Remembering and forgetting speaking and simplest responses
Take turns testing the other person on their memory with questions from here:
Do you remember…/ Can you recall…
- your mother’s maiden name?
- your father’s mobile phone number?
- your school’s postcode?
- the name of your first primary school teacher?
- the name of the last hotel you stayed in?
- when you first took a plane?
- when you moved into the place where you are living now?
- what is lying on your desk in your bedroom now?
- exactly how many Xmas and/ or New Year cards you got in the last festive season?
- how old you were when you first found out that Father Christmas isn’t real?
- what you ate on Saturday evening?
- what you spent the last time that you paid for a meal?
- when and why you first became interested in your present hobby?
- how many times you did sport last month?
When your teacher stops you, brainstorm language for saying that you do remember or don’t remember that you could use in situations such as that speaking game.
Listen to your teacher and try to work out and indicate whether each phrase means that they can’t recall anything (“Forgetting”) or can bring to mind at least something (“Remembering”). They will tell you how to show that you have understood, for example raising one of two cards or one of two hands.
Label the phrases on the next page with “F” for “Forgetting” or “R” for “Remembering”.
Check as a class, then test each other in pairs:
- play the same simplest responses game
- say one of each type and see if your partner can repeat back the forgetting one
- say which kind of phrase you want and help your partner make it by giving key words, gapped phrases, etc
- ask about other difficult to remember things and see if your partner can respond in the right wat to match their memory
Cards to hold up
| Remembering | Forgetting |
| Remembering | Forgetting |
| Remembering | Forgetting |
| Remembering | Forgetting |
| Remembering | Forgetting |
Remembering and forgetting phrases to classify
- Sorry, I’ve forgotten.
- I don’t have a clue
- I have no idea
- I knew that once but…
- I can’t remember exactly but…
- It’s something like…
- Wait a second, it’s coming back to me now…
- It’s on the tip of my tongue. No, it’s gone.
- It’s on the tip of my tongue. Got it!
- I’m pretty sure it’s…
- I’m sure I’ll remember later, but…
- I think it begins with… but that’s all I can remember.
- I have no recollection of that at all.
- I’ve drawn a blank.
- I can picture it/ him/ her, but…
- I tried to memorize that but…
- I used to know that by heart but…
- I should know this but…
- As far as I remember…
- The only thing that comes to mind is…
- I remember that we studied that at school, but…
- I’m sure it’s in there somewhere, but…
- I really can’t recall
- It’ll come back to me later, I’m sure
- You’ve got me there
- No, it’s gone
- I’m drawing a blank
- I don’t remember precisely, but…
- The way I remember it,…
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