Here are some interesting prompts and activities to teach modal verbs “should, must, and ought to” to ESL/EFL students in grades 6-12 in an Indian school classroom:
- Writing Prompts: Provide students with a list of situations such as “You want to save money” or “You need to improve your English skills.” Then, have students write a paragraph using the modal verbs “should,” “must,” or “ought to” to provide advice or recommendations for what they should do in that situation. This activity encourages critical thinking, grammar usage, and writing skills.
- Role Play: Divide the class into pairs and give each pair a different scenario, such as “You are planning a trip to the beach.” Then, have each pair create a short role play using the modal verbs “should,” “must,” or “ought to” to provide advice or recommendations for their scenario. Each pair must act out their role-play in front of the class. This activity promotes creativity, public speaking, and grammar usage.
- Debate: Divide the class into two teams and assign each team a different topic such as “Students should be required to wear school uniforms” or “Everyone should learn a second language.” Each team must use the modal verbs “should,” “must,” or “ought to” to provide arguments for their topic. This activity promotes critical thinking, collaboration, and grammar usage.
- Scavenger Hunt: Hide different objects around the classroom or school and create a list of clues for students to find them. On each clue, write a sentence with a missing modal verb such as “You _____ recycle paper.” Students must find the missing modal verb and write it on the answer sheet. This activity promotes problem-solving, critical thinking, and grammar usage.
These activities are fun and interactive, which can help students to better understand and retain the usage of modal verbs. In an Indian school classroom, teachers can also incorporate cultural elements into the prompts and activities to make them more relatable and engaging for the students.
Activities to teach Modals| May, Might, Can
Here are some interesting prompts and activities to teach modal verbs “may, might, and can” to ESL/EFL students in grades 6-12 in an Indian school classroom:
- Writing Prompts: Provide students with a list of situations such as “You want to ask for permission” or “You’re not sure if you can go to the party.” Then, have students write a paragraph using the modal verbs “may,” “might,” or “can” to express possibility or permission in that situation. This activity encourages critical thinking, grammar usage, and writing skills.
- Role Play: Divide the class into pairs and give each pair a different scenario, such as “You want to ask for a day off from school.” Then, have each pair create a short role play using the modal verbs “may,” “might,” or “can” to express possibility or permission for their scenario. Each pair must act out their role-play in front of the class. This activity promotes creativity, public speaking, and grammar usage.
- Guessing Game: Write different objects, animals, or people on small pieces of paper and place them in a hat. Then, have students take turns drawing a piece of paper and describing the object without saying its name. The other students must guess the object. The student who guesses correctly must use the modal verbs “may,” “might,” or “can” to express the possibility about the object. This activity promotes vocabulary building, critical thinking, and grammar usage.
- Matching Game: Create flashcards with sentences that use the modal verbs “may,” “might,” or “can” and their corresponding meanings. Then, have students work in pairs to match the sentences with their meanings. This activity promotes collaboration, critical thinking, and grammar usage.
These activities are fun and interactive, which can help students to better understand and retain the usage of modal verbs. In an Indian school classroom, teachers can also incorporate cultural elements into the prompts and activities to make them more relatable and engaging for the students.
Teaching Prompts
- Shall:
- Prompt: Imagine you are planning a picnic with your friends. Use “shall” to make suggestions for what to bring, where to go, and what to do.
- Activity: Divide the students into small groups and have them plan a picnic. Each group member should suggest something using “shall”, and the group can decide on the final plan.
- Should:
- Prompt: You are a health expert giving advice to someone who wants to lead a healthier lifestyle. Use “should” to give suggestions for exercise and diet.
- Activity: Have students work in pairs and take turns giving health advice to each other using “should”. They can take notes on each other’s suggestions and discuss which ones are most practical and feasible.
- Would:
- Prompt: You are a travel agent helping a client plan a trip. Use “would” to suggest destinations, activities, and accommodations.
- Activity: Have students work in pairs and take turns being the travel agent and the client. The travel agent should use “would” to suggest different travel options, and the client can choose which ones they like best.
Additional activity: To make the learning experience more fun and engaging, you can create a “Modal Verb Bingo” game. Create bingo cards with different modal verbs and situations (e.g. “should” for giving advice on studying, “would” for making travel suggestions, etc.). Call out different prompts, and students can mark off the corresponding modal verb on their card. The first student to get bingo wins a prize.