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This is a warmer/short conversation activity for use with lower-level students (A1-B1) to refresh past simple question formation. Download the handout below:
back-to-school-handout
Scrambled Questions
Unscramble the questions, and then ask them to your teacher:
- summer your how holidays were?
- did where go you?
- there you did do what?
- it did like you?
Ask and answer the questions in pairs.
Questions Words
Complete the questions with a question word:
Where What (x2) How (x2) Who |
- ___________ was the weather like?
- ___________ did you stay?
- ___________ did you get there?
- ___________ did you go on holiday with?
- ___________ long did you go for?
- ___________ was the best thing you did there?
Answer Match
Match the questions (1-6) with the answers (a-f)
- We went surfing, it was so much fun!
- In a nice little hotel next to the beach.
- We took a plane to the island and then we rented a car.
- We went for 6 days.
- It was lovely, it only rained once.
- I went with my Mum, Dad and little brother.
Speaking
Ask the questions to your teacher, then to your partner.
Then write 2 new questions for your partner:
Where
Who
When
What
Why
How |
Did |
You |
Verb in base form
Do
Eat
Buy
See
Etc. |
There? |
What |
Was |
The best thing |
You |
Verb in past simple
Ate?
Saw?
Bought?
Etc. |
Key
Scrambled questions
- How were your summer holidays?
- Where did you go?
- What did you do there?
- Did you like it?
Question Words
- What
- Where
- How
- Who
- How
- What
Answer Match
- E
- B
- C
- F
- D
- A
Teacher’s Notes
Pronunciation
While students are performing the speaking task, be sure to help them with pronunciation of the questions, focusing specifically on weak forms and sentence stress:
Where did you go?
| weə dɪdjə ɡəʊ | – Connected speech and weak form “you”
What was the weather like?
| ˈwɒt wəz ðə ˈweðə ˈlaɪk | – weak forms of “was” and “the”. Sentence stress on “what” “weather” and “like”
Smartphones, photos
If students have photos of their holiday readily available (on a smartphone or tablet) let them show their partner while they describe their holiday.