Expressing Preferences ESL Games, Activities and Worksheets
In this both, either and neither speaking activity, students ask and answer questions to learn about their classmates' preferences using the conjunctions both, either and neither. First, students complete 'Find someone who...' prompts with both, either or neither. Students then go around the class asking the questions to their classmates, who respond accordingly using both, either or neither when appropriate. If a classmate answers with the corresponding conjunction that's in the question, the student writes down their name and asks a follow-up question to gain more information, noting down the answer in the last column. If not, the student moves on to speak to someone else or asks a different question. Afterwards, students give feedback to the class on what they found out.
In this engaging expressing preferences game, students write hypothetical Would you...? questions for a partner and guess which choices they would make. First, in groups, students write Would you rather / choose / prefer...? questions to ask a partner from prompts. Next, students pair up with someone from the other group. Working alone, students guess and underline what they think their partner's choice would be for each question. Students then take turns asking their partner the questions and reasons for their answers. Students put a tick for each answer they guessed correctly. The student with the most correct guesses wins the game.
In this intriguing expressing preferences board game, students discuss Would you rather...? questions with a partner and race to make choices they agree on along with a justified reason for each answer. In groups, students take turns turning over a card and reading the Would you rather...? question to the group, e.g. 'Would you rather own your own boat or your own plane?' The students in both teams then express their preferences, discuss the question with their partner, and race to make a choice they agree on along with a justified reason for their answer. The first team to make a choice and come up with a grammatically correct response, justifying their answer rolls the dice and moves their counter along the board. If a team makes a grammar mistake or comes up with an unjustified reason, the other team can steal the win by creating a suitable response of their own. The first team to reach the finish wins the game.
This useful expressing preferences activity helps students practice language to express preferences and justify decisions. First, students underline the correct words to complete phrases for expressing preferences and justifying decisions. Next, students take turns reading each situation to a partner and asking 'Would you rather / choose / prefer...?' questions about the given choices, e.g. 'Would you rather take a trip to the beach, the city, or the countryside?' Their partner listens to each question and then uses the language from the worksheet to make a choice and justify it. The other student then circles their partner's answer and notes down their justification. This continues until students have received their partner's answers for all four situations. Afterwards, students report back to the class on their partners' choices and justifications.
In this comprehensive expressing preferences worksheet, students practice ten phrases to express preferences. First, students read a dialogue and identify ten phrases for expressing a preference. Students then identify and correct errors in sentences containing the phrases. Next, students complete sentences that use the preference phrases with words from a box. After that, in groups of three, students read a situation and write an expressing preferences dialogue that includes all ten phrases practiced in the worksheet. Finally, groups present their dialogues to the class.
In this fun expressing preferences game, students practice phrases to express a preference between two options. In pairs, students take turns picking up an option card that shows two choices while their partner picks up a phrase card. Their partner then reads the phrase in bold on their card, and the student tries to make a sentence expressing a preference between the two options using the phrase. For example, if the option card shows 'Texting or calling?' and the expression is 'I like...', they should say, 'I like texting more than calling.' Their partner then checks the sentence uses the correct structure by looking at their card. If it does, the student wins the option card. The student with the most option cards at the end of the game wins.
In this productive would rather and would prefer board game, students practice reforming sentences and questions with would rather and would prefer. One student begins by picking up a card and reading the sentence or question on the card to the first player along with a would rather or would prefer prompt, e.g. 'Do you want to take a break now or later? (would rather)' The player then tries to reformulate the sentence or question using would rather or would prefer as indicated, e.g. 'Would you rather take a break now or later?' If the player does this successfully, they roll the dice and move their counter along the board. If the prompt ends with because, the player completes the sentence with their own ideas. This process is repeated with the next player, and so on. The first player to reach the finish wins the game.
