It's Worth Trying
Phrases with -ing: worth, no point, it's no use, can't help. Omar passes his medical exams; the friends celebrate, and remember all the hard moments that made it possible.
📖 Reading: Worth the Effort
It's late Sunday. Omar has just found out he passed his medical exams.
"I can't help feeling emotional," he says quietly. "I wasn't sure I'd make it."
"It was worth working so hard," says Priya. "Look at you now."
"There were so many times I thought there was no point in continuing," admits Omar. "Third month, four months in — I wanted to give up."
"It's no use looking back," says Leo. "You made it. That's what counts."
"I have to say, though — it's worth remembering the hard moments too," says Maya thoughtfully. "They're part of the story."
"That's true," says Omar. "I had trouble sleeping the night before every exam. I couldn't help checking my notes at 2 AM."
"I'm the same before anything big," says Priya. "It's no use trying to force yourself to sleep."
"Is it worth celebrating?" asks Leo, already moving towards the coffee machine.
"Leo," says Omar with a rare wide smile, "it is absolutely worth celebrating."
🔑 Vocabulary Box
Eight key words from this lesson.
| Word | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| emotional | Having or showing strong feelings | adj. — He can't help feeling emotional. |
| futile | Producing no result; pointless | adj. — There's no point — it feels futile. |
| involuntary | Done without intention or conscious control | adj. — 'Can't help' is used for involuntary actions. |
| thoughtfully | In a considerate or reflective way | adv. — Maya speaks thoughtfully. |
| rare | Not occurring very often | adj. — Omar gives a rare wide smile. |
| count | To matter; to be important | v. — That's what counts. |
| force | To make someone do something against their will or nature | v. — It's no use forcing yourself to sleep. |
| celebrate | To mark a happy event with a special activity | v. — Is it worth celebrating? Absolutely. |
📚 Key Verbs & Structures in This Lesson | |
worth + -ing | It was worth working hard. / Is it worth celebrating? |
there's no point (in) + -ing | There's no point in looking back. |
it's no use + -ing | It's no use trying to force sleep. |
can't help + -ing | I can't help feeling emotional. |
📚 Grammar Focus
📚 Worth + -ing | |
Structure | It's worth + -ing / [noun] is worth + -ing |
Positive | It was worth working hard. / This café is worth visiting. |
Negative | It's not worth worrying about. |
Question | Is it worth applying for that job? |
There's No Point (in) + -ing
📚 There's No Point (in) + -ing | |
Structure | There's no point (in) + gerund |
Example | There's no point in worrying. / There's no point studying now. |
Meaning | The action has no useful result. |
It's No Use + -ing
📚 It's No Use + -ing | |
Structure | It's no use + gerund |
Example | It's no use crying. / It's no use trying to change his mind. |
Meaning | The action cannot succeed or is useless. |
Can't Help + -ing
📚 Can't Help + -ing | |
Structure | can't help + gerund |
Example | I can't help laughing. / She can't help feeling nervous. |
Meaning | The action is involuntary — you can't control it. |
🎭 Dialogue: Is It Worth It?
Leo, Maya, and Priya help Omar celebrate. He reflects on every moment he wanted to quit — and concludes it was worth every difficult one.
Omar, is it worth all the studying? The stress?
Without question. It's worth every difficult moment.
I can't help admiring you. I couldn't do it.
There were times I thought there was no point going on.
But you did. That's what counts.
I couldn't help checking my notes the night before. Every time.
It's no use trying to stop that habit — we all do it.
So — is it worth celebrating with a special coffee?
Practice Exercises
3 questionsNew exercises to reinforce what you learned. Different from the lesson material.
What news has Omar received?
When did Omar feel most like giving up?
What does Maya say is worth remembering?
Practice Exercises
3 questionsNew exercises to reinforce what you learned. Different from the lesson material.
Complete: 'The book is very good. ___ it?' (worth / read)
Complete: 'The exam is over. ___ about it now.' (no point / worry)
Complete: 'I ___ nervous before presentations.' (can't help / feel)
🎭 Now It's Your Turn — Role Play
Practice with a partner. Use the dialogue as a model and extend it.
- Student A: Think of something you are unsure about doing (applying for something, starting a habit, having a difficult conversation).
- Student B: Give advice using the target structures: Is it worth…? There's no point… / It's no use… unless you…
- Then swap. The advice should be genuine and helpful — not just grammatically correct!