Slide 1
A2 · RELATIVE CLAUSES
Say What It Is!
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“It’s a person who… a thing which… a place where…”
(you add this)
Defining relative clauses: who · which · where · that
Listening
Speaking
Say What It Is! — Relative Clauses (A2)
An A2 PPP grammar lesson on relative clauses with listening of a game show.
by Glyn James
relative clauses, speaking, game show, which
Back to the libraryLoading board…
What’s in this lesson
Every slide, written out. The lesson itself is a board you present and annotate.
Slide 2
STAGE 1 · WARM-UP
Mime it!
Your teacher will mime a job. Guess it!
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Now you: mime a job, an animal or a sport for your partner. No words allowed — yet!
(you add this)
Slide 3
STAGE 2 · BEFORE YOU LISTEN
Describe it without the word
You’ll hear a TV game, Say What It Is! One player describes secret words; her teammate guesses. She can say anything except the word itself.
PREDICT
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The first secret word is “dentist”. How would you describe it without saying it?
(you add this)
Listen. Is Keiko’s sentence similar to yours?
Slide 5
STAGE 3 · LISTENING
Listen — six words, sixty seconds
Tapescript: “Say What It Is!” — the final round
KEIKO: Number one. It’s a person who looks after your teeth.
ANDRE: A dentist!
KEIKO: Yes! Number two. It’s a thing which wakes you up in the morning.
ANDRE: Er — a mother?
KEIKO: No! A machine! It rings!
ANDRE: An alarm clock!
KEIKO: Next: it’s a place where you can borrow books.
ANDRE: A library!
KEIKO: Number four. It’s a person who plays music at a party — they choose songs.
ANDRE: A DJ!
KEIKO: Two more! It’s a thing that cuts paper. It has two rings for your fingers…
ANDRE: Scissors!
KEIKO: Last one, ten seconds! It’s a place where people get married.
ANDRE: A church!
HOST: Time! Five and a half out of six — a new record! You’ve won the holiday!
ANDRE: Where are we going?
HOST: To an island where the sun never stops shining!
ANDRE: …Is it a place where my phone will work?
Slide 6
STAGE 4 · COMPREHENSION
The six secret words
Write the six words. Then: what was Andre’s funny first guess for number two? What prize did they win?
Keiko’s description
word
a person who looks after your teeth
____________
a thing which wakes you up in the morning
____________
a place where you can borrow books
____________
a person who plays music at a party
____________
a thing that cuts paper
____________
a place where people get married
____________
Slide 7
STAGE 5 · TALK ABOUT IT
What do you think?
Discuss with a partner.
Which of Keiko’s descriptions was the best? Which was hardest to guess?
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(you add this)
Do you like TV game shows? Which game would you be good at?
Slide 8
STAGE 6 · GRAMMAR — NOTICE
who, which or where?
Look at Keiko’s sentences. Complete the rules.
1. For a person, use ______ : a person ______ looks after your teeth.
2. For a thing, use ______ : a thing ______ wakes you up.
3. For a place, use ______ : a place ______ you can borrow books.
For scissors, Keiko says “a thing that cuts paper” — we can use that instead of who / which.
After where, the verb needs a subject: a place where you can borrow books.
Slide 9
STAGE 7 · THE RULES
Defining relative clauses
word
for a…
example
who
person
A surgeon is a person who operates on people.
which
thing
An alarm clock is a thing which wakes you up.
where
place
A library is a place where you can borrow books.
NOTES
• We can use that instead of who or which: a thing that cuts paper.
• After where, the verb needs a subject: a place where you can borrow books. (Compare: a place which lends books — which is the subject.)
Slide 10
STAGE 8 · PRACTICE
Complete with who, which or where
1. A chef is a person ______ cooks in a restaurant.
2. A fridge is a machine ______ keeps food cold.
3. A stadium is a place ______ you can watch sport.
4. That’s the man ______ found my wallet!
5. Is this the film ______ won all the prizes?
6. My town has a market ______ you can buy anything.
7. An interpreter is somebody ______ changes words from one language to another.
8. A torch is a thing ______ gives light when the electricity stops.
Slide 11
STAGE 8 · PRACTICE
Write your own definitions
Write a one-sentence definition with who / which / where. More than one answer is possible!
1. a nurse
2. an umbrella
3. a gym
4. a neighbour
5. scissors
6. a bakery
Slide 12
STAGE 9 · SPEAKING
Say what it is — class edition
STEPS 1–2
In pairs, write nine cards: three people (jobs), three things, three places. Give them to the teacher. Play in two teams — one player describes, their team guesses. Sixty seconds per player.
THE THREE RULES
1. You MUST start with “It’s a person who… / a thing which… / a place where…”
2. You must NOT say the word on the card (or translate it!).
3. A sentence with no who/which/where/that = skip the card!
Revenge round: the losing team picks the three hardest cards; the winners write perfect definitions on the board. Class judges.
Slide 13
TEACHER'S REFERENCE
Answer key
4a 1 dentist 2 alarm clock 3 library 4 DJ 5 scissors 6 church
4b 1 “A mother!” 2 A DJ doesn’t play instruments — they choose songs. 3 A holiday on an island.
6a 1 who 2 which 3 where
6b that (a thing that cuts paper)
6c After where the verb needs its own subject (you); with which, the relative word is the subject.
8a 1 who 2 which 3 where 4 who 5 which 6 where 7 who 8 which
8b (sample) 1 A nurse is a person who looks after people in hospital. 2 An umbrella is a thing which keeps you dry. 3 A gym is a place where you can do exercise. 4 A neighbour is a person who lives next to you. 5 Scissors are a thing that cuts paper. 6 A bakery is a place where you can buy bread.