Festivals and Celebrations- Modals of Obligation, Prohibition and Permission

Festivals and celebrations rules modals of obligation, prohibition and permission

 

Xmas rules modals of obligation, prohibition and permission

Imagine that the people in your group work in the same office. Discuss what the rules on Xmas in your office should be and try to agree on policies, using the ideas below to help. Your teacher will tell you if you should roleplay a whole meeting on the topic, or just discuss it freely. When you finish, compare your rules with students. 

Suggested phrases for talking about rules You need to = have to                              -  You can’t = mustn’t = aren’t allowed to   You can = are allowed to                                                                    You don’t have to = don’t need to = there is no need to = it isn’t necessary to

 

arrange a meeting on Xmas day

arrange a secret Santa

buy Xmas presents for all your colleagues

buy Xmas presents just for colleagues who you consider friends

decorate the lobby area/ office entrance

decorate the whole office

decorate your desk space

drink alcohol at the office Xmas party

drink alcohol at lunchtime on Xmas Eve

finish early on Xmas Eve

give  gifts to customers

have a Xmas party in the cafeteria

have a Xmas party in the office

invite your family to the office Xmas party

play Xmas music

play Xmas music in the lobby

play Xmas music in the office

send personal Xmas cards to colleagues/ clients/ business contacts

send religious Xmas cards (with nativity scenes, etc) to company contacts

send the company Xmas cards to your own friends and/ or family

send your expenses claim early in December

share photos of the office Xmas party online

take Boxing Day off

take Xmas day off

take Xmas Eve off

take a week off at Xmas

take another day off instead of Xmas day

take home extra, unneeded company Xmas cards

take part in the office secret Santa

take photos at the office Xmas party

take two weeks off at Xmas

use Xmas greetings when you answer the phone

use non-religious language (“Happy holidays”, “Season’s greetings”)

wear Xmas-themed clothes

work (from home) on Xmas day

 

Other festivals and celebrations to discuss the rules for

This time without any help, discuss similar rules for other special times such as these:

• After a big business success
• After a big product launch
• After finishing a big project
• An important birthday of a child (e.g. first birthday or eighteenth birthday)
• April Fool’s Day
• Armistice Day/ Remembrance Day/ War Memorial Day/ Poppy Day
• Birthdays
• Bonfire Night/ Guy Fawkes Night
• Buddhist festivals
• Carnival
• Cherry blossom viewing
• Chinese New Year/Lunar New Year
• Diwali
• Easter
• Eid
• First day at work
• Gay Pride parades
• Getting divorced
• Getting engaged
• Getting married
• Good Friday
• Halloween
• Hanukkah
• Having a baby
• (American) Independence Day
• Last day at work
• Lent
• May Day protests
• National election days
• National holidays/ Bank holidays
• New Year’s Eve/ New Year’s Day
• Oktoberfest
• Ramadan
• Retirement
• Saint Patrick’s Day
• Shrove Tuesday/ Pancake Day
• Skiing season
• Snowy days
• Special birthdays (40^thetc)
• Summer festivals
• Tanabata
• Valentine’s Day
• Wedding anniversaries
• When an important visitor comes to visit