Sample Verbal Problems
Here are some suggested verbal Spontaneous problems that may be used for practice. Give the team members one minute to think about their answers. Then give them three minutes to answer. Afterwards allow the team members to discuss their answers and determine if more creative responses are possible. If you are scoring, give one point for a common answer and 5 points for a creative answer.
NOTE: Some of the questions have suggestions in brackets for other possible ways of asking the question.
added 11-17
Verbal by Ryan
Rhyme Time
(When the team enters the room, tell them this is a verbal problem)
You will have 2 minutes to think and 5 minutes to respond. You may ask questions at any time, but time will continue.
Your problem is to give a sentence that contains as many words that rhyme with “dear” as possible
Each of you have 7 cards, when it is your turn to respond, you will put a card in the box in the middle of the table.
Each of you has a piece of paper and pencil. During think time, you may write down as many words as you like, but you may not speak to each other.
You will receive one point for each word that rhymes with “dear” in your sentence.
If your sentence is considered creative or humorous by the judges, you will receive an additional three points.
For Judges Only:
Place 7 cards at each seat. Put a box deep enough to hold all of the cards in the middle of the table.
Make sure that you listen carefully here. Reward creativity and humor.
Use the above format for these problems, too.
Pet Peeves
Name a kind of pet and give a reason that a parent wouldn’t let you have it.
Carry On
Highways carry cars and trucks. Name things that carry other things and what they carry.
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Added 12/4
Historical Facebook
(When the team enters the room, tell them that this will be a verbal problem)
1) You will have 2 minutes to think and 5 minutes to respond.
2) Each of you has 7 cards. After each response, you will place a card in
the box. You will respond in sequence. You may give responses until you
no longer have any cards or until time ends, whichever occurs first.
3) Questions count against your thinking time. You may not skip your
turn, nor repeat, nor pass. If one member of the team is stuck, the team
is stuck.
4) Common answers will receive 1 point. Creative answers will receive 3
points. Highly creative or humorous answers will receive 5 points.
5) Your problem is to give a Facebook status update for a historical
event. For example, you might say: “Christopher Columbus’s status says
he just discovered the new world.”
For Judges Only
1) Provide 35 cards. If you have colored cards or cards that are somehow
marked, that works the best.
2) Looking for unusual responses and always reward humor.
Here are some suggested verbal Spontaneous problems that may be used for practice. Give the team members one minute to think about their answers. Then give them three minutes to answer. Afterwards allow the team members to discuss their answers and determine if more creative responses are possible. If you are scoring, give one point for a common answer and 5 points for a creative answer.
NOTE: Some of the questions have suggestions in brackets for other possible ways of asking the question.
- Suppose you have just cleaned out your closets and have a big pile of shoes that you hate to throw away. What would you do with them? (hats)
- List something you can do with your feet that you can also do with your hands.
- List a reason for not wearing shoes (for wearing shoes).
- List a use of a football that is not related to sports. (Baseball, basketball)
- List something to think about while taking a walk.
- Give a reason why someone might come running from the woods, shivering from fright.
- List an item you might put into your footlocker and give a reason why.
- What do you do with your feet besides walk or run?
- List things that might make your Mom or Dad happy.
- When you go outside to catch the bus, you notice that a friend has red paint splashed all over his shoes. What explanations might you give for this?
- You just found out that your mom is running for Mayor. What would be her campaign slogan?
- You are a guide in the Grand Canyon. You are about to start a trip down into the canyon. List one of the supplies you should take with you and why.
- If you organized a professional football team, what would you call it?
- Play-Doh is a name that really describes the product. Name another product that has a very descriptive name.
- Invent your own ice cream flavor. List the ingredients in your new ice cream.
- List things that describe a square. (Circle, Rectangle)
- Describe a pain in the neck.
- List things that need horns. (Bells, whistles)
- What might you find on the path to fame?
- What would you fit into a 10-foot cube?
added 11-17
Verbal by Ryan
Rhyme Time
(When the team enters the room, tell them this is a verbal problem)
You will have 2 minutes to think and 5 minutes to respond. You may ask questions at any time, but time will continue.
Your problem is to give a sentence that contains as many words that rhyme with “dear” as possible
Each of you have 7 cards, when it is your turn to respond, you will put a card in the box in the middle of the table.
Each of you has a piece of paper and pencil. During think time, you may write down as many words as you like, but you may not speak to each other.
You will receive one point for each word that rhymes with “dear” in your sentence.
If your sentence is considered creative or humorous by the judges, you will receive an additional three points.
For Judges Only:
Place 7 cards at each seat. Put a box deep enough to hold all of the cards in the middle of the table.
Make sure that you listen carefully here. Reward creativity and humor.
Use the above format for these problems, too.
Pet Peeves
Name a kind of pet and give a reason that a parent wouldn’t let you have it.
Carry On
Highways carry cars and trucks. Name things that carry other things and what they carry.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Added 12/4
Historical Facebook
(When the team enters the room, tell them that this will be a verbal problem)
1) You will have 2 minutes to think and 5 minutes to respond.
2) Each of you has 7 cards. After each response, you will place a card in
the box. You will respond in sequence. You may give responses until you
no longer have any cards or until time ends, whichever occurs first.
3) Questions count against your thinking time. You may not skip your
turn, nor repeat, nor pass. If one member of the team is stuck, the team
is stuck.
4) Common answers will receive 1 point. Creative answers will receive 3
points. Highly creative or humorous answers will receive 5 points.
5) Your problem is to give a Facebook status update for a historical
event. For example, you might say: “Christopher Columbus’s status says
he just discovered the new world.”
For Judges Only
1) Provide 35 cards. If you have colored cards or cards that are somehow
marked, that works the best.
2) Looking for unusual responses and always reward humor.