Conditional Activities – Easy Ways to Practise ESL Conditionals

These conditional activities offer clear, simple ways to introduce and practise the first, second, third, and mixed conditional forms in the TEFL classroom. Many of them work well as speaking prompts, grammar reinforcement, or fun warmers with a bit of imagination. First Conditional Activities Superstitions This matching exercise is a great way to introduce the […]

Past Simple Activities – Games to Teach the Past Tense

Looking for engaging past simple activities to help students practise the past tense? These tried-and-tested classroom games are easy to set up, fun to play, and designed to help learners internalise both regular and irregular verb forms. Was & Were – Kim’s Game I often use the memory game Kim’s game as an introduction to […]

Reported Speech Activities

Crazy Questions This is just a quick exercise to check understanding of reported speech questions. Put some examples on the board: Do you eat bananas in the shower? Do you drive with your eyes closed? Do you wear socks on your head? Are you married to a ghost? Have you ever eaten a lion? Ask […]

Prepositions of position memory game

As well as helping students to remember the names of different items, this memory game (sometimes known as Pelmanism) is also great for practising prepositions of position. Before playing, point at some of the different unturned cards and try to elicit from the students how they could describe the position of the cards. For example on […]

Third conditional wishes photoset

Here’s a photoset designed to elicit third conditional sentences expressing regrets. Each photo shows a non-ideal situation which may now be regretted. Remind your students of the form, ie., wish with past perfect – I wish I had gone to bed earlier, I wish I hadn’t drunk so much wine last night. Then show each […]

Collaborative Crossword Puzzle – Pair-Work ESL Vocabulary Game

Collaborative crosswords, also known as half-crosswords, are an engaging pair-work speaking activity that challenges students to give clues to their partner to help them complete their half crossword. This exercise improves confidence, builds vocabulary, and increases fluency as students find synonyms and get creative in their communication. Collaborative Crosswords and Vocabulary Picture Matching Sheets Now […]

Question of the week

Writing is an area of English teaching which is often neglected. However, it is a vital skill to practise and a fantastic way to observe students’ progress and identify their areas of weakness. Doing writing exercises in class can feel like a waste of good speaking time. Students can write anywhere, but the classroom is […]