If you need to teach must, should, and have to, then look no further! These 5 easy no-prep activities just require projecting a Google Slide on the board or printing a worksheet.

1. Mixed Up Sentence Game for Obligation and Advice

Time: 15-20 minutes

Project the Google Slides onto the board. Students need a blank notebook page or mini-whiteboard. Show the mixed up sentence, let them try to write the sentence correctly. When 20 seconds are up, show the students the answer on the next page. If they were correct, they can get a point. Repeat for the next mixed up sentence.

2. Obligation and Advice Partner Discussion

Time: 15-20 minutes

In this simple activity, put students into pairs. Give each partner half the discussion sheet. Let students talk to each other as the teacher walks around and offers corrections where necessary.

After everyone has had a chance to discuss, ask some partners to share their answers out loud. Also, provide whole class feedback on any common mistakes.

3. Write 5 – Obligation and Advice Game

Time: 15-20 minutes

Put students into partners or small groups. Make sure they have scrap paper to write on.

Set up a timer, preferably one that students can see or hear.

Project the PowerPoint onto the board. The PowerPoint will say things like, “Write 5 things you mustn’t do at school.” Students must write their answers before time is up. When the timer has run out, students stop writing and read out their answers. Groups that successfully wrote 5 things get a point.

Repeat for the next prompt.

I recommend starting with a 1 minute timer, but you can make it faster as the game goes on to make it more challenging.

4. Obligation and Advice Crossword

Time: 10 minutes

Print the crossword and let the students answer it. Check their answers as a class at the end. To make this more of a game, you can challenge students to see who finishes first.

5. Guess the Rule

Time: 15 minutes

Project this PowerPoint onto the board. Let students guess what the rule is. Make sure they say a complete sentence with a modal. The answer is on the next slide. If students are correct, add a point to their team. If you want to make it more challenging, only give points to the students who raise their hand the fastest (or who hit a buzzer the fastest).

The rules get progressively sillier as the PowerPoint goes on.

I hope these were useful no-prep obligation and advice activities for you and your class.

If you need more activities, try these writing games to help your students with sentence structure.