Was-Were Board Game. A Dynamic Board Game Activity to Learn and Practice English Simple Past – Free Downloadable and printable PDF Included
Was-Were Board Game
Activity Type: ย Readingย andย speakingย activity,ย groupย work
Language Focus: Pastย simpleย –ย verbย toย be was/were
Aim: To review the verb to be in the past simpleย by playing a board game where you give trueย orย falseย answersย to questions. Level: Pre-intermediate Time: 30 minutes
Introduction
In this fun was/were teaching activity, students review the verb toย beย inย theย pastย simpleย byย playingย aย boardย gameย whereย theyย give true or false answers to questions.
Preparation
Make one copy of the game board and cards for each group of three orย fourย andย cutย theย cards outย asย indicated.ย Enlarge the game board to A3 if possible. Also, provide aย diceย andย countersย for each group.
How to Play
- Divideย theย studentsย intoย groupsย ofย threeย orย four.
- Give each group a copy of the game board, a set of true or false cards, a dice and counters.
- Askย theย studentsย toย shuffleย theย cardsย andย placeย themย faceย downย inย a pileย nextย toย theย gameย board.ย Nominateย oneย studentย inย eachย group to keep score.
- Theย playersย placeย theirย countersย onย theย startย square.ย Theย players thenย takeย itย inย turnsย toย rollย theย diceย andย moveย theirย counterย along the board.
- Whenย aย playerย landsย onย aย square,ย theyย pickย upย aย trueย orย falseย card from the pile and look at it, without showing anyone.
- The player then answers the question on the square using ‘was’ orย ‘were’ย byย givingย eitherย trueย orย falseย informationย asย indicatedย on the card.
- When the player has answered the question, the other students askย follow-upย questionsย toย determineย ifย theย playerย isย lyingย orย telling the truth.
- After a few questions have been answered, the other students guess whether the player’s answer is true or false.
- The player then reveals the answer. The students who guessed correctly each score one point.
- Theย nextย playerย thenย rollsย theย diceย andย soย on.
- Whenย aย playerย reachesย theย finish,ย theย gameย endsย andย theย points
- areย addedย up.ย The studentย withย theย most pointsย winsย the game.
- This game can also be played without the true or false element. In this version, when a player lands on a square, they answer the question and talk about their answer for one minute without stopping. If a player can’t think of anything to say, makes a grammarย mistakeย orย stopsย talkingย beforeย theย timeย isย up,ย theyย move back to their previous square or miss a turn. The first student to reach the finish wins the game.
Download the free PDF and introduce this dynamic board game into your ESL classroom today!
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