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Thiuda
Joined: 14 Mar 2006
Location: Religion ist f�r Sklaven geschaffen, f�r Wesen ohne Geist.
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 Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2010 5:18 pm Post subject: Lateral Thinking Questions |
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"A cowboy rides into town on Friday and stays in town for three days. He rides out of town on Friday. How is this possible?"
I like using questions such as the above to get my students thinking about the structure of English. The above example I use to illustrate the differences between spatial and temporal prepositions.
Do you have any lateral thinking questions, or riddles, that can be adapted to teaching English? I'd love to gather a semesters worth of questions with which to start my classes, since my students get really into them. They're also great to conclude classes with.
Please share!
* He rides into town on a horse named Friday. |
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Louis VI
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
Location: In my Kingdom
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| Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2010 5:57 pm Post subject: |
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| He rides into town on a horse named Friday |
Or he arrived by stagecoach and he left on Monday on a horse named Friday he bought in town. Both sillier options than the following:
Or he could have arrived and left by stagecoach, spent three days in town and then four days at a farm just outside of town before returning to town to ride the stagecoach to some other place.
Or he could have come and gone on a horse that was stabled in town for the week, he spending three nights at a local saloon before four nights just outside of town at a friend's farm he could visit on foot. |
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Patrick Bateman
Joined: 21 Apr 2009
Location: Lost in Translation
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| Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2010 8:43 pm Post subject: |
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| Louis VI wrote: |
| Quote: |
| He rides into town on a horse named Friday |
Or he arrived by stagecoach and he left on Monday on a horse named Friday he bought in town. Both sillier options than the following:
Or he could have arrived and left by stagecoach, spent three days in town and then four days at a farm just outside of town before returning to town to ride the stagecoach to some other place.
Or he could have come and gone on a horse that was stabled in town for the week, he spending three nights at a local saloon before four nights just outside of town at a friend's farm he could visit on foot. |
Besides missing the point of the exercise, only your first one is "possible."
To the OP, it's an interesting idea. I play Jeopardy with my students the week before their final and usually try to include a riddle. The two that come to mind right away that fit closest to what you're looking for are:
1. What month has 28 days? All
2. As I was going to St. Ives...How many were going to St. Ives? 1
If I think/find any more, I will post them in this thread. |
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Steve_Rogers2008
Joined: 22 Mar 2010
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| Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2010 9:50 pm Post subject: |
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What if C-A-T spelled DOG? 
God bless Ogre...  |
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carpetdope
Joined: 13 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2010 10:52 pm Post subject: |
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I don't like that St. Ives one. It assumes the crap out of everything.
How about the square house with four walls, each with windows facing south? The answer doesn't involve HP Lovecraft, as much as I'd like to teach my students about Shub-Niggurath. |
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