The digital copy can be read on any device by downloading the free Kindle reading app.

ins.style.display='block';ins.style.minWidth=container.attributes.ezaw.value+'px';ins.style.width='100%';ins.style.height=container.attributes.ezah.value+'px';container.appendChild(ins);(adsbygoogle=window.adsbygoogle||[]).push({});window.ezoSTPixelAdd(slotId,'stat_source_id',44);window.ezoSTPixelAdd(slotId,'adsensetype',1);var lo=new MutationObserver(window.ezaslEvent);lo.observe(document.getElementById(slotId+'-asloaded'),{attributes:true});Do you want even more ideas for an ESL past tense activity that you can use with your students today? Had long had you been waiting for your friend? ins.style.display='block';ins.style.minWidth=container.attributes.ezaw.value+'px';ins.style.width='100%';ins.style.height=container.attributes.ezah.value+'px';container.appendChild(ins);(adsbygoogle=window.adsbygoogle||[]).push({});window.ezoSTPixelAdd(slotId,'stat_source_id',44);window.ezoSTPixelAdd(slotId,'adsensetype',1);var lo=new MutationObserver(window.ezaslEvent);lo.observe(document.getElementById(slotId+'-asloaded'),{attributes:true});eat / ate, if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'eslspeaking_org-leader-4','ezslot_21',191,'0','0'])};if(typeof __ez_fad_position!='undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-eslspeaking_org-leader-4-0')};speak / spoke. In this case, Ill make a variety of questions from the past. The most important part of the English language, the tenses, and their correct use is required if you want to say anything to anyone or write a correct sentence, or express an idea. Then, give students 3-4 strips of paper and they have to circulate around the class, trying to find their match.

Learn how to do this here: Telling a Story, the Better Way for ESL Students.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'eslspeaking_org-banner-1','ezslot_10',130,'0','0'])};if(typeof __ez_fad_position!='undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-eslspeaking_org-banner-1-0')}; Do you want to find out more about teaching irregular past verbs? My name is Mary Chris. Have pairs of students ask each other questions and give answers about a day in the past. Had you seen you Dad before going out to play soccer? The results? Best-selling author and English teacher Jackie Bolen has been talking ESL activities and games since 2015. This is a fun ESL memory game that can be used with students who are just starting to learn past verbs. All Rights Reserved.

If youve used a story to introduce the past tense, then consider this timeline activity to make things a bit more interesting.

Maybe youve been looking around YouTube for a nice video that has a variety of past tense verbs. Learn more here: English Central (ESL YouTube).

Its an ideal partner or group activity. The above downloadable handout is best suited for at, Copyright License: This file is licensed by.

At the end of the activity, you can highlight the past tense verbs.

What does this mean? Have one student pantomime an activity like brushing his teeth or writing and mailing a letter. Then, read it again and students add more to what they got the first time. I usually have the students stand up and mingle with others in the class. My secret is to not buy random cards, or make your own, but check with the publisher of the textbook youre using. Its the start of a conversation with some blank spaces for them to fill in and its often just what they need in terms of support.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thats what makes this activity a natural fit. Then youre going to love this book that you can find on Amazon: 39 No-Prep/Low-Prep ESL Grammar Activities. Their most embarrassing moment or a memory from their school days for example. Then youll certainly want to direct them to these sources for online practice: Teaching the simple past requires a context. The past tense in English, its a classic grammar point that appears in almost every single ESL textbook in publication! If someone else did as well, thats 1 out of 3 (or however many things in common students have to find).

Sounds fun?

I even use these as speaking practice. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. The way that you could use them with the past is by doing a quick review game. ins.dataset.adChannel=cid;if(ffid==2){ins.dataset.fullWidthResponsive='true';} Check it out here: ESL Concentration Game. Sounds fun? For my students, I make my own in just a few minutes that are related to what Ive been teaching in class. Sounds fun?

Wed love to hear from you. Try it out: This is a fun story-making activity that can easily use the past tense. Find out more about this fun past tenses game here: ESL Memory Circle. Then youre certainly in the right place as we have the best ideas for past tense ESL activities and games, along with worksheets and lesson plans. For example: (adsbygoogle=window.adsbygoogle||[]).push({});What did you do yesterday? Or, Ill have statements in the past tense and students have to come up with the correct question. Write a sentence on the board. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. She loves to share her ESL games, activities, teaching tips, and more with other teachers throughout the world. P.S. Have a look here for some of my favourite ideas: Thats a great question and were happy that you asked! YouTube

I hadnt been waiting too long when my Mom got there. For example: var asau='8492401833';var cid='2931817920';var pid='ca-pub-3692742435206561';var slotId='div-gpt-ad-eslspeaking_org-leader-3-0';var ffid=1;var alS=1704%1000;var container=document.getElementById(slotId);container.style.width='100%';var ins=document.createElement('ins');ins.id=slotId+'-asloaded';ins.className='adsbygoogle ezasloaded';ins.dataset.adClient=pid;if(typeof window.adsenseNoUnit=='undefined'){ins.dataset.adSlot=asau;} Check it out: Story Timeline ESL Reading Activity. On your whiteboard write Today on one side of the board and Yesterday on the other. Erase the whole thing eventually and students will have memorized it. 39 No-Prep/Low-Prep ESL Grammar Activities and Games: For English Teachers of Teenagers and Adults 39 No-Prep/Low-Prep ESL Grammar Activities, 39 No-Prep/Low-Prep ESL Speaking Activities for Teenagers and Adults. Heres a quick review of the various past tenses you can use in English, along with some examples for each one. Way back in the Philippines, I have taught English to Koreans and Japanese for about 10 years. Then youll want to check out these ideas for everything you need to know for irregular English verbs. You want to make sets of cards with the verb in the present and then the past. Yes, it really is that easy. The past tense is how we talk about something that already happened in English.

Have groups of students talk about a significant accomplishment in their lives. In many ways, these kinds of activities have a huge advantage over more traditional PPP (presentation, production, practice). Finally, dont forget the teaching tips thatll help you avoid the most common mistakes for each specific activity so that you class can be as awesome as possible. Board games are also ideal for teaching for and since! Learn how here: A fun but challenging ESL activity that works well with the past tense is dictogloss. Thats why I like to use this activity with my students that helps them make past tense sentences. What did you do? Check out these fun, engaging and interesting activities and games for verb tenses right here.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[728,90],'eslspeaking_org-box-3','ezslot_2',184,'0','0'])};if(typeof __ez_fad_position!='undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-eslspeaking_org-box-3-0')}; I love to play board games in real life, and also like to use them with my students because theyre one of the best interactive ESL activities.

If they make a mistake, theyre out and then game continues until one person is left. Leave a comment below and let us know what you think. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. After that are more detailed, step-by-step instructions that tell you exactly what you need to do before, during and after the activity. For example, one student might ask, Did you spill your coffee yesterday? The other would answer, No, I didnt spill my coffee yesterday. This is a great way to practice questions and negative use of the simple past. Whoever can agree with the statement raises their hand and says, Me too! Learn more here: A fun way to teach past tense verbs and help students work on their memory skills is with concentration. What is your best memory from when you were a kid? Facebook If the majority of your class travelled overseas to study English, have them share what they did before they came to the U.S. As a class, brainstorm what makes a day great, and then make another list for what makes a day bad. ESL Warm-Up Activities and Games | ESOL Warmers & Warm Ups, ESL Collocations: Games, Activities, Worksheets and Lesson Plans . A nice way to review past tense verbs is to have students do this group writing activity.

Find (or write your own) passage that includes a lot of past tense verbs.

ESL Games, Activities, Lesson Plans, Jobs & More. More details here about using this activity for teaching past tense: Rocks, Scissors, Paper ESL Review Game. Want to find out more? Wed love to hear from you. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'eslspeaking_org-mobile-leaderboard-1','ezslot_22',160,'0','0'])};if(typeof __ez_fad_position!='undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-eslspeaking_org-mobile-leaderboard-1-0')};Then, print out the cards and cut them up. Then, read it out quickly to your students at a faster than normal pace for their level. List down typical activities in the past tense under Yesterday. Want to know more? She loves to share her ESL games, activities, teaching tips, and more with other teachers throughout the world. LinkedIn For example: I went to ABC middle school.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[728,90],'eslspeaking_org-medrectangle-3','ezslot_26',186,'0','0'])};if(typeof __ez_fad_position!='undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-eslspeaking_org-medrectangle-3-0')}; Its a great way to do some review before a test, or to finish up a class about the past tense in a fun, challenging way.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'eslspeaking_org-medrectangle-4','ezslot_1',126,'0','0'])};if(typeof __ez_fad_position!='undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-eslspeaking_org-medrectangle-4-0')}; p.s. I recommend products (only ones that I like) and if you purchase a product through that link, I earn some money. Become a supporting member and as an immediate benefit, you will see NO ADS.Thank you for your help! They are: If you need a little brush up on English grammar when teaching the past tense, no problem.

When speaking or writing English, we use verbs in the simple past tense to talk about actions, states, or relationships that happened in the past and are completed. Jackie is the author of more than 60 books for English teachers and English learners, including 101 ESL Activities for Teenagers and Adults and 1001 English Expressions and Phrases. If youre looking for some complete lesson plans for teaching the past tense, then these games and activities probably arent going to do it for you. Check out this short video below for even more activities and games that your students will love: For more advanced level students, you may want to try out dictogloss. Not to worry though. After sharing the accomplishment, ask each person to describe what she did leading up to the event. If their partner says no, they can try another sentence, or move onto another person. This ESL game is ideal for reviewing questions and answers in the past tense, especially if you want to mix in some present tense as well to help students differentiate between the two.

You make some questions and then matching answers. Besides working on verb forms, it also covers writing, listening, punctuation, spelling, etc.

An example of an irregular verb is the following: I went to my friends house for dinner last weekend (go>went). Keep on reading for some ESL teaching awesome. However, beginners often struggle as they dont have the vocabulary and grammar framework to say more than a couple of sentences without running into a roadblock. The past pronunciation of one group sounds like [d] and the other like [t]. Or, consider downloading the free Kindle reading app and taking it with you to your favourite coffee shop for some serious lesson planning on the go. First of all, students have to decide if a sentence is correct, or not. Instagram. Jackie is the author of more than 60 books for English teachers and English learners, including Business English Vocabulary Builder and 39 No-Prep/Low-Prep ESL Speaking Activities for Teenagers and Adults. This versatile ESL game is ideal for helping students remember names, new vocabulary, or in this case, grammar. ins.dataset.adChannel=cid;if(ffid==2){ins.dataset.fullWidthResponsive='true';} YouTube If correct, they keep the card and get a point. Once the charade is over, have your students describe each step in the process using the simple past. The way it works is that students, in pairs or groups of 3 write down the alphabet on a piece of paper. To find out more about this style of teaching, along with specific activity ideas, youll want to check out the following: Regular past tense verbs are formed by using suffixes, usually an ed at the end of the verb. Or, keep a copy on the bookshelf in your office to use as a handy reference guide. In this case, youll want to choose a story from the past. TikTok ins.style.display='block';ins.style.minWidth=container.attributes.ezaw.value+'px';ins.style.width='100%';ins.style.height=container.attributes.ezah.value+'px';container.appendChild(ins);(adsbygoogle=window.adsbygoogle||[]).push({});window.ezoSTPixelAdd(slotId,'stat_source_id',44);window.ezoSTPixelAdd(slotId,'adsensetype',1);var lo=new MutationObserver(window.ezaslEvent);lo.observe(document.getElementById(slotId+'-asloaded'),{attributes:true}); Read it again and the students can add more to it. They often make a set to go along with each book. I used to hate cilantro but now I like it. For example: The team with the most words at the end of the allotted time is the winner. 39 No-Prep/Low-Prep ESL Speaking Activities: For Teenagers and Adults (Teaching ESL Conversation and ESL Valentines Day Activities and Games: Have a Fun Holiday Lesson, ESL Transportation Games, Activities, Lesson Plans & Worksheets, Preposition of Place Games for ESL Students | TEFL Preposition Activities, Group Therapy | A Fun First-Day Activity for ESL Students. Copyright 2022 Jackie Bolen + ESL Activities. Instead, check out English Central which is designed specifically for English learners. ), Follow-up game or activity related to the grammar point, 148 Pages - 03/09/2016 (Publication Date). Activities for Kids. Maybe you want your students to listen, and then write down these verbs as a quick warm-up or lead-in. Also be sure to give this article a share on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest.

Then, each activity starts off with a brief overview so that you can see, at a glance whether or not itll work for your class. But perhaps the best thing is that theyre student-centred to the max. Writing about their day is a good way for your students to practice the written form of the simple past.

Either way, get ready for some ESL grammar teaching awesome in your life. If a student misses a letter, they sit down and are out of the game. Facebook For example. For example, I played soccer last night is an example of a regular verb (play + ed). Please comment below and wed be happy to add them!

In this case, youd want to focus many of the errors on verbs and the past tense, although you could also have some mistakes related to punctuation, spelling, etc. I did too.. In this case, youd probably want to focus most of the errors on past tense verbs.

Its usually kind of a throwaway activity, but you can turn it into something way more interesting and useful. What chores did you do when you were young? Students follow the examples and tell the class about what they did today and the previous day. Click below to find out more about the book on Amazon: Do you teach past tense with games, activities, worksheets or something else? Hold up a card to each student 1 by 1. She's taught all ages, levels and kinds of TEFL classes. They have to work together to collaboratively create some fun and interesting stories. The way it works is that students have to say true statements about themselves from the past.

A nice way to drill the past tense, particularly with irregular verbs is to use some drills. All rights reserved.

Here are some of the past tense verbs that students often have a difficult time with: var asau='8492401833';var cid='2931817920';var pid='ca-pub-3692742435206561';var slotId='div-gpt-ad-eslspeaking_org-portrait-2-0';var ffid=1;var alS=1714%1000;var container=document.getElementById(slotId);container.style.width='100%';var ins=document.createElement('ins');ins.id=slotId+'-asloaded';ins.className='adsbygoogle ezasloaded';ins.dataset.adClient=pid;if(typeof window.adsenseNoUnit=='undefined'){ins.dataset.adSlot=asau;} Leave a comment below and let us know what you think. What did you eat? More information can be found here: Use this fun game to review just about anything, including the simple past: A fun way to review spelling and past/present tense verbs is to play the chain spelling game. Jackie Bolen has been talking ESL speaking since 2014 and the goal is to bring you the best recommendations for English conversation games, activities, lesson plans and more. You can find her on social media at: Most native English speakers know this stuff intuitively, but may not be able to explain the ins and outs of it to these English learners.

ins.style.display='block';ins.style.minWidth=container.attributes.ezaw.value+'px';ins.style.width='100%';ins.style.height=container.attributes.ezah.value+'px';container.appendChild(ins);(adsbygoogle=window.adsbygoogle||[]).push({});window.ezoSTPixelAdd(slotId,'stat_source_id',44);window.ezoSTPixelAdd(slotId,'adsensetype',1);var lo=new MutationObserver(window.ezaslEvent);lo.observe(document.getElementById(slotId+'-asloaded'),{attributes:true});flowflew. ins.style.display='block';ins.style.minWidth=container.attributes.ezaw.value+'px';ins.style.width='100%';ins.style.height=container.attributes.ezah.value+'px';container.appendChild(ins);(adsbygoogle=window.adsbygoogle||[]).push({});window.ezoSTPixelAdd(slotId,'stat_source_id',44);window.ezoSTPixelAdd(slotId,'adsensetype',1);var lo=new MutationObserver(window.ezaslEvent);lo.observe(document.getElementById(slotId+'-asloaded'),{attributes:true}); Cut up all the little pieces of paper, separating questions and answers. Have a look: If youif(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'eslspeaking_org-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_15',132,'0','0'])};if(typeof __ez_fad_position!='undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-eslspeaking_org-large-leaderboard-2-0')}; teach kindergarten or elementary school kids, then flashcards hold some serious ESL teaching gold. Or, if you want to increase the difficultly level, then consider saying the present tense verb (eat) and students have to write the past tense form (ate).