Grammar Games - Motivation in Teaching English

3. Listen to the song to check answers.

Variation: Add some questions that make use of the conditional or allow students to think about why the conditional was used. For the song "If I Were a Carpenter," questions can include:

a. What kinds of jobs are mentioned?

b. Does the man hold any of these jobs? How do you know?

С. The man asks a lot of questions about occupations, but what does he really want to know from his girlfriend? Write a conditional sentence to express what he wants.

5. LINE-UPS

Materials: Worksheet 2.4 or 3"x 5" cards See the Paragraph 2.2.3 - chapter 2 (Worksheet 2.4: LINE - UPS)

Dynamic: Whole class

Time: 20 minutes

Procedure: 1. Use the cards in the worksheet or prepare your own cards with similar questions. If you make your own cards, it is advisable to make each set a different color so you can assemble students in lines more easily. ("Everyone with a pink card, stand against the board. If you have a yellow card, stand in front of someone with a pink card.") Have all the students holding one of the colors come to the front of the room and stand against the board (or wall). Have the other students stand in front of one of these students.

2. The students in the line against the board ask their questions of the student standing in front of them. When the students in the "answer line" have answered the question, they move on to the next "questioner." The students in the "question line" do not move.

3. When the students in the "answer line" have talked to every student in the "question line," it is time to change positions.

Continue as specified in step 2.

4. To wrap up this activity, ask each student to share some of the responses he/she received.

NOTE: If you have an uneven number of students, have one student wait at the end of the line until the students move. One student will always be without a partner, but because the students will answer the questions at different rates, it will always appear as if several students are waiting. If you have a very large class, divide the class in two and do the line-ups both in front and in back of the class.

6. VALUES

Materials: Worksheet 2.5 See the Paragraph 2.2.3 - chapter 2 (Worksheet 2.5 A and B)

Dynamic: Groups

Time: 20 minutes

Procedure: 1. Prepare two sets of cards from Worksheets 2.5 A and 2.5 B. Break the class into small groups. Give each group a values card and a YES or NO card. Stress that they cannot let any of the other groups know if their card says YES or NO.

2. Each group is presented with a situation. They must change the wording on the card into a conditional sentence. They then choose one classmate in another group who they feel will give them the answer on their YES/NO card.

Example:

The card says: You find a wallet with $50 and an ID inside. Do you keep it?

Sentence made by the group: If you found a wallet with $50 and an ID inside, would you keep it?

YES/NO card: YES

Task: Decide which of their classmates not in their group will answer YES to the question they generated. They must make an educated guess based on what they know of their classmates.

3. Check with each group to make sure they have chosen a classmate. When all groups have done so, play a round: the first group picks a student and asks its question. If the student's answer matches the group's card, the group receives a point. Go on to the next group.

4. Play another round.

7. IMAGINE THAT! (Might and Would)

Materials: None

Dynamics: Groups

Time: 15 minutes

Procedure: 1. Write a result on the board that is either unusual or funny. Ask students when or why they might do that action. Generate as many (if-clauses as possible.

Suggested results (can be used for teacher example and for groups):

go skinny dipping

call 911

paint my body

hop on one foot

climb on the roof

attract a lot of attention

climb a tree

2. Divide the students into groups. Give each group a different result and have them brainstorm if-clauses using might.

3. After each group writes as many (if-clauses as possible, have the students in each group decide which one of the (if-clauses would produce the result they have been working with. The groups should try to reach a consensus, but that may not be possible.

4. Share sentences (or (if-clauses) with the class.

Example: attract a lot of attention

Student sentences:

I might attract a lot of attention if I screamed in class. I might attract a lot of attention if I dyed my hair green. I might attract a lot of attention if I sang a song on the street corner.

5. As a whole class, look at the sentences each group has chosen to share with the class. Decide as a whole class which sentence would most likely produce the result.

SUGGESTION: If you do this game as a competition, have the class vote on the best sentence. The group that receives the most votes gets a point for that round. Then go on to another round of sentences. The only danger here is that students may vote for their own sentence and then no one group would ever win. This could be avoided by telling students that they cannot vote for their own sentence.

8. AS IF/AS THOUGH PICTURES

Materials: Magazines

Dynamic: Small groups

Time: 10 minutes

Procedure: 1. Arrange students in groups of three or four. Find, copy, and distribute magazine pictures that have people with unusual expressions.

2. Have students discuss several pictures, making sentences using as if or as though. ("He looks as if he ate a lemon." "He looks as if he were sick.")

3. Each group takes turns holding up a picture and describing it by using their sentences.

Variation: Have students find their own pictures, perhaps as homework. Or have them each bring a magazine to class and look through them in their groups for a good picture. (In this case, you may want to have some back-up pictures just in case.)

UNTRUE IN THE PAST

1. BUILDING AROUND

Materials: None

Dynamic: Large groups

Time: 15 minutes

Procedure: 1. Break class into groups of five to seven.

2. Have one student begin with a sentence in the untrue past conditional. Follow the steps in Building Around, 16.2.3.

Example:

Student 1: If I had gotten married after high school, I would not have come to the United States.

Student 2: If I had not come to the United States. I would not have visited the Grand Canyon.

Student 3: If I had not visited the Grand Canyon, I would not have taken so many pictures, (etc.)

2. STORY SAGAS

Materials: Worksheet 2.6 See the Paragraph 2.2.3 - chapter 2 (Worksheet 2.6: STORY SAGAS)

Dynamic: Small groups

Time: 20 minutes

Procedure: 1. Have students work in groups of three or four. Give each group a story summary. If you plan to give each group a different summary, give each group a handout with all the summaries and then assign one per group. (There is a handout of sample summaries in Worksheet 2.6.)

2. The students read the summary and then write five conditional sentences based on the information in the summary.

Example:

Blair lied and told Todd she was pregnant with his child so that he would marry her. She knew what he didn't: that he was about to inherit $28 million. As a result of her deception, Cord, the man she really loved, was disgusted with her. Since the marriage, Blair has discovered that she is now, in fact, pregnant, and Todd has discovered that he is a millionaire. Blair's mother, who is in a psychiatric center, knows the truth about the marriage and has a habit of saying whatever comes to mind.

Sample Sentences:

If Blair had not lied to Todd, he wouldn't have married her.

If Blair had not married Todd, she could have married Cord.

If Todd had known about the $28 million before his marriage, he might have suspected Blair.

Variation: Instead of using soap opera summaries, use a story the class has read. If this is a multi skills class, you know what material the class has read. If the reading class is separate, you can check with the reading instructor. Follow the same procedure, but write conditional sentences based on the story. You can also use fairy tales or fables.

MIXED CONDITIONALS

1. WHAT IF

Materials: None

Dynamic: Pairs/Small groups

Time: 15 minutes

Procedure: 1. Break the class into pairs or groups of three or four.

Explain (or review) that some actions have results not only in the time they happened, but can also carry over into the present or future.

Example: If I had eaten more last night... I wouldn't be hungry now.

2. Give each group or pair several if-clauses--things that happened in the past. Tell them this activity has results in the present and that they should make sentences with a past condition and a present result.

SUGGESTIONS: If I had written my essay last weekend

If I had gone to bed earlier last night

If I had washed my hair yesterday

If I had gone to the movies with my friends last night

If I had studied more English in my own country

2. COMIC STRIP ADVICE

Materials: Worksheet 2.7 See the Paragraph 2.2.3 - chapter 2 (Worksheet 2.7:COMIC STRIP ADVICE)

Dynamic: Small groups

Time: 15 minutes

Procedure: 1. Distribute copies of the comic strip Cathy (Worksheet 2.7) to each group.

2. After they read the comic strip, have the groups work together to complete the (if-clauses. They can use the information provided by the mother in the strip or just make a logical ending.

Example: Cathy says: If only I weren't so fat.

Student results: I could wear my new dress.

I would have had more boyfriends. I would feel better.

REVIEWING THE CONDITIONAL FORMS

1. REVIEW MATCH

Materials: Worksheet 2.8 See the Paragraph 2.2.3 - chapter 2 (Worksheet 2.8:REVIEW MATCH)

Dynamic: Small groups

Time: 20 minutes

Procedure: 1. Divide the class into small groups. Give each group the same number of cards. Be sure to give an even number to each group. If this is not possible, give one group one pair more than the others. Use the cards in Worksheet 112 or make your own.

2. Each group should make as many matches as possible. Group members should take the remaining unmatched cards to other groups and try to make a trade. {Important: They cannot give away a card without receiving one in exchange, and they cannot take a card unless the other group agrees to the trade.)

3. When one group has matched all its cards, the game stops. A group member reads the matches, and the rest of the class must agree that they are logical. If all matches are accepted, that group is the winner. If one or more matches is rejected, the game proceeds until the next group feels it is finished.

NOTE: Because of mixed conditionals, there will not necessarily be matches for all cards.

2. DEAR ANNIE

Materials: Worksheet 2.9 See the Paragraph 2.2.3 - chapter 2 (Worksheet 2.9:DEAR ANNIE)

Dynamic: Whole class

Time: 30 minutes

Procedure: 1. Have students pick one of the seven situations on the worksheet and write a letter to "Dear Annie" in which they explain their situation and ask how it can be avoided in the future or how it could have been avoided.

2. Collect the students' "Dear Annie" letters. Randomly redistribute them to the class, making sure that no one receives his/her own letter.

3. Have students pretend they are Annie and respond in writing to the letter they received. They must use whichever conditional structures are appropriate to the situation described in the letter,

4. Have several students read to the class the original letter they wrote along with their (Annie's) response. Return the letters and the responses to the authors of the original letters.

WISHES

1. ALADDIN'S LAMP

Materials: Worksheet 2.10 SEE the Paragraph 2.2.3 - chapter 2 (Worksheet 2.10: ALLADIN'S LAMP)

Dynamic: Groups

Time: 20 minutes

Procedure: 1. Discuss the meaning of Aladdin's lamp if necessary. (A poor boy named Aladdin found an old lamp. When he rubbed it, a genie appeared and granted him three wishes.)

2. Tell students they have each found Aladdin's lamp and been granted three wishes. Have them write their wishes down.

3. Break students into groups of about five. Pass out one worksheet per group and have the students compare their wishes and answer the survey questions.

4. Each group can report its findings to the class.

Chapter 3.

Relationships between ideas

PARALLELISM

1. MEMORIZE IT

Materials: Worksheet 3.1 See the Paragraph 2.2.3 - chapter 3 (Worksheet 3.1: MEMORISE IT)

Dynamic: Whole class

Time: 10 minutes

Procedure: 1. Make copies of the handout. Give half of your class Part A and the other half, Part B. Do not tell the students that there is a difference between the sentences in the two parts.

2. Tell the students to memorize the sentences for about 30 seconds and then turn over their papers. On the backs of their papers, or on another piece of paper, have them write the sentences exactly as they remember them.

3. Students now turn their papers back to the front and check their answers with the sentences. Did anyone get all the sentences correct?

4. Reveal that there is a difference between the sentences in the two parts and have a student with Part A compare papers with a student who has part B. Ask them which one was easier to remember and why. Talk about where the parallel structure is in each sentence in Part A.

NOTE: Those students with Part A usually have an easier time memorizing the sentences because of the parallel structure. Occasionally, however, you may have a student who can memorize Part В completely. In that case, talk about how some people have a good ability to memorize, but that it is easier for most of us if there is some kind of structure.

JOINING IDEAS

1. EITHER/NEITHER/TOO

Materials: 3"x 5" index cards

Dynamic: Whole class

Time: 15 minutes

Procedure: 1. Write out two kinds of cards: one set has sentences; the other set has short answers that agree or disagree. Each sentence in Set One has only one matching answer in Set Two.

Example: Set One Set Two

I'm having a good time I am, too.

I'm not having fun. I'm not either.

The U.S. president lives in

Washington, D.C His wife does, too.

I don't have a headache. Neither do I.

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