Being Polite ESL Games, Activities and Worksheets

So Polite!

Elementary (A1-A2) 30 minutes
ESL Could You Game - Speaking: Forming and Reforming Sentences, Miming, Freer Practice - Group Work

In this free polite requests game, students make polite requests with Could you..., please? and respond with thank you and you're welcome. In groups, students take turns picking up a card and... read more

Perfectly Polite

Pre-intermediate (A2) 25 minutes
ESL Polite Expressions Board Game - Vocabulary and Speaking: Forming Sentences, Guessing, Freer Practice - Group Work

In this engaging polite expressions board game, students race to say polite expressions and requests that match different situations. In groups of three, one student... read more

Ask Me Nicely

Intermediate (B1) 30 minutes
ESL Polite Requests Game - Speaking: Forming Responses, Communicative Practice - Group Work

In this imaginative polite requests game, students compete against each other to come up with polite requests for various situations. In groups, students take turns picking up a card and reading the situation... read more

Levels of Politeness

Intermediate (B1) 30 minutes
ESL Politeness Worksheet - Vocabulary Exercises: Categorising, Identifying, Gap-fill, Rewriting Sentences, Writing Questions

This useful being polite worksheet helps students learn how to achieve different levels of politeness in various situations. First, students categorise variations of the request 'Open the window' according to... read more

I'm sorry to interrupt, but...

Upper-intermediate (B2) 50 minutes
ESL Polite Interruptions Activity - Vocabulary Exercises: Gap-fill, Table Completion - Speaking Activity: Debating, Communicative Practice - Pair and Group Work

In this creative being polite activity, students review expressions for interrupting politely and then participate in mini debates to practice the expressions. First,... read more

Polite Partners

Upper-intermediate (B2) 30 minutes
ESL Polite Expressions Activity - Vocabulary, Reading and Listening: Gap-fill, Matching, Dictation - Pair Work

Here is a rewarding being polite activity to help students practice commonly used polite expressions. First, working alone, students complete polite expressions with words from a box. Next, students take turns... read more

Polite Phrases

Upper-intermediate (B2) 25 minutes
ESL Polite Phrases Worksheet - Writing and Vocabulary Exercises: Matching, Gap-fill, Error Correction, Binary Choice, Writing Sentences

This politeness worksheet helps students practice common polite phrases. First, students complete each polite phrase with its correct ending. Students then... read more