Grammar Games at Home: Questions and Answers

 

Hello, friends!

On a recent program, we talked about a game called Jeopardy¹. I also said I would show you more games that can help you practice your English grammar, speaking and listening skills as you spend long periods at home.

Today, we will talk about a game you can play both at home and over video conference² with friends or family. Let's call it Questions and Answers. The game uses dice³ to create conversation between players.

Dice are box-shaped objects often made of plastic or wood and small enough to hold in your hand. You can even make them yourself with paper. The six sides of a die have either dots, numbers or words on them. We throw the die on a surface and use the side that faces up in game play.

The game Questions and Answers uses two dice. One of the dice holds six question words, one on each side: Who, Why, Where, When, What and How. The second die has a subject on each side. You can pick any six subjects you like. Here are some examples: Clothes, Hobbies, Sports, Television, Food and Places. At least two people are needed for the game.

How to play the game

Here is how to play.

Suppose someone rolls the dice and gets the words What and Food. That player must ask another player a "what" question about food. They could ask, for example, "What is your favorite meal?"

The player must answer the question in a complete sentence. Here is an example of a good answer: "My favorite meal is garlic⁴ shrimp⁵ with rice."

The great thing about this game is that no one can cheat. The questions and answers cannot be found in a Google search because they will be different for every player.

Who asks and who answers?

Now, let's talk about who rolls the dice and who answers the questions.

If you have only two players, then it is simple: One person rolls the dice and asks the question; the other person answers. You take turns doing this so each person has the chance to ask and answer questions.

If you have three players, the person rolling the dice can ask the same question to both players and each gives their own answer. Then, the next person rolls the dice.

For four or more players, before the game, you can decide on a way to choose who will answer the dice roller's question. You can ask everyone to answer the same question, or play the game some other way.

Note that if there are some players at home and other players on video chat, each location⁶ will need a set of dice. The good news is that paper dice are very easy to make! Visit our website at www.51voa.com to see an image and read the quick and simple directions.

Practice

With a little practice, it's easy to think of questions just from the words What and Food! Here are some examples:

What is your favorite meal?

What was the last breakfast you made?

What is your least favorite vegetable?

What produce have you grown in a garden?

What snacks do you eat when you watch movies?

Can you think of more food questions that start with the word What? Get creative! Write your questions in the comment below. Then, let other readers write their answers in complete sentences.

Words in This Story

practice – v. to do something again and again in order to become better at it

conversation – n. informal⁷ talk involving two people or a small group of people

dot – n. a small round mark

hobby – n. an activity that a person does for pleasure when not working

cheat – v. to break a rule usually to gain an advantage at something

location – n. a place or position

1 jeopardy   

n.危险；危难

参考例句：

• His foolish behaviour may put his whole future in jeopardy.他愚蠢的行为可能毁了他一生的前程。
• It is precisely at this juncture that the boss finds himself in double jeopardy.恰恰在这个关键时刻，上司发现自己处于进退两难的境地。

2 conference   

n.（正式的）会议；讨论

参考例句：

• We're having a conference and we'd like you to sit in.我们将举行一次会议，希望你来旁听。
• The conference will come to a close this afternoon.今天下午会议闭幕。

3 dice   

n.骰子；vt.把（食物）切成小方块，冒险

参考例句：

• They were playing dice.他们在玩掷骰子游戏。
• A dice is a cube.骰子是立方体。

4 garlic   

n.大蒜

参考例句：

• His breath smells of garlic.他的呼气中有大蒜气味。
• This dish smells of garlic.这菜有大蒜味。

5 shrimp   

n.虾，小虾；矮小的人

参考例句：

• When the shrimp farm is built it will block the stream.一旦养虾场建起来，将会截断这条河流。
• When it comes to seafood,I like shrimp the best.说到海鲜，我最喜欢虾。

6 location   

n.地点，位置，定位

参考例句：

• It is a suitable location for a new school.那是建一所新学校的合适地点。
• I have to find a convenient location for the shelves.我得找一合适的地方放这些书架。

7 informal   

adj.非正式的，不拘礼的，通俗的

参考例句：

• I got an informal reception.我受到了非正式接待。
• The leaders met over informal lunches.领袖们在非正式午餐时进行会晤。