Looking for a fun way to revise modal verbs with your students? Try this speaking activity based on strange traditions and habits from around the world.

Students are given a set of unusual statements (some true, some false). Their task is to decide if each one must be true, might be true, or can’t be true. As they discuss, they practice using modal verbs for deduction in a natural and engaging way.

Examples of statements include:

• Every Christmas Eve in Sweden, millions of people watch Donald Duck on TV.
• In Finland, people eat soup from old shoes at a winter festival.
• In England, people chase a giant wheel of cheese down a hill.

Some are real traditions, others are completely made up — and students love guessing which is which. After the discussion, the teacher reveals the correct answers, with cultural explanations for the true ones.

This activity is perfect for B1+ learners, but can be adapted up or down. It’s a lively way to combine cultural knowledge, critical thinking, and grammar revision in one lesson.

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