Do you like bananas?
Who likes bananas?
Ask me if....mmap - 29.04.2010 - Wulf-Dieter Krueger
Yes, I do.
I do.
For internal dif f erentiation and/or
when students hav e become
f amiliar with this routine: Any tex t
that students hav e been working
on may be used and students pick
sentences f rom the text studied t o
set up an exercise and take ov er
the teacher's role in monitoring the
outcome of such an exercise.
Apart f rom being a sentence
structure exercise this then
improv es text comprehension.
Initially the exercise could be done
with v isual aids. Ideally this should
be a mind map like this one or, if
not av ailable simply writing each
step on the board in about the
same lay out. Later, once the
students hav e grasped the
mechanics of this exercise, it coul d
be done orally only . Howev er, one
should nev er f orget about the
adv antage of mind maps f or th e
three basic learning sty les (audio,
v isual, kinesthetic.
Ask me if...
Blue: T eacher
Green: Student
Yellow: T eacher/student (doing this the
first time it might be a good idea the
Colur codes:
teacher providing this answer to hint the
student to produce the right question.
Once the students are used to the routine
this answer is students only as well.
Who...?
I like bananas.
What...?
What...?
Linda is a beautiful young lady.
Wulf speaks five languages.
Facts and
present tense
Charlie kisses his wife on
the nose at the door every
morning when he goes to
work.
I am thinking of moving to
the UK at the moment.
Have you been an English teacher since 1973?
Who ...?
I have been an English
teacher since 1973. What ...?
What kind of ...?
Since when ...?
I have taught English to thousands of
grateful students since 1973.
I have been teaching English and German
in Thailand since 1996.
This ty pe of exercise was once
created by L.G. Alexander and used
as a routiine exercise in the units of
Mainline A + B (published by
Longman's then) to train English
sentence structure. I was well
receiv ed by my German students
back in the 70ies and 80ies. Since
Thai students struggle v ery muc h
with English Grammar, though they
hav e been taught a lot of it, I belie v e
it might be worthwhile try ing it out to
improv e their sentence structure,
without ramming rules down their
He went to school after he had finished breakfast.
throat. I believ e this training routine
may be used at the end of a
grammar session or as a remedial
exercise during, f or example, a
conv ersation course or during
project/problem solv ing tasks.
Hav ing said that, I believ e a rev iv al
of this ty pe of exercise might be
helpf ul in any English teaching
situation any where in the world.
Past tenses
I used to travel to the UK every year
between 1961 and 1991.
T he Grand Alliance defeated Napoleon
near Waterloo on 18th June, 1815.
T his exercise was originally created by
L.G. Alexander back in the 70ies.
T he telephone rang when I was having
a bath yesterday.
I am going to have dinner with my Mia Noi
at the Mandarin tonight.
Future tenses
I think that your English will improve
because of this exercise.
Other tenses, like passives and
conditionals may be done by the same
principle, as students progress into these
Other tenses and conditionals on more advanced levels.
Bananas.
What do you like?
What do you do? I like bananas.
Is Linda a beautiful young lady? Yes, she is.
Who is a beautiful young lady? Linda is.
Who...?
What is Linda? She is a lady.
What...?
What kind of beautiful lady is Linda? She is a young lady.
What kind of...?
What kind of young lady is Linda? She is a beautiful lady.
What kind of...?
Does Wulf speak five languages? Yes, he does.
Who speaks five languages? Wulf does.
Who...?
What does Wulf speak? He speaks languages/He speaks five languages.
What...?
What does Wulf do? He speaks five languages.
What...?
How many languages does Wulf speak? He speaks five languages.
How many ...?
Does Charlie kiss his wife on the nose at
the door every morning when he goes to
work? Yes, he does.
Who kisses his wife on the nose at the
door every morning when he goes to
Charlie does.
work?
Who...?
Who does Charlie kiss on the nose at the
door every morning when he goes to
work? He kisses his wife.
Who...?
He kisses (his wife on the nose at the
door every morning when he goes to
What...? work).
What does Charlie do?
Where does Charlie kiss his wife at the
door every morning when he goes to
work? He kisses his wife on the nose.
Where...?
Where does Charlie kiss his wife on the
nose every morning when he goes to
work? He kisses his wife at the door.
Where...?
Where does Charlie go when he kisses
his wife on the nose at the door every He goes to work when he kisses his wife
morning? on the nose at the door every morning.
Where ...?
When does Charlie kiss his wife on the
nose at the door when he goes to work? He kisses her every morning.
When ...?
When does Charlie kiss his wife on the
nose at the door every morning? He kisses her when he goes to work.
When...?
Yes, I am.
Are you thinking of moving to the UK at the moment?
I am (thinking of moving to the UK at the moment).
Who is thinking of moving to the UK at the moment?
Who ...?
I am thinking.
What are you doing at the moment?
What ...?
I am thinking of moving (to the UK).
What are you thinking of?
What ...?
Where are you thinking of moving to? I am thinking of moving to the UK.
Where ...?
When are you thinking of moving to the UK? At the moment.
When ...?
Yes, I have.
Who has been an English teacher since 1973? I have.
What have you been since 1973? I have been an English teacher.
What kind of teacher have you been since 1973? I have been an English teacher.
Since when have you been an English teacher? Since 1973.
Have you taught English to thousands of
grateful students since 1973? Yes, I have.
Who has taught English to thousands of
grateful students since 1973? I have.
Who ...?
Who have you taught English to since 1973? T o thousands of grateful students.
Who ...?
What have you taught to thousands of I have taught English (to thousands of
grateful students since 1973).
grateful students since 1973?
What ...?
I have taught (English to thousands of
grateful students since 1973).
What ...? What have you done since 1973?
What kind of thousands of students have I have taught it to (thousands of) grateful
you taught English to since 1973? students (since 1973).
What kind of ...?
How many grateful students have you
taught English to since 1973? T o thousands of grateful students.
How many ...?
Since when have you taught English to Since 1973 (I have taught English to
thousands of grateful students? thousands of grateful students).
Since when ...?
Yes, I have (been teaching English and
Have you been teaching English and
German in Thailand since 1996? German in Thailand since 1996).
I have (been teaching English and
Who has been teaching English and
German in Thailand since 1996? German in Thailand since 1996).
Who ...?
I have been teaching English and German
(in Thailand since 1996).
What ...? What have you been teaching in Thailand since 1996?
I have been teaching (English and
German in Thailand since 1996).
What ...? What have you been doing in Thailand since 1996?
Where have you been teaching English I have been been teaching (English and
and German since 1996? German) in Thailand (since 1996).
Where ...?
Since 1996 (I have been teaching English
Since when have you been teaching
English and German in Thailand? and German in Thailand).
Since when ...?
Did he go to school after he had finished breakfast? Yes, he did.
Who went to school after he had finished breakfast? He did.
Who ...?
He went to school (after he had finished breakfast).
What ...?
What did he do after he had finished breakfast?
He had finished breakfast.
What had he finished when he went to school?
What ...?
After what did he go to school? After he had finished breakfast (he went to school).
After what ..?
After he had finished breakfast (he went to school).
When did he go to school?
When ...?
Where did he go after he had finished breakfast? He went to school (after he had finished breakfast).
Where ...?
Did you use to travel to the UK every year
between 1961 and 1991? Yes, I did.
Who used to travel to the UK every year
between 1961 and 1991? I did.
Who ...?
What did you use to do every year I used to travel to the UK (every year
between 1961 and 1991? between 1961 and 1991).
What ...?
I used to travel to the UK (every year
Where did you use to travel every year
between 1961 and 1991? between 1961 and 1991).
Where ...?
How often did you use to travel to the UK I used to travel to the UK every year
between 1961 and 1991? (between 1961 and 1991).
How often ...?
Between 1961 and 1991 I used to travel
When ...? When did you use to travel to the UK every year? to the UK every year.
Did The Grand Alliance defeat Napoleon
near Waterloo on 18th June, 1815? Yes, they did.
Who defeated Napoleon near Waterloo on
18th June, 1815? T he Grand Alliance did.
Who ...?
T hey defeated Napoleon (near Waterloo
Who did The Grand Alliance defeat near
Waterloo on 18th June, 1815? on 18th June, 1815).
Who ...?
Where did The Grand Alliance defeat T hey defeated him near Waterloo (on
Napoleon on 18th June, 1815? 18th June, 1815).
Where ...?
When did The Grand Alliance defeat T hey defeated him on 18th June, 1815
Napoleon near Waterloo? (near Waterloo).
When ...?
What did The Grand Alliance do near T hey defeated Napoleon (near Waterloo
Waterloo on 18th June, 1815? on 18th June, 1815).
What ...?
Was this exercise originally created by
L.G. Alexander back in the 70ies? Yes, it was.
What was originally created by L.G. T his exercise (was originally created by
Alexander back in the 70ies? L.G. Alexander back in the 70ies).
What ...?
It was originally created by L.G.
Who was this exercise originally created
Alexander (back in the 70ies).
by back in the 70ies?
Who ...?
When was this exercise originally created It was (originally) created (by L.G.
by L.G. Alexander. Alexander) back in the 70ies.
When ...?
What did L.G. Alexander do back in the 70ies? He created this exercise.
What ... L.G. Alexander ...?
Did the telephone ring when you were
having a bath yesterdy? Yes, it did.
Who was having a bath when the I was (having a bath when the telephone
telephone rang yesterday? rang yesterday).
Who ...?
I was having a bath (when the telephone
What were you doing when the telphone rang yesterday? rang yesterday).
What ...?
What where you having when the I was having a bath (when the telephone
rang yesterday).
telephone rang yesterday?
What ...?
What rang when you were having a bath yesterday? T he telephone did.
What ...?
T he telephone rang when I was having a
What ...? What happened yesterday? bath (yesterday).
When I was having a bath (the telephone rang yesterday).
When did the telephone ring yesterday?
When ...?
When did the telephone ring when you Yesterday (the telephone rang when I
were having a bath? was having a bath).
When ...?
Are you going to have dinner with your Mia Noi at
the Mandarin tonight? Yes, I am.
Who is going to have dinner with his Mia I am (going to have dinner with my Mia
Noi at the Mandarin tonight? Noi at the Mandarin tonight).
Who ...?
Who are you going to have dinner with at
the Mandarin tonight? With my Mia Noi.
Who ...?
I am going to have dinner (with my Mia
What are you going to do tonight? Noi at the Mandarin tonight).
What ...?
What are you going to have with your Mia I am going to have dinner (with my Mia
Noi at the Mandarin tonight? Noi at the Mandarin tonight).
What ...?
Where are you going to have dinner with
your Mia Noi tonight? At the Mandarin.
Where ...?
When are you going to have dinner with T onight (I am going to have dinner with
your Mia Noi at the Mandarin? my Mia Noi at the Mandarin).
When ...?
Whose Mia Noi are you going to have With my Mia Noi (I am going to have
dinner with at the Mandarin tonight?. dinner at the Mandarin tonight).
Whose ...?
Do you think that our English will improve
because of this exercise? Yes, I do.
Who thinks that our English will improve
because of this exercise? I do.
Who ...?
I think (that your English will improve
What ...? What do you do? because of this exercise).
I think that your English will improve
What ...? What do you think? (because of this exercise).
Your English will improve (because of this
What ...? What, do you think, will improve because of this exercise? exercise, I think).
Because of what do you think that our Because of this exercise (I think that your
English will improve? English will improve).
Because of what ...?
Because of this exercise (I think that your
Why do you think that our English will improve? English will improve).
Why ...?
Whose English do you think will improve Your English will improve (because of this
exercise, I think).
because of this exercise?
Whose ...?