Water
56 conversation questions and prompts
Choose a question. Give your own experience or opinion and explain it when you can.
Use the level groups as a guide when choosing prompts for your students.
A1
Beginner (A1)
11 questions
- How much water do you drink every day?
- Can you swim? How often do you go swimming?
- Where do you get drinking water at home?
- Do you take a water bottle with you when you go out?
- Do you prefer sparkling water or still water? Why?
- Do you like cold water or water at room temperature?
- Where can you fill a water bottle near your school or work?
- Do you enjoy sitting near a river, lake, or sea? Why?
- What do you like to do on a rainy day?
- What do you use water for in the morning?
- Do you like the sound of rain? Why or why not?
A2
Elementary (A2)
13 questions
- How many glasses of water should people drink every day?
- Where is a good place to go swimming near here?
- What do you use the most water for at home?
- Where did you play with water when you were a child?
- How is drinking water served in restaurants where you live?
- When do you choose tap water, bottled water, or filtered water?
- What is a good place near you to spend time by the water?
- How do you prepare for a day at the beach or a swimming pool?
- What was the last water activity you enjoyed?
- What do people in your area do when there is a lot of rain?
- What water-saving habit would be easy for you to try?
- How do you feel when you hear running water?
- Would you rather visit a lake, a river, or the sea? Why?
B1
Intermediate (B1)
16 questions
- How long can a person live without drinking any water? How long have you gone without drinking anything?
- Try to name 10 water sports.
- Think of the biggest river in your country. How polluted is it? Would you swim in it?
- Where does the biggest city in your country get its clean water from?
- What makes you trust the drinking water in a new place?
- How would your daily routine change if water stopped running for one day?
- What should visitors learn before swimming in a river or at a beach around where you live?
- How do public drinking fountains help people in a town?
- Which uses of water at home are easy to reduce, and which are difficult?
- How can a town make its rivers or lakes pleasant places to visit?
- What information would help you decide whether a beach is safe for swimming?
- Have you ever had to change plans because of a flood, a drought, or heavy rain?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of buying bottled water?
- How can a family prepare for a short interruption to its water supply?
- What do you think children should learn about water at school?
- How can neighbors help one another during a water shortage?
B2
Upper Intermediate (B2)
10 questions
- Not being able to get clean drinking water is a big problem in many places. What are some ways we can help people get clean drinking water?
- If your town had to reduce water use, which measures would be fair to start with?
- How should a city explain changes to its drinking water to residents? When should residents be alerted to changes in their drinking water?
- How should a community balance water for homes, farms, and businesses?
- What makes a public campaign about water use helpful rather than annoying?
- Who should pay to clean up a polluted river?
- How can a city keep public fountains available without wasting water?
- What would make you support a higher price for heavy water use?
- How can a school discuss a local water problem without making students feel helpless?
- What are the strongest arguments for and against rules on bottled water at public events?
C1
Advanced (C1)
6 questions
- The world's population is increasing rapidly. Getting clean water for everyone might become difficult in the future. Think of three ways we can avoid this problem.
- When water is scarce, how should a government decide which uses take priority?
- What responsibilities do places upstream have toward people downstream?
- Can a company own and sell a resource that everyone needs to live? Where would you draw the line?
- How should a community weigh the cost of preventing floods against the cost of repairing damage later?
- When does asking individuals to save water distract from larger changes that institutions could make?