Intermediate Course: 16 Unit: 10 Day: 3 Lesson: C FFI

Good question!
Lesson Learning Objective:
By the end of the class, students will be able to:
• Use tag questions to soften advice and give encouragement
• Answer difficult questions with expressions like It’s hard to say

Context:
Add a tag question to soften the advice because the speaker appears to be asking the
listener to agree rather than simply “telling”; as a result, it makes the advice sound less
direct and more encouraging. Use tag questions with the modals would, could, and should
(e.g., It would be good to talk with her, wouldn’t it?). Use rising intonation in tag questions
for advice. Use expressions such as It’s hard to say. or That’s a good question. when they
are asked questions they cannot immediately think of answers to and to give the speaker
some time to think of an answer and to show the listener that the question does not have
an easy answer.

Important considerations:
• Activate previous knowledge about giving advice and tag questions.
• Remember to elicit information from Ss.
• Refrain from overspeaking.
• Check the understanding of difficult aspects of the target language after the presentation
of new grammar and vocabulary items.
• Please, keep in mind that after presenting grammar or vocabulary, you should move
on to a practice stage in which students ask and answer questions.
• Insist on getting long/complete answers.
• Keep to a 50/50 teacher/student participation.

How to solve problems arising in class:

Refer to your Teacher Guide to get valuable tips on classroom management.

Previous preparation/Materials needed

Markers & eraser, Student’s Book, CD Player, CD 4, bond paper, markers, dice

Activity Procedure Grouping Material Time

pattern
1 Homework 1. Check homework. Total class 5’/5’
review HW: Student’s Book p.101, Ex. 3A. Have Ss
complete the conversations with tag
questions.

If most of the Ss have arrived, start with the

class so as to promote punctuality.

D.R. ® 2020 Organización Harmon Hall, A.C. 1

2 Warmer Game: Word Association Total class Board 10’/15’

1. Give the word classes, the student on the

left must say the first word he/she can
think of which is associated with it.

2. Then the student on her/his left says the

first word which he/she can think of
which is associated with the previous
word.

3. This can be repeated around the class a

few times.

4. Write all the words on the board as they

appear. Eventually you should have 20
words on the board, the latter ones
bearing no relation to the original.

5. Ask, “What are some things that people

take lessons or classes to learn how to
do?” Elicit answers from the class.
3 Brainstorming 1. Divide the class into two teams. Give each Teams Bond 10’/25’
and Speaking team a piece of paper, it would be a good paper,
Activity idea to work with a sheet of bond or craft markers
paper. Ss will also need markers.

2. Ask, “Have you ever felt discouraged and

wanted to quit when trying to learn to do
something new?” Tell Ss they will create a
poster for “giving encouraging advice”.
Tell Ss the topic is “What to do when you
feel discouraged and want to quit”. They
should write pieces of advice, such as:
You should talk to someone else.
You could ask a friend for help. Etc.

3. Tell Ss to make their list of ideas and write

them on the poster.

4. Ss put the poster on the walls and present Total class

their ideas to the rest of the class.
4 Listening 1. Tell Ss to listen to Steve and Nela’s Individual Notebook 10’/35’
conversation. Ask, “Why is Nela thinking work
of dropping out of her acting class?” Tell Track 4.6
Ss to listen and write their answer.

2. Play CD 4 Track 6. Ss listen only.

D.R. ® 2020 Organización Harmon Hall, A.C. 2

 3. Play the recording again. Have Ss listen
and write.

4. Ss compare their answers in pairs.

Pair work
5. Check answers with the class. Play the
Total class
listening again if needed. Discuss any
mistakes.
5 Conversation 1. Ask, “What did you notice about the Total class Board 10’/45’
Strategy advice Steve gives Nela?” (He tries to
Presentation soften his advice.)

“Giving
2. Ask, “How does he soften his advice?” (He
encouraging
advice” uses tag questions. Write some examples
on the board, such as:
You could look for another class,
couldn’t you?
It would be good to talk with her,
wouldn’t it?
You should at least give it a chance,
shouldn’t you?

3. Have Ss repeat.

4. Have volunteers go to the front to

underline the modals in the statements
and their tags.
6 Speaking Game: Tic-tac-toe: Tags Teams Board 10’/55’
Practice
1. Draw a four by five grid on the board. The
Game squares are numbered and a tag is written
into each square.

2. The class is then divided into four teams.

Teams take it in turns to choose a tag from
the grid.

3. The students in the team use the tag in the

square to make a tag question. The team
then asks the tag question to the next
team.

4. To win the square, the tag question must

be grammatically correct and contain a
minimum of six words.

5. The next team must answer the question

appropriately or they lose their turn to
choose a square. If a tag question is
grammatically incorrect or less than six

D.R. ® 2020 Organización Harmon Hall, A.C. 3

 words in length, play passes to the next
team, without them having to answer a
question.

6. The aim of the game is for the teams to get

three squares in a row, horizontally,
vertically or diagonally. The first team to
do this wins the game.
7 Speaking 1. Write on the board: Total class Board 8’/63’
Practice I’m learning to skate but I keep falling.
I have to give a presentation in class,
but I’m really nervous.
I want to ask my boss for a raise, but I
don’t know what to say.

2. Have Ss brainstorm and suggest other

situations similar to these and call them
out. Write them on the board.

3. Partners take turns reading their Pair work

problems and giving advice using tag
questions. Remind Ss to vary their choice
of modal. Go around the class and help as
needed.
8 Strategy Plus 1. Tell Ss that some questions are difficult to Total class Board 5’/68’
Presentation answer. Ask, “What are some expressions
“It’s hard to you can use when a question is difficult to
say”
answer? What are some expressions you
can use to give yourself time to think of
what you want to say?” Elicit answers
from the class. Make sure Ss include these:
It’s hard to say.
(That’s a) Good question.
That’s a tough one.

2. Have Ss call out some questions that they

think are difficult to answer. Write some
of their ideas on the board.
Pair work
3. Have Ss work in pairs to take turns asking
or Total
and answering one or two questions. Go class
around the class and help as needed.

9 Speaking Game: The rolling question Groups of Board 10’/78’

Practice three
1. You’ll need two dice for each group of Dice
students.

D.R. ® 2020 Organización Harmon Hall, A.C. 4

 2. Choose a question word for each number
on the first dice, for example: 1 = who; 2
= why; 3 = where; 4 = when; 5 = what; 6
= how.

3. Choose a topic or category for each

number on the second dice, for example:
1 = sport, 2 = hobbies, 3 = jobs, 4 =
travel, 5 = fame, 6 = family and friends

4. If a student rolls a 3 and a 1, they have to

create a question using that question
word and the corresponding topic.

5. Have Ss take turns to ask and answer the

questions. Encourage Ss to use the
expressions if the question in difficult.
10 Listening 1. Ask Ss, “What can you do for making a Total class Board 12’/90’
music band successful?” Have Ss
brainstorm some ideas and write them on
the board, for example:
practice more, get a manager, choose a
catchy name for the band, put music
online, etc.

2. Before the listening, make sure Ss

understand the following.
Gig: performance by a pop/rock band
Catchy: easy to remember
Individual Track 4.7
3. Tell Ss to listen to Tom talk to George work
about his band. Ask, “What does Tom need Notebook
to do?” Have Ss listen and write their
answers.

4. Play CD 4 Track 7. Ss listen and write. Play

the recording twice. Total class

5. Check answers with the class.

Tom needs to play more gigs, contact the
local radio station, record music and put it
online, get a manager, and choose a catchy
name for the band. Individual
work
6. Ask, “What else do they say?” Tell Ss to
listen again and make notes of extra
information about the band.

7. Play CD 4 Track 7 again. Ss listen and

write. Total class

D.R. ® 2020 Organización Harmon Hall, A.C. 5

 8. Check answers with the class. For
example:
The band plays their own original songs.
They have played at local colleges.
George thinks it’s easy to get the band’s
name known.
Tom doesn’t really like his band’s name.
11 Speaking 1. Ask Ss to imagine they want to become Individual Notebook 15’/105’
Practice famous. For example, become an athlete, work
start a band, create a blog, work on a TV
show, etc.

2. Once they choose an idea or think one of

their own, ask them to think about the
things they would like to achieve, and the
problems they would face during this
process. Have them make a list in their
notebooks. Groups of
three
3. Have Ss work in groups of three or pairs.
Tell them to discuss their ideas taking
turns giving advice. Total class

4. Several Ss tell the class what they would

like to achieve, one of the problems they
would face, and the advice they received
from their partner for solving the
problem.
12 Homework 1. Student’s Book p.102, Ex. 1D. Have Ss Individual Notebook
match the problems and advice. work

2.Remind Ss to practice the corresponding

study set(s) on HAPPY.
**Each activity has a suggested time. You may adjust the time as needed.

D.R. ® 2020 Organización Harmon Hall, A.C. 6