Relative Clauses – Games and Activities

In a previous post I covered the use of relative pronouns and the difference between each of them (Relative Pronouns with comics and jokes)

Here are some activities  for you (or your students) to play around and to hone the skills.

If you (or your students) need a quick review, start with watching a video tutorial and answering the embedded questions.

Click on the image to open the interactive EdPuzzle tutorial

Aim:	To practice the use of relative clauses (who, which, that, when and where)
Interaction:	Individually or in groups
Exercise type:	Filling in the gaps
Language:	B1
Time:	10-15 minutes
Materials:	Slideshow, 5 pieces of paper for each student, markers
Procedure:	Give each student 5 pieces of paper. Instruct the students to write down a different relative pronoun (that, who, which, when or where) on each of the 5 pieces of paper that they have.  Recommend the students to use colorful markers and write in big letters that are visible from a distance. You will be showing your students slides with sentences on them. Each sentence is missing a relative pronoun. Display the slide with the first sentence on it. Allow some time for your students to read the sentence and to come up with a missing relative pronoun. The students need to raise the paper with a suitable relative pronoun up in the air as soon as possible. In some cases two variants are possible. If this is the case, the students need to raise two pieces of paper. The first three students to raise correct papers get an extra point. The person with the top score at the end of the game wins!

 

You can also download a PDF Version of the questions slides here: Relative Pronouns Game with instructions

In the next  activity you will see a relative pronoun in the middle of the screen.  You need to select 4 sentences in which this relative pronoun can be used.

Play Relative Clauses Game

Click on the image to enlarge and read the instructions.

Each time you play the game, you are given a different relative pronoun (when, where, which or who), so you may want to play  several times to practice the use of various relative pronouns.

The next game is a collection of activities. It includes 10 exercises in which you need to join two sentences with a suitable relative pronoun.

Click to enlarge the image and read the instructions

Play The Collection of Activities

Have fun learning and teaching!

 

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Kick Me Vocabulary Game – Words to talk about body image and appearance

Aim:	To practice words related to body image and appearance
Interaction:	Whole class (any, preferably at least 3)
Exercise type:	Matching, filling in the gaps
Language:	B2 or C1
Time:	15-20  minutes
Materials:	Post-it notes or strips of paper with tape; a handout  with a chart for each of the students

Since the majority of the words that are used in the exercise can be found in the first 90 seconds of the Illusionists trailer, you may choose to do an introductory activity to familiarize your students with the vocabulary.

An Introductory Activity

Show your students the first 90 seconds of a very short teaser of the Illusionists film:

Ask the students the following questions before starting the activity:

• What do you think the film is about?
• Do you think the film approves of cosmetic surgery for vanity?
• What alarming statistics are mentioned in the teaser?
• 
• What do these numbers refer to: 
• Would you consider undergoing a plastic surgery just to change your appearance? 
• Do you know someone who has undergone a cosmetic surgery? 
• Could you name some arguments in favor and against plastic surgeries? 

Preparing for the Activity

1. Take 12 post-it notes and write the following words on them. Write each word on a separate post-it note:

Celebrity-obsessed

Unattainable

Perception

Overweight

Overestimate

Commodification

Repugnant

Rebellious

Prejudice

Epidemic

Pursuit

To take the central role

You can also use strips of paper and tape instead of post-it notes.

2. Stick a post-it note to the back of each of the students without telling your students which word they have. If you have less than 12 students, some students may end up with two post-it notes on their backs.

Alternatively, if you have very few students  (3 or 4),  you can choose to hide words around the classroom (under the chairs, under the desks) or stick them on the walls around the classroom. If you choose this option, then in the third column of the handout the students will need to write down the name of the object on which they found the word and its location in the classroom.

If you have more than 12 students, then repeat some of the words, so that each of the students has a post-it note on their backs.

3. Give each student a handout with a chart.

If you have a very large classroom, you may choose to give one handout for two or three students and allow them to work in a group.

 Activity

1. Each of the students needs to walk around the classroom, looking at the backs of other students and the words that they have.

Remind the students that they are allowed to communicate only in English.

2. Once a student finds on someone’s back a word that fits one of the gaps in the chart, the student writes down this word and the name of the student who is wearing this word.

3. The first student to complete the chart correctly wins and gets an extra point.

4. If you have several students filling in one handout, then the group that fills in their handout first wins.

The handout and the explanation can be downloaded here: Body image and appearance Kick Me Vocabulary Game

 

 

Previously,  I also shared several ideas for speaking activities on fashion and appearance which can be found here and two activities and a matching game on adjectives to describe personality and appearance which can be found here.

Conditional sentences, type 0, 1 and 3 – Grammar game

CONDITIONAL BATTLE FIELD
Aim	To practise the use of conditional sentences type 0, 1 and 2
Interaction	Groups of 3, 4 or 5 students
Exercise type:	Filling in the gaps, correcting mistakes
Language:	B1
Time:	15 – 25 minutes
Materials:	A marker and a whiteboard, a set of question cards for the class.
Procedure:	Project on a whiteboard a slide with a 4*5 grid in which each cell is numbered in order from 1 to 20. Alternatively, you can draw a 4*5 grid on a board and number each of its cells. Cut up the questions handout so that each card features one question. Divide the class into teams of three or four. Each team needs to select an easy-to-draw symbol (a circle, a star a triangle, a smiley face) or a letter to represent them. Tell the students that the 20-square board is a piece of land that they  are  trying to conquer. In order to conquer each piece of land the students need to correctly answer a question on the card. The teams decide the order in which they will play the game (for this purpose, the students can roll dice, play rock-paper-scissors game, or draw pieces of paper with numbers corresponding to the number of teams). Each of the teams draws a question card from the pile, collaboratively, the teams decide on an answer. Allow a certain amount of time then, ask each of the teams to read their question card aloud to the class and to suggest an answer. If the question is answered correctly, the team can draw their symbol in the square corresponding to the number of the question. If the answer if incorrect, the teacher collects the question card without giving the correct answer and puts the card at the bottom of the pile, later this card has to be drawn again by one of the teams. The game is over when all question cards have been answered. The team that manages to put their symbol in the greatest number of squares, wins.

The game is available from download from Slideshare and here >>>  CONDITIONAL BATTLE FIELD

Conditional Sentences – Grammar Game

The aim of the game is to practice the use of conditional sentences type 0, 1 , 2, and 3 as well as mixed conditionals.

The game is designed for upper-intermediate students, but you can easily modify the questions.

The game includes three types of questions:

1. Filling in the gaps, where players need to put the verbs in brackets in the correct form (Fill category);

2. Finding and correcting mistakes. Each sentence in this category has a mistake or two in the use of conditional sentences, the task is to find the mistake(s) and to correct it/them (Fix category);

3. Choosing the most suitable option out of two (Choose category).

The game has a main screen with a Jeopardy board, the students select the type of question and its value (more difficult questions value more) and click on a corresponding button.

This will take a student to a question slide. When the students give their answer, click on the question mark button in the bottom righ-hand corner, this will take you to an answer screen.

On the answer screen, click on the house icon to return to the main screen with the jeopady board.

Have fun learning and teaching!

Click here to download the editable Conditional Sentences Grammar Game > Conditional Sentences Jeopardy 1, 2, 3