Games to teach present simple and continuous

In pairs, students take it in turns to turn over picture cards and make sentences in the present continuous about what's happening in the pictures. The aim of the game is to find matching pairs of cards. The first student turns over a card and makes a present continuous sentence about the picture, e.

The student then turns over another card. If the activity on the second card matches with the first card, the student makes a present continuous sentence about the second picture, e.

The student then keeps the pair of cards and has another turn. If the two cards don't match, the student turns them back over. The student with the most cards at the end of the game is the winner. Get the Picture. The aim of the game is to be the first player to match all the pictures on their game board with picture cards from the pile.

The first player begins by taking the top picture card from the pile. Then, the next player picks up a picture card and so on. The first player to complete their board with matching pictures wins the game. Guess Who. One student goes first and starts thinking about one of the people on the worksheet. Once the student knows what the person is doing, they move on to ask about what the person is wearing, e.

If the student guesses correctly, they score a point and cross the person off the worksheet. If not, the student who is thinking of the person scores a point and the person from the worksheet isn't crossed off.

The students then swap roles. The student with the most points at the end of the game wins. In this amusing present continuous drawing game, students guess sentences from drawings. The student then draws the sentence on the board.

Team A then has one minute to try to guess the sentence for one point. If Team A hasn't guessed correctly after one minute, Team B can try to answer. Then, a student from Team B comes to the board and so on. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins. Positives and Negatives. In this free present continuous worksheet, students use 20 verbs to complete positive and negative present continuous sentences.

Students begin by finding 20 verbs in a word search and writing them in the spaces provided on the worksheet. After that, the students use the verbs to complete ten present continuous sentences.

The first part of each sentence is negative and the second part is positive. When the students have finished, check the answers with the class. Present Continuous Practice. Here is a useful present continuous tense worksheet for elementary students to use in class. First, students read how to use the present continuous tense and review the structure. Students then read a set of situations and write down what they would say in the present continuous. After that, students complete a set of voice mail messages by writing verbs in brackets in the present continuous.

Students then write their own message about what is happening in the class right now. To finish off, students correct mistakes in sentences and rewrite them. What are they doing? This present continuous activity helps to teach students how to ask what people are doing and reply using the present continuous tense. To begin, students write present continuous sentences, describing what people in pictures are doing.

After that, in pairs, students ask and answer questions about what the people in the pictures are doing. Finally, students take it in turns to ask and answer questions about what other people in the class are doing. What's happening? Here is a useful present continuous board game for elementary students. In pairs, students take it in turns to roll the dice and move their counter along the board.

When a student lands on a picture square, their partner asks them a question about what is happening in the picture, e. In the last exercise, students put words in the correct order to complete the story.

Greetings from Italy! In this present simple and present continuous information gap activity, students write and then ask present simple and present continuous questions in order to complete missing information in an email.

In two groups, students read the email on their worksheet and write the present simple and present continuous questions they need to ask to complete the missing information. Next, students pair up with someone from the other group and take it in turns to ask and answer the questions they have prepared.

The students write the answers in the spaces in the email. When the students have finished, they check their answers by comparing worksheets. Question Time. In this free present simple vs. The students then ask and answer the questions with a partner. In pairs, students look at prompts on cards and write one question in the present simple and one in the present continuous for each one.

The students then take it in turns to ask and answer the questions with their partner. Afterwards, the students share what they found out about their partner with the class. Time for a Review. In this grammar review worksheet, students revise the present simple and present continuous tense. Students start by using phrases to write grammar rules for the present simple and the present continuous.

Next, students look at a set of time expressions and decide which ones are used with the present simple and which are used with the present continuous. Students then move on to answer questions in the present simple or present continuous, according to the time expression used in each question.

After that, students rewrite sentences, correcting the mistakes. In the last exercise, students complete sentences with verbs in their present simple or present continuous form. Which tense? This present simple vs. In two groups, students complete questions on the worksheet in the present simple or present continuous tense using verbs in brackets.

After that, the students pair up with someone from the other group. Chris is chasing the dog. Chris is running really fast but cannot catch the dog.

Chris is crying. When students have finished writing their role play, they will read it out while another team must act out what the narrator is saying.

This is a really fun activity which encourages students to use their imagination, and they will surely make some hilarious scenarios for their classmates to act out. In this fun printable board game students take turns acting out the present progressive word in the game. Download and print this board game and give one to each pair of students. Students will then take turns in placing their eraser at the bottom of the board game and flicking it with their finger.

Board games are a great way to increase student talking time. For more present progressive tense board games, click here. Thanks for reading.

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