Modals Board Game (must, can, have to)

(TESOL Worksheets--Modal Verbs)
Google: drive, docs, pub
Directions on slideshow: slides, pub

[First, review the meaning of the different modals using the sentences below.  Then, put the students into groups and demonstrate the game.  For spaces where the sentence starts "You _____", the students choose a card to see if they must, mustn't, can, can't, have to or don't have to do that particular action, and then make their decision.  I also made number cards to determine how far forward the students will advance, but a die will work just as well (or perhaps better.)

Notes: Well I was working on this game, one colleague suggested to me I add in a lot more crazy stuff like "steal a pen from another group" or "run around the room".  Another colleague suggested having the game emphasize more speaking and writing skills by adding in more spaces that force students to write or say sentences like "something you shouldn't do after you get married."  I ended up not going with either of these suggestions for the time being, but the game can easily be edited.]

Read these sentences.  Discuss with a partner what each sentence means:

1. I must go home.

2. I mustn't go home.

3. I can go home.

4. I can't go home.

5. I have to go home.

6. I don't have to go home.

Now, put each sentence into the correct category:

I go home.	I don't go home.	I have a choice.

Start                     →	You ______ move _____ spaces forwards              →	You ______ move _____ spaces forwards              →	You ______ move _____ spaces forwards              →	You must lose a turn                 ↓
You ______ move _____ spaces forwards ↓	You must  move 6 spaces backwards ←	You ______ move _____ spaces forwards ←	You ______ move _____ spaces forwards ←	You must  move 4 spaces backwards ←
You ________ go again →	You ______ move _____ spaces forwards →	You must move 10 spaces backwards →	You _______ sing a song. →	You ______ move _____ spaces forwards ↓
You __________ choose someone in your group to sing a song. ↓	You ______ move _____ spaces forwards ←	You must move 4 spaces backwards ←	You ______ go back to the start ←	You ______ move _____ spaces forwards ←
You ______ move _____ spaces forwards →	You _______  ask the teacher a question. →	You ______ move _____ spaces forwards →	You must move 10  spaces backwards →	You must  move 2 spaces backwards ↓
You ________ go again ↓	You ______ move _____ spaces forwards ←	You must lose a turn ←	You must move 4 spaces backwards ←	You ______ write a sentence on the board using "should" ←
You ________ touch the board at the front of the room. →	You ______ move _____ spaces forwards →	You must move 2 spaces backwards →	You ______ move _____ spaces forwards →	You must move 5 spaces backwards ↓
Finish !!!!!!!!!!!!	You must move six spaces backwards ←	You ______ go back to the start ←	You  must move 4 spaces backwards ←	You ______ move _____ spaces forwards ←

Directions: Decide which player will go first.  Roll the die, and have the first player move forward the number of spaces on the die.  Then the next player will go.  Follow the direction of the arrows (→).  After all the players have gone, the first player goes again.  If you are on a space with a blank (_____) before the verb, make sure you draw a modal verb card before rolling.  Then, roll the die to see how many spaces you must move forwards.  Blanks (____) before the verb are modal verb cards, blanks (______) before "spaces forwards" are decided by rolling the die.  The first player to get to the Finish is the winner.

1	2	3	4	5
1	2	3	4	5
1	2	3	4	5
1	2	3	4	5
1	2	3	4	5
1	2	3	4	5
1	2	3	4	5
1	2	3	4	5

can	can	can	can	can
can't	can't	can't	can't	can't
must	must	must	must	must
mustn't	mustn't	mustn't	mustn't	mustn't
have to	have to	have to	have to	have to
don't have to	don't have to	don't have to	don't have to	don't have to