‘Find the Lie’ is a common EFL activity. You may know it as ‘two truths and one lie’ or you may have seen TV game shows that have used a similar format.
There are already several descriptions of the activity available online. A quick Google search returns 242,000 results and the top results goes to Dave’s ESL café where Erin from Arlington suggests using this activity to practice the past tense.
Find the Lie (as I call it) is a very adaptable activity can be used for almost any target language. It can be used to practice a specific tense such as the present perfect to describe experiences, or can and could to talk about abilities, or even ‘going to’ to talk about the future and life goals. This is what makes the activity so popular.
Modelling this activity with a teacher-led example is useful and it is a great way of building rapport between the teacher and the student. It also encourages students to discuss their opinions and practice using information/follow up questions.
Instead of modelling the activity on a white or black board, why not bring a bit of a game show feel to the activity with a PowerPoint template.
Watch this video demo to see how the template is used.
Watch the video demo to see how to edit and use the template. The video run-time is 1 minute and 14 seconds.
Click on the image or on the link below to download the PowerPoint template.
Download the Find the Lie template.
The template contains four slides. There is the title slide and three additional slide. Each slide contains a lie. One slide 2, A is the lie. On slide 3, B is the lie and on slide 4, C is the lie. Copy and paste the slides into any order you need.
Click on the text box to reveal whether it is true or a lie.
How to edit the template
Download and open the template.
There are three slides. Each one has a different text box for the lie. (A, B or C)
For multiple slides, copy the slides you need and rearrange them.
For a single slide, delete the slides you don’t need.
Check the notes section to find out which text box to write your lie in.
After writing your lie, write two truths in the other text boxes.
Using the template
Go to the slide show ribbon and start the presentation.
Introduce the three statements to your students.
Invite your students to ask information questions to explore the story behind each of the statements.
Ask your students to talk into small groups and decide which statement they think is the lie.
Elicit opinions from your students and click on the chosen answer box to reveal whether the statement is true or not.
If you have more than one slide, click on the purple area of the slide or press the left-arrow key to move to the next slide.
Transferring the Game
Download the PDF of the Find the Lie – Handout.
Once you have play the PowerPoint version and modelled the activity for the students, you may want to transfer the activity and encourage students to play in pair or small groups.
Download the PDF template.
There are three slips on one sheet of A4. So, if you have a class of 30 students, you only need to print 10 copies.
Cut up the paper and give a slip to each student in your class.
Ask them to write down two truths and one lie. One for each speech bubble.
Remind the students that the order should be secret.
When the students have finished writing, divide the students into pairs or small groups.
Tell the students to nominate someone to go first.
The first student introduces their three statements.
The other student(s) ask information/follow up questions and try to guess which statement is a lie.
When the first student’s lie has been guessed, their partner or another student introduces their three statements.
When all the lies have been guessed, students can find a new partner or make a new group.
That’s it! Please enjoy use the PowerPoint and PDF templates.
Do you have any suggestions for Find the Lie?
Please leave a comment if you have any ideas you would like to share or if you have any questions about the templates.
Thanks for reading and take care!
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A grammar auction is a fun and lively way to review grammar, correct common mistakes and improve accuracy. Now there is a PowerPoint template for this activity.
Find the Lie was designed with Microsoft PowerPoint 2016. Animations and sounds may differ when opened in other presentation software.
Microsoft® Office® is a copyrighted product of the Microsoft® corporation.
All media that accompanies the Grammar Auction is for educational purposes only.
Find the Lie is an adaptation of a popular EFL activity known as ‘Two truths, on lie’ and inspired by two British TV game shows (Call my Bluff and Would I Lie to You).
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