Making Requests ESL Activities, Games and Worksheets
In this free making requests game, students draw pictures of requests and try to guess requests from pictures a partner has drawn. In two groups, students draw pictures of requests in corresponding numbered squares on the worksheet. Students then pair up with someone from the other group and give their partner their drawings. Students then take it in turns to guess the requests from their partner's pictures using Can you...? Students get three chances to guess the request in each picture. If a student guesses correctly on the first try, they score three points. On the second try, they get two points and so on. The student with the most points at the end of the game is the winner.
In this making requests speaking activity, students practice making, accepting and declining requests using prompts on cards. Give each student a request card. On one side is a request prompt and on the other side is a tick or cross. Students hold their cards so the request prompt is facing towards them and the tick or cross is facing away. Students then go around the class making, accepting and declining requests with as many different partners as possible. If students see a tick, they accept the request. If there is a cross, students decline the request. When the students have finished, they exchange cards and repeat the activity, but this time they hold their card the other way round so the request prompt is facing away. Students then go around the class, making a different request each time they speak to a classmate.
In this fun making requests game, students race to find someone to accept their requests. The aim of the game is for students to make requests and race to find the person in their group who has the Yes, of course response to each request. Student A begins by reading the first request in bold on their card to one of the other students, e.g. 'Could you lend me ten dollars?' That student then looks for a matching reply on their card. If the chosen student accepts the request by saying 'Yes, of course...', Student A crosses off the request. If the chosen student declines the request by saying I'm sorry..., Student A has to wait until their next turn before making the request to another student. Student B then reads the first request on their card to one of the other students and so on. The first student to cross off all three requests wins the game.
In this free making requests activity, students make, accept and decline requests and try to find classmates who are free to help them with five tasks. First, students write five tasks they plan to do and need help with in a diary, e.g. wash the car. Students then go around the class making requests to find classmates who are free to help them with their five tasks, e.g. 'Could you help me wash my car on Tuesday afternoon?' Students also fill in the rest of their diary with tasks that their classmates have asked them for help with. If a student is free at a stated day and time, they accept the request and write the task information in their diary. If a student already has something to do, they decline the request and give their reason, e.g. 'I'm sorry, I can't. I'm helping Tim clean his house'. The first student to find classmates to help them with their five tasks wins.
In this making requests game, students race to accept and decline requests. In groups, students take it in turns to pick up a card, make an appropriate request based on the situation on the card and place the card face up on the table. Students with a matching accept or decline picture card then race to respond to the request. The first student to accept or decline the request and lay their matching picture card down on top of the request card wins and keeps the two cards. The student with the most cards at the end of the game wins.
In this making requests worksheet, students learn and practice how to make polite requests with Could you and Would you mind? Students start by underlining the correct expression to complete each request. After that, students complete polite requests with the correct form of the verbs in brackets. Next, students match polite requests to suitable responses. Students then put words in the correct order to make polite requests and complete an error correction exercise. In the last exercise, students write a polite request for each situation using Could you..? or Would you mind...?
Here is a free making polite requests worksheet to help students practice language for making, accepting and declining requests politely. Students begin by using ten polite phrases to make requests for the situations on their worksheet. After that, students fill in missing letters in phrases that accept and decline requests. Students then work with a partner and take it in turns to make, accept and decline requests using the situations and phrases.
In this making requests game, students practice making requests that fit common situations. In groups, one student reads a response or statement on a situation card to the other students, e.g. 'The plants need watering'. The other students then race to be the first to come up with an appropriate request using the phrase shown on their cards. The first student to make a suitable request wins and keeps the situation card, e.g. 'Would you mind watering them for me?' Students continue taking it in turns to pick up a situation card and read the response or statement until there are no cards left. The student with the most situation cards at the end of the game wins.
In this engaging making requests worksheet, students learn how to make, accept and decline requests using various phrases. First, students complete two gap-fill dialogues with words from a box and then read the two conversations with a partner. After that, students identify the phrases used to make requests in the two dialogues and write them in a table. Students then write in the phrases used to accept or decline each request. Students then use the phrases to write requests and replies from a set of prompts. Following that, students write four requests of their own and practice making, accepting and declining the requests with a partner. Students then read some short impolite dialogues and rewrite the requests and responses to make them more polite. Finally, students write and present a conversation in pairs where they make, accept and decline requests.
This fun making requests board game can be used to help students practice or review various phrases for making requests. Players take it in turns to roll the dice and move their counter along the board. When a player lands on a square, the student to their right takes a card and reads the situation on the card to the player. The player then tries to make a request for the situation using the request phrase on the square. For example, if the situation read 'You are at a hotel reception. You need a taxi. Make a request' and the phrase on the square was Do you mind...?, the player might say 'Do you mind calling a taxi for me?' The other students in the group judge whether the request has been phrased correctly and is appropriate. If the request is correct, the student who read the situation accepts the request, e.g. 'Sure. No problem.' If the request is incorrect, the student refuses the request, e.g. 'Sorry, but I do mind'. The player then goes back two squares. The first player to reach the finish wins the game.
In this making suggestions and requests activity, students plan and organize a class party by accepting and refusing suggestions and requests. Students imagine that they are going to organize a class party and that there is an unlimited budget as the teacher is going to pay for everything! In pairs, students then make, accept and refuse party suggestions and write their agreed-on ideas for the party on the worksheet. Next, each pair discusses their suggestions for the party with another pair and writes down the best ideas. After that, students take it in turns to make requests to each other to organize and complete tasks in preparation for the party, e.g. 'Could you go to the shop and buy ten bottles of Champagne?' When a student agrees to a request, their name and accepted task is written down. If students don't want to do something, they decline the request and explain why. When everyone has finished, groups tell the class about their party plans and what each student is going to do in preparation for the party. Afterwards, the class votes for the group with the best party ideas.
In this communicative making requests activity, students practice making, accepting and declining requests with Would you mind -ing...? Students go around the class making requests for the things shown on their worksheet using Would you mind -ing...? Students only agree to a classmate's request if they think they wouldn't mind doing it. If students don't want to do something, they decline the request and explain why. For each request, students must speak to two people. When a classmate responds to a request, the student writes down their reply and name on the worksheet. When everyone has finished, students give feedback to the class on the people who accepted and declined their requests.
In this making requests game, students guess missing words in requests. In pairs, one student begins by guessing the missing words in the first request. Their partner listens and tells them if they are correct or not. If the student guesses correctly the first time, they score three points and write the words in the gaps on the worksheet. On the second try, they get two points and so on. After the missing words have been guessed correctly or three chances have passed, their partner guesses the missing words in the second request and so on. The student with the most points at the end of the game is the winner.
