If you had the Chance

Introduction: Fun game involving the second conditinal and using the phrase 'if i had the chance'.

What is learnt? 'Second Conditional'

How the game is played:

1. Get all the class sitting on chairs in a big circle, you sitting with them.
2. Select a structure to practise or introduce; we've chosen 'Would you ... if you had the chance?' for an intermediate class, but many other structures are suitable.

   Anyone who'd go bungee-jumping if they had the chance, move two to the right.

3. Give students the model, e.g.:
   Anyone who'd go bungee-jumping if they had the chance, move two to the right.
   

   All those who would, get up and move to the right and sit down on a seat or someone's lap, if the seat is occupied. (As the game proceeds, several people may end up sitting stacked up on top of each other.)

4. Give another four or five sentences:
   Anyone who'd fill their house with pets if they had the chance move four to the left.
   Anyone who'd go to live on a small island for a couple of years if they had the chance move three to the right.
   Anyone who'd have more than one boy or girlfriend if they had the chance move seven to the right.
   Anyone who'd never read another book in their life ...
   etc.
   By now you should have various people sitting in twos or threes or fours on each other's laps and some with chairs to themselves.

5. Hand over the calling-out of the pattern sentences to the students. Any student can chip in a sentence when they feel like it. (You correct when they stray from the structure you've introduced.)
6. When the students have got on top of the structure, slip in fresh but similar structures:

Anyone who'd jump at the chance of ..., move ...
Anyone who does ... if they have the chance, move ...

Acknowledgments: Thanks to Graham.J.B. for submitting this game to us.

02.01.2007. 12:27