Resource Overview
This comprehensive collection of 22 verb games and activities is designed for EFL (English as a Foreign Language) classrooms at A1-B1 levels. Created by Christine Röll, these photocopiable materials make grammar practice engaging and interactive.
Pedagogical Value of Language Games
As explained in the introduction, games are valuable learning tools because they incorporate competition, challenge, and chance, which engage all students and encourage them to try harder. The resource distinguishes between linguistic games (focusing on accuracy) and communicative games (promoting meaningful exchange).
Present Tense Games
- Simple Present Game
- What are they doing?
- Have you ever...?
- Present Perfect (for/since)
Past Tense Games
- Simple Past Game I & II
- When did you last...?
- Simple Past or Present Perfect?
- What happened?
Other Grammar Games
- What is going to/might/may happen?
- Passive Voice Games
- Modal Verbs Games
- Make or Do Dominoes
Types of Games & Activities
1. Board Games (Drills) All Levels
Structure and Rules
Typical Setup: Students play in pairs or small groups with a game board, counters, and dice.
Core Mechanism: Players roll dice, move spaces, and complete language tasks (e.g., conjugate verbs, choose correct tense).
Peer Correction: Other players decide if answers are correct. Wrong answers usually mean moving back a space.
Example: Simple Present Game
Task: Change verbs to correct simple present form
Rule: "If it is not correct, the player must go back one space."
Educational Value: Provides repetitive practice in an engaging, game-based format.
Materials Needed
• Copies of the board game (photocopiable)
• Counters and dice
• Optionally: cardboard backing for durability
2. Communicative Activities A2-B1
Promoting Real Communication
| Activity | Grammar Focus | Communication Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Funny job descriptions | Simple Present for routines | Guessing and creative writing |
| How healthy is your lifestyle? | Simple Present for habits | Personal reflection and comparison |
| When did you last...? | Simple Past + time expressions | Sharing personal experiences |
| Have you ever...? (extended) | Present Perfect + Simple Past | Detailed experience sharing |
Extended Version Tip
For "Have you ever...?" game: "A more challenging version is that the student who answers 'Yes, I have.' provides more details about what happened, when and where using the Simple Past." This combines present perfect (experience) with simple past (specific details).
3. Picture-Based Activities A1-A2
Visual Learning Games
What are they doing at the moment?
Type: Partner work with information gap
Materials: Worksheet A and Worksheet B (slightly different)
Procedure: "Students work in pairs (without looking at each other's worksheet) and explain to their partner what the people on his or her worksheet are doing... students have to discover the differences."
Grammar: Present Progressive for actions happening now
The man on the bench / What happened?
Skills Developed: Observation, speculation, narrative skills
Grammar Focus: Past tenses for storytelling, future forms for prediction
Creative Element: Students use imagination to create stories
Tense-Specific Games
Present Perfect Games
For/Since Practice
Game: "I haven't seen Bert Baxter since..."
Focus: Distinguishing between for (period) and since (point)
Example sentence: "I haven't seen Bert Baxter ___ last Monday."
Recent Actions
Game: "He/she has/they have just..."
Focus: Present perfect for recent actions with present results
Mechanic: Coin flip determines movement (heads=1, tails=2)
Life Experiences
Game: "Have you ever...?"
Focus: Present perfect for experiences
Sample questions: "Have you ever ridden a horse?"
Past Tense Games
Simple Past I
Focus: Mixed regular/irregular verbs
Sample verbs: write, sing, swim, take
Variation: Can be adapted for other tenses
Simple Past II
Focus: Irregular verbs specifically
Educational value: Drills for memorization
Tense Discrimination
Game: "Simple Past or Present Perfect?"
Focus: Choosing correct tense based on context
Challenge: Distinguishing similar time references
Game Distribution by Tense
The collection provides balanced coverage of major grammar areas:
- Simple Present: 4+ games (habits, routines, facts)
- Present Progressive: 2+ games (current actions)
- Present Perfect: 4+ games (experience, recentness, for/since)
- Simple Past: 4+ games (regular/irregular, questions)
- Other: Future, passive, modals, make/do
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