Making Offers and Promises ESL Games and Activities

In this enjoyable making offers game, students play dominoes by matching statements to offers of help with will and vice-versa. The first player puts a domino down either before or after the domino on the table, making sure the statement or question matches with an appropriate offer. The other players then take it in turns to match their dominoes in the same way by putting them down at either end of the domino chain. The first player to get rid of all their dominoes wins the game.

In this engaging making offers game, students guess missing words in sentences and questions that make offers with will and shall. In pairs, students take it in turns to guess the missing words in each offer on their worksheet and read the complete sentence to their partner who tells them if they are right or wrong. The missing words in each offer are will or shall and a verb. Students get three chances to guess the missing words and must say the exact sentence their partner has on their worksheet to win. If a student guesses correctly the first time, they score three points. On the second try, they score two points and so on. When a student correctly guesses the missing words, they write them on their worksheet. The student with the most points at the end of the game is the winner.

Here is a productive making offers and promises speaking activity to use in class. In the activity, students respond to statements by making offers with will and shall, and promises with will and won't. One student starts by reading the first statement on their worksheet to their partner who looks at the words in the box on their worksheet and replies by making an offer or promise with I’ll..., I won’t... or Shall I...? If the offer or request is the same as what's written on the student's worksheet, their partner writes the offer or request down. If not, their partner makes another offer or promise. The student then reads the next statement and so on until all the offers and requests have been made correctly. Afterwards, students swap roles.

In this free promises and offers speaking activity, students practice responding to statements by making promises with will and won't, and offers with will and Shall I...? Students go around the class, reading statements on cards to each other, e.g. 'I need to go to the airport'. When a student listens to a statement, they respond with a promise to do something or with an offer of help, e.g. 'Shall I call you a taxi?' If possible, students try to give funny or imaginative responses, e.g. 'I'll get your chauffeur'. When two students have practiced making an offer or promise to each other, they change partners. When everyone has finished, students tell the class about any funny or creative responses they had to their statements. As a variation or extension, in groups, students take it in turns to read a statement to the group. The student who gives the best or most imaginative promise or offer wins and keeps the card. The student with the most cards at the end of the game wins.

In this useful making offers game, students make offers for different situations using forms of Would you like...?. In groups, students take it in turns to turn over two cards. If one card has a situation and the other has an offer that suits the situation, the student makes an offer with Would you like...?, Would you like to...? or Would you like me to...? The other group members listen to the offer and judge if it is grammatically correct and suitable. If it is, the student wins, keeps the cards and has another turn. If not, the cards are turned back over. The student with the most cards at the end of the game wins. When the students have finished, they sort the situations and offers into groups according to the Would you like...? phrases.