Students role play a Matchmaker and offer explanations as to why a male and female would make a good couple.
    This lesson has 24 Matchmaker cards - 12 for male and 12 for female.
    Each card has three elements of information; for example,
   "He is always late."
  "He's a carpenter."
   "He's messy."
    In groups of four, students discuss why a male and female would or wouldn't be good for each other.
    This is a discussion based lesson encouraging students to offer opinions about the prospects of a good "Match."

    This is a fun way to learn or review simple present tense using questions and answers.
    Additionally, students will be working with singular vs. plural nouns as well as subject - verb agreement.
    In pairs, students try to find 12 differences between their pictures. To do that, they need to work with "Is there...?" and "Are there any...?" questions.
    Since students can not look at each other's worksheets, they have to communicate clearly - both in speaking and listening.
    Working together, students should be able to identify all of the items which are different in their pictures. In so doing, they will automatically be working with singular vs. plural nouns and their respective verb forms.
    This lesson is so compelling that students will immediately become deeply involved trying to find all of the differences - teachers may find themselves with a half hour of needed free time!

    We all use abbreviations everyday and we see tons of them in headlines and throughout written media. Although the meanings of the abbreviations are usually known, students may not know the actual words used to create the abbreviation.
    This lesson is not only fun, it's really practical. Students will learn the meanings of commonly recognized abbreviations such as UNICEF, NASA, CNN, GDP and UFO.

    The worksheets are divided into six categories:
      Organizations
      Cars, etc.
      Sports
      Companies
      Music & TV and
      Other

    In pairs, groups or as a whole class, students try to identify the real English words which compromise very common abbreviations. Everyone knows the company named IBM. How many students know what the letters stand for? Other abbreviations include: NATO, OPEC, FBI, NBA, BBC and many others.

    All of the abbreviations in this lesson are common and most will be recognized and understood by students.

    Students ask each other "Why Didn't You... ?" questions as printed on the worksheets. This is a two-page pair-work activity that concentrates on practice with past tense. Some of the questions on the work sheet include questions such as:
  "I wrote to you three times. Why didn't you answer my letters?"
  "You promised to call me last night. Why didn't you?"   -AND-
  "You went to Hawaii last month. Why didn't you bring me a souvenir?"
    Students will have to create reasons or excuses for their actions. A real conversation generator!

    There are three other similar worksheets available. They are:
      Why Did You...? Lesson Collection Set #3 - Lesson 18
      Why Weren't You...? Lesson Collection Set #2 - Lesson 5
      Why Were You...? Lesson Collection Set #3 - Lesson 1.

    Do your students know the difference between a period and a comma? How to use a colon and semicolon? Do they know the name of this punctuation mark ! ? This lesson is all about punctuation, learning and using many of the more common punctuation marks.
    While reading English, students often overlook or even ignore punctuation marks. But they are important, aren't they? This lesson forces students to focus on the punctuation. This helps them to acquire a more natural reading and understanding of English.
    In pairs, students dictate a short passage from the radio news (with punctuation) as given on their worksheet. Their partners write the news. When finished, they trade roles and the partner now dictates while the other writes.

    This is a worksheet for beginner-level students. In pairs, students think of the opposites of 24 simple nouns such as:

      Sun/Moon
      Boy/Girl -and-
      Key/Lock, etc.

    This worksheet is a great way to learn or review vocabulary, work with creating simple sentences and working with negatives. It can also be a stimulating competition between pairs or small groups of students.

      Mid. Noun Opposites see #23 below     -and-
      Difficult Noun Opposites Lesson Collection Set #3 - Lesson 7.

    Distinguishing between the two words Chip and Cheap is difficult for some students. With this lesson, students will have a lot of fun working together to practice pairs of words such as "fit" and "feet," "ship" and "sheep," and "pitch" and "peach."
    Inherent in this lesson is a kind of puzzle; the answers to which emerge during the lesson giving students a visual confirmation of their accuracy (or lack thereof!!)
    And, even though this is basically a pronunciation lesson, students will also be busy following directions and drawing lines.

    There are similar worksheets available for other pronunciation practice. They are:

      Is it a Cloud or a Crowd? see below, Lesson 17
      Backs or Box Lesson Collection Set #5, Lesson 29.

    Students work in pairs, giving each other synonymous hints in order to identify the words on their list. Working together, students will arrive at a common English phrase which is a set of two rhyming words. There are 20 sets of Double Trouble phrases. Some of them include:
      "Funny Money"
      "Pay Day" -and-
      "Dream Team"
    All of the answers are sets of rhyming pairs of words that have a whole new meaning when together.
    Afterward, see if the students can compose sentences with some of the "Double Trouble" pairs of words.

    Talking about one's experiences is guaranteed to get students involved. In this lesson, students in pairs ask each other Have you ever...? questions using the present perfect tense and then follow up the questions with simple past tense questions.
    A typical conversation might sound like this:
      Student A: Have you ever found any money?
      Student B: Yes, I have.
      Student A: How much money did you find?
      Student B: I found $20.00.
      Student A: Where did you find it?
      Student B: I found it in the parking lot.
      Student A: Which one?
      Student B: At the Crossroads Shopping Mall.
      Student A: Who were you with when you found it?
      Student B: I was with my sister.
      Student A: Did you give her any of it?
      Student B: No, because I found it first.
      Student A: What was it in?
      Student B: Nothing, it was just on the pavement.
      Student A: What did you do with it?
      Student B: I put it in my pocket.
      Student A: What did you spend it on?
      Student B: I bought some jeans. etc.

    There are six Have you ever...? questions on each worksheet. Because students are inherently interested in hearing about their partner's experiences, this lesson is a wonderful tool to get students talking.

    There are four other similar worksheets available. They are:
      Experiences 2 (Passive Voice) Lesson Collection Set #1 - Lesson 13b
      Why Didn't You...? Lesson Collection Set #1 - Lesson 7
      Why Did You...? Lesson Collection Set #3 - Lesson 18
      Why Weren't You...? Lesson Collection Set #2 - Lesson 5
      Why Were You...? Lesson Collection Set #3 - Lesson 1.

    There are 12 more experiences for pairs of students to discuss - but these are in the passive form of Have you ever had / been (pp)... by someone? questions using the present perfect tense and then follow up the questions with simple past tense questions.
    A typical conversation might sound like this:
      Student A: Have you ever been bitten by a dog?
      Student B: Yes, I have.
      Student A: When were you bitten?
      Student B: I was bitten when I was 12.
      Student A: Where were you bitten?
      Student B: I was bitten on my leg.
      Student A: Which one?
      Student B: My left leg.
      Student A: What kind of dog were you bitten by?
      Student B: It was a mutt.
      Student A: Whose dog was it?
      Student B: It was my neighborıs dog.
      Student A: Did you go to a doctor?
      Student B: No, it wasnıt that serious.
      Student A: What were you doing when you were bitten?
      Student B: I was playing in the yard.
      Student A: Did you tell your neighbor that you were bitten?
      Student B: I was playing with my neighborıs kids and they saw it happen. etc.

    There are six Have you ever had / been... by someone? questions on each worksheet. Students will really enjoy discussing their experiences and asking questions about other. Discussing experiences in the passive voice is a bit more difficult than regular voice, nevertheless, this lesson is a wonderful tool to get students talking.

    There are five other similar worksheets available. They are:

      Experiences (Regular) Lesson Collection Set #1 - Lesson 13a
      Why Didn't You...? Lesson Collection Set #1 - Lesson 7
      Why Did You...? Lesson Collection Set #3 - Lesson 18
      Why Weren't You...? Lesson Collection Set #2 - Lesson 5
      Why Were You...? Lesson Collection Set #3 - Lesson 1.

    Students learn what a limericks is, then in pairs or groups, they create their own.
    There are three sample limericks on the worksheet to help students get started, and there is a place at the bottom for them to write their own.
    Here's a sample limerick from the worksheet:

       I'd rather have fingers than toes;
       I'd rather have ears than a nose;
           And as for my hair,
           I'm glad it's still there;
       I'll be awfully sad when it goes!

     A great way for students to practice the rhythm and rhyme of English words, work with spelling, and have a lot of fun!

    Can you think of four words that mean nose? How about these:
      Snout
      Schnoz
      Sniffer -and-
      Beak?

    Can you think of three words that mean head? How about:
      Noggin
      Noodle -and-
       Bean?

    Body Slang is a really fun way to learn some slangy body parts - words that are seldom found in standard textbooks, i.e., Do your students know these: spare tire, pinky, love handles and smacker? There are 27 slangy body parts for students to identify. This lesson is a riot!

    For a similar style lesson, see:
       Mrs. Blemish Lesson Collection Set #5 - Lesson 6.

    This is one of my all time favorite lessons! Students pick up all kinds of vocabulary about sickness and health in the course of this game.
    They string together causes:
  I ate too much candy and effects
  and now I have a toothache.
    Throughout the course of this game, students acquire a list of ailments including:
       a stuffed nose
       a tickling cough
       watery eyes and
       a stomach ache and
       the hiccups and dozens more!
    The object of the game is to cross the finish line, but almost everyone crossing that line will be full of Aches and Pains!

    There's a similar lesson called Accident Prone in Lesson Collection Set #3 - Lesson 4.

    Wouldn't it be nice if all of our important decisions about the future could be solved with the roll of a die? Well, with this lesson, they can be, if only for the fun of it!

    Students first write five "Should I...?" questions about their futures. For example:

       Should I study English harder?
      Should I begin a diet?
      Should I ask ???? out on a date?

     Then, in pairs, students roll a die five times to determine the answers to their partners' questions. At the bottom of the worksheet is a list of "Fortunes including:

       If you plan well, this will be a good thing.
      Don't listen to others, decide for yourself.
      This idea is a big mistake. Forget it!     -and-
      This will bring you great satisfaction.

    Students will laugh, some may cry - but everyone will be involved and having fun! And who knows, some of the fortunes may actually be correct.

    If you're looking for a lesson that will turn your class into an explosion of English, Silly Valentine's Survey is the one you want.
    Although the first part is a pretty normal Question and Answer time, the second part will really create uncontrollable laughter. Why?
    Because, the answer to a seemingly innocent question is also used with a totally different question.
    For example, an original question and answer dialogue would go like this:
      Q: Do you like listening to music?
      A: Yes, I do.
      Q: Why?
      A: It relaxes me and makes me feel good.

    Then, the question is changed (and the answer stays the same):

      Q: Do you like hugging?
      A: Yes, I do.
      Q: Why?
      A: It relaxes me and makes me feel good.

    There are a total of 10 questions for pairs of students to ask each other, and when the second question is applied to the first answer, be prepared for a very noisy class!

    For other Valentine's lessons, see:

       The Romance Quiz see Lesson 22 below
       Valentine's Word Circle (Lesson Collection Set #2 - Lesson 30d) -and-
       Cupid's Solution (Lesson Collection Set #3 - Lesson 2).

    This is an ideal lesson to get students to ask each other questions using the simple past tense. There are ten questions on each worksheet, all of them asking a similar question:

      When was the first time you...

    After students answer the first question, the partner asks as many follow-up questions as possible to learn all of the details about this first time experience. The questions will probably involve Who, What, When, Where, Why, How as well as an assortment of other questions such as: Did you...? Were you...? etc.

    It's important to remind the students that this is not a race to see who can finish all of the questions the quickest, but instead to thoroughly question their partners to get as much information about the experience as possible. It's quite OK if not all of the questions are asked.

    For similar style lesson, see:
      The Last TIme (See Lesson 20b below).

    Getting pairs of students completely engrossed in a discussion about past experience is an excellent way for students to improve their English. With this lesson, students will be inherently involved in asking each other questions using the simple past tense. There are ten questions on each worksheet, all of them asking a similar question:

      When was the last time you...

    After students answer the first question, the partner asks as many follow-up questions as possible to learn all of the details about this experience. The questions will probably involve Who, What, When, Where, Why, How as well as an assortment of other questions such as: Did you...? Were you...? etc.

    It's not important for students to finish all of the questions on each worksheet; instead pairs of students should thoroughly question each other to get as many details about the experience as possible.

    For similar style lesson, see:
      The First TIme (See Lesson 20a above).

    In this two-part lesson, students first work in pairs to complete a "Gap Excise" in order to acquire all of the ingredients needed to make four popular types of cookies. When finished, they will have the recipes for :
       Sugar Cookies, Peanut Butter Cookies
       Oatmeal Cookies and Chocolate Chip Cookies.
    After students have the recipes, they work together as a team of four to collect the ingredients from other students in class. They have to mill around the classroom and ask their classmates for items such as:

       1 1/2 cups of flour
       3/4 teaspoon of baking soda
       2 large eggs
       1/3 cup of milk
       1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips, etc.

    Students race against each other to be the first to collect all 24 of the ingredients. During that time, the whole class is very busy collecting things they need to make the cookies. This lesson is not recommended for teachers who prefer a quiet class!
    For similar style lesson, see:
      Cocktails Lesson Collection Set - Lesson 10.

    What will Santa put in your stocking this year?
    Students receive a set of cards with items they were given in their Christmas stockings.
    The other students in the group ask Yes / No Questions to identify what the items are.
    When all of the items have been identified, students then trade their less wanted items for more desirable ones.
    Although this lesson is very fun, there are a lot of fundamental elements of the English language being used including subject / verb agreement, singular vs. plural and count vs. non-countable nouns, articles, direct objects and possessive pronouns.

    There are other Christmas lessons available:

      A Call to Santa (Lesson Collection Set #2 - Lesson 19)
      Christmas Lists (Lesson Collection Set #2 - Lesson 20)
      Christmas Crossword Puzzle (Lesson Collection Set #2 - Lesson 21)
      A Silly Christmas Survey (Lesson Collection Set #2 - Lesson 28a) -and-
      Christmas Word Circle (Lesson Collection Set #2 - Lesson 30a)

    With Valentine's Day coming up in a few weeks, this is a topical lesson. And, it's really fun. In groups of three, students ask each other questions, listen carefully, make choices (using ŒI wouldŠı) and keep score. Through this, they will arrive at their respective ŒRomance Quotient.ı
    Nearly everyone has (or had?) a yearning for romance. This lesson uses 21 questions to discover just How Romantic You Are.
    Since most students are inherently interested in the topic of romance and in learning about their group mates' values, this lesson almost teaches itself (after the initial setting up) allowing the teacher to mill around the classroom offering assistance where needed.
    The grammar focus of this lesson works with the transitive verb prefer and the adverb rather. You'll be surprised how quickly your students will become accustomed to using these words - because they have to! Even fairly low-level ability students will catch on quickly.
    The Teachers' Instructions offer several additional variations and some interesting discussion topics which will naturally spring from this lesson.

    Lesson #10 above introduces Easy Opposites. This is a continuation of the opposite series. The first one was introduced in Lesson Collection Set #1 (Lesson #10 - see above) which introduced Easy Opposites. This worksheet contains noun pairs of opposites such as:
      Credit / Debit
      Amateur / Professional -and-
      Nephew / Niece.

    They are a bit more difficult than the first set. You can also use these pairs of opposites to play a new version of the game Rhyme Time see: Lesson Collection Set #1 (Lesson #19).

    For similar style lessons, see:

      Easy Opposites Lesson #10 above    -and-
       Difficult Noun Opposites Lesson Collection Set #3 - Lesson 7.

    The purpose of this lesson is on listening to numbers. Some of the most critical use of language learning is to correctly understand the numbers, whether it's for shopping, time, distances, sizes, phone numbers, and on and on.
    This worksheet is divided into three sections. Section 1 works with simple math formulas - students do not need to calculate anything, but they need to listen carefully to the dictated numbers. Here's a typical reading for Section 1:

      Sixty times 14 divided by 42 plus 113 equals 133.

    Section 2 contains six announcements that would be heard at an airport. A sample announcement would sound like this:

      All passengers leaving on the 9:16 am flight to Tokyo on Cathay Pacific's CP304 should be assembling at Gate 58. The flight is now boarding.

    Section 3 contains information about making a reservation at 5 different hotels. A sample message would sound like this:

      Thank you for calling (Student's Name) Travel Agency. The information you requested concerning the Pine Ridge Hotel follows. The Pine Ridge Hotel has 30 single rooms priced at $74.60 and 209 double rooms. If you'd like to make a reservation, please call 683-1904. Check-in and check-out is 11:15 am and 3:45 pm, respectively.

    Teachers can choose to make their own Master Template (to adjust to the appropriate student level ability) or can use the Sample Template that accompanies this lesson.

    For similar style lessons, see:
    Numbers-Numbers 1 see #3a above
    Numbers-Numbers 2 see #3b above -and-
    Numbers-Numbers 4 see #3d above.

    In pairs or small groups, students select the most appropriate verb for each sentence. When finished, they will have a complete recipe for dyeing Easter eggs.
    Then, students can actually tell their partners or classmates how to actually color Easter Eggs - a very active and realistic communication lesson.
    If there is space in the classroom, prepare all of the materials necessary to color eggs. In many cultures (which don't know about this odd custom), coloring Easter eggs can be really fun and educational.
    With some classes, a discussion about the commercial aspects of Easter can be very interesting. For example:
      Who, exactly is the Easter Bunny?
      Why is it a rabbit?
      Who decided that a rabbit can lay colored eggs?
      Why is there usually an Easter egg hunt?
      When did all the candy become part of this event?

    Shopping Spree is an outrageously fun (and funny) activity for the whole class; any age and any level of proficiency. Groups of students "role-play" their way through a city, the problem is, they are "new to town" so they don't know where any of the stores are or what any of the street names are. They have to ask "people" for this information so they can find the streets and stores.
    Before starting the game, groups of students decide upon five items which they want to purchase. Then, with each group taking turns (three minutes each), students direct their course through the city while the teacher role plays all of the pedestrians, store clerks, police officers, telephone operators, etc.
    Eventually, students will learn the names of the streets and some of the stores. Since the teacher directs this activity, the pace can easily be adjusted for higher-ability or lower-ability students.
    Bring in a little play money for practice and/or review while role playing a purchase.
    Note: VIP Members (those who have purchased the lessons) can download the Teacher's Master Map.

    Students can use these alphabet flags to send messages to each other. This gets them physically as well as mentally active. In order to be successful at these messages, students will automatically have to watch their spelling and grammar.
    The flags can be used for a wide variety of purposes in which silent or secret messages need to be sent. For example:

      Spelling practice
      Sentence dictation
      Telling a joke or riddle
      Keeping secrets from the teacher! (etc.)

    This activity is guaranteed to produce interest and enthusiasm.
    This can be either a pair-work, tri-work, group-work or whole class activity.