Apologies and Have you ever Mini Roleplays

Apologies and Have you ever Present Perfect Mini Roleplays

Worksheet 1- Knife thrower roleplays and Language Work

With your partner, roleplay these important conversations in the life of a circus knife thrower’s assistant:

Conversation 1
Student A: You are student B’s Dad and you are a knife thrower. Try to persuade student B to take the part of the knife thrower’s assistant for the first time.
Student B: You are 12 years old and have never had a knife thrown at you before. You feel very scared.

Class Discussion: Did anyone in the class make promises to try and persuade your partner to stand in front of you when you were throwing knives? What promises did you make/ could you make?

Conversation 2
Student A: You are the knife thrower’s assistant. One day during a performance the knife thrower (student B) hit you with three knives during once performance- once at the top of your head, once in the arm and once on the leg. They aren’t big cuts, but you are still very angry.
Student B: Try to make Student A feel better.

Class discussion: What did you say to successfully make them feel better? Did you use any promises in this discussion?

Apologies in English- Language Work
In a normal English apology there are three parts: a promise, a reason and saying sorry. Put the three categories into the order we usually say them in.

Check your answers on Worksheet 2 below

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Apologies and Have you ever Present Perfect Mini Roleplays
Worksheet 2- Language of Apologies

1. Saying sorry   
   
2. Giving a reason for your action   

   
3. Promising future action   

Brainstorm phrases from the second knife thrower conversation that could be put in each of the three categories above.

Add these phrases to those categories:
I’m really sorry.
My boss is ill and I have to take a client to dinner.
I’ll pay next time.
I don’t have any cash on me today.
I had to help my classmate with her homework.
I’ll finish it before lunch.
I’ll see you on Friday.
I have to take my parents to the airport.

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Apologies and Have you ever Present Perfect Mini Roleplays
Worksheet 3- Roleplays and Have you ever game
Using language like that above, roleplay these situations. Don’t forget the three stages to every apology.
Conversation i
Student A: You haven’t finished the report that you had to finish by the end of the day yesterday
Student B: You are Student A’s boss

Conversation ii
Student A: You are waiting to go out with your boyfriend/ girlfriend tonight
Student B: You are phoning to say you can’t make it and have to cancel the date

Conversation iii
Student A: You have to cancel going to the cinema with your friend
Student B: You really want to go to the cinema, so make sure Student A promises you something really nice when they cancel
Listen to 3 similar conversations from the CD or your teacher and match each one to the three situations above.

Listen again and tick the phrases at the bottom of Worksheet 2 that are used.

Using similar language, also roleplay these situations in pairs:
You have lost your friend’s ticket to a concert or nightclub
You have let your friend copy your answers to the homework but all the answers were wrong
You have gone for lunch with your friend but you have no money
You have made your neighbours angry by playing loud rock music late at night
You have broken your friend’s musical instrument
You have fallen asleep and started snoring during a classical music concert
You have scratched your friend’s favourite CD
You have met your friend outside the cinema after the film has already started
You have gone to a rock concert alone without telling your boyfriend or girlfriend
You have woken your sister up practising your musical instrument
Ask and answer questions about your real experiences of apologies using “Have you ever…?”
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Teacher’s Notes
These worksheets were designed to be used with Face2Face Pre-Intermediate Units 3 and 4, but can also be used without the book as long as you prepare 3 apology conversations before the lesson and read them out in place of the CD