Question bank

Unit 1 Good memories

Where were you born? Were you born in [city/country]?
Where did you grow up? When did you move to [city/country]?
Did you take English classes in [city/country]? When did you first study English?
What other languages can you speak?
Where did you go to middle/high school? Were you a good student? What were your best/worst subjects?
Did you enjoy your childhood? Did you use to collect things? What sports or games did you use to play?
Did you use to have a nickname? Where did you use to spend your vacations?
What’s your favorite childhood memory?
Who was your best friend in middle/high school?
Ask me to tell you about myself. or Ask [classmate] to tell you about him/herself.

Unit 2 Life in the city

What’s your city or town like? What transportation and public services are available?
What kinds of city or town problems are there? (Elicit count/noncount nouns and adverbs of quantity.)
Could you tell me where the nearest hotel/restaurant/post office is?
Do you know where the restrooms/elevators/stairs are?
Can you tell me where the nearest ATM is?
Do you know what time the banks/stores usually open/close?
Do you know where I can eat local food/hear live music/get a city guide?
What would you tell a visitor about your city or town?
Ask me about my hometown. or Ask [classmate] about his/her hometown or the city or town where you live.

Unit 3 Making changes

Do you live in a house or an apartment? What’s it like?
Is your house or apartment [adjective] enough for you? Is it too [adjective]? Does it have enough [noun]?
Does it have as many/much [noun] as your old house or apartment?
What’s your neighborhood like? Is it [adjective]? Is it as [adjective] as this neighborhood?
What do you wish you could change about your home/school or job/skills? Why?
Ask me what I would like to change about my life. or Ask [classmate] what he/she would like to change about his/her life.

Unit 4 Have you ever tried it?

Have you ever been to a [type of restaurant]? (Elicit Yes.) What was it like?
Have you ever eaten [dish]? (Elicit Yes.) Did you enjoy it/them?
Have you ever tried traditional food from your/another country? What did you think of it?
Have you ever eaten something you didn’t like? What was it?
Have you ever eaten something unusual? What was it?
What’s your favorite way to cook or eat [food]?
How do you cook [dish]?
How do you make [snack]?

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 Unit 5 Hitting the road!
What do you like to do on vacation? Where do you like to go?
What did you do on your last vacation?
Have you made any vacation plans for this year? (Elicit Yes.) What are you going to do?
Where are you going to go? When are you going to leave? How long will you be away? Are you going to go with
anyone? What do you need to do before traveling abroad? (Elicit modals for describing necessity.)
What are some things you should get or do before taking a trip? (Elicit modals for giving suggestions.)
Ask me about my next vacation. or Ask [classmate] about his/her last/next vacation.
Give me advice about my next vacation. or Give [classmate] advice about his/her next vacation.

Unit 6 Sure! I'll do it.

(Note: Bring a portable radio and other objects to class.)
Turn down the music. (Indicate object and elicit OK. I’ll turn it down.)
Pick up the books/papers. (Indicate object and elicit All right. I’ll pick them up.)
Turn the lights on/off (Indicate object and elicit OK. I’ll turn them on/off.)
Please put your jacket/dictionary/cell phone away. (Indicate object and elicit All right. I’ll put it away.)
What requests can you make in the kitchen/bathroom/living room/bedroom?
What requests can you make of your neighbor?
How can you respond to a request/complaint from a neighbor?
Ask me to do something for you. or Ask [classmate] to do something for you.

Unit 7 What is it used for?

What technology/inventions do you use every day?
What do you use a cell phone to do? Do you use it for [activity]?
What is/are [technology] used for doing? How is/are [technology] used?
How does technology make your life easier/more difficult?
How does technology affect the way people work and spend free time?
What kinds of problems does technology cause?
Give me specific instructions on how to use [technology]. Is there anything I need to remember to do or not to do?

Unit 8 Time to celebrate!

What is your favorite holiday/festival? What do you like about it? How do people celebrate it? Is there any
special food or drink?
What is your favorite season? What do you like about it? What do people do at that time of year?
What do you usually do on your birthday? How did you spend your last birthday?
Tell me about weddings in your country. What do couples do before their wedding?
What do guests do during/after the ceremony? When do people give gifts? What kinds of gifts do they give?
Tell me about an unusual custom in your country. What do people do before/after the event?
Ask me to describe an interesting custom from another country. or Ask [classmate] to describe an interesting
custom from another country.

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 Unit 9 Only time will tell.
How was life different 50/100 years ago? How did people use to shop/travel?
What did people do before supermarkets/the airplane/the Internet?
What did you do before online movies/text messaging/social networking?
Nowadays, how do most people get around? Where do people usually shop?
These days, what do people do in the evening/on weekends?
Do you think there will be more cars/shopping malls/pollution in the future?
In ten years, what things might people be able to do with a cell phone?
In the future, what are people/cities going to need more of?
What will happen if you get a high-paying job/have more cash to spend? (Elicit possible situation and consequence.)
Tell me what will happen if I move to a foreign country. or Tell [classmate] what will happen if he/she moves to a
foreign country. (Elicit possible situation and consequence.)

Unit 10 I enjoy working with people.

I like/love/enjoy traveling/studying. What about you? (Elicit affirmative or negative response.)
I hate cooking/cleaning. What about you?
I’m good at using a computer/learning languages. What about you?
I don’t mind working on weekends/doing the laundry. What about you?
I’m not good at solving problems/managing money. What about you?
I can’t stand speaking in public/working alone. What about you?
What are your positive personality traits? What are your negative personality traits?
Would you make a good teacher/accountant/restaurant manager/architect/doctor? Why or why not?
Would you like to be a journalist/flight attendant/diplomat/lawyer/veterinarian? Why or why not?
Ask me what kind of work I would like to do. or Ask [classmate] what kind of work he/she would like to do.

Unit 11 It’s really worth seeing!

Tell me about [building/landmark]. Who designed it? When was it built? How was/is it used?
Tell me about another famous building or landmark. Who designed it? When was it built? How was/is it used?
What’s your favorite book/movie/painting/song? Who is it by?
What products are manufactured in [country]? Is/Are [product] made there/here?
What crops are grown in [country]? Is/Are [crop] grown there/here?
Name three countries where [language] is spoken.
Tell me about a country you know well.
Ask me to describe a country. or Ask [classmate] to describe a country.

Unit 12 It's a long story.

What were you doing the last time your phone rang?
Did you ever fall asleep when you were doing something? What were you doing?
Have you ever been caught in a rainstorm? What were you doing? What happened?
What have you been doing lately/in the evening/on weekends? How long have you been [activity]?
Have you been working/studying/exercising? How long have you been [activity]?

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 Unit 13 That's entertainment!
What is the last movie you’ve seen? What did you like/dislike about it?
What new movie would you most like to see? Why?
Did you ever see [movie]? How did you like it? Why?
What kinds of movies are you interested in?
What’s your favorite [language] movie? Why do you like it?
What’s your favorite movie/TV show/book? Tell me about it. (Elicit relative clauses.)
Who is your favorite actor/actress/director/author? Tell me about him/her. (Elicit relative clauses.)
Ask me about my taste in books and movies. or Ask [classmate] about his/her taste in books and movies.

Unit 14 Now I get it.

(Note: Bring pictures of people using gestures or expressions and pictures of signs or emoticons/emojis.)
What does this gesture mean? or What do you think this gesture means? (Make gesture or indicate picture.)
Show me a gesture that means “I don’t understand”/“I’m hungry”/“Come here.”
Show me a gesture that means you’re bored/exhausted/nervous.
What does this sign/emoticon/emoji mean? or What do you think this sign/emoticon/emoji means? (Indicate
picture.) What does [rule] mean? Where might you find this rule?
What rules might you find on an airplane/at school/in a museum/at work?
Show me a gesture and ask what it means. or Show [classmate] a gesture and ask what it means.

Unit 15 I wouldn't have done that.

What would you do if you found a wallet full of money in a taxi?
What would you do if you forgot your mother’s or father’s birthday?
What would you do if a friend borrowed money and never paid you back?
Which sport would you choose if your doctor told you to get more exercise?
Where would you go on vacation if you had enough time and money?
I’m going to tell you about some situations and then ask you questions.
• I borrowed a friend’s laptop, and it crashed while I was using it. I returned it without saying anything.
What should I have done? What would you have done?
• I noticed I was missing some money. I think I know who stole it, but I didn’t say anything. What should I have done?
What would you have done?
Tell me about a recent predicament you were in. What did you do? What should/shouldn’t you have done?
Ask me about a recent predicament. or Ask [classmate] about a recent predicament.

Unit 16 Making excuses

What are some common excuses for being late/not accepting an invitation?
What request might a doctor/neighbor/parent/teacher make?
What has someone asked you to do/not to do recently? How did you respond?
Invite [classmate] to do something with you. (Elicit invitation.) What did [classmate] say?
Ask [classmate] to do something for you. (Elicit request.) What did [classmate] say?
Ask [classmate] about his/her future intentions. (Elicit question.) What did [classmate] say he/she was going to do?

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