That’s not true!

Here’s a handy little language game you could use as a starter, filler or part of a lesson on negation. Hand out or display a list of present tense statements in the target language. They could be related to your current topic or just be random sentences using known vocabulary. The statements should be clearly wrong for best effect, I think. You could come up with absurd, amusing statements. Here are some examples:

• Madrid is the capital of France.
• Harry Kane plays tennis.
• Dogs speak French.
• Cats eat spaghetti.
• The sun rises in the west.
• Ariana Grande sings in Chinese.
• Mr Smith eats snails every morning.
• The moon is bigger than the sun.

That sort of thing. Adapt the vocab to your class’s prior knowledge.

Pupils work in pairs. Partner A makes the statement, then Partner B replies “That’s not true!” Then gives a corrected version, including a negative. For example, “Ariana Grande doesn’t sing in Chinese. She sings in English!”

Partners take turns to make the initial statement.

Fast classes could take the activity further by making up their own statements.

I like simple, structured activities like this. They are drill-like but carry enough interesting meaning to make them engaging. They are also extremely clear to students. They involve comprehensible input, interaction and repetition (of negative constructions) so a few acquisition boxes are ticked.

If you wanted to stretch the task a bit further you could give the option to use the negative ‘never’, or with fast classes working at GCSE level or even early A-level you could design in the need to use other negatives. Examples would be:

• You always eat pizza for breakfast. (never)
• Everyone in this class speaks Japanese. (no one)
• You go to the theatre every day. (never)
• You still play with little cars. (no longer)
• You always do homework at midnight. (never)
• There is something in your hand. (nothing)
• Someone send you a letter every day. (no one ever)
• You still believe in Father Christmas. (no longer)