Memory Game for Basic Irregular Verbs (Present and Past Tense)

(TESOL Materials--Irregular Verbs, Past Simple)

Paper Version: docs, pub

Flippity Computer Game: docs, pub, playable link

This is yet another memory game on irregular past tenses.  
I've previously created other memory games on the irregular past tense, but I was preparing a lesson for a new group of learners, and I decided none of my previous games were suitable.  This one was based on a white board grid, and I decided I wanted a more traditional memory card game.

This game, on the other hand, had some lower frequency irregular verbs, and for the group of learners I presently have, I needed something much more basic.

So, I made yet another with very basic irregular verbs.  I made both a paper version, and a flippity version.  I also put the irregular verbs into sentences to try to help my learners understand the difference between present and past tense.

I go to school every day.	Yesterday I went to school.	I drink coffee every day.
Yesterday I drank coffee.	I run every day.	Yesterday I ran.
I come home every day.	Yesterday I came home.	I eat pizza every day.
Yesterday I ate pizza.	I drive to school every day.	Yesterday I drove to school.
I read a book every day.	Yesterday I read a book.	I see my friend every day.
Yesterday I saw my friend.	I sing every day.	Yesterday I sang.
I write a letter every day.	Yesterday I wrote a letter.

Narrative Tenses (Past Tense Forms)

(TESOL Ideas and Worksheets Subdivisions)

[Note: "Narrative Tenses" is a term used by some textbooks to include the past simple, past continuous, past perfect, and past perfect continuous. Narrative tenses are distinguished from the general category "verb forms to refer to the past" because narrative tenses do not contain forms like the perfect aspect--e.g. "I have seen that movie before."]

* A Trip to the Jungle 

* Quizziz for Narrative Tenses

* Narrative Tenses Kahoot

* Garbage Man for Narrative Tenses

* Board Race for Narrative Tenses

* Narrative Tenses Writing Prompt

...see also my indexes for past simple, past continuous, past perfect, and past perfect continuous.

Past Continuous and Past Simple (B1) Kahoot by Richard Barge

This is a Kahoot quiz that I found on past continuous and past simple.  I used it in my classroom, and it worked well.

Garbage Man: Present Passive and Past Passives

(TESOL Worksheets--Present Simple Passive, Past Simple Passive)

Google: docs, pub

For more information on Garbage man, see HERE.  The sentences in this activity come from a previous activity: Passive Forms Crossword puzzle.  And in my class, I used this Garbage Man activity as a warmer at the beginning of class to review those sentences on the subsequent lesson after having done the crossword puzzle the lesson before.

I drink milk.

I drank milk.

I drank two glasses of milk.

The cat catches mice.

The cat caught mice.

The cat caught a mouse.

I wrote a book.

I write books.

I wrote two books.

I kicked the ball.

answers

I drink milk. Milk is drunk by me.

I drank milk. Milk was drunk by me.

I drank two glasses of milk. Two glasses of milk were drunk by me.

The cat catches mice. Mice are caught by the cat.

The cat caught mice. Mice were caught by the cat.

The cat caught a mouse. The mouse was caught by the cat.

I wrote a book. A book was written by me.

I write books. Books are written by me.

I wrote two books. Two books were written by me.

I kicked the ball. The ball was kicked by me.

Here is a memory game (Pelmanism) for the past simple that I made using the Matching Game at flippity.net.: docs, pub, link.

This is roughly the same idea as the Irregular Simple Past Tense Memory Game that I posted 9 years ago.  But it's on a computer instead of cutting up paper, and the vocabulary is based off of the first 25 words on this presentation here. In my class, I used this to supplement Unit 4 Grammar p.70  of Impact 2.

Here is a link to a Kahoot on the past simple that I found useful for my class: simple past by rod.lopezs .

In my class, I used this to supplement Unit 4 Grammar p.70  of Impact 2.

Irregular Verbs: Present Simple to Past Simple: Grammar ESL Listening

(TESOL Materials--Grammar ESL Listening, Past Simple, Irregular Verbs)

Youtube Video: Irregular Verbs: Present Simple to Past Simple: Grammar: ESL Listening, Slideshow: slides, pub, Quizlet: HERE.  This video is based on a Google Slides Presentation I originally posted HERE.  

Famous Landmarks for Practicing Present Perfect and Past Simple

(TESOL Worksheets--Present Perfect, Past Simple, Teacher Training)
Google: docs, pub
Notes: This worksheet has two purposes.  As a student facing worksheet, it can be used to practice the present perfect and past simple.  Students ask each other which famous places they have been to (present perfect for experiences) and then talk about what they did there (past simple for the specific details).
I've also used this same worksheet for teacher training, doing an activity modeled on a workshop I observed a colleague doing.  In order to illustrate the range of control possible in setting up practice grammar activities, this worksheet is used to illustrate a successive number of activities.
1--The trainer supplies the questions and answers (e.g. "You say "Have you ever been to Paris?" and you answer "No I haven't")
2--Trainer supplies the content but not the exact words (e.g. "You ask him if he's been to Paris, and you answer in the affirmative)
3--Trainer supplies the question (e.g. "You ask him if he's ever been to Paris, and you answer whatever is true for you")
4--Participants ask each other if they've ever been to various places on the worksheet, and supply answers that are true for them.
5--Take away the worksheet.  Participants ask each other about various places they have been to.  Their goal is to find places that they and their partner have both been to, and then to compare their experiences there.
Participants usually get sucked into the conversation at stage 5.  After the activity, they reflect on what grammar points they were using in the conversation (usually present perfect and past simple).
The point of the demonstration is to illustrate that grammar practice activities are more enjoyable when they are personalized, and when they have a communicative goal.
All the images were taken from a Google Images search and are not my own.

Board Race: Regular Past Simple Verbs

(TESOL Materials--Past Simple)
Google: slides, pub
[Note: I used this to supplement English World 2 page 112, and it is specifically designed to reflect the verbs used in English World 2 pages 110-111 and 112.  But it might possibly be of use to someone else teaching in a different context.]

History Quiz Simple Questions

I was teaching a lesson on "Questions for asking about Historical Events" (Time Zones 3, Unit 7, Grammar p.68-69).  I was searching for some very easy history trivia questions that my students might now.  This was the best I could find on short notice.

It's available at the link above from https://www.homeschooling-ideas.com/support-files/history-quiz.pdf

I also made a copy in my own google drive. 



There are a few arguable facts here.  (The thing about Nero fiddling is a famous anachronism) , and there are some spelling and punctuation mistakes as well.  But I decided to overlook these, and I found it worked relatively well in my classroom.

In my class, I cut up the questions and answers.  I put the students into teams, and then had them try to match the questions and answers in their teams.  Then we played the Doraemon PowerPoint game as feedback. (drive, slides, pub) 



(I'm posting this on the blog to keep track of the material I've used.  I also am indexing it with my TESOL worksheets, and Past Simple Questions indexes).

Regular Past Simple Verbs Pronunciation Lesson

(TESOL Worksheets--Past Simple, Pronunciation, DELTA Lessons)

Google Drive Folder HERE
Lesson Plan: drive, docs, pub
Slideshow: slides, pub
Pictures of verbs: drive, docs, pub
Regular Past Tense Pronunciation Story and Sorting game: drive, docs, pub
Taboo for regular past tense verbs (for reviewing in the subsequent lesson): drive, docs, pub
The same taboo game as above, but for the verbs in the present simple form: drive, docs, pub
This lesson is connected to the essay: Past Simple
[Notes: Part of this lesson comes from a previous activity--Pronunciation of regular past tense endings.  Also, I later reworked this lesson to use as a CELTA style demonstration lesson, and I have previously posted that reworked version.  However, even though I've delayed posting this lesson online, this lesson here is the original, and the lesson I posted back in December is the reworked version.]

I did have a mother. I know I did

(Grammar Questions I Can't Answer)

So, we continue reading a lot of children's books to my daughter, and my wife (L1 Vietnamese) thinks she found another grammar mistake in a children's book.  (See HERE for the last mistake she found in Green Eggs and Ham.)

This time it's from Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman.  After searching everywhere for it's mother, the exasperated little bird says at one point: "I did have a mother.  I know I did."

"Why is it in the past tense?" asked my wife.  "Shouldn't it be in the present tense: 'I do have a mother, I know I do' ?"

I couldn't really give a good answer to that question.

Interestingly enough, however, my wife also caught that their are two different versions of this sentence.  In the original book, it's in the past tense.  But in the Bright and Early Board Books version of the same story, the exact same sentence is now in the present simple.

Experiences in the Past

(TESOL Worksheets--Projects, Past Simple, Present Perfect)
Google: docs, pub

With your group, think of 10 experiences in the past that you have all shared.

It could be experiences that you have had in this classroom. (For example: “We have all studied English World 6”)  Or it could be experiences that you have had outside of the classroom that you all have in common. (For example: “We have all been to Vung Tau.”) 

Remember to use past simple if the exact time is mentioned. (For example: “We all went to Hanoi last summer.”)

Use present perfect if the exact time is unimportant. (For example: “We have all been to Thailand.”)

Experience 1
Experience 2
Experience 3
Experience 4
Experience 5
Experience 6
Experience 7
Experience 8
Experience 9
Experience 10

Regular Past Tense Pronunciation Lesson

(TESOL Worksheets--Past Simple, Pronunciation, CELTA Style Lesson Plans)

Google Drive Folder HERE
Lesson Plan: drive, docs, pub
Slideshow: slides, pub
Model Text: drive, docs, pub
Picture cards: drive, docs, pub
Card Game--Adapted from https://teachinggamesefl.com/2015/11/22/pronunciation-game-ed/ by Mike Asbury: drive, slides, pub
Update: Online version: slides, pub

Past Simple Versus Present Perfect Board Race

(TESOL Worksheets--Past Simple, Present Perfect)
Google: slides, pub

Past Simple Questions Slideshow

(Movie slideshow Grammar Sections--Past Simple Questions)

Taken from Robin Hood -- Part 15
and Princess Mononoke--Part 1

Presentation only version: slides, pub
Version with example sentences from Robin Hood: slides, pub
Version with example sentences from Princess Mononoke: slides, pub



Version with example sentences from Robin Hood: slides, pub



Version with example sentences from Princess Mononoke: slides, pub

Write Your own Sentence: While + Past Continuous + Past Simple

(TESOL Worksheets--Past Continuous, Past Simple, While, Conjunctions)

Google: docs, pub

In my classes, I used this Slideshow Presentation to cover the grammar in English World 5 Unit 1 p.25.  Because English World 5 was presenting a very rigid form (While+ Past Continuous+ Past Simple) I tried to mimic their form exactly. 

Make sentences using this pattern

While + subject + was/were + Ving + subject + V2

and draw a picture

1.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

2.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

3.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

4.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

While + Past Continuous + Past Simple Scrambled Sentences

(TESOL Worksheets--Past Continuous, Past Simple, While, Conjunctions)

Google: drive, docs, pub

In my classes, I used this Slideshow Presentation to cover the grammar in English World 5 Unit 1 p.25.  Because English World 5 was presenting a very rigid form (While+ Past Continuous+ Past Simple) I tried to mimic their form exactly. 

This is a standard scrambled sentence game.  Before class, the teacher cuts up the cards and shuffles them.  Students are given a blank grid, and the cards, and a glue stick.  In pairs, they must arrange the cards on the grid to make sentences.

There are many different variations possible besides the way I wrote the cards, and I accept as correct any reasonable answer when doing this in class.  In some cases, students who come up with alternative formations will run out of the correct "was" or "were" cards, in which case I allow them to write in the missing word with a pen.

While	he	was	swimming	a shark	ate him
While	he	was	listening to music	the phone	rang
While	we	were	driving to work	we	saw a fire
While	I	was	eating lunch	I	heard the news
While	you	were	sleeping	I	stole your money
While	they	were	watching TV	a lion	came into the house
While	she	was	walking	a dog	bit her
While	I	was	studying	it	started to rain