TEACHER'S NOTES

ESL / EFL RESOURCES When you were a child

Activity Type Introduction

Writing, listening and In this engaging teaching activity, students ask and answer
speaking activity, group questions about what they were and weren’t allowed to do and
work had to do when they were a child. This activity can be used to
practice permission, obligation and prohibition in the past.

Language Focus Procedure

Permission, obligation
Divide the students into groups of up to 12.
and prohibition in the
past
Give one card to each student.
'were(n't) allowed'
Explain that each student is responsible for finding the answer to
'had to' the question on their card by speaking to everybody in the group.

Have the students prepare the question they need to ask and
Aim review each one, e.g. 'Were you allowed to watch TV at night
when you were a child?'
To ask and answer
questions about what you
The students then go around their group finding out about what
were and weren’t allowed
their classmates were and weren’t allowed to do and had to do
to do and had to do when
when they were a child by asking questions with 'Were you allowed
you were a child.
to...?' and 'Did you have to...?'

Preparation
Make one copy of the
cards for each group of
12 and cut as indicated.
Students put a tick or cross on the back of the card each time a
classmate answers yes or no.
When everyone has finished, the students sit down in their groups
and take it in turns to talk about the information they found out.

Each student writes about the group's findings.

Level
Example:
Intermediate
In our group, nobody was allowed to buy their own clothes. Most
Time people weren't allowed to go out with their friends in the evening,
but Darren and Tony were allowed to sometimes, etc.
25 minutes
When everyone has finished, the groups take it in turns to report
back to the class on what they found out during the activity.

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 MODAL VERBS OF OBLIGATION AND PROHIBITION

ESL / EFL RESOURCES When you were a child

FIND OUT FIND OUT

How many people How many people

were allowed to watch were allowed to go
TV at night? out alone?

FIND OUT FIND OUT

How many people

How many people
had to sometimes look
had to wear a
after a younger brother
uniform to school?
or sister?

FIND OUT FIND OUT

How many people How many people

had to be home had to go to bed
by a certain time? at a certain time?

FIND OUT FIND OUT

How many people How many people

were allowed to go were allowed to
out with their friends play outside with
in the evening? their friends?

FIND OUT FIND OUT

How many people How many people

had to help with were allowed to
the housework? eat sweets?

FIND OUT FIND OUT

How many people

How many people
had to go to their
were allowed to choose
room when they
their own clothes?
were in trouble?

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