Grammar

Going to
E P I U+

Plans
Make a note of what are you going to do at these times.

after class, tonight, tomorrow, on Saturday, next week, next year

Mingle, and find someone who is going to do some of the same things as you, e.g. Maria and I are both going ice skating on Saturday. (Elicit some responses.) On your own, think of an activity that people often do at the weekend. Tell me what it is. (If someone repeats an activity that another student has already said, tell them they have to think of another one and come back to them when theyve done so.) Mingle and find out how many students in the class are going to do the thing you thought of. Do you make New Years resolutions? Tell us a few typical resolutions people make. In pairs, imagine it is New Years Eve. Write down three resolutions for somebody famous, e.g. Im going to tell fewer lies to the newspapers. Im going to get a better lawyer. Compare your resolutions with another pair. Can they guess the famous person?
E P I U+

Evidence
Watch me and guess what Im going to do. (Mime preparations for these activities.)

do the dishes, play football, go to a disco, be late, watch television, have a cup of tea, make an omelette, work on a computer, play the piano
In small groups, think of some similar mimes for the class to guess what youre going to do. Work in two teams. Listen to these sentences and tell me exactly what Im going to do. If youre right, your team gets a point.

Ive put on my coat and hat. (Im going to go for a walk.) The phone is ringing. (Im going to ignore it.) Ive got the ingredients. (Im going to make a cake.) Ive bought the tickets. (Im going to catch a train.) Ive bought flowers. (Im going to a funeral.) Its late and Im tired. (Im going to ask you to leave.) Ive got the tools. (Im going to build a shed.) Theres a bottle of wine on the table. (Im going to open it.) The kitchens full of dirty dishes. (Im going to buy a dishwasher.) Im absolutely exhausted. (Im going to have a cup of coffee.) Ive got a headache. (Im going to lie down.) Its raining. (Im going to bring the laundry in.) Theres a great film on TV tonight. (Im going to record it.) Im hungry. (Im going to have some toast.) Ive lost my keys. (Im going to climb in through the window.)
E P I U+

Policy statement
Imagine you are the leader of a newly elected government. You have just finished a cabinet meeting and are presenting your policies to parliament, e.g. We are going to tax the rich. Work together in groups and write your policies. (Variation: Get different groups to represent different political parties and to heckle each others presentations. This is also a good opportunity to practice was/were going to, e.g. But you said you were going to cut taxes!)

David Seymour and Maria Popova 2003

Grammar

Have
E P I U+

Have got
In pairs, ask and answer questions using have got and these words, e.g. A Have you got any CDs? B Yes, I have. / No, I havent. A What CDs have you got? B Ive got ...

qualifications, brothers, scars, pets, children, books, toys, house plants, middle names, friends in London, relatives in the USA, English books
(Allocate one thing to each student to mingle and find out who in class has got the most qualifications, pets, etc.) In pairs, tell each other about the rooms and features your house has got, e.g. My place has got a large, sunny kitchen. Do the same for your country, e.g. My country has got some of the most beautiful mountains in the world.
E P I U+

Have/Get something done

In small groups, tell each other about some things youve had done recently. Use these words, e.g. dentist I went to the dentist last week to have/get a tooth taken out.

garage, tailor, vet, dry cleaner, barber, printers, hospital, photographers

Work in small groups. Imagine you have moved into a house which needs a lot of work doing to it. The renovation is half finished. Write two lists: things that you have had done and things that you are going to get done, e.g. Weve had the floorboards replaced. Were going to get a new bathroom put in upstairs.

Infinitive
E P I U+

Purpose
Work in pairs. Im going to say the names of some places. Take turns to ask and answer the question Why did you go?, e.g. T Bank. A Why did you go to the bank? B I went there to cash a cheque.

theatre, station, DIY shop, cinema, caf, bakery, chemist, travel agent, post office
Write a list of five places you have been to in the last few days. Swap it with your partner and ask and answer the question Why did you go? Im going to dictate the beginning of ten sentences. Write them down and add an ending.

Im going to save up to ... I came to England to ... We stopped in Paris to ... I left home to ... I bought a bicycle to ...

I rang the theatre to ... He made a special cake to ... Im studying English to ... I went to Spain to ... She called me to ...

Compare your sentences with a partner.

David Seymour and Maria Popova 2003

Grammar

E P I U+

Why bother?
In pairs, think of reasons for doing these things, e.g. write We write to tell one another our news.

study, drink coffee, run, think, breathe, cook, sleep, work, go to the gym, sigh, have children, learn English, eat, play the lottery, have showers
In pairs, think of three activities. Write a sentence about each one explaining why you do it. Read out the reason for the class to guess the activity, e.g. I do this to relax after a hard day at the office (have a bath).
E P I U+

Verb + infinitive
In pairs, write sentences, e.g. I want you to speak more quietly.

I You He She We They

want(s) would like need(s) dont want

me you him her us them

to

speak help go write listen look

(Afterwards, elicit some reports, e.g. I asked/told Tomas to speak more quietly.) In pairs, ask and answer questions about the last time you did these things. Use the pattern verb + infinitive, e.g. I promised to phone my brother more often.

agree, offer, decide, help, refuse, learn, promise, manage, hope, fail

Like
E P I U+

Like and would like

In pairs, take it in turns to offer help with these problems, e.g. A Im thirsty. B Would you like a drink?

Its cold. Im lost. My teas cold. I'm hungry. My bags are heavy. I cant see properly. This is too spicy. Im late for work. Theres too much to do. I've got a headache.
Im going to read out some expressions. Write them under two headings: Do you like ...? and Would you like ...?

a cup of tea, tea, speaking English, to speak English, cats, a cat, him, him to help, carrots, some more carrots, to meet Madonna, Madonna, going to the cinema, to go to the cinema, being a student, to be a student, flying, to fly there
In pairs, ask and answer similar questions, e.g. A Do you like cats? B Yes, I do. A Would you like one of our kittens? B No thanks.

David Seymour and Maria Popova 2003

Grammar

E P I U+

Whats it like?
In pairs, ask and answer questions about a country or city you know well, e.g. A What are the trains like? B Theyre fast and efficient. A Whats the coffee like? B Its strong. Here are some topics to help you.

food, music, beaches, buses, people, flowers, weather, theatre, sports facilities, shops
In small groups, ask and answer these questions, e.g. A Whats your boss like? B Hes nice most of the time. A What does your boss like? B He likes keeping fit.

What

is does

your

mother father teacher best friend boss

like?

Im going to give you lots of answers to these four questions.

1 Whats like?

2 What does look like?

3 What does like?

4 How is ?

Listen to the answers and shout out the right question, e.g. T Hes angry. S How is he?

Hes happy. His dog is black. Michael likes music. The boy is hungry. Scotland is cold.

Rachel likes dancing. Its always sunny. Shes glad. They like pizza. Sheilas getting better.

Its very beautiful. Irenes exhausted. The boy is thin. Hes got grey hair. Its raining outside.

In pairs, ask and answer questions about these animals, e.g. A What do dogs like? B They like bones. A What are dogs like? B Theyre furry, loyal ...

monkeys, whales, cats, mice, snakes, rabbits, cows, dinosaurs, flies, spiders, elephants, birds, sharks

E P I U+

Similes
In small groups, think of a short anecdote leading up to one of these similes. (Allocate one to each group, randomly chosen, without the other groups hearing. While they are working, write the similes on the board.) Read your anecdote to the class and see if they can guess which simile completes it.

The next day he felt like death warmed up. Well, you know me Im like a rolling stone. It was like getting blood out of a stone.

I felt like a fish out of water. Oh well like father, like son I suppose. He was like a bull in a china shop.

David Seymour and Maria Popova 2003

Grammar

E P I U+

Like and as if
Work in small groups. Use these prompts to write two sentences for each, one with like and one with as if, e.g. He looks 1) He looks like someone I used to know. 2) He looks as if he hasnt slept for a week.

You look My head feels This coffee tastes The film sounds His hair looked

It feels Her flat looked It sounds That man looks The town seemed

Your job sounds Their baby looks They seem The food tasted Kevins car sounds

Passive
E P I U+

Processes
Listen to these questions and note down the key words. In pairs, answer the questions about a country you know well.

What What What What

raw materials are produced? is manufactured? alcohol is made? is done with the rubbish?

What is exported and imported? How are politicians elected? Which sports are played? How is electricity generated?

Whats the relationship between these pairs of words?

grapes/wine, wheat/bread, tree/book, sheep/jumper, iron ore/spoon

In groups, choose a pair of words and list the stages of the process that makes one into the other, e.g. cacao/chocolate The cacao seeds are picked and dried. The seeds are shipped to the factory. At the factory, they are roasted. After roasting, the seeds are crushed. The pieces are ground into a fine paste. Cocoa butter and sugar are added. The resulting mixture is ground until its smooth. The chocolate is poured into moulds. These are chilled to create chocolate. Tell me how you were processed when you came to enrol at this school, e.g. I was directed to reception where I was given a form to fill in. Then
E P I U+

Famous people
In two groups, write sentences in the passive for the following, then three other sentences about famous people. When you have finished, test the other group, e.g. It was discovered by Marie Curie (radioactivity).

Don Quixote, psychoanalysis, E = MC2, Mona Lisa, television, dynamite, Swan Lake, penicillin, Das Kapital, gravity, the telephone, Star Wars, evolution, printing
E P I U+

What happened?
Im going to ask you some questions. React as spontaneously as you can using the passive, e.g. T What happened to your hand? S Oh, I was bitten by a dog. (Ask each question to individuals at random. If the student stalls, invite answers from the whole class.)

What happened to your arm? Why arent you riding your bike? What happened to your leg? Why are you looking so disappointed?

Wheres your bag? Wheres your dog? Why are you late? Whats wrong?

David Seymour and Maria Popova 2003

Grammar

E P I U+

Newspaper headlines
Work in small groups. Write these newspaper headlines as full sentences. (Allocate a few headlines to each group.) Continue the stories to make a complete news bulletin, e.g. Oil discovered in city centre Massive reserves of crude oil were discovered in the city centre yesterday when builders started digging the foundations for a new office block

Mobiles banned in class Trapped girl saved Man abducted by aliens Robbers thwarted by OAP Woman hit by comet
E P I U+

Whale seen in Thames Titanic to be raised Dog taught to drive Aussies beaten at last Cure for cancer

Modernization
Imagine you arrive back in your home town after some time away and you discover that the local government has made a lot of changes. Work in small groups and write passive sentences to describe these changes, e.g. A brand new shopping and cinema complex has been built on the site of the old skating rink. All the factories have been demolished and the river is being cleaned up to encourage tourists. (This activity is also good for the past perfect, if the return home was in the past, e.g. The last time I went back to my city a lot of changes had been made ...) In groups, discuss some of the changes that should be made to the area you live in, e.g. The main road should be made into a pedestrian zone. That old building on the corner should be pulled down. In your groups, discuss some changes you think should be made to this school and/or classroom.

Past continuous
E P I U+

Fishy stories
In small groups, ask each other what you were doing yesterday at these times. In your answers, tell two lies. See if the group can identify which answers are lies.

05:00, 09:45, 12:00, 16:10, 19:15, 10:30

In groups, brainstorm some very unlikely activities, write them on small pieces of paper and collect them into a pile, face down. Swap piles with another group. (If any group is having difficulty coming up with ideas, add a few of these to their pile.)

catching a large fish, saving someones life, snake charming, bungee jumping, hitch-hiking, sailing across the ocean, robbing a bank, riding a cow, darning socks, having an operation, swimming with sharks, having lunch with the US President
Take turns to pick a piece of paper from the pile, and explain to the group that you were doing the activity on the piece of paper at 7a.m. yesterday. Answer their questions, e.g. A At 7 a.m. yesterday morning, I was flying in a balloon. B Why were you flying a balloon? A Because I was doing a scientific experiment. C Ah, and who was steering it? A Oh, there was a pilot

David Seymour and Maria Popova 2003

Grammar

E P I U+

Setting the scene

Here are the first lines of five stories. Write a few more sentences to set the scene, e.g. The birds were singing and a lovely breeze was blowing off the lake. John was sitting on the jetty fishing. He was thinking about

When we left the hotel it was a fine evening ... The office was in a terrible state this morning ... When I arrived the party had already started ... It was a beautiful spring morning ... I only left the kids for a minute and when I got back ...
In small groups, read each others ideas. Choose the best one and develop the story further. Delegate one person to do the writing. Choose someone to read the story out to the rest of the class. In pairs, discuss what was happening when ...

... you came into class. ... you arrived at school. ... you last switched on the TV.
E P I U+

... you last went into work. ... you got home yesterday. ... you went out this morning.

Alibis
Last night at about 7.45 p.m. there was a murder. Two of you are suspects. (Choose two students.) Go outside the classroom and agree the details of everything you did yesterday evening from 7.15 to 8.15 p.m. The rest of the class, you are investigators. Work in two groups and prepare a list of questions about what the suspects were doing at 7.45 p.m. Try to think of every detail. For example, if they went to a restaurant, where did they sit, what did they talk about, what was the waitress wearing? Each group, interrogate one of the suspects. When you have finished, swap suspects and repeat your questions to the other one. Make a note of any differences you notice between the two stories. At the end report back to the class. What differences did you find? Are they guilty or not guilty?

Past continuous and simple

E P I U+

Newspaper headlines
Work in pairs. Write a few sentences about these headlines. Include information about what was happening when the event took place, e.g. Hikers stranded in snowstorm. A search and rescue team took nine hours to find a French couple yesterday, after a freak snowstorm hit the Pyrenees. Anton and Agathe Duval were hiking on the highest peak when the blizzard struck

MP collapses at conference Lights go out at opening ceremony Man eaten by pet alligator Near miss at airport

Robbers caught during raid Road rage in motorway jam Jogger mauled by dog Shopper sees Elvis

In your pairs, write a headline of your own, if possible about a story in the news at the moment. Pass it to the next pair and see if you can expand on the headline that is passed to you. Ill collect them in and read them out as a news bulletin.

David Seymour and Maria Popova 2003

Grammar

E P I U+

What next?
Work in two groups. Write fifteen nouns on separate pieces of paper. Put them face down in the middle of the other group. Take turns to choose a piece of paper and use the word to make a sentence about what you were doing when something else happened. Answer a question from the group about what you did next, e.g. TV. A I was watching TV when the phone rang. B What did you do when the phone rang? A When the phone rang, I answered it.

E P I U+

Lifelines
Look at the lifeline. In pairs, write a few sentences with while and when making up any details as necessary, e.g. While he was living in Macau, he had an operation for ..., When his parents divorced, he moved to England with his ... because ... .

Born in Macau 1970 Hospital operation 1974. Parents divorced 1977.

Moved to UK 1978 Secondary school 1981. Started guitar lessons.

University 8993 Met girlfriend 1991. Went to Peru on holiday.

Travelled 9496 Married 1995. Accident in Namibia 1996.

Worked in bank 9798 Learnt French. Baby Rianne born 1997. Formed band.

Returned to London 1999 First hit record 2000. Bought a mansion 2002.

Draw your own lifeline. Exchange it with another student. Ask each other for more information and write similar sentences.
E P I U+

Accident report
Im going to dictate a description of an accident.

Yesterday morning at 8.30 there was an accident between a bicycle and a lorry at the junction of Green Lanes and Seven Sisters Road. It was raining, but visibility was good. The lorry was travelling up Green Lanes and the cyclist was travelling west. Neither the lorry driver nor the cyclist was injured, but the bicycle was a mangled wreck. The driver and the cyclist both have to make a report to the police, which will be used in an insurance claim. They blame each other. There are some independent witnesses.
Work in groups of four to role-play the ensuing argument. (Add other roles if there are spare students in one group, e.g. the lorry drivers mate.) Student A, you are the lorry driver. Student B, you are the cyclist. Student C, you are a witness. Student D, you are a police officer. Ask questions. When you have finished, write a report of what happened, from your point of view. Include information/questions about the traffic, the location, speed and direction of the vehicles and what you heard and saw next. Take turns to read out your report. In groups, tell each other about an accident you have been involved in, or witnessed.

David Seymour and Maria Popova 2003

Grammar

Past perfect
E P I U+

When
Work in pairs. Join a sentence from the first column with one from the second to make longer sentences, using when, e.g. The guests left. We tidied up. When the guests had left, we tidied up. (Re-order the sentences in the second box when you write them up; they appear in the correct order here.)

We unpacked our bags. I read the book. They signed the contract. The baby fell asleep. Oliver had a shower. Rachael finished her pizza. They tidied everything up. They inspected his passport. It stopped snowing. She calmed down.
E P I U+

We went out. I lent it to Tom. They had a drink. They went downstairs. He felt better. She asked for some coffee. They went out. He was free to go. We continued our journey. She explained the problem.

Arriving late
Work in pairs. Im going to dictate the beginnings of some sentences. Write them down and decide how to finish them, e.g. When we finally got to the station the train had already left.

When we got to the theatre ... When he got to the meeting ... When I phoned for the job ...

By the time we arrived ... When I switched on the TV ... By the time she finally got up ...

Write two more sentence beginnings and swap them with another pair. Write the endings for the sentences you receive and pass them back. Add another clause to the sentences you receive to explain what happened next, e.g. When we finally got to the station / the train had already left / so we decided to go by coach. Read out the first two parts and see if anyone in class can guess what happened next.
E P I U+

Prior events
Im going to ask you ten questions. Write them down. In small groups, make up answers for them, e.g. T Why was Daniel so happy? S Because he had recently been promoted. (Choose groups to read out their answers to the class at random and see if anyone can guess the question.)

Why did Rachel feel sick? Why was Jackie so miserable? What did Tom find out when he phoned? How was he different next time you saw him? Where was his sandwich?
E P I U+

What did I realise when I got home? Why was Ken so ecstatic? Why was the office empty? How much food was left? Why did he feel so guilty?

Experiences
On your own, think back to a time when you went somewhere new and had a lot of new experiences. Make some notes, e.g. Greece moussaka. Tell us about your experiences, e.g. I had never eaten moussaka before I went to Greece. (After a few sentences in open class, let students continue exchanging experiences together in pairs or small groups.)

David Seymour and Maria Popova 2003

Grammar

E P I U+

Preparations and changes

Work in small groups. Read these situations and think of ways to continue the narrative. Choose a secretary to write your ideas down, e.g. When I visited my family, everything was different ... My mum had thrown out the furniture in the sitting room. She had replaced the carpet with marble effect lino. She had painted the walls blue and brown. The kitchen was a disaster.

1 Josephine was about to arrive for dinner. Everything was ready ... 2 We were ready for our holiday ... 3 The Robertsons were coming to view the house, but it was still in a dreadful mess from the party ... 4 She wondered if all the preparations for the wedding were in place ... 5 When the ship arrived back in port, the whole town was waiting for them ... 6 He seemed quite comfortable when we discovered him on the desert island ... 7 By the time the cavalry arrived to save the town, it was too late ... 8 He had arrived in the future, but he didnt know exactly what year. Certainly, the world looked very different
On your own, write a few sentences about a place or person you visited after a long time. Describe what changes had happened, e.g. When I visited my old school they had built a new science block. The English teacher had taken over as headmaster. In small groups, ask and answer questions about the changes you wrote about. (Ask the students to put away their writing so that they are speaking rather than reading.)
E P I U+

Explanations
In pairs, imagine you saw your partner doing something interesting yesterday. Take turns to ask and answer questions to find out more, e.g. A I saw you yesterday afternoon. Why were you staggering? B I was staggering because I had just walked into a lamp post and had concussion.

crying, being arrested, covered in paint, wearing a wet suit, laughing, running after a mule, sleeping on a bench, carrying a sink, climbing a tree

Past simple
E P I U+

Alphabet game
In groups of three or four, take turns to use the past simple in a sentence. The first letter of the verbs must follow the sequence of the alphabet. If you cant think of one, you are out of the game. The next student continues with the next letter, e.g. A He asked me my name. B I bought a hat. C I came here last month. (Variation: For higher levels, require that the sentences form a single narrative.)

E P I U+

Yesterday
Think of something you did yesterday and the time you did it, e.g. Breakfast 10 a.m. Go round the class and find someone who did the same thing as you at approximately the same time, e.g. A What time did you have breakfast yesterday? B I had breakfast at about 9.30.

David Seymour and Maria Popova 2003

Grammar

E P I U+

Sequences
Ask me some questions about what I did using these time expressions, e.g. S What did you do last night? T I went home and had dinner. I watched the news and

last night/week/year in 1997 on Tuesday / Sunday / New Years Eve

this morning the day before yesterday three months ago

(Write up one of your answers and add sequence markers, e.g. T First I went home and had a dinner. Then I watched the news and after that I .) In pairs, ask and answer questions in the same way. Give a sequence of at least three things. (When everybody has finished, ask some students to report back to the class about their partners.)
E P I U+

Substitutions
Take turns to repeat this sentence, but substitute the word I write on the board, e.g. It was very expensive. (Write good.) A It was very good. (Write life.) B Life was very good.

1 I drove to the pub with him. (park, them, walked, her, shop, went, we, for, food) 2 This morning I washed the dishes. (he, car, afternoon, drove, she, her, lorry, crashed, my) 3 Last week I played football with Val. (we, Sunday, them, basketball, against, cricket, year, with) 4 I met my wife in 1980. (husband, 1997, friend, visited, we, September, they, arrested) 5 I didnt feel very well. (play, we, long, couldnt, much, see, they, clearly, think) 6 We had roast chicken for dinner. (boiled, potatoes, cold, breakfast, ate, they, mashed, made, us)
E P I U+

Story chain
Take turns to repeat what happened yesterday, and add something new, including a verb. If you forget the sequence, you are out of the game, e.g. T Yesterday I found a 10 note in my pocket. A Yesterday I found a 10 note in my pocket and I bought a sandwich. B Yesterday I found a 10 note in my pocket and I bought a sandwich. I ate it. C Yesterday I found a 10 note in my pocket and I bought a sandwich. I ate it, and then I caught a train to Oxford. (Restart the activity when the sequence gets too long.) (Variation: Restrict the activity to irregular verbs. For higher levels, ask students to choose their verbs before the game begins.)

E P I U+

Whispers
Im going to whisper a sentence to someone. This student has to whisper the same sentence to the person next in line. The last student will say the sentence aloud to the class and Ill write it on the board. Ill then tell you the sentence we started with. (This works best if the students are sitting or standing in a circle.)

We met Samantha and Raymond at Pizza Pasta on the corner of Old Street and shared a Four Seasons pizza and a bottle of wine.
Write your own sentence, including at least two irregular pasts. Sit in a circle and send your messages round the class in the same direction. Write down the sentence as it gets back to you. Read it out and read out the original sentence. How many differences are there between the two sentences?

David Seymour and Maria Popova 2003

Grammar

E P I U+

I dont believe you

Work in small groups. Take turns to tell the group what you did yesterday. The group will interrupt you after every two or three sentences with I dont believe you! Change your last sentence and continue the story, e.g. A I got up at 7.30 and had a shower ... Group I dont believe you! A I got up at 7.30 and had a cigarette. Then I went out for breakfast. I read the paper and Group I dont believe you! A I read my letters and then I caught the bus to work. I arrived at 9 a.m.

E P I U+

The first time

In pairs, tell each other about your first:

bicycle, pet, job, friend, home, toys, swim, holiday, memory, day at school, alcoholic drink, word (as a baby), car, flight in a plane
E P I U+

The last time

Work in pairs. Ask each other questions about the last time you did these things, e.g. A When did you last go to the cinema? B The last time I went to the cinema was two weeks ago. I saw

eat an egg, take exercise, shake hands, travel by boat, have a cold, cook a meal, laugh, feel sad, wear a suit, have a dance, send an e-mail, break something valuable, clean the windows, tell a lie, stay up all night
In pairs, ask and answer questions beginning What was the last thing you ...? After each answer, ask another question, e.g. A What was the last thing you sold? B An old camera. A How much did you sell it for? B I sold it for 25.

buy, make, break, eat, sell, write, drink, learn, find, read, dream about, throw away

E P I U+

First and last times

Work in two teams. Write twenty infinitive verbs on pieces of paper. Put them face down in a pile in the middle of the other team. Take turns to pick up a verb and make a sentence with it, beginning The first time I ... or The last time I ... If your sentence is correct, your team keeps the verb. If the other team spots a mistake and challenges you, they get the verb. The winning team is the one with the most verbs.

E P I U+

Matthews day
In pairs, put these phrases in the past and arrange them in a reasonable order to talk about Matthews day. Join them using and, then and after that, plus any other words you think are necessary.

go downstairs, get in car, have shower, take dog for walk, go outside, drive to work, let cat in, wake up kids, get up, buy milk, read paper, wake up, make tea
Write a question about each sentence, e.g. What time did he get up? Join another pair to ask and answer your questions. As a group of four, continue the story of his day. Choose someone to read it out to the class, e.g. When he got to work, he read his e-mails. Then he ...

David Seymour and Maria Popova 2003

Grammar

E P I U+

Reactions
Im going to dictate eight pairs of short sentences. Write them down, leaving a space after each pair.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

She reads the letter. She throws it in the bin. The shark appears. They panic. He looks in the cupboard. He sees a mouse. The mouse sees him. It runs away. The bell rings. They run out into the playground. They try my curry. Everyone starts choking. The rain stops. We go out to play frisbee. I get home. I switch on the radio.

Join each pair of sentences to make one sentence in the past, beginning with when, e.g. When she heard the baby cry, she went to feed him. On your own, write a few pairs of sentences about things you have done in the last few days. Swap your pairs of sentences with a partner. Join the ones you receive in the same way and pass them back.

Possessive adjectives and pronouns

E P I U+

Possessiveness
Listen to these sentences and shout out another, using a possessive pronoun instead of the possessive adjective, e.g. Its my book. The book is mine.

Its my pen. Its her jumper. Thats my bag.

Its your car. This is our garden. Its their baby.

This is his house. Thats their dog. That is my man.

In pairs, see if you can write all nine pairs of sentences from memory.
E P I U+

Bucket pronouns
(Collect small objects from the students and put them in a cardboard box or bag. Take an object out and elicit this sequence.)

T Is this yours? A No, its not mine. T Whose is it then? A Its his/hers/Marias, etc.
(Write the exchange on the board. Walk around the class inviting students to take an object and have a similar exchange with their partner. Gradually erase the model from the board.)
E P I U+

What about yours?

In pairs, change the noun and adjective in this question to make five more questions.

My shoes are brown; what about yours?

With a new partner, take turns to ask and answer your questions.

David Seymour and Maria Popova 2003

Grammar

Present continuous
E P I U+

Whats happening?
Im going to dictate the beginnings of some sentences. Write them down. In pairs, think of suitable endings using the present continuous, e.g. Please turn the TV off; Im trying to study.

Dont disturb me; Im ... Dont listen to him; hes ... Quick! Pass the spanner; Im ... I cant see you right now; Im ...

Drink your tea; its ... Leave the radio on; Im ... Look at that man; hes ... Shhh! Listen. That mans

Think of two similar sentences that would be useful to you, e.g. Pass me the calculator; Im working out my share of the household bills.
E P I U+

Houses and rooms

(Draw the cross section of a large house on the board, with at least eight rooms over three floors.) Which rooms are which? (Elicit ideas and label the rooms.) Who lives here? (Elicit some names and their relationships.) In small groups, imagine its 8.00 p.m. and everyone is at home. Agree where they are and what theyre doing, e.g. Lorraine is listening to very loud music in her bedroom. John, her dad, is in the hall shouting, Turn it down. Think about your family and friends. Discuss what you think theyre doing right now.

E P I U+

Clothes
(Ask a student what he/she wears or is wearing, and then to repeat the question to another student, e.g. T Manuel, are you wearing jeans? Manuel No, Im not. Are you wearing jeans, Ilona? Ilona Yes, I am. T Brigit, do you wear a scarf? Brigit Yes, I do, during the winter. Do you wear a scarf, Peter?)

E P I U+

Mimes
Guess what I am doing. (Mime these activities.)

flying a kite, washing a glass, driving a fast car, watching tennis, eating a fish, brushing a cat, having a tooth out, feeding a lion, drinking wine, watching football on TV, doing brain surgery, doing sums, looking at the moon, changing a nappy, catching a butterfly, listening to reggae, eating a boiled egg
Work in two teams. Take turns to mime a continuous action for your group to guess. Score a point if they can guess your mime within thirty seconds.
E P I U+

The world outside

(With classes taking place in busy locations such as a city centre, open the windows. Ask the students to keep quiet for a few minutes and make a note of anything they hear going on outside, e.g. A man is talking loudly on his mobile phone. As a follow up, ask them to imagine they are in another location with lots of sounds and write a similar description, e.g. at the seaside, in a busy restaurant.)

David Seymour and Maria Popova 2003

Grammar

E P I U+

Wish you were here

In pairs, imagine you are on holiday in an idyllic location. You are sitting in a caf and theres a lot going on, both inside and outside. Write a postcard to someone back home telling them whats happening around you. Include descriptions of the weather, the people you can see, the city/town, the food and drink, the hotel, and your arrangements for the next day.

E P I U+

These days
Imagine you find your diary from a few years ago. As you leaf through it, you find different entries beginning with the following sentences. Continue each entry, e.g. Life is boring ... Im studying every evening for my exam. Meanwhile all my mates are going out and enjoying themselves. Dominics not talking to me any more either. Im not having any fun at all!

Spring is here ... My new job is exciting ... Were having a lovely time ...

I need a holiday ... We dont get on any more ... Fiona sent us a letter ...

Compare your ideas with a partner. In pairs, tell each other what is happening in your life these days outside the classroom. Include information about the following.

family, accommodation, work, hobbies, studies, eating habits, routines

In two groups, discuss whats happening in the world these days. Include information about the following.

IT, the environment, life expectancy, sport, the (global) economy, culture/fashion
Agree a list of the ten most important things. Compare your list with the other group.
E P I U+

Future arrangements
Do you remember all your appointments or do you have to write them down in a dairy? Copy this weekend planner and fill in any three spaces, leaving the others blank. Think of some unusual things to do, e.g. whale watching, skydiving. (Make sure the students only fill in three spaces.)

Saturday Morning Afternoon Evening

Sunday

Make arrangements with some other students for the remaining times in your diary, e.g. A Are you doing anything on Saturday afternoon? B Yes. Im having dinner with my agent. A Oh. What about Sunday evening? B Uhm ... No. Im free then. A Would you like to come to the cinema? B OK. What do you want to see? A Ive heard about this great film

David Seymour and Maria Popova 2003

Grammar

E P I U+

Annoying habits
In pairs, think of someone you know with annoying habits. Tell your partner about him/her. Dont choose someone in the class! Give each other some advice about how to deal with the person, e.g. A I hate him! Hes always teasing me! B You should just ignore him. Im going to give you an adjective that describes a person. In pairs, write a sentence about this persons bad habits, e.g. anti-social Hes always playing loud music until the early hours of the morning. (Distribute the adjectives amongst the pairs. Allow the students to use dictionaries.)

argumentative, boring, bossy, careless, conceited, dirty, forgetful, greedy, grumpy, lazy, mean, moody, paranoid, selfish, unreliable, untidy, weird
Read out your sentence and see if anyone can guess the adjective.
E P I U+

Project
Before the next class, go to a place in this town where there are usually a lot of things happening. Write a description of everything you can see and hear. In class, read out your description. Can anyone guess where it is?

Present perfect
E P I U+

Past participles
In groups of four, make sentences using past participles in alphabetical order. If you cant think of one, you are out of the game, e.g. A Ive answered his letter. B Hes blown the whistle. C Ive cooked something special. D Ive never driven a car. Work in two teams. Im going to read a list of nouns. If you think you can use one in a present perfect sentence, put your hand up. If your sentence is correct, your team gets a point. If its wrong, the other team gets a point, and another attempt with the same word, e.g. tea Ive made you some tea.

cat, bags, dentist, hair, car, tree, shower, Roger, shirt, Wales, love, house, road, Janet, caf, person, phone, map, dinner, rain, factory, light bulb, egg, nose, computer, duck
In two teams, listen to these infinitives and shout out the past participle, If youre correct, your team gets a point. If youre wrong, the other team gets a point, and another attempt at the same verb.

bite, leave, hide, steal, swim, win, put, see, wear, eat, think, know, show, buy, be, throw, drink, sit, ring, stand, let, grow, lose, give, do, shut, teach, speak, run, make, catch, go, bring, ride, rise, tell, shine, sell, fly, take, get, come, keep, break, fight
(Write some infinitives which have irregular past participles in a noughts and crosses grid.) Work in two teams to play noughts and crosses. Take turns to choose a square. To win it you have to tell me the past participle of the verb in the square and use it in a sentence.

David Seymour and Maria Popova 2003

Grammar

E P I U+

Life experience
Mingle and ask each other Have you ever ? questions about these subjects. Make a note of who has done these things.

crash/car, ride/horse, work/nights, swim/river, sing/public, go/diving, make/bread, win/prize, sleep/outside, catch/fish, wear/tie, break/bone, buy someone/flowers, eat/caviar, climb/mountain, do/bungee jump
E P I U+

Tell me more
In pairs, ask and answer questions about whether you have ever done these things. If the answer is yes, find out some more information, e.g. A Have you ever broken a bone? B Yes, I have. A When was that? B When I was at school. A What happened? B I broke my arm playing rugby.

cut your finger, eat Indian food, have an injection, see an eclipse, wear fancy dress, live by the sea, go on a demonstration, do anything brave, sleep in a tent, sail a boat, drive a tractor
Tell your partner something youve done which you dont think anyone else in class has done, and something youve never done which you think another student in class has done, e.g. Ive been scuba diving. Ive never played cricket, but I think Shaqil probably has. Tell us what your partner said and find out if his/her guesses are true.
E P I U+

A romantic dinner
Shout out some things you associate with a romantic dinner. (Write them up on the board.)

wine, candles, soft music, best suit or dress, table, housework, roses, perfume/aftershave, chocolates
Imagine you are script writers for a soap opera. You are setting the scene for one of the female actors who has prepared a romantic dinner for her boyfriend. Tell me what she has done, using the words on the board, e.g. dinner Shes cooked the dinner. Theres a knock at the door. (Ask the students to guess who it is). Its her mother. She doesnt like her daughters boyfriend. (Elicit ideas about why, e.g. She wants her to marry someone from a rich family.) The daughter doesnt want her mother to find out about the date. Mother is very suspicious and asks lots of questions. In pairs, role-play the conversation, e.g. Mum Why have you cooked dinner? Daughter Er ... because Im hungry, Mum ... Mum But why have you cooked so much? Daughter Well, I thought you might turn up, Mum. Mum And why have you bought flowers? There is another knock at the door. This time its her boyfriend. In groups of three, role-play the conversation between the daughter, her mother and the boyfriend. (If male students in your class feel uncomfortable about playing a female role, change the role of the mother to her father.)

David Seymour and Maria Popova 2003

Grammar

E P I U+

Preparations
In pairs, imagine you are going on holiday. Make a list of ten things that need to be done, e.g. book the hotel. Now imagine you are about to leave and go to the airport. Take turns to ask each other questions, e.g. A Have you packed the towels? B Yes, I have. Have you brought the passports? A Yes, I have. Have you ...? (Variation: Give different groups different tasks, e.g. preparations for a party, a wedding, a job interview or a date.)

E P I U+

Changes
(Before break, draw a picture of a person on the board and elicit features, hairstyle, clothes, etc. During break, make some drastic changes.) In pairs, discuss what has happened to the person on the board, e.g Hes grown a beard. Hes lost an eye. In groups, discuss what changes have taken place in the world in the last 50 years. Here are some ideas to help you.

computers, fashion, food, rich and poor, politics, work, medicine, music, TV, transport
In pairs, continue these conversations with an explanation using the present perfect and a follow-up question, e.g. A Why are you limping? B I've been in a car accident. A Oh dear. How did that happen?

Why arent you at work? Why have you packed your bags? Whats happened to your hair?!
E P I U+

You seem so happy these days. Why is that? Long time no see. Where have you been? Is there something wrong? You look worried.

Time game
Take turns to repeat this sentence, using the ending I give you and adding for or since as necessary, e.g. T I've known him since March. A I've known him since March. T Two weeks. B I've known him for two weeks.

Ive been here July, three days, 1998, ten years, yesterday, Christmas, five, minutes, ages, Saturday, my whole life, August, an hour and a half, last weekend, Monday, a while, almost a month Ive been waiting an hour, eight oclock, five minutes, Tuesday, two years, weeks, ages, we arrived, June 2001, long enough, half an hour, the doors opened, nearly three months, the beginning of term, last Wednesday, about ten minutes
(Variation: Ask the students to run the drill in groups, with one person dictating the time expressions. Then ask the students to add another phrase, such as the thing theyve been waiting for, e.g. I've been waiting since January for a visa to visit Finland.)

David Seymour and Maria Popova 2003

Grammar

E P I U+

For and since

Im going to ask someone a question. Answer it, and then ask someone else the same question. Repeat this pattern until I start a new question. Theres one important rule. (Write for and since on the board.) Your answer must include for or since, depending on which word on the board Im pointing at when you answer, e.g. T How long have you been studying English, Ramon? Ramon I've been studying English for two years, part-time. Sara, how long have you been studying English? Sara I've been studying English since February last year.

How long have you known your teacher? How long have you been in this lesson? How long have you been using this book?

How long have you been living in ...? How long have you been in this school? How long have you been doing this activity?

What verbs go with these things? (Only accept these verbs. Write them on the board.)

English (study), bicycle (ride), house/flat (live), yellow socks (wear), musical instrument (play), hobby (do), disco (go), boy/girlfriend (go out with), football (play), credit card (use), book/novel (read), cigarettes (smoke)
Mingle and ask the other students how long they have been doing the things, e.g. A Have you got a car? B Yes, I have. A How long have you been driving? B Ive been driving since January / for six months. Try to find someone who does each thing. Make a note of their name and how long they have been doing it. Heres the beginning of a sentence. (Write I havent ... on the board.) Im going to give you ten endings. In pairs, complete the sentences, e.g. this morning. I havent eaten since this morning.

two hours, last term, ten oclock, I came to England, three days, I was at school, Sunday, ten years, a week, I was little, yesterday
Read your sentences out, stopping at for or since for the others to guess the ending.
E P I U+

Still, yet, already and just

In pairs, write four endings for these sentences, using still, yet, already and (only) just, e.g. Hes been working here for a week ... and he still hasnt met the boss. and he hasnt got a desk yet. and hes already got an office. and hes only just got a computer.

Their baby is two and a half and he ... Robs been studying English for two months ... I sent them the application last week and ... Its 11.30 a.m. and ... Theyve been married for six months ... Weve been on holiday for three days Shes been shopping all morning Ive been waiting for over an hour
Translate some of the sentences into your own language.

David Seymour and Maria Popova 2003

Grammar

E P I U+

Recent events
In small groups, think of a reason for these exclamations, e.g. Ouch! Someone has just stubbed their toe.

Sorry! What? Sorry? Never mind. OK, when? Youre joking! No, thanks. Great! Wow! Really? Bad luck! Bless you! Well done! Help! Cheers! God! Of course. Uh-oh! So?
Im going to ask you why youre behaving strangely. Mime the behaviour, and explain using the present perfect, e.g. T Why are you so tired? S (stretching and yawning) Because Ive been working all night.

shivering, crying, so filthy, angry, so tired, laughing, eating so much, so excited, so bored, bleeding, limping, hiding under the desk, wet, not sitting on your chair, holding that baby, being so friendly, shouting
In pairs, write suitable answers to these questions using the present perfect, e.g. Why is it so hot in here? Because someone has left the heating on. / Because someone has been baking bread.

Why is it so cold in here? Why are the police here? Whats in the news today? Whats the matter? Wheres my car? Hows your family? Whats that smell?
Compare your ideas with another pair. (Variation: Ask the students to write the most unexpected answer they can think of. Then they work together in pairs to guess each others answers.)

Present simple
E P I U+

Questions
In pairs, ask and answer questions, using this table to help. Make some notes.

When What time

do you does he/she

get up go to work get home have dinner go to bed

on in the

Mondays? Saturday mornings? morning? afternoon? evening? night? the weekend?

at

Find a new partner. Ask and answer questions about the first partner, in the third person. In pairs, match a verb from the first column with a word from the second to make a phrase. (Re-order the words in the second box when you write them up; they appear here in the correct order.)

live, drink, like, play, watch, go, ride, speak, read, drive, get up

alone, tea with milk, dogs, chess, horror films, dancing, a bicycle, German, the Sunday papers, a car, early

Use the phrases to ask your partner questions. Give short answers, e.g. eat + beef. A Do you eat beef? B Yes, I do. / No, I dont.

David Seymour and Maria Popova 2003

Grammar

E P I U+

Regular events
How often do you come to class? How often do you get up late? (Use similar questions to elicit these frequency expressions. Write them on the board.)

once/twice three times

day week month year

once every

three days every other day

Im going to give you each an activity. Mingle, and find out who does it the most and who does it the least. (After the survey, elicit the results and write them on the board.)

buy new clothes, eat pasta, sleep in, drink tea, cook, get a haircut, dance, visit relatives, do the laundry, surf the Internet, use a drill, dream, do arithmetic, sing, eat out, read a book, go on holiday, tidy up, visit the dentist, fly, go to the park
In small groups, discuss these topics.

a typical weekend at home the people in your home town the main festivals in your home country

E P I U+

Stories and jokes

Think of a film or book that you really enjoyed. Spend a few minutes refreshing your memory and making some notes. In small groups, tell each other all about it, but dont tell them the title. See if anyone can guess from your description, e.g. Theres a boy called Harry, who has got magical powers. Unfortunately he lives with his horrible aunt and uncle, the Dursleys. Theyre muggles ordinary human beings ... (Invite students to think of some jokes in English and tell the class in a later lesson, e.g. Theres this bloke who goes into a pub. Hes got a mouse in his pocket .)

E P I U+

Itineraries
Work in pairs. Imagine you are PAs to a busy executive who has to attend a number of meetings in New York and Las Vegas next Monday and Tuesday. Write a detailed itinerary for the trip, including travel arrangements, meetings, hotels and entertainment. Make sure you both have a copy of the itinerary. Swap partners and role-play this conversation. Student A, you are the personal assistant. Student B, you are the executive. You are putting some of the details into your personal organiser and you keep checking them. You also want to make time during the trip for some gambling and other things, e.g. A You depart from Heathrow, Terminal 3 at 8.10 a.m., flight BA724. B Terminal 3 at 8.10. BA742. A No, its flight BA724. B OK, 724. Is it an aisle seat? A Yes. You arrive at JFK at 9.20 local time. B Uh-huh. Thats 21.20 local time. A No, you arrive in the morning When you have finished, swap roles.

David Seymour and Maria Popova 2003