# Two Truths and a Lie

Participants write down two true facts and one plausible lie about themselves. In small groups, peers ask questions, guess which statement is false, and hear the reveal.

**Time:** 20 minutes. ESL Active lists 15 to 30 minutes; UWT specifies 20 minutes using small group rotations
**People:** 4 to 24. Subgroups of 3 to 6 participants (e.g. 7 divides into 3 and 4; 4 to 6 work as single groups)

## Choose this exercise

**Purpose:** Practice questioning skills, active listening, and light deduction in small groups.
**Use it when:** Use as a conversational icebreaker when a group needs practice asking clarifying questions and evaluating spoken claims.
**Skip it when:** Skip when participants are uncomfortable sharing personal background or when team dynamics make bluffing games counterproductive.

## Materials and tools

- One index card or scrap paper per participant
- One pen or pencil per participant
- Whiteboard and dry-erase marker or digital display slide for modeling

## Before participants arrive

1. Arrange seating into clusters of 3 to 6 chairs.
2. Write three sample statements on the board or display slide to model the format.

## Say this to open

Welcome. We are playing Two Truths and a Lie. You will write three statements about yourself: two real facts and one believable lie. Your goal is to make all three sound equally plausible. In small groups, each person takes a turn reading their statements and answering questions while pretending all three are true. Then your group votes on the lie. You choose your topics, so feel free to stick to light, everyday facts.

## How to run it

### 1. Model and write statements (4 minutes)

Read your three modeled statements from the board. Point out that two are real and one is made up. Give participants 3 minutes of quiet time to write their own three statements on paper. Remind them to stick to ordinary hobbies, travel, or everyday habits, avoiding sensitive topics.

### 2. Form subgroups and review turn rules (2 minutes)

Divide participants into subgroups of 3 to 6. For 7 people, form groups of 3 and 4. Announce the turn structure: each person gets up to 2 minutes total to read statements, answer questions in character, collect votes, and reveal the lie.

### 3. Run round-robin turns (12 minutes)

Start small-group rounds. The first speaker reads their three statements in any order. Teammates ask 1 or 2 quick questions per statement. The speaker answers every question as if all statements were true. Teammates vote on the lie using a finger count (1, 2, or 3). The speaker reveals the lie and gives a quick explanation of one true fact. Rotate clockwise until everyone has had their turn.

### 4. Whole-room debrief (2 minutes)

Reconvene the full room. Ask two volunteers from different groups to answer one debrief question about what made specific lies difficult to detect.


## Debrief questions

- What specific details made a lie sound plausible?
- How did you decide which questions to ask to test someone's story?
- What cues led you to guess the lie correctly or incorrectly?

**Finished output:** Participants either present three statements, answer questions, and reveal the lie, or support their small group as timekeeper and vote-counter.

## Remote

Form breakout rooms of 3 to 5 people. Participants draft three statements in private notes. In turns, the speaker posts statements in chat or reads them aloud. Peers ask questions, post votes in chat, and the speaker reveals the lie.

## Hybrid

Seat in-person participants together and assign remote participants to dedicated online breakouts. For mixed rooms, give each remote participant a connected laptop station within an in-person cluster so voices and votes carry clearly.

## Access and participation choices

- Participants may focus entirely on neutral topics such as favorite foods, travel destinations, or routine habits.
- Anyone who prefers not to present may act as the group timekeeper and vote-counter.

## If the session gets stuck

**A participant struggles to invent a plausible lie on the spot.**

Suggest modifying a small fact from a real story, such as changing a pet's name, a vacation city, or a job title.

**A speaker spends too much time answering questions, delaying other group members.**

Enforce a strict cap of one question per statement and call out group time checks every 2 minutes.


## Terms used here

- Plausible lie: A false statement crafted with realistic, ordinary details to make it blend with real facts.

## Sources and adaptation

Observed in ESL Active as a traditional language practice exercise and icebreaker; the underlying activity is a widely known traditional parlor game.

Maintains the core ESL Active mechanic of preparing two truths and one lie, answering questions as if all are true, and voting on the lie. UWT structured the turns into a 2-minute round-robin cycle within subgroups of 3 to 6 people to ensure completion within 20 minutes, added access choices including a non-speaking timekeeper role, and aligned output criteria.

[ESL Active](https://eslactive.com/activities/two-truths-and-a-lie/)

[ESL Active](https://eslactive.com/activities/two-truths-and-a-lie/#)

Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/two-truths-and-a-lie/