Two Truths and a Lie, adapted for a mixed-level class
The standard version rewards whoever already speaks best. Three adaptations turn it into a speaking game where a weaker student can win, which is the only version worth running in a hagwon.
Park English · Published 2026-08-19 · Updated 2026-08-19 · 2 min read
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Two Truths and a Lie is on every list of no-prep classroom games, and in a mixed-level class it usually goes badly. The strongest speaker invents an elaborate lie, everyone laughs, and the quiet students say three flat sentences and sit down.
The game is fine. The scoring is what is broken.
The standard version
Each student says three statements about themselves. Two are true, one is not. The class guesses which is the lie.
What actually happens
The student with the best English produces the most convincing lie, wins the round, and gains nothing linguistically because they were already fluent. The student who needed the practice produces "I have a dog. I like pizza. I am from Mars", is caught immediately, and learns that speaking up is embarrassing.
Three changes
1. Give the sentence frame, and require it. Everyone uses the same structure. I have ______. I can ______. Last year I ______. Now the game is about the content, not about who can build a complex sentence under pressure.
2. Score the questioner, not the speaker. Points go to the student who asks the best follow-up question, not to whoever fools the class. This flips the whole dynamic. The strong students start competing to ask, which is harder and more useful than telling.
3. Two rounds, and the second is in pairs. Whole-class rounds expose people. Pairs do not. Run one whole-class round so everyone sees the shape, then move to pairs for the rest, rotating partners every three minutes.
| Standard version | Adapted |
|---|---|
| Free sentences | Fixed frame, same for everyone |
| Points for fooling people | Points for the best follow-up question |
| Whole class throughout | One whole-class round, then pairs |
Follow-up questions to put on the board
- Really? When was that?
- Who were you with?
- How long did it take?
- Why did you do that?
- What happened next?
These five carry the entire game. Write them up before you start and point at them when a pair goes quiet.
The bit that surprises people
Weaker students often win the adapted version, because a good follow-up question is short. "When was that?" is three words. The scoring change is doing all the work.
One honest limitation
It needs students who are willing to say something about themselves, and some classes are not. In a very reserved class, switch the content from personal facts to a character: each student gets a name card and invents the person. Same frames, same questions, no exposure. It is slightly less fun and considerably more likely to actually run.