Conversation Gambits - Eric Keller, Sylvia T Warner 1988
9. The Main Problem
1. Opening Gambits
Divide into two teams. The students in one team pick one of the topics Column A.
A member of the other team has to say a related sentence from Column B, starting with a phrase from the list — within 15 seconds
Some of the sentences in column В fit more than one topic — or none at all! If in doubt, ask the players to explain any choices you don't understand.
Example Highjackers Round 1 A Raising children The rising cost of living Learning a language on your own Living together |
The trouble is, nobody knows how to handle them. В It makes saving a waste of time. Nobody knows how to handle it. It's an uphill struggle. The further away you are. the worse it is. |
Round 2 A Television Mother-in-law for the weekend logging Smoking |
В It wears you out before the day is over. Nobody knows how to handle it. It makes you feel so depressed. It bores you to tears. Everybody gets on everybody's nerves. You need will-power to stop |
Round 3
Try again. This time the topics are given, the other team has to make up a suitable response using one of the phrases
Topics. Drugs, football hooligans, unemployment, famine, forgetting to do your homework, flying, computers, politics, learning English.
The trouble is ...
The problem is ...
The real problem is ...
The point is ...
The 1awful thing is ...
Don’t forget that ...
1 Alternatives to awful are terrible, worst.