Speaking:
The Missing Information
Grouping:
Time:
Pairs → Small groups
15 minutes
Aim
Students will describe people, objects, and places using relative clauses with prepositions and omissions.
Materials
• Picture cards of people, places, and objects.
• Sentence prompts with missing relative clauses.
Preparation
• Prepare picture cards (e.g., famous landmarks, historical figures).
• Write sentence prompts missing relative clauses.
Activity Breakdown
1. Each student picks a picture card.
2. They describe the image using relative clauses (e.g., This is the person I was talking about.).
3. Their partner guesses the person/object/place.
4. Pairs switch roles.
Instructions
1. Pick a picture card.
2. Think of a relative clause with a preposition or omission.
3. Describe the image without saying the name.
4. Your partner guesses what it is.
5. Switch roles and repeat.
Concept Checking Questions
• “Where is the preposition in ‘This is the person about whom I was talking’?” (Before the relative pronoun).
• “Can we say ‘This is the person I was talking about’?” (Yes, we can omit ‘whom’ in informal speech).
Examples
• This is the house I used to live in.
• He’s the teacher about whom everyone talks.
Extensions/Varations
• Harder: Use only non-defining clauses (My hometown, which I grew up in, is very small.).
• Easier: Provide a list of relative pronouns and prepositions.
Error Correction
• Teacher listens for incorrect word order and elicits self-correction.
Writing:
Rewrite the Story
Grouping:
Time:
Individual → Peer review
20 minutes
Aim
Students will rewrite a short story using relative clauses.
Materials
• A short paragraph with simple sentences.
• A worksheet with sentence starters using relative clauses.
Preparation
• Provide a basic story (e.g., I met a woman. She works in my office. I like talking to her.).
Activity Breakdown
1. Students rewrite sentences using relative clauses.
2. They swap their writing with a partner for feedback.
3. They revise their sentences.
Instructions
1. Read the short paragraph.
2. Combine the sentences using relative clauses.
3. Swap with a partner and check each other’s work.
4. Revise your sentences if needed.
5. Share your best sentence with the class.
Concept Checking Questions
• “Can we say ‘She is the woman to whom I talk’?” (Yes, formal).
• “Can we omit ‘whom’?” (Yes, in informal speech).
Examples
• I met a woman who works in my office.
• She’s the person I like talking to.
Extensions/Varations
• Harder: Students write a full story using relative clauses.
• Easier: Provide sentence starters.
Error Correction
• Teacher reviews student sentences and elicits self-correction.
Listening:
What Did They Say?
Grouping:
Time:
Pairs → Whole class
15 minutes
Aim
Students will listen to dialogues and identify omitted relative pronouns and prepositional phrases.
Materials
• An audio recording of a conversation with relative clauses.
• A gap-fill worksheet with missing pronouns and prepositions.
Preparation
• Choose a dialogue that includes relative clauses (e.g., interviews, travel discussions).
Activity Breakdown
1. Students listen to the conversation and fill in missing words.
2. They check with a partner.
3. The teacher reviews key structures.
Instructions
1. Listen to the conversation.
2. Write down the missing relative pronouns and prepositions.
3. Compare answers with your partner.
4. Discuss how prepositions are used in relative clauses.
5. Review the answers as a class.
Concept Checking Questions
• “Can we say ‘That’s the job which I applied for’?” (Yes).
• “Can we omit ‘which’?” (Yes, in informal English).
Examples
• This is the restaurant where I met my wife.
• The project, on which we worked for months, was a success.
Extensions/Varations
• Harder: Students write their own dialogue using relative clauses.
• Easier: Provide a list of prepositions in advance.
Error Correction
• Teacher pauses the audio and elicits corrections for errors.
Reading:
Relative Clause Puzzle
Grouping:
Time:
Pairs
15 minutes
Aim
Students will reconstruct sentences using correct relative clauses.
Materials
• A worksheet with jumbled sentences that need correct relative clauses.
Preparation
• Write sentences with missing relative clauses (e.g., This is the book … I was talking).
Activity Breakdown
1. Students rearrange words to form correct relative clauses.
2. They compare answers with a partner.
3. They write two original sentences using relative clauses.
Instructions
1. Look at the jumbled sentence.
2. Put the words in the correct order.
3. Check your answers with your partner.
4. Write two new relative clause sentences.
5. Share your best sentence with the class.
Concept Checking Questions
• “Where does the preposition go in formal relative clauses?” (Before the relative pronoun).
• “Can we omit the pronoun?” (Sometimes, yes).
Examples
• This is the person about whom we were talking.
• That’s the movie I told you about.
Extensions/Varations
• Harder: Remove more words from the jumbled sentences.
• Easier: Provide a word bank.
Error Correction
• Teacher reviews sentence structures and elicits peer correction.