Find Parts of Speech of Words in a Sentence

Level:Any Level

• Prepaire cards with parts of speech. Give these to your students.
• Write the sentences on the board.
• Ask your studnets to find parts of speech of words in the sentences.
• You can divide the class into teams to make the games more fun.

Example: Your sentence:

Ball Game

Level:Any Level

Students stand up in a circle around the teacher. A ball is tossed to a student and the teacher asks a question, e.g.: "Say a color". The student then responds and throws the ball back to the teacher. The teacher then throws the ball to another student and asks another question. For higher levels, you can ask such questions like "Give me the past participle of an irregular verb". This is a fast game, and it is great for reviewing vocabulary.

Acting Adverbs

Level: Easy to Medium

This activity is a great way to introduce the idea of how adverbs affect the way a verb action is done. Divide the blackboard in two and write as many verbs on one side and as many adverbs on the other as you can (get the class to come up with them). At this stage you can also teach how adjectives 'turn into' adverbs by writing down adjectives e.g. angry, happy, and adding the 'ily'. Then divide the class into two teams and perhaps give them goofy team names (I find they enjoy giving each other names). Then get one team to choose a verb and adverb combination and the other team has to act it out, e.g. talk crazily.

Prepositions Game

Level: Medium to Difficult

Prepare a text that contains prepositions. Take out the propositions and print them on a separate sheet, then cut this sheet so that each preposition is on a piece of paper, then put all of them in an envelope. Divide the class into groups and give each group an envelope. Tell the students that you are going to read a text and whenever you raise your hand they should bring a suitable preposition and put it on your desk and that the fastest team would get points. Read the text with each groups' order and cancel a point for each mistake. Finally read the text with correct prepositions. You can play this game with adj as well as a, the and an.

Associations Using the Subjunctive Mood

Level: Medium to Difficult

This game is very useful to teach the subjunctive mood. All your students take part in this game. One of the students goes out of the room. All the rest think of one student (he or she should be present). The student who went out of the room comes in and asks "If this person were a vegetable (fruit, sweet, animal, car, nature, flower, city etc) what vegetable (fruit, sweet, animal etc) would he be?" One of the students answers in a full sentence: "If he were an animal he would be a dog" for instance. After some questions and answers the student who is asking the questions should guess who it is and the game begins again with another student going out of the room.

Present Continuous Videos

Level: Any Level

I've used this activity in just about every class I've ever had, it's suitable for any age group and any level but the best thing about it is that it requires almost no preparation. You'll need a video. I usually use Mr Bean but anything will do as long as it isn't dialogue heavy and has a lot of action. The students will need a piece of paper and a pen. Arrange students in two rows and seat them back to back so that the video can be seen by one row (watchers) but not by the other (writers). Explain to the watchers that they are to describe the action taking place on the screen using the present continuous; they can also describe clothing, people, anything really but try to keep the focus on the action. The writers have to listen carefully to the watcher sitting behind them and write down as much information as they can. Keep this going for about five or ten minutes (or as long as a Mr Bean sketch) then get them to swap chairs and play a different sketch/segment for the new row of watchers. Put the students into two groups according to row. They must now pool their notes and create their own version of events.

Village Fair

Level: Easy to Medium

Aim: To practise interrogatives; suggestions; acceptance; refusal etc.

Each student decides what wares he is carrying to market to sell. Also what he wants to buy to take home.

Melee': Students move around classroom trying to sell their wares; haggling over prices, quantities etc.

They use language such as How about...?; Could you make that...?; That's a deal; No deal etc. End of 10 minutes all students report to rest of class what sales they made, what they couldn't sell and what they bought. Depending on the proficiency of the class, language help may be provided at the beginning.

Bingo! (with irregular verbs)

Level: Easy

The teacher prepares a 5x5 grid with 25 irregular verbs in the past tense in each square. Make enough variations of these grids so each student has one that is slightly (or very) different. The teacher then calls out the verbs in their present tense form until a student gets five in a diagonal or horizontal row. Bingo! While it may seem time-consuming to make the grids, they can be used over and over. This game is received very enthusiastically because often, students are already familiar with it. It is great as a warmup activity and can have many variations (past-participle, time of day, vocabulary).