Collection of games

Out of place

Level: intermediate

Age: any

Group size: whole class

Use: to practice ‘there’s’ and prepositional phrases, the present perfect (variants A and B), the passive (B), and ‘should/shouldn’t’, ‘ought/oughtn’t’

At least a dozen objects are placed beforehand in unfamiliar positions, all being in ‘full’ view. The learners are not told what the objects are, but are given a minute or two to look about them, and then are asked to say what have noticed. They may say, for instance: There’s a book on top of the door. There’s a bag in the waste-paper-basket. There’s a hairbrush on the record player. There’s a ruler in the vase, etc.

At another stage the past tense could be used, if the objects have been taken away. Thus: There was a book on top of the door. Was there? Yes, there was. Is there a book there now? No, there isn’t.

Or, if some of the objects have been removed and not others, one of the uses of still can be practised. Is it still here? No. Is my bag still there? Yes, it is – it’s still in the corner.