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Could You Do Me a Favor?

The activities below provide fun exercises for the entire class when you have extra time. They are designed to be taught with specific exercises in this unit. Click on an activity in the list below or scroll down the page.

Excuse me, . . . .
Mystery messages
Too many requests!

  
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Excuse me, . . . .

This activity is designed to be taught with Exercise 3, "Grammar Focus: Requests with modals and if clauses."

Time: 5–10 minutes. This activity practices making requests using modals and if clauses.
  • Read the following situations to the class. After each one, call on a student to make a suitable request to another student. Then that student must make a suitable response to the request. (An example is shown for the first one.)

    1. You're in a restaurant and are going to have dinner. You're in a hurry because you're planning to go to a movie after dinner. What would you say to the waiter?

      Student 1: Excuse me, waiter. Could you take our order right away? We're going to an 8:10 movie.
      Student 2: Yes, of course. What would you like?

    2. You need some change to make a phone call. What would you say to a classmate?
    3. You have to return a rented video to the store before it closes, but you don't have time. Ask someone to return it for you.
    4. You're going away for the weekend. You'd like someone to take care of your cat. Ask a classmate if he or she would be willing to do this.
    5. You're painting your apartment and would like someone to help you. Ask a classmate if he or she is free on Saturday to help you paint.

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Mystery messages

This activity is designed to be taught with Exercise 10, "Pass It On."

Time: 15–20 minutes. This activity practices reading incomplete messages and making up indirect requests.

Preparation: Either photocopy the following instructions, questions, and messages (i.e., one copy per group) or write them on the board for the class to use: Read each message. Then use these questions to help you complete each one:

Can you guess what the situation is?
Can you add an indirect request?
Can you also guess who might have written the message, who received it and relayed it, and who it is for?

  1. Indirect request: Could you tell . . . ?
    I'm sorry to bother you, Ms. Collins, but if the people in Apartment 213 use my space again, I'll call the police.
  2. Indirect request: Would you ask . . . ?
    I'd really like to borrow it for the tennis match on Friday. Tell your brother Jay to let me know soon if it's OK.
  3. Indirect request: Can you tell . . . ?
    Tell your staff that she's dark brown and has a red leather collar. She'll come if you call her name, Brownie. Please call 891-2184 if you find her. Thanks!
  • Divide the class into groups. Either hand out one photocopy to each group or tell the students to look at the information on the board.
  • Explain the activity: Group members take turns reading each message aloud. The group first tries to guess the situation. Then they need to think up an appropriate indirect request to begin the message. Finally, groups decide who made the request, who received and relayed it, and who it is actually for.
  • After ten minutes, have groups compare answers. Which group has the most interesting or appropriate answer for each message?
Possible answers


  1. Could you tell the tenants in Apartment 213 not to use my parking space again? Message 1 is probably from a tenant and given to Ms. Collins, the apartment manager; the message is probably for the tenants in Apartment 213.
  2. Would you ask your brother Jay if I can borrow his tennis racquet? Message 2 is probably from one friend given to another friend for that friend's brother, Jay.
  3. Can you tell your animal catcher that my dog, Brownie, is lost? Message 3 is probably from a person who lost a dog given to someone in animal control for the dog catcher.

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Too many requests!

This activity is designed to be taught with Exercise 11, "Reading: Yes or no?"

Time: 5–10 minutes. This activity reviews making requests using modals and if clauses.
  • Ask students to recall five real requests that they received last week (or last month). Tell them to write down their requests, like this:

      From   Request
    1.
    2.
    3.     		My friend
    A classmate
    . . .    		   Could you get me some coffee?
    Can I borrow your English book?

  • Students form pairs. Tell them to have a short role play using each of their five requests. Partners can choose to agree to or decline each one, as they wish.

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