The following is one of several little exercises I have in a little black book, called "Nick's Tricks." It can be used as part of a lesson on a specific grammar structure or functional topic, or it can be used when you still have time left and no more lesson plan!

It is a three part class activity based on famous people's pseudonyms. It can be used in Intermediate to Advanced EFL or ESL classes.

It can be printed out on paper, and given to students in class. Note there are three different sheets, so you can use this exercise with pairs or groups of three. If you print with a color printer, assign the pseudonyms on each list a different color, then you can tell at a glance which student has which version (if you don't have a color printer, be sure to change the wording which refers to color (see below)).

Enjoy!

Nick's Tricks

An English Conversation Class Activity

What's the name again?

The following is a list of famous people - and their pseudonyms. The black is the person's real name and the colored is their pseudonym.

Try the following activities with your partner(s).

1. Read the real names, and have your partner(s) write them down (on the back of this paper is OK). Spell the name if they ask you. Be sure to check their spelling (you're the teacher now!)

2. Partner(s) should try to guess who the person is better known as. Keep track of correct guesses. Who is the winner?

3. Try and think of a few more names like these. Try to stump your partner.

4. Who is your favorite from this list? Why? Which names do you know? Not Know?

5. Make up a pseudonym for yourself. Why did you choose it? What does it mean (if anything)?

Real Name	Pseudonym
William Sydney Porter	O. Henry
Raquel Tejada	Raquel Welch
Archibald Leach	Cary Grant
Richard Starkie	Ringo Starr
Frederic Dannay & Manfred Lee	Ellery Queen
François-Marie Arouet	Voltaire
Bernard Schwarz	Tony Curtis

(c)1996 by Nicholas Miller

Nick's Tricks

An English Conversation Class Activity

What's the name again?

The following is a list of famous people - and their pseudonyms. The black is the person's real name and the colored is their pseudonym.

Try the following activities with your partner(s).

1. Read the real names, and have your partner(s) write them down (on the back of this paper is OK). Spell the name if they ask you. Be sure to check their spelling (you're the teacher now!)

2. Partner(s) should try to guess who the person is better known as. Keep track of correct guesses. Who is the winner?

3. Try and think of a few more names like these. Try to stump your partner.

4. Who is your favorite from this list? Why? Which names do you know? Not Know?

5. Make up a pseudonym for yourself. Why did you choose it? What does it mean (if anything)?

Real Name	Pseudonym
Eric Arthur Blair	George Orwell
Marion Michael Morrison	John Wayne
Hector Hugh Munro	Saki
SophiA Scicloni	Sophia Loren
Lucius Domitius Abenobarbus	Nero
Norma Jean Baker	Marilyn Monroe
Robert Zimmermann	Bob Dylan

(c)1996 by Nicholas Miller

Nick's Tricks

An English Conversation Class Activity

What's the name again?

The following is a list of famous people - and their pseudonyms. The black is the person's real name and the colored is their pseudonym.

Try the following activities with your partner(s).

1. Read the real names, and have your partner(s) write them down (on the back of this paper is OK). Spell the name if they ask you. Be sure to check their spelling (you're the teacher now!)

2. Partner(s) should try to guess who the person is better known as. Keep track of correct guesses. Who is the winner?

3. Try and think of a few more names like these. Try to stump your partner.

4. Who is your favorite from this list? Why? Which names do you know? Not Know?

5. Make up a pseudonym for yourself. Why did you choose it? What does it mean (if anything)?

Real Name	Pseudonym
Benjamin Franklin	Poor Richard
Issur Danielovitch Demsky	Kirk Douglas
Theodor Geisel	Doctor Seuss
Samuel Langhorne Clemens	Mark Twain
Kyriakos Theotokopoulos	El Greco
Reginald Dwight	Elton John
Cassandra Peterson	Elvira

(c)1996 by Nicholas Miller

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