Opposites- Feelings

Feelings opposites ask and tell speaking game

Choose one of the feelings words on the next page and make a personal or opinion question using it, like the questions in the box below. The words on the same line are related, but ones divided by a dash (“–”) are (more or less) opposites and words divided by a slash (“/”) don’t necessarily have exactly the same meaning, so make sure you choose one specific word, not just one line. 

Before you actually ask the question, flip a coin to decide if you can ask someone else in your group that question (= heads), or whether you need to answer your own question (= tails, meaning “tell”). You can then ask each other follow up questions if you like, but the person who is answering only has to explain why and can politely decline to answer all other questions. You can’t refuse to answer the initial question, and you can’t change the question after the coin has been flipped. 

Suggested questions about feelings Did you feel… first thing this morning/ yesterday/ last night/ last week? Did you feel… when…? Did… make you feel…? Do you feel… when…? Do you often feel…? Do you sometimes make other people feel…? Do you think… is a good way to make people feel…? Does… make you feel…? Have you ever felt… (when…)? Have you felt… today/ this week? How can you tell if people are feeling…? How often do you feel…? If you are feeling…, is it obvious or can you hide your feelings? What do you do when your father/ partner/ boss is feeling…? What makes you feel more…, … or…? What makes you feel…? When did you feel most… (in your life)? When did you last feel…?

 

Feelings words to ask questions about 

• afraid/ frightened/ scared – brave/ courageous/ unafraid
• amused – unamused
• ashamed/ embarrassed – proud/ unembarrassed
• attracted – repelled
• boiling/ hot/ roasting – cold/ freezing/ frozen
• calm/ relaxed/ soothed – flustered/ stressed/ worried
• certain/ sure – uncertain/ unsure
• comforted – disturbed/ perturbed/ upset
• convinced – unconvinced
• distracted – focused
• drunk – sober
• empowered – disempowered
• encouraged/ heartened – discouraged/ disheartened
• energetic/ energised/ invigorated – sleepy/ tired
• fit – unfit
• flattered – insulted
• fulfilled – unfulfilled
• full/ stuffed – hungry/ starving
• guilty – innocent
• happy – sad/ unhappy
• healthy / well – ill/ sick/ unhealthy/ unwell
• impressed – disappointed/ underwhelmed/ unimpressed
• inspired – uninspired
• interested – bored/ uninterested
• keen/ willing – reluctant/ unwilling
• miserable – overjoyed
• motivated – demotivated/ unmotivated
• patient – impatient
• pleased – displeased
• powerful – powerless/ weak
• safe – unsafe
• secure – insecure
• surprised/ shocked – unsurprised
• sympathetic – unsympathetic

Ask about any words above you don’t understand, couldn’t make a question out of, etc, working together as a class to make suitable questions using those words.

Feelings words opposites presentation/ practice

Without looking above, write at least one opposite for each line. Words above are also possible.

• afraid/ frightened/ scared
• amused
• ashamed/ embarrassed
• attracted
• boiling/ hot/ roasting
• calm/ relaxed/ soothed
• certain/ sure
• comforted
• convinced
• distracted
• drunk
• empowered
• encouraged/ heartened
• energetic/ energised/ invigorated
• fit
• flattered
• fulfilled
• full/ stuffed
• guilty
• happy
• healthy / well
• impressed
• inspired
• interested
• keen/ willing
• miserable
• motivated
• patient
• pleased
• powerful
• safe
• secure
• surprised/ shocked
• sympathetic

Use the mixed answers below to help.

Mixed answers

Use the mixed answers below to help with the task above. Some lines above have more than one answer below and the prefixes can usually be used more than once.

• bored
• brave
• cold
• courageous
• de+/ un+
• dis+
• dis+/ dis+
• disappointed
• disturbed
• flustered
• focused
• freezing
• frozen
• hungry
• ill
• im+
• in+
• innocent
• insulted
• overjoyed
• perturbed
• powerless
• proud
• reluctant
• repelled
• sad
• sick
• sleepy
• sober
• starving
• stressed
• tired
• un+
• un+ / un+
• underwhelmed
• upset
• weak
• worried

 

Mixed answers in sections

Make sure that each of the lines above is matched to one of the lines below.

• bored/ un+
• brave/ courageous
• cold/ freezing/ frozen
• de+/ un+
• dis+
• dis+
• dis+/ dis+
• disappointed/ underwhelmed/ un+
• disturbed/ perturbed/ upset
• flustered/ stressed/ worried
• focused
• hungry/ starving
• ill/ sick/ un+/ un+
• im+
• in+
• innocent
• insulted
• overjoyed
• powerless/ weak
• proud/ un+
• reluctant/ un+
• repelled
• sad/ un+
• sleepy/ tired
• sober
• un+
• un+
• un+
• un+
• un+
• un+
• un+
• un+
• un+
• un+ / un+

Check your answers with the first worksheet. Other opposites are possible, so please check if you wrote something different.

Test each other on the opposites:

• Say all but one word from one line and help your partner say the missing word
• Say the words on one side of the dash and help your partner say the word or words on the other side