Return to Sender

Beginner (A1) 15 minutes
ESL Personal Information Activity preview for Beginner (A1) with group role-play and postal workers delivering letters

ESL Personal Information Activity - Speaking: Asking and Answering Questions, Controlled Practice

Here is an enjoyable giving personal information speaking activity to help students practice asking and answering questions about names and addresses. The students in one group each have an...

ESL Personal Information Activity - Speaking: Asking and Answering Questions, Controlled Practice Here is an enjoyable giving personal information speaking activity to help students practice asking and answering questions about names and addresses. The students in one group each have an identity card showing their name and address. The students in the other group are postal workers and each have a letter card. The postal workers' task is to deliver their letter to the name and address written on their card. All the names and addresses are very similar, so the postal workers need to listen and check the information carefully. The postal workers then go around the class asking for the names and addresses of the other students until they find the person with a matching name and address. When this happens, the postal worker gives the student the letter. When all the postal workers have delivered their letters, students swap roles and repeat the activity.
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Interview Question Words

Elementary (A1-A2) 25 minutes
ESL Personal Information Questions Activity preview for Elementary (A1-A2) with question words and interview practice

ESL Personal Information Questions Activity - Speaking: Gap-fill, Asking and Answering Questions, Controlled and Freer Practice - Pair Work

In this engaging personal information questions activity, students complete personal information questions with question words and use them to interview...

ESL Personal Information Questions Activity - Speaking: Gap-fill, Asking and Answering Questions from Prompts, Controlled and Freer Practice - Pair Work In this engaging personal information questions activity, students complete personal information questions with question words and use them to interview a partner. This activity can also be used on the first day of class to help students get to know each other. In two groups, students complete personal information questions with question words from a box. Next, students pair up with someone from the other group. Students then take turns asking their partner the personal information questions and writing down their answers in the spaces provided. Afterwards, students tell the class what they found out about their partner.
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The People You Meet

Elementary (A1-A2) 30 minutes
ESL Personal Information Activity preview for Elementary (A1-A2) with group role-play and identity cards

ESL Personal Information Activity - Speaking: Role-Play, Asking and Answering Questions - Group Work

In this productive giving personal information role-play activity, students take on a new identity and practice asking and answering personal information questions. First, students write the questions they...

ESL Personal Information Activity - Speaking: Role-Play, Asking and Answering Questions, Controlled Practice - Group Work In this productive giving personal information role-play activity, students take on a new identity and practice asking and answering personal information questions. First, students write the questions they need to ask to find out the personal information on the worksheet. Next, in groups, students take on the role of a person on an identity card and ask and answer the personal information questions with the people in their group, completing the worksheet with the information about the other students' identities. Finally, students compare identity cards and worksheets to check they have written the information correctly.
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Can I take some details?

Pre-intermediate (A2) 30 minutes
ESL Personal Information Worksheet preview for Pre-intermediate (A2) with matching, gap-fill, role-play, and question practice

ESL Personal Information Worksheet - Vocabulary Exercises: Matching, Gap-fill, Answering and Writing Questions - Speaking Activity: Role-Play - Pair Work

This free personal information worksheet helps students learn and practice ways to ask for and give personal information. First, students match personal...

ESL Personal Information Worksheet - Vocabulary Exercises: Matching, Gap-fill, Answering and Writing Questions - Speaking Activity: Role-Play - Pair Work This free personal information worksheet helps students learn and practice ways to ask for and give personal information. First, students match personal information questions with suitable answers. Students then use words and phrases from a box to complete a conversation at a doctor's surgery where a receptionist is asking a patient for personal information. Next, students role-play the conversation with a partner and then practice the conversation again using their own personal information. After that, students answer comprehension questions about the conversation. Lastly, students write personal information questions from prompts and then ask and answer the questions with a partner.
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Friends and Family

Pre-intermediate (A2) 25 minutes
ESL Yes/No Personal Information Questions Activity preview for Pre-intermediate (A2) with pair work and question practice

ESL Yes/No Personal Information Questions Activity - Speaking: Asking and Answering Questions, Freer Practice - Pair Work

In this yes/no personal information questions speaking activity, students ask and answer questions about friends and family. First, students think of four friends or family members they know well...

ESL Yes/No Personal Information Questions Activity - Speaking: Asking and Answering Questions, Freer Practice - Pair Work In this yes/no personal information questions speaking activity, students ask and answer questions about friends and family. First, students think of four friends or family members they know well, two males and two females. Students then write the names of the four people at the top of the worksheet next to numbers. Next, students write the age of each person, their job, where they are from, where they live and their hobbies in a random order in boxes on the worksheet. After that, students swap their worksheet with a partner and take turns asking and answering yes/no personal information questions in order to complete the details for each person, e.g. 'Is Isabella 26 years old?' When a student asks the right yes/no question for a person, they write it in the corresponding place at the bottom of the worksheet. This continues until all the personal information for each person has been completed. Finally, students tell the class about one of their partner's friends or family members.
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Missing Details

Pre-intermediate (A2) 30 minutes
ESL Asking and Giving Personal Information Activity preview for Pre-intermediate (A2) with group role-play and information gap

ESL Asking and Giving Personal Information Activity - Speaking: Role-Play, Information Gap, Asking and Answering Questions - Group Work

In this personal details information gap activity, students ask and answer yes/no and Wh personal information questions in order to complete missing information...

ESL Asking and Giving Personal Information Activity - Speaking: Role-Play, Information Gap, Asking and Answering Questions from Prompts - Group Work In this personal details information gap activity, students ask and answer yes/no and Wh personal information questions in order to complete missing information in a chart. First, students take on the identity of the person on their card and complete their personal details in the chart. The chart also shows one piece of information for each of the other identities. Students then go around the class and complete the missing details for the other identities by asking and answering personal information questions. Students begin by asking yes/no questions to find out which information in the chart corresponds to the person they are speaking with, e.g. 'Are you 26?' When a classmate replies 'yes', the student asks personal information questions to complete the other information about the person's identity. This continues until students have completed the chart. Afterwards, review the correct answers with the class.
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Personal Information Dominoes

Pre-intermediate (A2) 25 minutes
ESL Personal Information Game preview for Pre-intermediate (A2) with group domino activity and question practice

ESL Personal Information Game - Speaking and Grammar: Matching, Asking and Answering Questions, Controlled and Freer Practice - Group Work

In this fun personal information questions game, students form, ask and answer questions about personal information. The first player tries to make a...

ESL Personal Information Game - Speaking and Grammar: Matching, Asking and Answering Questions from Prompts, Controlled and Freer Practice - Group Work In this fun personal information questions game, students form, ask and answer questions about personal information. The first player tries to make a personal information question by placing a domino down either before or after the domino on the table. If the player forms a grammatically correct and logical question, they ask the question to the next player. If the next player answers correctly, they put down one of their dominoes at either end of the domino chain and ask a question to the next player. If a player answers a question incorrectly, they miss a turn and the question passes to the next player to try to answer. The first player to get rid of all their dominoes wins the game.
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Information Quest

Intermediate (B1) 35 minutes
ESL Personal Information Questions Activity preview for Intermediate (B1) with group and pair work, writing and asking questions

ESL Personal Information Questions Activity - Speaking: Writing Questions, Asking and Answering Questions, Forming Sentences, Freer Practice - Group and Pair Work

Here is a creative giving personal information activity for the first day of class. In the activity, students write personal information questions, ask them to a...

ESL Personal Information Questions Activity - Speaking: Writing Questions, Asking and Answering Questions, Forming Sentences, Freer Practice - Group and Pair Work Here is a creative giving personal information activity for the first day of class. In the activity, students write personal information questions, ask them to a partner and then use the information to introduce them to the class. First, in groups, students use their own ideas to write one or two personal information questions for each category. For example, in the category about studying, students might write 'How long have you studied English?' and 'How often do you study English?' Next, each student pairs up with someone from another group. Students then take turns asking their partner the personal information questions and writing down their answers. After that, each pair joins with another pair. Students then use their partner's information to introduce them to the other pair. Finally, pairs stand up and introduce their partner to the class, who asks follow-up questions to the person being introduced.
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Networking

Intermediate (B1) 40 minutes
ESL Networking Role-Play preview for Intermediate (B1) with business introductions and communicative practice

ESL Networking Role-Play - Speaking Activity: Sentence Completion, Role-Play, Asking and Answering Questions, Communicative Practice

In this free networking role-play activity, students practice exchanging personal and company information at a networking event. The aim of the activity is to...

ESL Networking Role-Play - Speaking Activity: Sentence Completion, Role-Play, Asking and Answering Questions, Communicative Practice In this free networking role-play activity, students practice exchanging personal and company information at a networking event. The aim of the activity is to find out about people in hopes of building new business partnerships or finding new customers. First, students complete a text about themselves and their company with real or imaginary information. Students then begin the role-play using the information in their text to socialise with other people at the networking event, making introductions with as many people as possible and giving information about themselves and their company. When a student finds someone they think could be a possible customer or business partner, they note down the person's information in a chart. Afterwards, students tell the class if they found any customers for their business or someone they could possibly build a business relationship with.
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My Partner

Intermediate (B1) 25 minutes
ESL Asking Personal Information Activity preview for Intermediate (B1) with pair writing and interview practice

ESL Asking Personal Information Activity - Speaking: Writing, Asking and Answering Questions - Pair Work

In this asking for and giving personal information activity, students write Wh personal information questions and then use them to interview a partner. This activity is suitable for older students...

ESL Asking Personal Information Activity - Speaking: Writing, Asking and Answering Questions from Prompts - Pair Work In this asking for and giving personal information activity, students write Wh personal information questions and then use them to interview a partner. This activity is suitable for older students. Students begin by writing the questions they need to ask to find out the personal information on the worksheet. Students also create one more question of their own at the end. Next, in pairs, students take turns asking their partner the questions and writing down their answers. Afterwards, students tell the class a few things they found out about their partner.
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Numbers, Names and Places

Intermediate (B1) 30 minutes
ESL Personal Information Activity preview for Intermediate (B1) with pair work, conversation, and discussion

ESL Personal Information Activity - Speaking: Asking and Answering Questions, Conversation Practice - Pair Work

In this insightful giving personal information activity, students discuss personal information related to numbers, names and places with a partner. First, students write down a number, name or place for each item...

ESL Personal Information Activity - Speaking: Asking and Answering Questions from Prompts, Conversation Practice - Pair Work In this insightful giving personal information activity, students discuss personal information related to numbers, names and places with a partner. First, students write down a number, name or place for each item on their worksheet. Next, students cut the worksheet into cards and then give them to a partner, who spreads them out face-up on the desk. Students then take turns picking up a card and asking their partner about the number, name or place written on the card using 'What's...?' for numbers and places and 'Who's...?' for people. Their partner then explains what the personal information refers to, and the two students develop a short conversation about the topic. Afterwards, students share what they found out about their partner with the class.
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Whose information is this?

Upper-intermediate (B2) 30 minutes
ESL Personal Information Game preview for Upper-intermediate (B2) with sentence completion and class question race

ESL Personal Information Game - Vocabulary and Speaking: Sentence Completion, Asking and Answering Questions, Freer Practice

In this fun giving personal information game, students complete sentences with personal information and then race to find out who wrote other sentences by asking questions. First, in groups, students...

ESL Personal Information Game - Vocabulary and Speaking: Sentence Completion, Asking and Answering Questions from Prompts, Freer Practice In this fun giving personal information game, students complete sentences with personal information and then race to find out who wrote other sentences by asking questions. First, in groups, students complete sentences on strips with true personal information about themselves, e.g. 'I was brought up in New York City by my mum.' Next, all the students fold up their completed sentences and put them in a box. Students then take one strip from the box and go around the class finding out who wrote the sentence on their strip by asking yes/no questions, e.g. 'Were you brought up in New York City by your mum?' When a student finds the person who wrote the sentence, they ask a follow-up question to gain more details, e.g. 'How long did you live in New York City?' Students then write down the person's name and their answer to the follow-up question on the back of the strip, keep it, and take another one from the box. The student with the most sentences at the end of the game is the winner. Afterwards, students report back to the class on what they found out about their classmates.
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Using Personal Information Language

Giving personal information covers the functional language students need to share and request basic details about themselves in real-world English situations. Students who cannot handle these exchanges clearly will struggle from their very first real interaction in English, whether they are checking into accommodation, enrolling in a course, or simply introducing themselves to a new colleague.

This page covers giving personal information from A1 to B2 level, with 12 activities and worksheets ranging from role-plays and information gap tasks to speaking games, including two free downloads.

The table below shows common real-world situations in which people ask for or give personal information, with example phrases for each.

SituationSpeaker/RoleExample Phrase
Providing your name at a reception desk Visitor or applicant 'My full name is James David Carter.'
Giving your contact details over the phone Customer or caller 'My number is 07700 900123, and my email is j.carter at gmail dot com.'
Stating your date of birth on a form or verbally Patient, student, or new employee 'My date of birth is the fourteenth of March, 1995.'
Introducing yourself and where you are from New acquaintance at a social event 'I'm from Seoul originally, but I've been working in London for the past three years.'
Correcting personal information that has been recorded wrong Any speaker 'Sorry, it's Smith with an i, not a y.'
Asking for someone else's personal information Receptionist, official, or colleague 'Could I take your full name and date of birth, please?'

When to Use Personal Information Language

Official registration and admin: When you register at a new workplace, open a bank account, or visit a doctor for the first time, you need to give precise, complete answers covering full name spelling, date of birth, and contact details, as in 'My surname is spelled B-R-O-W-N-E, and my date of birth is the fifth of June, 1988.'

First-time introductions in professional or social settings: When you meet someone for the first time in a professional or social setting, you share selected personal details about where you are from, what you do, and where you are based to open a natural conversation, as in 'I'm originally from Mexico City, but I moved to Berlin two years ago for work.'

Giving information remotely by phone or online: When you contact a company, book a service, or verify your identity remotely, you need to give personal information clearly and precisely because the other person cannot see you or read a written form, as in 'My name is Chen Wei, that's C-H-E-N, and my reference number is 4471.'

3-Step Framework for Teaching Personal Information Language

1. Establish the Language First: Before students produce anything, make sure they can recognize and understand the key question forms and vocabulary they will need. A short presentation of the target questions, what they mean, and when they are used gives students something solid to work from. Then move into a tightly structured speaking task where every exchange has a clear communicative purpose, such as finding a specific person using only names and addresses, with the added challenge that all the names and addresses are very similar, so students need to listen and check the information carefully.

2. Reinforce Question Formation Through a Game: Move to a game format that keeps every student accountable for both forming and answering questions correctly. A domino chain works well here because each tile placed must form a grammatically correct and logical question, and if a player answers a question incorrectly, they miss a turn and the question passes to the next player. The competitive edge keeps the whole group alert throughout.

3. Push Into Freer, More Personal Production: Finish with a task that asks students to produce richer personal detail and follow it up with genuine conversation. Students write true sentences about themselves on strips, for example 'I was brought up in New York City by my mum,' pool them anonymously, then draw a strip and race around the class asking yes/no questions to find out who wrote it. This moves students well beyond basic name-and-address exchanges and into the kind of personal storytelling that makes the language stick.

Common Mistakes with Personal Information Language

Statement word order in questions: Students often form personal information questions using statement word order rather than inverting the subject and auxiliary, producing sentences that sound like declarations rather than questions. Wrong: 'Your name is what?' Correct: 'What is your name?'

Using 'have' instead of 'be' to give age: Students often use 'have' instead of 'be' to state their age, translating directly from languages such as Spanish, French, or Italian where the equivalent verb means 'to have.' Wrong: 'I have 28 years old.' Correct: 'I am 28 years old.'

Common Questions About Teaching Personal Information Language

What is a useful worksheet for teaching personal information questions?

The free worksheet Can I take some details? moves students from vocabulary to conversation in a single sequence. Students match personal information questions with answers, then use words and phrases from a box to complete a conversation at a doctor's surgery where a receptionist asks a patient for personal information. They then role-play the conversation using their own details.

What is an engaging giving personal information activity?

In the free activity Networking, students simulate a professional event where the aim is to find out about people in hopes of building new business partnerships or finding new customers. Students complete a text about themselves and their company with real or imaginary information, then mingle, make introductions, and note down details of possible contacts.

What is a fun way to practice personal information questions?

Real people students already know make the activity Friends and Family feel immediately personal. Students write the age, job, hometown, and hobbies of four friends or family members in a random order, swap worksheets with a partner, and then ask yes/no questions to match each piece of information to the right person, for example 'Is Isabella 26 years old?'

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