This is an activity to introduce and practise clothes idioms. Students complete the idioms with the missing items of clothing, match the expressions to their definitions and complete the sentences with the missing items of clothing.
Teacher tips (Me being wise after the fact and after testing the activity with a few groups):
- Make sure students know that the clues in Exercise 1 are clues to help them determine the items of clothing missing from the expressions. The clues are NOT the definitions of the idioms.
- Draw students’ attention to the fact that below the belt and to have under one’s belt are TWO different idioms with two different meanings. My students got a bit confused since the idioms are quite similar. I guess studying expressions that are alike is not the best strategy as it’s easy to get them mixed up, but I didn’t want to eliminate either of the two.
- Show students a picture of a bonnet. None of my students were familiar with the word so showing them some photos definitely helped. I don’t think the definition itself was enough to drive it home. I also showed them images of different types of hats especially cowboy, straw and top which were the last clues on the list.
- Research the origin of each idiom before the class. It is not only entertaining but also helpful for students to know the story behind the expressions they are studying and it is so much easier to memorise something you can associate with an image, an anecdote, a joke etc.
- The examples in Exercise 3 are all true for me. I have noticed students really appreciate it if I personalise the activities or reveal something about myself so I would encourage you to create your own memorable examples to help your students get to know you better. It encourages discussion and cements your relationships.
Time: 60 minutes
- To introduce clothes with idioms.
- To complete the idioms with the items of clothing.
- To match the idioms to their definitions.
- To complete the sentences with the missing items of clothing.
- Put students in pairs or small groups and ask them to discuss the three fashion quotes below: 1. “What you wear is how you present yourself to the world, especially today, when human contacts are so quick. Fashion is instant language.” —Miuccia Prada. 2. “Anyone can get dressed up and glamorous, but it is how people dress on their days off that are the most intriguing.” —Alexander Wang. 3. “Elegance is elimination.” —Cristóbal Balenciaga
- Hand out a copy of Clothes do (not) make the man sequel to each student or display it on the screen.
- In pairs, ask students to complete the expressions with the missing items of clothing. I have come up with some clues (on the right) to help students out and to make it less daunting. Even if the students don’t know any of the expressions they will still be able to complete the task with the clues provided which sets them up for success from the start.
- Check together as a class.
- Ask students to match the idioms to their definitions (Exercise 2).
- Check together as a class but again ask students to first compare their answers with their partners and justify their answers to their classmate(s).
- Go to Exercise 3 and ask students to complete the sentences with the missing items of clothing. Encourage them to do the exercise without looking at the expressions. Turn this into a mini competition, provide students with new clues, images etc. or ask them to give clues to each other if they know the answers but their classmates don’t.
- Check together as a class.
- In pairs or small groups students now tell their classmates if the sentences in Exercise 3 are true for them.
- Last but not least go to Exercise 4 and ask students to complete the sentences with the missing clothes again and yet again try to do it from memory.
- Check together as a class.
Fast finisher ideas:
- Ask students to choose 4 or 5 idioms and draw their literal and figurative meaning
- Order the idioms according to how often you wear (Can you wear a pocket ?) the items of clothing in each idiom. I have a feeling a bonnet will not make it to the top of any list 😉 Just a wild guess
- Choose 3 idioms and write down what an antonym of each idioms is
- Research the origin of a chosen idiom and later share your findings with the rest of the class
Clothes do (not) make the man
Mirror Mirror on the wall…
Somewhere over the rainbow
What a zoo
Describe me board game is a great activity to either teach or revise adjective word order. The activity can be easily adapted to different levels and keeps the students engaged as they progress through writing simple descriptive sentences to creating short, also descriptive, stories, letters etc.
I have also made three other boards if you want your students to describe something more specific or revise vocabulary related to a particular topic: a crime scene, a holiday or a perfect outfit. Take your pick and enjoy 😉
Two of my lovely students kindly allowed me to share their work to give you an idea of how they have dealt with the tasks. One has written four short stories using the Describe me board and the other has written an informal letter telling me all about the holiday he has just returned from and using the Describe me hols board game. Thank you for allowing me to share your work.
45 minutes, but it can vary depending on the number of students and of course on how talkative and engaged they are or how engaged you make them;)
- To revise the correct order of adjectives in a sentence
- To write sentences using the correct adjective word order
- To write short stories, letters etc. using the correct adjective word order and the nouns provided
Materials (Click on the worksheets below to download the PDF files):
- Before you start the game ask students to give you examples of adjectives and write them on the board. Encourage students to think of a wide variety of adjectives e.g. shape and material and not only colour and size.
- Go through the basic order of adjectives with your students: Opinion, size, shape, age, colour,origin, material, and purpose. Write down a few example sentences on the board before you play the game. Also ask students to categorize the adjectives they gave you at the beginning.
- Hand out Describe me board game to each team/pair or simply display it on the screen if you are using Zoom or any other online platform.
- The teacher or a student throws the die twice – the first throw indicates which column they should use, and the second throw indicates which row, to obtain a noun. The nouns in the Describe me game are divided into six categories: a place, an object, a job, a piece of clothing/accessories, a situation and an animal to ensure a wide variety of adjectives used.
- Now students write, individually, a sentence describing the chosen noun and using as many adjectives as possible but making sure the sentences actually make sense e.g. She bought a beautiful small white Scottish cat.
- Students then read the sentences out loud and get a POINT for each correctly placed adjective. Encourage students to listen to others and award extra points if they manage to spot a mistake in a classmate’s sentence.
- Next, students choose a noun from each category and write a short descriptive story. You can put the students in pairs or groups or ask them to work individually. Decide what is best for your students based on their age, level etc. Have a look at the task samples I have provided and which you can find in the materials section.
- Monitor students throughout the activity, correct mistakes and feed them new adjectives.
- At the end of the class ask students to share their stories with their classmates 😉 You will be surprised how creative they can get.
- Describe me Crime Scene. Students describe a crime scene after choosing six nouns from six categories: a piece of evidence, a type of weapon, a person, a place, a type of crime and a punishment.
- Describe me Hols. Students could describe their last holiday, their dream holiday, plan an ideal holiday for their best friends etc. using the nouns from the following categories (all colour coded so it is easier to navigate): a type of holiday, holiday activities, a means of transport, a place, a person and a season/type of holiday.
- Describe me Outfit Ideas. Students could describe an appropriate or inappropriate outfit for different occasions, using the nouns from the following categories: a piece of clothing, an occasion, a person, an accessory, a place and a time of day.
P. S. This post is dedicated to two lovely small fluffy kittens U&F 😉 and their two amazing and caring owners A&H.
Who are you?
Who are you? Sequel
Mirror Mirror on the wall…
CAE examination? Beat frustration with thorough preparation
Bookworms & Film Buffs
Are you bored or just boring?
Ask a Q board game
These are three board game activities to talk about health, students’ hometowns and fashion. They can be used together or separately, and are a great way to help students practise speaking and develop fluency, as well as prepare for Part 1 of the FCE /CAE speaking exam.
- To practise speaking about health, students’ hometowns and fashion.
Materials (Click on the worksheet below to download the PDF file):
- Triple treat makes a comeback, one PDF board game per pair or group of 3; a die and a timer per pair or group of 3.
- Put the students in pairs or groups of 3 and give them a copy of one of the board games and a die, they can use their phones for the timer. Aim to have all three board games in use at the same time.
- Players take it in turns to throw the die twice – the first throw indicates which column they should use, and the second throw indicates which row, to obtain the question.
- The player must then speak for at least 1 minute on that topic and provide their partner, or other two group members, with as much detail as possible.
- The game continues in a circle going left.
- Swap the board games after sufficient time to allow all three games to be played by each pair or group.
- At the end, ask the students to name three new things they have learnt about their classmates.