Lesson Plans: Modals

What animals can and can't do games.

Modals of ability practice, flipping a coin to decide what to draw, and guessing what the other person's drawings mean, including fun things to sketch like "The beetle can drive a car".

Fun practice of abilities modals with a coin for finding things in common, getting particular answers, bluffing, guessing and finding differences.

Students make funny and then serious questions on the abililties of animals to practise can and can't by turning flaps in a book

Speaking practice of the past of can/ can't through discussion questions, with a grammar presentation and freer practice through question stems.

Making funny and sensible "Can you...?" questions activities.

Prepositions of position and abilities dice game.

Guessing how likely descriptions are to be about Xmas in different countries

Present and past probability and possibility phrases practice on the topic of conspiracy theories across the world, including past modals of deduction.

Students discuss what rules they want for Xmas and then for other seasonal events for practice of modals and similar language like have to and allowed to, good for business grammar classes.

Fun can/ can't practice with real small talk questions using that language, and a little cultural training

Practising speculating with modals of deduction etc with a guessing game, including names of places vocabulary.

Students use modal verbs and similar forms like "have to" to discuss cultural norms in making arrangements, brainstorm language for doing those things, then use modal verbs to suggest arrangements, say no politely, etc.

Students use strong and weak modals of probability to make guesses as their partners give hints on which places they are thinking of, first with countries and then with cities, with a modal verbs grammar presentation in between.

Students use strong and weak modals of probability to guess which sport their partner is describing, with useful names of sports and descriptions of sports phrases, and a modal verbs grammar presentation.

Students practise "have to" etc as they make rules for things that students should be forced to do, be encouraged to do, be banned from doing etc, then compare with real class rules.

Modals with probability and other meanings review

Controlled practice of have to, don't have to, etc with students' own ideas for green policies, then adding the right modal verbs to suggested ecologically friendly ideas, with useful environmental vocabulary.

Students practise modals of obligation, advice, etc as they discuss good and bad ideas for language learning, also good for learner training.

Different past forms of can practice through a fun lying game.

Three fun games to practise different past forms of can, including typical sentences to complete and a lying game, finding abilities students share, and guessing people's abilities.

Yes/ No questions with can speaking game

Past modals with should for regrets and advice about the past lying game and thinking of the best ideas challenge.

must/ might/ may/ could + have + past participle to discuss likely and unlikely explanations for historical events

Can you for abilities questions on Christmas vocabulary, including testing each other on actions, noises, spelling and pronunciation

Closed questions with can oral pairs card game, with one point for the same answer to "Can...?" questions matching the two cards that are chosen, including common abilities topics and verbs.