Contrast with pictures
But, however, although
1 Brainstorm positives/negatives about places on the board
| Place | + | – |
|---|---|---|
| Blah Blah cinema | clean | crowded |
| Paradise City etc. | beautiful temples | a lot of pollution |
2 Students brainstorm positives/negatives about pictures in pairs or groups
Give every student or every second student a picture (scenic or city pics from the “National Geographic” are best or choose a subject and search on the internet) with a sheet of blank paper attached to the bottom. Students write as many nouns and adjectives as they can in columns on the paper. Rotate the pics a few times.
Example of nouns and adjectives from a picture of mountain scenery: mountains far wild animals pretty etc.
3 Speaking
Model a conversation and perhaps write cues on the board to clarify the use of conjunctions and words for contrast. Also, be careful of noun-adjective confusion.
Write these 4 words on the board:
but however though and
Talk to a student ..hold out the picture.
A: What’s it like?……….however…….
(the student must use the word “however”
in his or her reply)
B: There are a lot of wild animals. However, it’s really pretty.
(finally let the students walk round…….and do the exercise with each other)
Related Resources:
8 Excellent ESL Teaching Exercises for Houses and Housing
9 Terrific Transportation, Traveling and Getting Around Language Exercises
6 Complaints and Everyday Annoyances Exercises
