Asking for tourist information polite questions
Warm-up
When you are a tourist in another city or country, what do you like doing? What information do you
need? Do you plan the details early or wait until you are there?
Activity 1: Language presentation/review
Work in pairs. Look at the phrases below and sort them into your own categories. Then decide if
each phrase is 'normal' or 'polite'.
• Can you tell me where I can get tickets for ...? • What time does it open/close?
• Where can I get a map of the area? • Do you have a map of the area?
• How do I get to ...? • How much does it cost?
• Could you give me directions to ...? • Could you give me some information about ...?
• Can you tell me how to get to ...? • How much are the tickets?
• Could you tell me where to get tickets for ...? • I’d like to get information about ...
• Do you know what time it opens and closes? • Could you tell me how much the tickets are?
• Can you tell me where I can get ...?
Asking for tourist information polite questions
Activity 2: Listening
a. Ken is staying in a hotel in London. Listen to him asking the hotel receptionist, Rhonda,
for tourist information. Are these sentences true or false? If they are false, correct them.
1. Ken already has a map of London with him. TRUE / FALSE
2. Rhonda recommends Tower Bridge. TRUE / FALSE
3. Ken wants to go to the Tower of London. TRUE / FALSE
4. Ken can buy his ticket at the ticket office. TRUE / FALSE
5. The Tower is open until 17.30. TRUE / FALSE
6. Ken is going to take the Tube. TRUE / FALSE
7. Rhonda is very helpful. TRUE / FALSE
b. Which questions does Ken ask Rhonda? Listen again and check.
1. to ask for a map 4. to ask for information about tickets
2. to get some information about sightseeing 5. to find out how much the tickets cost
3. to ask when a tourist site opens or closes 6. to ask directions to the Tower
Activity 3: Pronunciation
Where do you put the stress in questions? Underline two or three syllables in each of the questions
in Activity 2.
Activity 4: Role-play
You and your partner have different information.
Student A Student B
You are a tourist in the city you live in. You are having breakfast in a café.
You do not speak the language, so you need The tourist on the next table starts a
to use English. You are in a café. Start a conversation with you in English. Answer their
conversation with the person on the next questions and try to be as helpful as possible
table and try to find out the following even if you don’t know the answers. They will
information: want to know about things to do where you live
• what there is to see and do in the area so think about:
• what there is to see and do in the area
• where you can get a map
• where they can get tickets
• find out about tickets
• good restaurants
• ask for directions
• how to get around
• ask for restaurant recommendations
• anything else you think would help
• anything else you want to know
