Blankety Blank

Setup

You will need a set of ten different incomplete sentences, each with one word missing. For example, I complained to the waiter because I found a ________ in my soup.

You will need to present these sentences one at a time. If you have a projector, you could prepare a computer slideshow. If not, prepare a list to write on the board.

In class, assign six students the role of ‘celebrities’ (three or more could could also work with very small classes), who the rest of the students will try to match. The celebrities come and sit at the front with a notebook. All the other students will also need their own notebook/paper.

Game

1. Present the first incomplete sentence on the board. Get one of the students to read it aloud and check the whole class understands it.
2. Give all the students, including the celebrities, fifteen or twenty seconds to individually write down what they think is the missing word. They must not confer, and they should write in large letters.
3. When the time is up, all the students except the celebrities reveal their answers by holding them up. Go around the class and read some sample answers. The celebrities then reveal their answers one at a time.
4. The students get one point for each of the celebrities that their answer matches.
5. Repeat the process with the subsequent sentences, the students adding to their score each time. The student with the most points at the end of the game wins.

Target Language

The Blankety Blank ESL game is a fun warmer for beginner, intermediate or advanced students. Simply adapt the language used to the level of your students. It is possible to focus on a particular type of vocabulary for all your sentences, but more often than not they will include a range of different topics.

For similar matching games, try Family Feud, Knowing Me Knowing You, and How Well Do You Know Your Friend.