LESSON OVERVIEW

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

• talk about ways to ask for help or request something;
• practise phrases to make requests in various situations;
• watch a funny ad and discuss requests at work. 

With this lesson, students discuss ways to make requests and request-related situations. They study phrases to make requests (e.g. Would you be able to…?, I need you to…, Would you mind…?, etc.), watch a short ad for a software company and talk about making requests at work. Students also think of possible responses to requests and do a role play activity in which they make requests in different contexts.  

WARM-UP AND REQUEST PHRASES

This lesson starts with a warm-up in which students put words in the correct order to create questions (Will you help me with this?, Could you explain that again?). Then, they think of two other ways to make requests. After that, students discuss questions about asking for help and politeness. Next, they fill in the gaps with words to complete requests (e.g. I was wondering if you could…, Do you think you could…?, etc.). Afterwards, students look at the sentences again and do tasks in which they imagine who said each request, say which one is the least polite and identify the use of gerund. Following that, they look at situations and create requests in five different ways using the target phrases to make requests. 

VIDEO AND ROLE-PLAY

At this point in the lesson, students watch a funny ad for a software company and say what the video is about. After that, they discuss questions about making requests at work. Then, students watch the video again and complete the requests made in the video by choosing the right phrases to make requests (e.g. Would/Can you handle that for me?). Following that, they look at different situations and make requests using the beginnings of phrases (e.g. Your employee always arrives late. (I need you to…)). Afterwards, students think of a possible answer to each request in the previous exercise. Finally, they read role play cards and think of the requests they might need to make in each situation (e.g. You and your friend are planning a surprise birthday party for your other friend.). Then, they do the role play with their partner using the phrases to make requests on the card.

HOMEWORK/REVISION

This lesson plan also includes an additional task that you can use as homework or revision. In the task, students complete requests by matching sentence halves. Then, they rewrite the requests using a different structure. The task is available in the teacher’s version of the worksheet. You can print it and hand it out to your students. It’s also included in the e-lesson plan.