Tag: esl

Posted in Conversation Classes, Grammar Classes

Requests and Offers – Shall/could/can etc.

Posted on by Tim Warre

This is an activity to practice various ways of making offers and requests.

First go over the language on the handout for making offers and requests then cut up the situation cards and have students role-play them, simple as that. Here are the handouts:

Offers and Requests Situations

Making Offers and Requests language

Making Offers and Requests

It is common that English speakers make offers in conversations in order to be polite and helpful. When they do so they use these expressions:

Can I… ?
Shall I… ?
Would you like … ?
How about …?

English learner must be able to make offers as well as accept or reject them. The following are useful expressions to do so.

Can I help you?
Shall get you some juice?
Would you like a glass of water ?
How about some pizza?

 

Examples:

·         “Can I help you?”

·         “Shall I open the window for you?”

·         “Would you like another cup of coffee?”

·         “Would you like me to clean the board?”

·         “How about a juice? “

 Remember:

·         Shall, can and will are followed by the verb without to.
Example:
“Can I help you?”
“Shall I bring you the mobile phone?

·         Shall is more formal than can.

·         Would you like… is followed either by a noun, or by the verb with to.
Example:
“Would you like some tea ?”
“Would you like to drink some coffee?

 

 

 

 

Responding to offers

Accepting Declining
Yes please. I’d like to.
That would be very kind of you.
Yes please, that would be lovely.
Yes please, I’d love to.
If you wouldn’t mind.
If you could.
Thank you, that would be great.		 It’s OK, I can do it myself.
Don’t worry, I’ll do it.
No, thanks
No, thank you

Examples:

·         “Can I help you?”
“No thanks, I’m just having a look.” (With a shop assistant.)

·         “Can I help you?”
“Do you know where the post office is.”

·         “Shall I help you with your maths problem?”
“Yes, please. That would be very nice of you.”

·         “Would you like a cup of tea?”
“No thanks.” Or, “No thank you.”

 ·         “Would you like another piece of cake?”
“Yes please, that would be nice .”
“Yes please, I’d love one.”

·         “Would you like me to do the the ironing for you?”
“If you wouldn’t mind.”
“If you could.”

·         “I’ll do the washing, if you like.”
“It’s OK, I can do it.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll do it.”
“Thank you, that would be great.”

Asking others to do things – making requests

Asking Saying Yes Saying No
Can you…? Yes, sure. Well, I’m afraid + reason
Could you…?
Is it all right if you…?
Do you think you could…?
Will you…?
Would you…?		 Yes, of course.
Certainly.		 Well, the problem is
Sorry, but…
Do you mind -ing…?
Would you mind -ing…?		 No, not at all.
Of course not.

Situation cards:

Offers and Requests Situations

You have just broken your leg. You have to stay in bed for 2 months. You have 3 children and 2 dogs. Ask your friends for help. You have to go away for the weekend for a business trip. You have lots of plants in your house and 3 cats. Your house is in a bad state: the walls need painting, one window is broken and the front door doesn’t close properly. You have no money for repairs. Ask your friends for help.
You have an important job interview tomorrow morning but your car is at the mechanics being fixed. You also need to take your children to school at the same time as the interview. You are organising a cocktail dinner party but you can’t cook or make cocktails and you don’t have any CDs or records to play. You had a big party last night and your house is a complete mess, the carpet is stained with red wine, all the dishes are dirty, there are cans and bottles everywhere and the toilet is broken. Ask your friends (who were also at the party) for help.
You are a little old lady. You have just been to the supermarket, you are carrying a lot of heavy bags and you want to cross the road. Ask a group of teenagers for help. You are in an expensive restaurant with friends. There is a group of loud football players at the table next to you singing and shouting. The restaurant is also too cold and smells bad. Ask the waiter for help. You had an accident at work and you have to wear two patches over your eyes for 2 weeks. Ask your friends for help with your daily activities.
You are moving house. You have to transport everything in your old house to your new one. You don’t have a van, ask your friends for help. You have a new boss at work. You want to impress him/her because you want a promotion. Offer to do some extra work. You are an old man, you have come to visit your children, you have arthritis and you need help with lots of things.

Credits for the language explanations to:

http://www.ecenglish.com/learnenglish/lessons/polite-requests

and

http://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/communication-lesson-offers.php#.VOM_5vnF8k1

and the photo:

https://www.guidedogs.org.uk/microsites/guide-dogs-in-school/puppy-resources/guide-dogs-in-the-community/sighted-guiding/

Posted in Exam Preparation Class, Vocabulary Classes

Phrasal Verb Test FCE

Posted on by Tim Warre

This is a worksheet based on this quizlet set of essential phrasal verbs for FCE:

http://quizlet.com/59899439/flashcards

Download the worksheet here:

Phrasal verb test FCE

Phrasal verb test

Replace the words in brackets or complete the sentence with a phrasal verb:

  1. John and Sarah have (separated) after 20 years of marriage.
  2. I ______ up with a great idea for the summer party.
  3. We arrived at the hotel ______ ___ and had a shower.
  4. He has decided to ______ _____ ____ (smoke less) cigarettes.
  5. I brought her some flowers to _______ her____ . (make her happier)
  6. My dog went to the vet’s and they ____ ____ out some tests on him. (did)
  7. The teacher was so angry that she threw a pen at me, but after a few minutes she _____ ______. (became less angry)
  8. After his parents died his grandparents had to _____ him _____. (educate, feed, protect)
  1. We were talking on the phone when suddenly it _____ _____. (disconnected)
  2. Scientists think that the woolly mammoth ______ ______ 100,000 years ago. (became extinct)
  3. My mum _____ me _____ at school in her BMW every morning. (leaves me)
  4. John and Danny _____ _____ last week and haven’t spoken to each other since. (had a big argument)
  5. The builders are ______ ____ our house at the moment. (renovating/redecorating)
  6. I passed all my exams! I ______ ______ yesterday. (discovered)
  7. If you want to get a visa to go to the USA you have to _____ _____ lots of forms. (complete)
  8. The man who stole my bicycle ____ _____ from the police. (escaped)

Key:

  1. broken up
  2. came
  3. checked in
  4. cut down on
  5. cheer up
  6. carried out
  7. calmed down
  8. brought up
  1. cut off
  2. died out
  3. drops off
  4. fell out
  5. doing up
  6. found out
  7. fill in/out
  8. got away
Posted in Conversation Classes, Games, Young Learners

Christmas Trivia Quiz

Posted on by Tim Warre

This is a fun Christmas trivia quiz for the last day of term. Bring prizes for the winning team.

Split the class into small groups and get them to come up with a festive team name. There are two rounds, the first is the picture round. Show the pictures in the picture round handout, students have to name the items they see.

The second round is the trivia round. Read out the questions below one at a time, students write their answers on a piece of paper. You can download the list of questions here. Christmas Trivia Quiz

Trivia Round

  1. What are the names of these dates? 24th + 25th, 31st of December, 1st of January. Christmas eve, Christmas day, New Year’s eve, New year’s day.
  2. What do people traditionally do under the mistletoe plant? Kiss
  3. Where do children hang their stockings on Christmas Eve? Next to the fireplace.
  4. Which English author wrote the book ‘A Christmas Carol’? Charles Dickens
  5. In Charles Dickens’ novel A Christmas Carol, how many ghosts visited Ebeneezer Scrooge? Extra points for their names. 4 Jacob Marley, Ghosts of Xmas past, present and yet to come.
  6. Name 2 of Father Christmas’ reindeer apart from Rudolph. Comet, Cupid, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Donner, Blitzen, Alternative question: Which of these names is NOT one of Father Christmas’ Reindeer? Comet, Cupid, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Chaser, Vixen, Donner, Blitzen
  7. The character Jack Skellington appears in which 1993 Tim Burton film? The Nightmare before Christmas
  8. What are the names of the three wise men said to have brought gifts to the baby Jesus? Balthasar, Melchior, Caspar (or Gaspar – Interestingly the Bible does not states state their names, nor even the number of wise men: “…there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem… and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh…” from Matthew 2:1 and 2:11. Thanks A Russell.)
  9. What is New Year’s Eve called in Scotland? Christenmouse, Hogmanay, pigmany
  10. In which modern country is St Nicholas’s birthplace and hometown? Turkey (St Nicholas, bishop ‘Nikolaos of Myra’, 270-343AD, was born a Greek, i.e., of Greek parents in Patara, Lycia. He lived in and was bishop of Myra, Lycia. Patara and nearby Myra, in Lycia, or fully Lycia et Pamphylia, were then technically provincial territory of the Roman Empire with no specific country name. Patara became ruins centuries ago. Where the ancient town of Myra stood, now stands the Turkish town/district of Demre, Antalya Province, Turkey)
  11. From which country does the poinsettia plant originate? Mexico
  12. How many points does a snowflake have? Six
  13. What is the name of the cake traditionally eaten in Italy at Christmas? Panettone
  14. Which country does the tradition of Christmas trees come from? Germany
  15. What do people in England do at 3pm on Christmas day? Listen to the Queen’s speech.
  16. Name 3/5 traditional English Xmas dinner ingredients. Turkey, potatoes, carrots, brussels sprouts, sweet potato, parsnip, broccoli, cauliflower, sausages with bacon.
  17. What 3 things do children leave next to the chimney for Father Christmas on Christmas Eve? A drink, some food, carrots for the reindeer.

Thanks to Business Balls for some of the questions.

Posted in Grammar Classes, Video Classes

Video Lesson: Jurassic Park 3rd Conditionals

Posted on by Tim Warre

This is a lesson plan to practice the 3rd conditional using clips from the film Jurassic Park. There are two different activities, one for FCE level and one for CAE/CPE.

FCE

Use the Jurassic Park powerpoint to introduce the characters from the film and the formula for the 3rd conditional and then show the t-rex attack video:

Then students come up with as many 3rd conditional sentences as they can.

If Ian hadn’t run to the toilet, the t-rex wouldn’t have eaten Gennaro.

If the kids hadn’t been so stupid, the t-rex would have left them alone.

If Alan hadn’t distracted the t-rex, it would have eaten the kids.

You can also repeat the exercise with Dennis Nedry’s death scene:

CAE/CPE

The video can also be used to practice the more advanced conditionals needed for the CAE and CPE exams. Use my prezi on advanced conditionals to go over the grammar first. Then introduce the characters and story with the powerpoint from the link above.

Use the video to practice conditionals with noun phrases:

If it hadn’t been for Alan’s bravery, the t-rex would have eaten the kids.

But for Ian’s stupidity, Gennaro wouldn’t have been eaten.

Or inverted conditionals:

Had the kids not attracted the t-rex’s attention, it might have left them alone.

Had it not been for the glass, the t-rex would have eaten the kids.

I recommend giving students the noun phrases you want them to use before watching, then let them watch the video. Afterwards, they make the sentences together in pairs.

Noun phrases:

the flashlight/torch

Alan Grant’s bravery

the kid’s stupidity

Ian Malcolm’s stupidity

the glass

Again, if you have time or if you want to recap at the end of the class or the beginning of the next lesson, show the Nedry video.

Follow up:

Composition: Review/letter of complaint about a trip to Jurassic Park. It would be a good way to practice formal phrases for complaining but in a funny context.

Posted in Games, Warmers

Warmer: Cannibals and Missionaries

Posted on by Tim Warre

This is a warmer to get students focused and working together. Use the game “Cannibals and Missionaries”.

Explain the rules to the students:

There are 3 cannibals and 3 missionaries who want to cross a river. There is a small boat which can carry 2 people, 1 person must remain in the boat to row it across the river. If the number of cannibals on any side is greater than the number of missionaries, the cannibals will eat the missionaries. Students need to find a solution to the problem.

Language:

We should/ought to…

If we leave the cannibals here, they’ll eat the missionary.

Great idea!

Hold on a minute!

What if we…..?

How about +ing…

Have students work as a class to solve the puzzle.

Solution:

http://www.novelgames.com/en/gametips/missionaries-solution/

Posted in Games, Vocabulary Classes, Young Learners

MES flashcards: Games for young learners

Posted on by Tim Warre

This is a post in a series of 30  minute classes for young learners. They have been made for groups I teach which range from 4th to 6th of primary.

This is post is simply a list of games to use with the amazing free resources from:

http://www.mes-english.com/

They have a fantastic selection of downloadable flashcards divided into loads of categories. Each week I have been picking a new category, printing the flashcards and they game cards and playing one of the following games with my groups, it’s a great and fun way to quickly expand students vocabulary.

First stick the set of flashcards to the board and elicit the vocabulary and drill pronunciation.

Games:

Bingo – Students draw a 3×3 grid on a piece of paper and fill each box with a piece of vocabulary. You then read out sentences about each character, for example: “I breath fire and fly over the castle.” (Dragon) “I do magic and mix magic potions” (wizard) they cross off the characters they have as you describe them until they get a line or bingo (when they have crossed off all 9 squares).

Mimic – Print out the set of fantasy game cards from MES as well. Split the class into groups of 3-4, encourage the groups to think of an English name for their team. Then they take it in turns to send one member up to the board, this member then has 1 minute to mimic as many of the different characters using the game cards. Their team receives one point for each correctly guessed character. The team with the most points wins.

Board Games – Print out this great pirate gameboard:

Put students in groups of 3-4. Number the flashcards on the board 1-33 (cards will have more than 1 number) students then play the board game but every time they land on a square they have to make a sentence with the corresponding piece of vocabulary: EG “I brush my teeth with a toothbrush.”

Memory/Go fish – Print out multiple sets of the MES game cards, split students into groups of 3-4. Give them two sets of game cards, they spread the cards out face down on the table and play pairs/memory/go fish/whatever you call it where you’re from. Every time they turn over a card they have to say the vocab word and when they find a pair they have to make a complete sentence.

I welcome any more suggestions you might have for other flashcard games.

Posted in Vocabulary Classes, Young Learners

Once upon a time: Stories and fantasy vocabulary for young learners

Posted on by Tim Warre

fairytale

This is a lesson plan from a new series for young learners. I originally taught these classes spread over 2-3 half hour classes, they could obviously be combined into one hour and a half class.

Part 1 – Fantasy vocabulary

Print out this set of flashcards from MES:

Click to access fantasy1_flash.pdf

MES flashcards are a fantastic resource, I’ve been steadily working my way through all of the different categories with my primary classes.

Stick the flashcards to the board in 3 columns with enough space to write the names in next to each one. Then encourage students to name the ones they know. However,they also have to say where the flashcard is on the board: “on the left/right, in the middle, at the top/bottom, above, below, between, the 1st/2nd/3rd one down.”

Once you have gone through all the names and drilled the pronunciation you could play a number of games with the vocab:

Bingo – Students draw a 3×3 grid on a piece of paper and fill each box with a piece of vocabulary. You then read out sentences about each character, for example: “I breath fire and fly over the castle.” (Dragon) “I do magic and mix magic potions” (wizard) they cross off the characters they have as you describe them until they get a line or bingo (when they have crossed off all 9 squares).

Mimic – Print out the set of fantasy game cards from MES as well. Split the class into groups of 3-4, encourage the groups to think of an English name for their team. Then they take it in turns to send one member up to the board, this member then has 1 minute to mimic as many of the different characters using the game cards. Their team receives one point for each correctly guessed character. The team with the most points wins.

Part 2 – Running dictation

By now students should have picked up most of the vocabulary. Put them in pairs, one student sits at one end of the room with a pen and paper. Stick the dragon story handout to the opposite wall of the classroom. The other student in the pair has to run across the class room, memorise a sentence from the story and then tell it to their partner who writes it on the paper. Ensure that students copy the sentences in order and that they speak in English the whole time, especially when spelling out words to their partner. Set a time limit of 10 minutes for this activity. Students switch roles after sentence 5.

Once they have finished have them sit back in front of the board and dictate the sentences back to you. The students then correct their versions of the story, the winning team is the one with the fewest mistakes. You should also clear up any vocabulary issues, paying particular attention to the past verbs used in the story, they will be needed in part 3.

Part 3 – Write a fantasy story

Students can either stay in their pairs or you can put them in bigger groups. Encourage them to work together to invent a new fantasy story, they can use any of the vocabulary covered in part one. They will also need some extra vocabulary:

Once upon a time there was……

lived/rescued/saved/cast a spell/fought/killed/captured/went/gave/kissed

They all lived happily ever after.

They will also want to use more vocabulary so ensure they ask for it properly: “How do you say ________ in English?” If your knowledge of your student’s L1 isn’t too hot make sure you have a good dictionary. Guide and help them as they write their story, set a time limit of 10-15 minutes. Then give them 5-10 minutes to practice telling their story and acting it out for part 4.

Part 4 – Story telling and acting

Each group should either nominate a narrator or share narration amongst them (the latter is the best option). Encourage whoever is narrating to do it SLOWLY and LOUDLY, so that the others can actually hear the story. Then each group puts on their little play. My kids loved doing this, some where in stitches, make sure they take a bow at the end and give each other a round of applause. You could award prizes for various things: best actor/actress, most imaginative story, best narrator, best vocabulary, best grammar. Ensure every group gets at least one prize.

Wrap-up

Kids have to name one of the characters from the flashcards before they are allowed to leave the classroom.

Dragon story:

  1. Once upon a time there was an enormous castle.
  2. In the castle lived a King, a queen and a beautiful princess.
  3. One day an evil dragon and an evil troll came to the castle and kidnapped the princess.
  4. The king and queen were very sad.
  5. But then, a brave knight and a famous wizard arrived at the castle, they decided to rescue the princess.
  6. They travelled to the cave where the troll and the dragon lived.
  7. The knight fought the dragon and the wizard fought the troll.
  8. The knight and the wizard won the battle and saved the princess.
  9. And they all lived happily ever after.
Posted in Games, Vocabulary Classes

Make or Do: Place Your Bets

Posted on by Tim Warre

betting

 

This is another post in the series of 30 minute activities for moody teenagers. It’s based around a betting game to review make/do collocations.

Tell students that this week we are in the casino. What do people do in a casino?

Try to Elicit some vocabulary: bet, gamble, win, lose etc.

Split the class into groups of 2-3. Tell each group to think of a team name and put them on the board.

Tell each group they have €100 (dollars/pounds etc.) to spend in the casino and that they should spend it carefully. The winning team is the one that finished the class with the most money.

On the board draw pictures of poker chips representing €10 €20 and €50. Tell students that they can bet their money in these three quantities.

Start with a simple example:

I always _____ my homework.

Tell students to discuss whether it is make/do in their groups. They then place their bets using the structure:

We bet €10/€20/€50 on “I always do my homework” – Ensure that they repeat the whole sentences when they place their bets so that the collocation is repeated.

Once everyone has placed their bets you reveal the correct answer. Any team who selected the correct answer doubles their money: a €50 bet wins €100 so that team would now have €150.

Then drill the correct collocation with the whole class.

Note: it’s important that you rotate the team that places their bet first and ensure that the teams bet in order because they will copy each other.

Continue the game using the following sentences:

1. This company _____ business with big corporations. (Answer: does)

2. The young children ______ a lot of noise in class. (make)

3. I need to _____ my make-up before I go out. (do)

4. You need to ______ an effort, if you’re going to pass the exam. (make)

5. John _____ well in his exams. (did)

6. I need to _____ an appointment to see the dentist. (make)

7. My best friend _____ me a favour by helping me move house. (did)

8. I had to ______ a speech in front of the whole school. (make)

9. My Mum always ______ the ironing. (does)

10. You need to ______ a decision about your holidays. (make)

11. I have _____ plans for the weekend. (made)

12. The fresh air will _____ you good. (do)

13. He _____ a promise to help his Mum with the housework. (made)

14. He’s always _____ excuses to avoid doing his homework. (making)

Wrap up

Test the student memory of the collocations with a quiz.