Do you find it easy to talk to strangers? Maybe you have the “gift of the gab,” meaning that you can talk to anyone easily.
Or maybe you are somewhat shy and find it hard to talk to people. In a second or third language, it is even harder. Here are some tricks.
Vocabulary acquisition
Activity 1: Vocabulary
Activity 2: Grammar: Making questions
Activity 3: Capsule & comprehension questions
Activity 4: Reading & error correction
Activity 5: Speaking
Activity 6: Question formation practice
Vocabulary understanding
Answer the 6 questions to check your understanding.
Grammar
Learning to make questions in English is difficult. There are plenty of things to consider. Start or review the process here.
WH questions are questions that ask for specific information. The most common question words are:
Who | What | When | Where |
Why | How | How much | How many |
Other important question words are:
- How often
- How long
- How far
- What time
Can you think of other question words?
What is the basic structure for making direct questions?
The easiest way to make a direct question is to follow the QWASVO method.
- Is there an auxiliary? (do, does, did, can, are, am, etc.)
- Yes? Use it or change it (if you change the subject)
- No? You need one. The choices are do, does, did.
- Do – simple present (I, you, we, they)
- Does – simple present (he, she, it)
- Did – simple past (all subjects and all verbs except “be”)
Question Word | A auxiliary | S subject | V verb | O object |
Where | do | you | live? | |
Where | does | she | live? | |
What | are | they | having | for dinner? |
How | did | you | come | to school? |
What happens to the main verb in questions?
- If there is an auxiliary: Do NOT change the verb form.
- If you add an auxiliary: Ensure that the main verb goes to the base form
- (to go, to eat, to stay, to work, etc.)
Examples:
- Lisa and Hamidou are planning a picnic.
- Is there an auxiliary? Yes – ARE
- What happens to the verb? – do not change it
- Follow the QWASVo rule
What ARE Lisa and Hamidou planning?
- Trevor works in the city.
- Is there an auxiliary? No – you will need one.
- How do we choose the auxiliary?
- What is the verb tense?
- There is an “s” on the verb.
- Which auxiliary takes an “s”? – DOES
- What happens to the verb? – base form (with auxiliary do, does, did)
- Follow the QWASVo rule
Where DOES Trevor work?
Let’s practice:
Watch the capsule
Answer the 7 comprehension questions that follow.
Reading and error correction
Speaking
With a partner, try to create small talk conversations. Take some time to look in a dictionary for vocabulary you will need.
Question practice
Follow the clues to make small talk questions.