Reconstruct Text from Keywords

Pairs rebuild a complete text from a set of keyword prompts.

Procedure

1. Select a short text and extract 5-10 content words per paragraph.
2. Give students the keywords only.
3. In pairs, students reconstruct the original meaning using the keywords.
4. Pairs compare their versions and discuss different language choices.

Example

Keywords: morning - coffee - spilled - laptop - important - meeting - disaster - colleague - saved

Possible reconstruction: "This morning I spilled coffee on my laptop just before an important meeting. It was a disaster, but my colleague saved the day by lending me theirs."

Tips

• Choose content words (nouns, verbs, adjectives) and a few connectors — enough to guide, not enough to copy.
• The value is in the comparison stage: highlight how different grammar choices convey the same meaning.