“Pass the story” is a classic speaking activity in ESL that works a language learner’s ability to be creative and write on the spot. The concept is simple; the participants need to write a small section of a story in the tense requested by the teacher in a time limit set by the teacher. They ought to try to make their section of the story as interesting as possible. It is easier if there is a clear structure to follow and that way the stories will (sort of) make sense. We personally suggest using questions that students should answer and that participants should have 1 minute to write their extract.
Example:
The Trip
Where did the trip take place?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Who went on the trip?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
When exactly did they arrive?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Why had they decided to go to this place?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
What did they do on the first day?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Where did they sleep?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
What did they eat most days?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Who did they meet during the trip?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
What did they do on the final day?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
How did the trip end?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
We have included two preparation sheets in PDF for your use that will help with this activity: EXAMPLE 1 and EXAMPLE 2
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