TEACHER’S NOTES
WORKSHEETS, ACTIVITIE S & GA ME S Past Tense Talk
Activity Type Introduction
Grammar Game: In this set of irregular verb activities, students play a pelmanism
pelmanism game where they match infinitive and past simple irregular verbs
together. Students then practice asking and answering past simple
Speaking Activity: asking
questions with the verbs.
and answering questions
from prompts, freer Procedure
practice (pair work)
Divide the students into pairs. Give each pair a set of irregular
verb cards. Tell the students to shuffle the cards and spread them
Focus out face-down on the desk.
Irregular verb forms
Students then play a pelmanism game where they take it in turns
Past simple to turn over two cards. If a student turns over a matching pair of
infinitive and past simple irregular verbs, they keep the two cards
and have another turn.
Aim
If the cards do not match, the student turns them back over,
To match infinitive and
keeping them in the same place.
past simple irregular
verbs together and then
This continues until all the cards have been matched. The student
ask and answer past
with the most cards at the end of the game wins.
simple questions with the
verbs.
Next, give each student a copy of the worksheet. Tell the students
to write short answers to the questions in the squares in a random
Preparation
order.
Make one copy of the
irregular verb cards for When the students have finished writing their answers, they
each pair of students cut the worksheet as indicated. Students then work with a new
and cut as indicated. partner.
Also, make one copy of
the worksheet for each Students swap their answer sheets and take it in turns to guess
student. why their partner has written the words or phrases in the squares.
They do this by asking and answering past simple questions.
Level
Example:
Elementary (A1-A2)
Student A has written the word 'a bag' in one of the squares.
Time Student B: Did you bring a bag to class today?
Student A: No, I didn't.
40 minutes Student B: Did you buy a bag yesterday?
Student A: Yes, I did. I bought a new sports bag.
Once the student has discovered what the answer relates to, the
answer is crossed off. Encourage the students to explain their
answers and to find out more information by asking follow-up
questions.
When the students have finished, they report back their findings
to the class.
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IRREGULAR VERBS
WORKSHEETS, ACTIVITIE S & GA ME S Past Tense Talk
Irregular verb cards
bring brought sing sang
buy bought sleep slept
go went spend spent
fall fell stand stood
feel felt think thought
fly flew read read
lose lost run ran
teach taught wear wore
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IRREGULAR VERBS
WORKSHEETS, ACTIVITIE S & GA ME S Past Tense Talk
Write short answers to the following questions. Write your answers in a random order in the
squares below.
• something you brought to class today
• something you bought yesterday
• where you went last night
• the last time you fell over
• how you felt at the beginning of the lesson
• the last time you flew somewhere
• the last thing you lost
• something your teacher taught you in the last lesson
• the last time you sang
• the last time you slept for less than six hours
• how much money you spent yesterday
• the last time you stood somewhere for a long time
• something you thought was true when you were a child
• the last thing you read
• the last time you ran somewhere
• something you wore that you really liked
Answer sheet
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