Video tip: Two truths and one lie

Watch Lynda trying to discover which of Dagmar’s claims are true – and which one is the lie.

This exercise is very simple: students think of three sentences about themselves, two of which are true and one of which is false. Their partner’s task is to discover, through a series of questions, which one is the lie.

The sentences don’t have to be as astonishing as Dagmar’s – how many people can claim to own a goat, never mind take it on holiday with them – but should be specific and be ‘revealing’ in some way.

Notice the tenses that Dagmar has used: used to take, lived and collects.
Encourage students to use a range of tenses including a future tense: I’m going to for example.

You could play a version of this game when telling students about homework.
For example ask students which one is the lie:

1 Complete exercise 3 on p 52.
2 Write a 1000-word essay about your holiday.
3 Listen to the conversation on p 53.
 

(It is almost certainly going to be number 2!)

You could also play this game about real people: two true things and one lie about Angela Merkel or Johnny Depp.
Or about countries, cities, nature, sport. The list is endless!