✓
- I can explain Fogg’s journey and its ending.
- I can use three new travel words.
- I can form a first conditional.
- I can explain why the date matters.
- I can discuss priorities with evidence.
Exit reflection: One idea I understand better…
One thing I want to practise…
10Show What You Can Do
Final challenge: Write 6–8 sentences, or prepare a one-minute spoken response, explaining why Fogg’s journey is worthwhile. Include two story events, one personal gain, and two first conditional sentences about a possible future trip.