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Last Updated: September 16, 2021

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 23 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 46,152 times.

Writing is a beautiful thing...especially when you can get both positive and constructive feedback from your audience! Quotev is the perfect place to write a story for a large audience! Intrigued? Read on...

Before you begin writing

• For example, if your character likes to swim, use a swimming pool as the setting of your story.

Beginning to write

• Example of an acceptable author note - "Thanks for reading! I will be on vacation from 7/14/14-7/21/14, so I probably won't be writing. I expect to be back writing about 7/23/14."
• Another example could be - “Thanks for reading! I want a conflict between (character 1) and (character 2) but I am unsure. If you want to, can you give me ideas for the conflict? Thanks!”

Continuing stories

Community Q&A

• Don't get discouraged. Readers hate it when an author stops writing a story because of a troll when the story was actually good! Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
• Take constructive criticism. It will help you become a better author. Some authors actually want the constructive feedback to improve their writing. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
• Read the rules before you write. Reading the rules beforehand may save you from having to re-write a story due to it being taken down. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
• Be careful not to post anything that is against the rules! Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0

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50 fun group writing exercises

Group writing exercises you can do with your writing circle or critique group are a fun ice-breaker and a way to get creative ideas flowing. Read 50 ‘fill in the blank’ creative writing prompts.

• Post author By Jordan
• 6 Comments on 50 fun group writing exercises

‘Fill in the blank’ writing exercises are fun to do in a group. Writing exercises with some set parameters highlight the diverse, interesting ways different writers interpret and respond to the same prompts. Try one of 50 ‘fill in the blank’ creative writing prompts below, and share your creativity in the comments or tag @NowNovel if sharing your version on social media.

The group writing exercises

The first prompt was a prompt for a contest to win a place on our Group Coaching writing course .

Contest prompt

Every year, I’d made a resolution not to ever __ again. Yet by January 20th I’d already __ and __.

Entries were voted on blind by a panel of four from the Now Novel team, and the winner was Ethan Myers with this entry:

Here are 49 more prompts to enjoy and stimulate creative ideas:

Writing exercises featuring scene-setting

On leaving As soon as I turned 18, I left__. It was a town of__and__ .

On arrival I walked through the arched entryway and my jaw dropped. Everywhere you looked there were__. Marco Polo himself could never have imagined__.

The first time It was my first ever flight. I was__. Then a__ sat down next to me, turning to me and asking, “__?”

Compare and contrast My hometown was__. When I got to__, a college town, the first thing I noticed was__.

Use the senses The minute you entered, you could smell __. Paired with the sound of __, it was unmistakably home.

Be specific The home we’d rented for the holidays was neither__ nor__, contrary to the listing. Yet my younger brother was delighted when we found__.

Build a bucket list I’d always wanted to go to__. I’d read so much about its__, though nothing had prepared me for__.

Create a world In the books I had read as a kid, portals were gateways to worlds where __. Yet here, I was surprised to find a__.

Outside/inside Outside, the sounds of__ filled the air__. Yet inside, the 19th Century __was like another world, full of strange __.

FINISH YOUR BOOK IN 6 MONTHS

Stay accountable, in a structured program with writing sprints, coach Q&As, webinars and feedback in an intimate writing group.

Group writing exercises featuring conflict

Lovers’ quarrel We thought it would be a romantic getaway to Rome. Then__. By the end of the day, hot and fed up, we__.

A troubling lookout He climbed the watchtower, yet when he turned to the window, what he saw made him tremble.__.

The duel Many had said that if they were ever to duel, no two could be more equally matched. But what his opponent didn’t know was__.

Alien invasion In alien movies, they always blew up The White House or__. So he hadn’t expected to be toe to toe with an extraterrestrial having a screamed debate about__.

An assassin As the most skilled contract killer in the kingdom, she knew how to__. Yet nobody knew that she__.

Warring nations It started with a trade embargo. Then the president said that our neighbors’ president was a __ with a __. Next thing we knew, __.

Difficult decisions I couldn’t decide whether to__ or to__, but it was 4:45 pm and the last train was leaving in five minutes.

Writing exercises using dialogue

Secrets and lies “I never__,” he said. Yet I knew he was lying because__.

Surprises “Guess what I have behind my back?” she said. “__?” I guessed. “No!” She held out__.

Confessions “I didn’t know how to tell you this … I__.” “I’m glad you told me, now we can__.”

Embarrassing family “Your son is very talented, Mr Jones,” the__ said. “You say that now. You should have seen when he was 9. He__ and we were told that__.”

Thinking aloud “You should__.” “What did you just say?” “Did I just say that out loud? I was thinking about__.”

Know-it-all “Bet you didn’t know__,” he gloated. “Bet you didn’t know__,” I clapped back, full sass.

Bad bard “Shall I compare thee-“ I married a thespian. “Shall I compare you to __?” I rolled my eyes.

Writing exercises using simile and metaphor

Wild reactions His face was as __ as a__ after the bug bite and we were all a bit worried.

Comparing the moon The moon is a__ tonight, its thin crescent glowing like a__.

Making abstraction specific My anxiety is like a__ on the first day of school. A__ with a __.

Sound and simile The first minutes the orchestra was like a __, the music shimmering like __. But in the allegro the principal violinist’s string broke and the conductor__.

Describing emotions Fear is a__ with a__.

Describing the human voice He had a voice like__, like a__ echoing in a __.

Degrees of comparison The mysterious drink they prepared was sweeter than__. But sweeter still was__.

Writing exercises using different POVs

Fugitive I had run all night, adrenaline keeping fatigue at bay. When I saw__ as dawn broke, I knew__.

Collective They had ways of dealing with dissent. If you dared to go against the clan, you would be__, God help you.

The reader as reader You decide to go to the library. You want to read a book about__. The librarian raises an eyebrow as they run the barcode scanner. “__?” They ask, as you blush.

The group as one That summer, we__ until we couldn’t__. We were all in our twenties, and the days were__.

Writing exercise using different moods of the verb

Future perfect tense, indicative mood In several years’ time, she will have changed, our__ changing like__.

Present tense, potential mood “They may change their minds,” the King says, scowling, “or else we may have to__ and__.”

Future tense, subjunctive mood If I should__, then tell everyone I never__.

[See a helpful explanation of verb moods and tenses in Ursula K. Le Guin’s Steering the Craft . ]

Writing exercises from creating blanks in books

Colum McCann – Let the Great World Spin We had a short driveway full of__. If we crossed the road, we could stand on__ and__.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez – Love in the Time of Cholera He had returned from a long stay in Paris, where he__, and from the time he set foot on solid ground he__.

Margaret Atwood, Oryx and Crake Jimmy’s earliest complete memory was of a huge__. He must have been five, maybe six. He was wearing__.

Virginia Woolf – Mrs Dalloway Her only gift was__. If you put her in a room with some one, up went her back like a cat’s; or she__.

Italo Calvino – The Complete Cosmicomics I thought only of the Earth. It was the Earth that caused each of us to__.

David Sedaris – Me Talk Pretty One Day When painting proved too difficult, I turned to__, telling myself__.

Eva Hoffman – Lost in Translation The library is located in a__ street, in an ancient building, which one enters through a__. It is Plato’s cave, Egyptian temple, the space of__.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – Half of a Yellow Sun Richard said little at the parties Susan took him to. When she introduced him, she always added__. But they were pleasant to him; they would be to__.

Ursula K. Le Guin – The Left Hand of Darkness I’ll make my report as if I told a story, for I was taught__.

Colson Whitehead – The Zone The reunions were terrific and rote, early tutelage in the recursive nature of human experience. “__?” the girlfriends asked as they padded in bearing__, and he’d say “__”.

Barbara Kingsolver – The Poisonwood Bible Once every few years, even now, I catch the scent of__. It makes me want to keen, sing,__.

Jorge Luis Borges – Labyrinths He opened a drawer of the black and gold desk. He faced me and in his hands he held__.

Emily Brontë – Wuthering Heights While enjoying a month of fine weather at the sea-coast, I was thrown into the company of a__, a real__.

Find daily writing prompts plus literary device definitions and terms.

Build focus and a steady writing routine, and get help from experienced coaches and editors while connecting with other writers on our 6-month Group Coaching course. Learn more and see what alumni loved.

Related Posts:

• How to find a writing group plus 7 pros of workshops
• Writing exercises: 10 fun tense workouts
• 6 creative writing exercises for rich character
• Tags writing groups , writing inspiration , writing prompts

Jordan is a writer, editor, community manager and product developer. He received his BA Honours in English Literature and his undergraduate in English Literature and Music from the University of Cape Town.

6 replies on “50 fun group writing exercises”

These exercises look like fun!

Sometimes there comes a point when you can’t think of anything worth writing. I guess every writer will know what I mean. But with these templates, I can get some inspiration and share whole stories with my friends.

Thank you, Jordan.

Hi Daisy, I’m glad that you found these ideas inspiring, it’s a pleasure. Thank you for sharing your feedback!

I love these! They’re inspiring (although I want to cheat and use them as-is). Lots of material for future fun 😉

Hi Margriet, thank you! I’m glad you find these writing exercises fun. We can share fill-in-the-blank exercises in the challenge group, that’s another idea.

Thankyou Jordan for these great points.

It’s a pleasure, Dave. Thank you for reading our blog.

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THE HISTORY OF THE COMPANY CREATION

1993 how the construction company remstroy was created   the year 1993 was a period when a lot of construction companies, which had been working successfully during the soviet times and had rich staff capacity, were forced to cease their activity for various reasons. a lot of capable specialists either had to look for another job or change their field. but there were also those who were willing to realise their potential in the field of construction in accordance with the received degree and the experience they had accumulated. thus, in 1993 in elektrostal (moscow oblast) a group of specialists and people sharing each other’s ideas, who had enormous educational background and the highest degree in architecture, organized and registered ooo firm erg which began its rapid development and successful work, offering its service both on the construction market and other areas. 2000 industrial construction is the main area   seven years of successful work have shown that combining different types of activities in the same company is not always convenient. and in the year 2000 the founders of ooo firm erg decided to create and register a monoprofile construction company ooo remstroy construction company. industrial construction was chosen as the priority area. it was in this area that the directors of ooo sk remstroy began their working life and grew as specialists. in order to achieve the set goal, they selected a mobile team of professionals in the field of industrial construction, which allows us to cope with the tasks assigned to ooo sk remstroy throughout russia and the near abroad. 2010 manufacturing of metal structures   we possess modern equipment that allows us to carry out the entire cycle of works on the manufacture of metal structures of any complexity without assistance. designing – production – installation of metal structures. a staff of professionals and well-coordinated interaction of the departments let us carry out the work as soon as possible and in accordance with all customer’s requirements.” extract from the list of members of self-regulatory organizations, construction.

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Geographic coordinates of Elektrostal, Moscow Oblast, Russia

City coordinates

Coordinates of Elektrostal in decimal degrees

Coordinates of elektrostal in degrees and decimal minutes, utm coordinates of elektrostal, geographic coordinate systems.

WGS 84 coordinate reference system is the latest revision of the World Geodetic System, which is used in mapping and navigation, including GPS satellite navigation system (the Global Positioning System).

Geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude) define a position on the Earth’s surface. Coordinates are angular units. The canonical form of latitude and longitude representation uses degrees (°), minutes (′), and seconds (″). GPS systems widely use coordinates in degrees and decimal minutes, or in decimal degrees.

Latitude varies from −90° to 90°. The latitude of the Equator is 0°; the latitude of the South Pole is −90°; the latitude of the North Pole is 90°. Positive latitude values correspond to the geographic locations north of the Equator (abbrev. N). Negative latitude values correspond to the geographic locations south of the Equator (abbrev. S).

Longitude is counted from the prime meridian ( IERS Reference Meridian for WGS 84) and varies from −180° to 180°. Positive longitude values correspond to the geographic locations east of the prime meridian (abbrev. E). Negative longitude values correspond to the geographic locations west of the prime meridian (abbrev. W).

UTM or Universal Transverse Mercator coordinate system divides the Earth’s surface into 60 longitudinal zones. The coordinates of a location within each zone are defined as a planar coordinate pair related to the intersection of the equator and the zone’s central meridian, and measured in meters.

Elevation above sea level is a measure of a geographic location’s height. We are using the global digital elevation model GTOPO30 .

Elektrostal , Moscow Oblast, Russia

European Championship

England’s 26-man Euro 2024 squad: Our writers make their selections

The Premier League season is over and tomorrow (Tuesday, May 21) England manager Gareth Southgate will announce his preliminary squad for the 2024 European Championship.

UEFA ’s decision to allow competing nations to bring 26 players to Germany — up from an initial 23 — should certainly help some of England’s fringe players, but which ones?

We asked five of The Athletic ’s writers to have a think about who they’d like to see on the plane next month when England travel to their base in Blankenhain.

• Euro 2024 news and features
• Euro 2024 fixtures and schedule
• Declan Rice: My game in my words

Jack Pitt-Brooke: ‘Eric Dier could be a valuable part of the group again’

Goalkeepers : Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale, James Trafford Defenders : Kyle Walker, John Stones, Harry Maguire, Marc Guehi, Kieran Trippier, Joe Gomez, Eric Dier, Rico Lewis Midfielders : Declan Rice, Jordan Henderson, Conor Gallagher, Kobbie Mainoo, Trent Alexander-Arnold Attacking midfielders : Jude Bellingham , James Maddison , Phil Foden , Bukayo Saka , Jarrod Bowen , Cole Palmer , Jack Grealish Strikers : Harry Kane , Ollie Watkins , Ivan Toney

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Some of these choices are obvious. There is no point wasting words justifying the inclusion of John Stones or Declan Rice . Expanding the squad from 23 to 26 players is not necessarily helpful for Southgate because he will need to find three more players who will not cause problems for the squad dynamic if they are not regularly involved.

With that partly in mind, Eric Dier should make the squad. He has had a fantastic second half of the season with Thomas Tuchel’s Bayern Munich, proving again that he can cut it at the highest level . Southgate has always appreciated his professionalism, versatility and commitment to the group, which is why the England manager has taken him to two World Cups. He could be a valuable part of the group again in Germany.

The obvious issue is at left-back. Ben Chilwell has not started a game since March 2, Luke Shaw since February 18. Kieran Trippier has filled in there before but has had a difficult season. Tyrick Mitchell is playing well for Crystal Palace , and Levi Colwill has played there for Chelsea , but I have narrowly preferred Rico Lewis there instead. Maybe I have one defender too many, given Trent Alexander-Arnold can play in midfield, but I have taken Joe Gomez , too, partially for his versatility, even if he has had a difficult time recently.

Jordan Henderson has also had a tough season but in a 26-man squad, his experience is vital, even if Conor Gallagher is likelier to start. Kobbie Mainoo is in and the hardest pick was between James Maddison and Eberechi Eze as the creative midfield option. I went for Maddison but, on club form, you would have to say Eze.

Southgate had spoken in March about choosing just one out of Ivan Toney and Ollie Watkins but the upside of taking 26 is that he can have both. The only real issue is out wide where not all of Marcus Rashford , Jack Grealish, Jarrod Bowen and Anthony Gordon can go. Rashford is not playing well enough and I nearly dropped Grealish, too, but changed my mind and took him along with Bowen. Gordon is as unlucky as Eze to miss out.

Michael Cox: ‘I want Jordan Henderson’s experience’

Goalkeepers : Jordan Pickford , Aaron Ramsdale , Nick Pope Defenders : Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kyle Walker , Kieran Trippier, John Stones, Harry Maguire , Joe Gomez, Eric Dier, Ben Chilwell, Rico Lewis Midfielders : Declan Rice, Conor Gallagher, Jordan Henderson, Kobbie Mainoo Attacking midfielders : Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, James Maddison, Raheem Sterling Strikers : Harry Kane, Ollie Watkins, Dominic Solanke

I’m not convinced most managers need 26 players — you end up with too many non-playing squad members around, and lose intensity — but for England, it might be worthwhile. The desire to shift between a back three and a back four means extra defensive options are welcome, the strength in depth means a couple of extra attackers might be worthwhile, and there have been few signs of a happy camp under Southgate.

Most of my vaguely controversial picks are in defence. There’s a need for a no-nonsense understudy for Harry Maguire, and Dier has performed well for a side who reached the Champions League semi-finals. He offers experience and versatility. I’ve never been particularly convinced by Joe Gomez but this season, he has filled in reasonably well at left-back — England’s problem position — and in certain situations, you might want a speedy defender there. Lewis is just a brilliant footballer and could prove useful in various roles. I’d go for Shaw ahead of Chilwell, but he may not recover from injury in time.

In midfield, I want Henderson’s experience and tactical nous, as well as Kobbie Mainoo’s technical ability on the ball .

Further forward, I don’t agree with Raheem Sterling’s international exile. He has almost always performed well for England, has scored more than 100 Premier League goals, offers speed and directness from the left, which England are lacking from elsewhere, and has put together a better season than Rashford or Grealish. Presumably, he’s fallen out with Southgate. Well, he hasn’t fallen out with me, so he’s in my squad.

I would omit Rashford, who I’m not sure is in the right frame of mind, and just about go for Grealish ahead of Gordon. However, I would call both of them up to the larger initial ‘training squad’, and if Gordon was obviously in better nick than Grealish, I would go for him. I’m slightly confused about what Grealish is offering at the moment.

Up front, Watkins surely must be Harry Kane’s understudy. The third choice is unlikely to play much, and is probably an emergency Plan B. I’m not sure Toney is the right character for that job, so I’d go for Bournemouth ’s Dominic Solanke.

But overall, the identities of the 20th-26th players are less important than is often suggested. What counts is the balance of players on the pitch, and that’s where England have more problems.

How England ended their penalty curse - and the unsung hero who spent 18 months planning it

Carl Anka: ‘Ivan Toney has probably played himself out of a squad role’

Goalkeepers : Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale, Nick Pope Defenders : Harry Maguire, John Stones, Joe Gomez, Levi Colwill, Luke Shaw, Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, Midfielders : Declan Rice, Conor Gallagher, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jude Bellingham, Kobbie Mainoo, Curtis Jones Attacking midfielders : Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, Anthony Gordon, Marcus Rashford, Jarrod Bowen, Eberechi Eze, Cole Palmer Strikers : Harry Kane, Ollie Watkins, Dominic Solanke

The expansion to 26 players means less of a headache when approaching England’s left-back problems. Shaw should take on that role eventually, but my plan with this squad is to play the group stage games with Gomez at left-back and forming a back three whenever England are in possession with Maguire and Kyle Walker. Stones will be asked to push up into midfield and form a box midfield with Rice, Gallagher and Jude Bellingham.

Gallagher’s role as the third midfielder next to Bellingham and Rice can be swapped according to taste. The Chelsea man offers combative energy from deep, and has the legs to push forward to serve as an auxiliary playmaker when we want to use a ‘box’ midfield (comprising two defensive central midfielders behind two more attacking ‘No 10s’). If/when Shaw returns and you want to play a more conventional back four, then call upon Mainoo in that slot for his press resistance, Alexander-Arnold for his long passing , or Curtis Jones for ball retention.

Cole Palmer is a more seamless fit into this squad than Maddison and I’m taking Eze over Grealish, while apologising to his Crystal Palace team-mate Adam Wharton and asking him to expect a call in two years.

I fear the left-forward position is trickier than most are forecasting. There is an obvious temptation to put Foden there, but England are better off with one pacy player who can run in behind defences rather than receive to feet. That used to be Rashford or Sterling, but they have looked more static than usual this season. Rashford has looked out of sorts at his Manchester United but one would hope he can conjure up his World Cup 2022 form while reconnecting with England. I’d take him as a counter-attacking contingency plan.

After the most recent batch of internationals, it seemed like Toney had nudged ahead of Watkins in the striker race but a few weeks later and the Brentford forward has probably played himself out of a squad role. In comes Solanke, who might offer a better facsimile of Kane’s centre-forward play than Watkins, who is more of a channel runner than a target man.

With no Henderson, Kalvin Phillips , Mason Mount , Grealish or Sterling, this squad has shed a degree of tournament experience, but England are entering a new era and we have to adjust accordingly. Mr Rice, you will inherit the armband soon enough.

Tim Spiers: ‘There is absolutely no need for the squads to be so large’

Goalkeepers : Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale, Nick Pope Defenders : Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, Luke Shaw, John Stones, Marc Guehi , Harry Maguire, Eric Dier, Joe Gomez Midfielders : Declan Rice, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Conor Gallagher, Adam Wharton, Kobbie Mainoo Attacking midfielders : Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, Cole Palmer, Anthony Gordon, Jude Bellingham, James Maddison, Jarrod Bowen Strikers : Harry Kane, Ollie Watkins, Dominic Solanke

There is a big difference between picking the players you think Southgate should pick and choosing a 26-man squad from a clean slate with myself as manager. For example, I wouldn’t pick Henderson as one of my midfielders, but given the road, Southgate has gone down and Henderson’s importance as a leader in his squad, Southgate should pick him. Make sense? No? Good.

As an aside, there is absolutely no need for the squads to be so large. After the quarter-final stage of the 2022 World Cup, more than 150 footballers (exactly 100 outfield players and a few dozen keepers) had not played a single minute in Qatar. For the sake of the sun loungers in Dubai, let fringe players have the summer off.

That does change the dynamic for Southgate and relieve him of a couple of difficult decisions, particularly in attack. A key factor when choosing the 26 is form. A few months ago, Toney and Maddison would have been nailed down in the squad, but have they both played their way out of contention? On the flip side, do Wharton and Dier, neither of whom any sane person would have picked six months ago, now demand inclusion?

Southgate has proved capable of making tough calls, like dropping old favourites Sterling and Mount — but he doesn’t have the waistcoat here so Adam, you’re on the plane, lad.

That said, Maddison just squeezes in. As in Qatar, he probably won’t play, but if Bellingham were injured or suspended I’d want him in that No 8/No 10 role behind the forward line. I also think he’s a classic ‘good lad to have around the place’. Gomez, Trippier and Alexander-Arnold are all versatile full-back options should Shaw be struggling with fitness. Further forward, the toughest decision was between Eze and Bowen. I went for the West Ham United forward based on versatility and form. If Michael Olise was an option ( he still hasn’t played a senior international for France, just saying ) he would be in there.

Some previously key players, including Rashford, Grealish and Sterling, just haven’t shown the form or fitness to suggest they are capable of hitting their previous heights for England in the next few weeks, so Gordon and Solanke go as in-form players who can make an impact from the bench.

Rob Tanner: ‘Watkins and Solanke have to be the back-ups to Kane’

Goalkeepers : Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale, Nick Pope Defenders : Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker, John Stones, Harry Maguire, Marc Guehi, Joe Gomez, Eric Dier, Rico Lewis Midfielders : Declan Rice, Jordan Henderson, Kobbie Mainoo, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Conor Gallagher Attacking midfielders : Jude Bellingham, James Maddison, Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, Jack Grealish, Cole Palmer, Jarrod Bowen Strikers : Harry Kane, Ollie Watkins, Dominic Solanke

Southgate has one of England’s best-ever pools of talent to call upon — and it’s a good job because injuries and a loss of form will be huge factors in his final decision over the make-up of his final 26.

If everything goes well over the coming weeks the starting line-up to face Serbia on June 16 seems nailed on — Pickford in goal, Trippier and Walker at full-back, the tried-and-tested central defensive pairing of Stones and Maguire, Rice holding the midfield, most likely with Henderson, and Bellingham pushed forward to support a front three of Kane, flanked by Foden and Saka.

The debate is really about who will provide the backup and match-altering options off the bench. After injury-ravaged seasons, full-backs Chilwell, Reece James and Shaw seem to be huge risks but Southgate doesn’t have many options. Elsewhere, Maddison and Grealish are out of form, but are proven performers if they can find their rhythm again.

Versatility will be key to answering some of the questions. Gomez’s ability to play anywhere across the back line should get him a spot, while Dier can cover at centre-back and in midfield. Alexander-Arnold has shown again this season he can play at right-back and in central midfield, with Southgate favouring him in the latter role.

Lewis, 19, is a sensational talent, as is Mainoo, also 19, at Manchester United , while Palmer has enjoyed a brilliant season for Chelsea. If Southgate is picking players on form alone, then Watkins and Solanke have to be the backups to Kane, who has left Germany to receive treatment for a back injury .

Watkins has been Kane’s understudy, but Solanke hasn’t played for England since his debut in 2017. He scored 19 Premier League goals and started all of Bournemouth’s league games this season, aside from the final-day defeat to Chelsea. If he does not get a call-up now, it is hard to imagine him ever figuring in Southgate’s plans. Likewise, Bowen has had a productive season for West Ham with 16 goals and six assists in the Premier League, which should edge him ahead of Rashford in the squad.

(Header photos: Getty Images)

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Benedictine College nuns denounce Harrison Butker's speech at their school

John Helton

Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker speaks to the media during NFL football Super Bowl 58 opening night on Feb. 5, 2024, in Las Vegas. Butker railed against Pride month along with President Biden's leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and his stance on abortion during a commencement address at Benedictine College last weekend. Charlie Riedel/AP hide caption

Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker speaks to the media during NFL football Super Bowl 58 opening night on Feb. 5, 2024, in Las Vegas. Butker railed against Pride month along with President Biden's leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and his stance on abortion during a commencement address at Benedictine College last weekend.

An order of nuns affiliated with Benedictine College rejected Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison's Butker's comments in a commencement speech there last weekend that stirred up a culture war skirmish.

"The sisters of Mount St. Scholastica do not believe that Harrison Butker's comments in his 2024 Benedictine College commencement address represent the Catholic, Benedictine, liberal arts college that our founders envisioned and in which we have been so invested," the nuns wrote in a statement posted on Facebook .

In his 20-minute address , Butker denounced abortion rights, Pride Month, COVID-19 lockdowns and "the tyranny of diversity, equity and inclusion" at the Catholic liberal arts college in Atchison, Kan.

He also told women in the audience to embrace the "vocation" of homemaker.

"I want to speak directly to you briefly because I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you. How many of you are sitting here now about to cross the stage, and are thinking about all the promotions and titles you're going to get in your career?" he asked. "Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world. But I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world."

For many Missouri Catholics, abortion rights means choosing between faith, politics

That was one of the themes that the sisters of Mount St. Scholastica took issue with.

"Instead of promoting unity in our church, our nation, and the world, his comments seem to have fostered division," they wrote. "One of our concerns was the assertion that being a homemaker is the highest calling for a woman. We sisters have dedicated our lives to God and God's people, including the many women whom we have taught and influenced during the past 160 years. These women have made a tremendous difference in the world in their roles as wives and mothers and through their God-given gifts in leadership, scholarship, and their careers."

The Benedictine sisters of Mount St. Scholastica founded a school for girls in Atchinson in the 1860s. It merged with St. Benedict's College in 1971 to form Benedictine College.

Neither Butker nor the Chiefs have commented on the controversy. An online petition calling for the Chiefs to release the kicker had nearly 215,000 signatures as of Sunday morning.

6 in 10 U.S. Catholics are in favor of abortion rights, Pew Research report finds

The NFL, for its part, has distanced itself from Butker's remarks.

"Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity," Jonathan Beane, the NFL's senior VP and chief diversity and inclusion officer told NPR on Thursday. "His views are not those of the NFL as an organization."

Meanwhile, Butker's No. 7 jersey is one of the league's top-sellers , rivaling those of better-known teammates Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.

Butker has been open about his faith. The 28-year-old father of two told the Eternal Word Television Network in 2019 that he grew up Catholic but practiced less in high school and college before rediscovering his belief later in life.

His comments have gotten some support from football fan social media accounts and Christian and conservative media personalities .

A video of his speech posted on Benedictine College's YouTube channel has 1.5 million views.

Rachel Treisman contributed to this story.

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