Being Polite ESL Games, Activities and Worksheets
In this free polite requests game, students make polite requests with Could you..., please? and respond with thank you and you're welcome. In groups, students take turns picking up a card and changing the command on the card into a polite request starting with Could you and ending with please, e.g. 'Could you tell me your name, please?' The other group members then race to do or mime the requested action. The student who made the request says Thank you to the first student who does the action correctly. That student wins the round, keeps the card, and replies with You're welcome. The student with the most cards at the end of the game wins.
In this engaging polite expressions board game, students race to say polite expressions and requests that match different situations. In groups of three, one student starts by picking up a card and reading the situation to the student on their right, who responds with a polite expression or request. If the student says the correct polite expression shown in bold on the card, they roll the dice and move their counter along the board accordingly. If not, the next student gives their answer. If no one answers correctly, the reader gives clues to the two students and the first to answer correctly moves their counter along the board. It is then the next student's turn to pick up and read out a card to the student on their right. The first student to reach the finish wins the game.
In this imaginative polite requests game, students compete against each other to come up with polite requests for various situations. In groups, students take turns picking up a card and reading the situation on the card to the group. The other students then race to make a polite request. The first student to make an appropriate polite request for the situation wins and keeps the card. It's then the next student's turn to pick up a card and for the group to use another polite request phrase, and so on. The student with the most cards at the end of the game is the winner.
This useful being polite worksheet helps students learn how to achieve different levels of politeness in various situations. First, students categorise variations of the request 'Open the window' according to their level of politeness. Students then find examples of different politeness strategies in the requests. Next, students complete polite request frames with their own ideas. After that, students rewrite requests to make them more polite and appropriate for each situation. Finally, students write requests that are appropriate for different situations.
In this creative being polite activity, students review expressions for interrupting politely and then participate in mini debates to practice the expressions. First, in pairs, students discuss two questions about interrupting. Students then complete expressions used to interrupt politely with words from a box. Next, students read expressions used to accept or reject an interruption and add more expressions of their own under each heading. After that, students participate in a debating activity to practice using the interrupting expressions. In groups of three, one student takes on the role of judge and timekeeper. That student picks up a debate card and reads it aloud. The other two students decide between them which side of the debate they will argue. The two students then debate the topic for two minutes, arguing their stances and using the expressions to interrupt their partner at least once. When the time is up, the judge stops the debate and declares the student whose argument they found the most convincing the winner and gives them the debate card. Students then swap roles and begin a new round. The student with the most cards at the end of the activity wins.
Here is a rewarding being polite activity to help students practice commonly used polite expressions. First, working alone, students complete polite expressions with words from a box. Next, students take turns reading out a situation to their partner, who chooses a polite expression from Exercise A that they think matches the situation. If their partner agrees that the expression matches, they write it above the situation. The activity continues until all the situations have been matched with a suitable polite expression. Afterwards, check the correct answers with the class.
This politeness worksheet helps students practice common polite phrases. First, students complete each polite phrase with its correct ending. Students then use the polite phrases to complete sentences. Next, students find mistakes in sentences that contain polite phrases and correct them. After that, students underline the correct polite phrase to complete each sentence. Finally, students read each situation and write a corresponding polite sentence using the phrases from the worksheet.
