One of the most obvious ways of training students to check work is to prepare a copy of the students’ work with the mistakes uncorrected, and give them five minutes to find as many mistakes as possible. One problem with this kind of exercise is that the students know there is a mistake - it is perhaps more realistic to include some sentences which are c o rre c t as w ell. B elow are som e a ctivities which combine looking to see if there are mistakes, finding and correcting them.
The students are given a maze with numbers connected by black and w h ite a rro w s. B elow th e m aze are 15 sentences, some of which are correct and some wrong.
Clear instructions are essential. The students’ task is to start at the ‘IN’ sentence, visit each number once, and arrive at OUT. First they read the IN sentence. If they think it is correct, they follow the white arrow to sentence 3; if th ey think it is w rong, th ey fo llo w the black arrow to sentence 14. W hite is always correct, black is always wrong. In our exam ple, ‘IN’ is wrong, so the students should go to 14. Th ey then continue in the same way, following the white arrow if a sentence is correct, and the black if it is wrong. The students must also write down the path they followed. One of the advantages of the game is that if they arrive at OUT without visiting all the numbers, they can see - without the teacher telling them - that they have gone wrong somewhere, and must start again.
Mistakes Maze
IN I was such tired that I fell asleep.
1. I wish I’d left school at 16 instead of 18.
2. Thanks, but you really should have bothered.
3. Two people were asked to take part in the experiment.
4. If I were you, I’d stay at the Grand Hotel.
5. He apologised for being late.
6. If I’ll be away, I’ll get someone else to do it.
7. It’s the prettiest town I’ve ever seen.
8. When I was young, I used to playing football in the park.
9. As soon as I left school, I got a job.
10. The ‘No Smoking’ sign means you don’t have to smoke in here.
11. She told me to meet her outside the British Museum.
12. If I find £5 in the street, I’d take it to the police.
13. H o w e v e r h e ’ s g o o d at E nglish, he n e v e r d o e s his homework.
14. If I didn’t miss the bus to the airport, I would have been on the plane which crashed!
To construct a similar game for your students, you can copy the diagram on page 75. All you need to do is make sure that where we have put a correct sentence, you do the same, and where we have put a wrong one, you do the same. Clearly, it can be used at any level, but it must be done in groups to allow for discussion.
Grammar Auction
(This idea comes from Grammar Games by M.Rinvolucri (C U P ). )
The game proceeds in exactly the same way as an auction.
The students (in groups) have to buy correct sentences, and avoid buying incorrect ones. Each group has £5000 to spend, and they should obviously try to spend as little money as possible. The winning group is the one that has bought the most correct sentences: if two groups have the same number of correct sentences, the group which has spent less money is the winner.
Before the auction begins, the groups should be given enough time to sort through the sentences and decide which are correct. They should also decide how much they want to spend on each sentence.
While the auction is actually proceeding, you should not te ll them w h ich are c o r r e c t. T h is can be le ft until afterw ard s, w hen the students can also g iv e you the c o r r e c t v e rs io n o f the w ro n g s en ten ces. Make sure somebody keeps a record of the auction as it is going on.
If you are constructing a similar auction, make sure that there is a good mix of correct and incorrect examples, and also that in one or two cases, it is not too easy to tell.
Here is an example, suitable for intermediate students.
Right or Wrong? Budget
1. Do you have some sugar? _____________ __________
2. I’m very fond of the
classical music. _____________ __________
3. She spent &60 for a new dress.
4. Would you like to come round for supper tonight?
5. This is the best fish I’ve ever had.
6. She works like a waitress in a French restaurant.
7. If I could, I would.
8. Turn it off, would you?
9. The bank in Queen Street has been robbed yesterday.
10.This man worked by my uncle for ten years.