TEACHER'S NOTES
ESL / EFL RESOURCES Convince Me
Activity Type Introduction
Listening and speaking In this past continuous game, students ask and answer questions
activity, group work about what they were doing at certain times yesterday. This activity
also helps students to practice asking for and giving explanations
with 'because', 'in order to' and 'so that'.
Language Focus
Past continuous Procedure
Asking for explanations Divide the class into groups of three or four.
with 'Why were you...?'
Give each group a set of picture cards and a set of time cards.
Giving explanations with
Go through the picture cards and elicit the various activities.
'because', 'in order to'
and 'so that'. Ask the students to shuffle the picture cards and then deal them
out equally. The time cards should be shuffled and placed face
down in a pile on the desk.
Aim
The first student picks up the top time card from the pile and
To ask and answer past
asks the player on their right what they were doing at that time
continuous questions
yesterday, e.g. 'What were you doing at 6:00 a.m. yesterday?'
about what you were
doing at certain times The player must then choose one of their picture cards, show
yesterday, using cards as the card to the other students and give a convincing answer that
prompts. matches with the time on the card, e.g. 'I was drinking coffee'.
If the answer is appropriate for that time of day, the player can
Preparation discard their picture card.
Make one copy of the If the answer is doubtful, e.g. 'I was studying English', the other
picture cards and time students challenge the player and ask them to provide a convincing
cards for each group of explanation as to why they were doing that activity at that time
three or four and cut as of day.
indicated. Keep the two
sets separate. If the player can provide a reasonable explanation, the picture
card can be discarded, e.g. 'I was studying English, because...'
Level If not, the player must keep the picture card.
Intermediate (A2-B1) The next student then picks up a time card and asks the player on
their right what they were doing at that time yesterday and so on.
Time The first player to get rid of all their picture cards wins the game.
25 minutes
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PAST CONTINUOUS
ESL / EFL RESOURCES Convince Me
Teach-This.com © 2017 Permission granted to reproduce for classroom use.
PAST CONTINUOUS
ESL / EFL RESOURCES Convince Me
6:00 a.m. 7:30 a.m. 9:15 a.m. 10:45 a.m.
11:30 a.m. 12:45 a.m. 1:30 p.m. 2:00 p.m.
3:15 p.m. 4:00 p.m. 5:15 p.m. 6:00 p.m.
7:00 p.m. 8:15 p.m. 9:00 pm. 9:45 p.m.
10:30 p.m. 11:45 p.m. 12:15 a.m. 1:45 a.m.
2:30 a.m. 3:45 a.m. 4:30 a.m. 5:15 a.m.
Teach-This.com © 2017 Permission granted to reproduce for classroom use.
