- Time
- 5-8 min
- Level
- A2-B1
- Grouping
- Pairs
- Materials
- None (or question list)
Would You Rather asks students to choose between two options (coffee or tea? beach or mountains?) and justify their answer to a partner using “because.” It needs no materials, and the justification requirement is what makes it more than a yes/no warm-up.
What it practices
The choice itself is trivial — what it actually drills is opinion and reason language:
- Opinion structures ("I’d rather... because...", "I prefer... to...") — core A2 functional language.
- Comparative adjectives ("cheaper", "more relaxing") — students naturally reach for these when justifying a choice.
How to run it
- Prepare 5-6 question pairs in advance, ideally tied to the lesson's vocabulary (food, travel, free time).
- Model one yourself answer your own question with a full reason, not just the choice, so students copy the format.
- Require “because” in every answer a bare choice with no reason doesn't count as a turn.
- Run it in pairs, not whole-class so every student answers multiple questions instead of a few dominating.
- Swap partners after 3-4 questions so students hear different reasoning, not the same partner's opinions all warm-up.
- Ask 2-3 pairs to report their most interesting disagreement to the whole class to close.
Classroom management tip: write “I’d rather ___ because ___” on the board for the whole warm-up — without the visible frame, weaker students answer with one word and skip the reason.
Level variations
- A2Keep questions concrete (food, free time, weather) and accept a simple reason clause.
- A2-B1Require a comparative adjective in the reason (“because it's cheaper/more relaxing”).
- B1Use abstract or hypothetical pairs (“work from home or in an office?”) that need fuller justification.
Free worksheets for follow-up practice
Build on the comparative language this warm-up naturally produces:
- Comparative & Superlative Adjectives – Practice (A2) — controlled practice forming the comparatives students reach for here.
- Comparative and Superlative Review (A2) — mixed review once both forms are introduced.
- Likes & Dislikes – Speaking Practice (A1) — simpler opinion-language warm-up for lower levels.
Browse the full set of grammar worksheets or see the guide on how to teach comparatives and superlatives for a complete lesson plan.