This is the most popular game I’ve ever created, great for practising Comparatives, Must/Mustn’t, Can and Has got. The kids will love it – the only problem is that they’ll keep asking you to do it again!
It’s based on the card game ‘Top Trumps’, adapted for ESL/EFL classes, and with a few extras to get some more grammar practice out of it. As always, it’s completely free. The pdf. includes:
- 24 Creature Cards:
Each creature is rated on the following qualities: SMART/DANGEROUS/STRONG/FAST/MAGICAL/SCARY and 2 yes/no questions: CAN IT FLY? and HAS IT GOT POISON?
- 9 Talisman Cards:
To block the rivals’ questions:
You MUST ask: How wise/dangerous is yours? Any other question?….
You MUSTN’T ask: How strong/fast is yours? Can yours fly/Has yours got poison?
- 3 Explanation Cards:
To help the students form questions and answers.
Setting up the Game
Print out the pdf. (or 2 or 3, depending on the size of your classes – each set of cards can be used for a maximum of 9 students) in colour.
Glue each sheet onto hard cardboard and cover it with plastic. Then cut out the 36 cards.
Rules of the Game
This can be played between 2 people/teams of 2-3 students or 3 people/teams of 2-3 students. In other words: 2- 9 students.
- Deal out the Talisman cards (the same number of cards to each team). They can put them on the table face up. These cards can be seen.
- Give one Creature card to each team. These should not be seen by other teams.
- One team attacks with a question, as shown on the Explanation Card:
How SMART is yours?
How DANGEROUS is yours?
How STRONG is yours?
How FAST is yours?
How MAGICAL is yours?
How SCARY is yours?
Can yours FLY?
Has yours got POISON?
- The other team must answer accordingly. Again, they can refer to the Explantion Card for help. If you have done a few demonstrations before there should be no problem. Supervise to make sure there are no short cuts (especially with the ‘-er’ and ‘-ier’ forms).
- Alternatively, if the team doesn’t like the question that they have been asked, they can use one of their Talisman cards to force the other team to ask another question. Each card can only be used once.
- The team that wins asks the next question, after being given a new Creature Card. (If you are playing with three groups, they must now ask this third group).
- What happens if there is a draw? (How SMART is your creature? Mine is 8 – Mine is 8) Then the defending team can now attack, asking the other team a question. First though, they must state (as shown on the Explanation Card) ‘Mine is AS SMART AS yours’. Then they can ask.
- I usually put a limit of three questions per battle – with the Talisman Cards it’s very easy for one round to carry on some time. In this case – if there is no winner after 3 questions – each team keeps its own card and the question passes to the other team.
That’s it! It’s really not that difficult, and the kids love it…. If you like it, please Share and Subscribe to my Newsletter. The pdf. is below…
[widgets_on_pages id=”Advert”]MONSTER TRUMPS pdf.
