Answers and an explanation for each question appear once you add this activity to your own library.

⏱️ 25 minutes

Hold a Mock Trial

Welcome to this Mock Trial Role-play. Step into the ____ ((room))! Put legal vocabulary and obligation grammar into practice across four fast-paced, real-life justice cases.

A set of legal scales on a wooden bench, polished bronze scales of justice with a classic law book and wooden judge gave

Scales of justice symbol

📘 How to play

👨‍🏫 For the teacher

1 Make groups of four.
2 Give each group the 4 case cards and 4 role cards.
3 Keep time strictly: each trial round lasts exactly 4 minutes.
4 The Witness also keeps the score for that case; pass the score sheet with the role cards.
5 Open the Teacher Key at the end of the 25 minutes to review answers.

🧑‍⚖️ For the students

1 Assume your assigned role and examine the evidence for 4 cases.
2 After each case, pass your role card one place to the left.
3 Speak using the grammar (should have, be made to) and Unit words.
4 Deliver every verdict before the 4-minute timer rings.
5 Add up your points. The group with the most points wins.

⏱️ How to use the time (25 minutes)

Step 1

Hand out the cards and explain roles.

Step 2

Case 1 trial.

Step 3

Case 2 trial (rotate roles).

Step 4

Case 3 trial (rotate roles).

10m

Step 5

Case 4 trial (4 mins) & Wrap-up (6 mins: count scores, declare winners, answer closing questions).

📚 Read the cases

📚 Case 1

"A student copied a classmate's homework and gave it to the teacher."

⚖️ Rule: "Students are not allowed to copy homework."

🚗 Case 2

"A man parked his car in a bus lane and went shopping for an hour."

⚖️ Rule: "Cars are not allowed to park in a bus lane."

👛 Case 3

"A girl found a wallet on a bus and kept the money."

⚖️ Rule: "People are not allowed to keep money that is not theirs."

🖍️ Case 4

Boy drawing on a wall

"A boy drew on the school wall with a marker pen."

⚖️ Rule: "Pupils are not allowed to draw on school walls."

⚖️ Choose your roles

Courtroom roleplay scene icon with judge bench and legal gavel, clean minimalist neo-brutalist icon A courtroom scene

⚖️ Judge

Your job:

Ask 2 questions, deliver the verdict ("You should have... You will be made to...").

Controls the court

🙋 Person in the case

Your job:

Retell the event and state 1 thing you shouldn't have done.

Prime suspect

👀 Witness

Your job:

Describe what you saw and explain how the victim felt.

Gives testimony

💼 Lawyer

Your job:

Use the rule to say what the person was not allowed to do.

Legal counsel

🏆 How to score points

+1 Point

Use the grammar

Awarded for each correct use of should have, ought to have, shouldn't have, be allowed to, or be made to.

+1 Point

Use the new words

Awarded for each Unit word used naturally: suspect, witness, offence, victim, trial, verdict, jury, penalty, imprison, prosecute.

+1 Bonus

Give the best verdict

Awarded to the judge who delivers the clearest and most fair final verdict.

💬 How to start your sentences

"As the prime suspect, you shouldn't have..."

"The victim was very upset because you shouldn't have..."

"Under our legal system, you are not allowed to..."

"For this serious offence, you will be made to..."

"In this fair trial, you should have..."

"The jury agrees you ought to have..."

🔑 Answers for the teacher

Click to reveal Model Sentences and Common Student Errors

Good examples for the cases:

Case 1: "The student should have done their own homework. They will be made to rewrite the assignment after school."

Case 2: "The driver shouldn't have parked in the bus lane. He was made to pay a heavy fine and move his vehicle."

Case 3: "She ought to have handed the wallet to the bus driver. She will be made to return every penny to the victim."

Case 4: "The pupil shouldn't have drawn on the school wall. He was made to scrub the graffiti off completely."

Listen for these mistakes:

❌ Missing 'to' in passive: "He was made do community service." → ✅ "He was made to do community service."
❌ Incorrect past participle: "They should have did it." → ✅ "They should have done it."
❌ Active vs Passive confusion: "He didn't allow to park." → ✅ "He wasn't allowed to park."

🔀 Other ways to play

Level 1 (Support)

Use verb cards

Give students cards with irregular past participles (like done, written, kept, drawn, made) to help them speak accurately.

Level 2 (Challenge)

Speak without notes

Ban written prompts entirely during speaking turns. Participants must argue and cross-examine completely spontaneously.

Level 3 (Extension)

Add a jury member

Designate the witness as an alternate juror who may openly object if the judge forgets to use "was made to" or "should have".

Fast Finishers

Invent strange penalties

Fast groups draft an inventive and humorous community penalty for Case 4 using the mandatory structure: "The pupil will be made to...".

❓ Question 1

Which role was the easiest to play, and why?

Reflect on your experience during the trials. Explain which role felt the most natural and how you used the grammar.

____ (In my opinion, the easiest role to play was... because...)

❓ Question 2

Complete the court sentence with the missing words.

Finish the sentence below:

"For drawing on the wall, the boy was made ____ ((clean)) the school wall after class."

❓ Question 3

How did using the legal vocabulary help your group sound more official during the trial?

Write 2–3 sentences highlighting specific Unit words (e.g. verdict, offence, prosecute, victim, jury) that elevated your courtroom language.

____ (Using words like 'verdict' and 'offence' helped our group sound official because...)

Class activity: Mock Trial Role-play

Hold a Mock Trial

Good examples for the cases:

Listen for these mistakes:

Use verb cards

Speak without notes

Add a jury member

Invent strange penalties

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