talking about PAST IN PROGRESS

The title of this post is rather technical but in fact it's quite easy to understand - it actually means using PAST CONTINUOUS. It's usually taught right after PAST SIMPLE and is not the easiest English grammar structure to understand. But here's a nice example how to practice it in a less conventional way. I've found this exercise somewhere on the web but modified it to my own fashion - I'm also using this activity to teach some interesting body language verbs. Enjoy!

VOCABULARY
Can you do those things? Repeat the words after the teacher and do the actions.

blink *  breathe * cough * roll * rub * scratch * sneeze * sniff * stretch * tap * touch * yawn 

SPEAKING
Answer the questions below in full sentences.

• What were you doing when the teacher came in?
• What were you doing before you came to lesson today?
• What was she doing while the teacher was checking the attendance?
• What was he doing while you were answering the teacher's question?

Now it's time for a game. One student is observing his/her classmates for 1-2 minutes. During this time the rest of the class performs one of the actions previously learnt (yawn, blink, rub...). The observer or anybody else isn't allowed to speak. After a minute or two the teacher says STOP and asks the observer the question: What were you fellow students doing when I said STOP?

The observer must then name all the actions his classmates were performing using PAST CONTINUOUS, e.g She was tapping her finger. He was rubbing his neck. The more correct answers he/she gets, the more points he/she earns. The game is repeated with few more students. It's a good idea for the teacher to take part in the miming too.  

using LINKING WORDS

Here's a nice an entertaining way to practice linking words. I tend to use it with every beginner group and find it very enjoyable and yet educational. I found it a long time ago on one of the ESL web pages and modified it to fit well to my students abilities. This particular version practices SO, AND, BUT and BECAUSE, but it will work great with more advance ones like IN SPITE OF, AS, THEREFORE, WHEREAS etc.

SPEAKING

For this game you need a coin and pieces of paper with sentence entries. Each student throws the coin. If the coin shows HEADS they should finish their entries with sentences beginning with SO and BUT, if the coin shows TAILS they should finish them with AND and BECAUSE. Each sentence must be finished twice.

HEADS - so, but

TAILS - because, and

e.g. 
She isn't married BUT she has got a boyfriend.
She isn't married SO she spends a lot of time with her friends. 

Here are some examples of entries that you may use.

• I'm tired
• There is nothing on television tonight
• This is a very angry dog
• My father is a lawyer
• I can't ride a motorbike
• We haven't got anything to eat tonight
• I didn't have breakfast today
• She's taller than me 
• He has got a beautiful girlfriend
• My favourite colour is yellow
• That restaurant is very expensive
• We have an exam tomorrow
• She's unhappy
• I love travelling
• Tigers can’t fly
• There are four chairs in the classroom
• My sister’s hobby is fashion
• I haven’t got any money
• They wake up very early at weekends
• Police officers must be brave
• I have got long hair
• Italy is warmer than Denmark
• I’m late for work
• This woman can sing well
• Bill Gates is the richest American
• She’s single
• My boss drives a fast car
• I don’t drink milk
• My friend speak German
• She hasn’t got a mobile phone
• These brownies are delicious
• I’m not rich
• English is easy
• Professional basketball players can jump high
• Our cousin has got a pet rabbit
• He is at a hospital now
• There are some oranges in the kitchen

HAVE YOU EVER...?

PRESENT PERFECT is not the easiest tense for students to comprehend. The difficulties start with the understanding of the usage. And of course there's the past participle... However there are some nice exercises helping to practice the grammar principles in a fun way. Here are two ways to introduce and practise HAVE YOU EVER...? questions

GRAMMAR

Asking about life experience you may use HAVE YOU EVER...? questions.

Have you EVER eaten sushi?

Yes, I have.

No, I haven't.

No, I have NEVER eaten sushi.

Has she EVER had a boyfriend?

Yes, she has.

No, she hasn't.

No, she has NEVER had a boyfriend.

SPEAKING

Ask the students to write up to five different Have you ever...? questions that they will later ask to five different classmates. Encourage not to be shy to ask some crazy questions.

SPEAKING

Prepare two sets of cards. One saying TELL THE TRUTH, the other saying TELL A LIE. Put them on a table face down. 

Tell the Truth

Tell a Lie

Divide the class into two opposite teams. A person from team one then takes one card not showing it to anyone. The teacher then asks him/her a random Have you ever...? question. The student has to answer according to the instruction on the card he/she chose, i.e. if the card says to tell the truth the student must answer according to his true experience. but if it says to tell a lie, the student must lie.

The members of the opposite team then decide if the students told the truth or lied. If their answer is correct, they get one point.

EXAMPLES OF QUESTIONS YOU MAY ASK

• Have you ever cheated on an exam?
• Have you ever won some money in a lottery?
• Have you ever gossipped about your best friend?
• Have you ever worn glasses?
• Have you ever forgotten your mum's birthday?
• Have you ever slept on a beach?
• Have you ever seen a ghost?
• Have you ever worn a pink mini skirt?
• Have you ever fallen from stairs?
• Have you ever broken your arm?
• Have you ever been in a fist fight?
• Have you ever been on TV?
• Have you ever had a boyfriend/girlfriend from another country?
• Have you ever been in a car accident?
• Have you ever eaten insects?
• Have you ever gone skiing?
• Have you ever written a poem?
• Have you ever made brownies?
• Have you ever met anyone famous?
• Have you ever ridden  a camel?
• Have you ever climbed a mountain?
• Have you ever told a lie?
• Have you ever took part in a flash mob?
• Have you ever milked a cow?
• Have you ever sung in a shower?
• Have you ever fainted?
• Have you ever fired a gun?
• Have you ever travelled without paying for a ticket?

talking about ADDICTIONS

Time for something serious! Let's talk about addictions. Everybody is hooked on something - some to cigarettes or gambling, some to chocolate or video games. It's worth to explore the subject with the students. Hope you enjoy the lesson I've prepared.

WARM-UP

What are some of the most popular addictions? Give examples.

_____________________   _____________________   _____________________   

_____________________   _____________________   _____________________   

What are you addicted to?

LISTENING

Listen to people talking about their addictions and fill in the missing information in the sentences below. http://www.elllo.org/english/Mixer051/T068-Addiction.htm

ARIENNE, NORWAY - What am I addicted to? Unfortunately, I'm addicted to _____________, which is really bad because _____________  are very bad for everyone's body and health basically. times.

JEFF, CANADA -  I'm addicted to _____________, physical activity.

FRED, CANADA - What am I addicted to? Well, I believe I am addicted to going to the __________ everyday.

KEVIN, KOREA - Oh, I'm addicted to _____________.

REKY, INDONESIA - I'm addicted to _____________.

REBECCA, AUSTRALIA - What am I addicted to? I am addicted to __________.

Answer the following questions about the interview.

1) Why is it easy for Arienne to quit smoking in Norway? 

a) cigarettes are really expensive          b) there are many places you can't smoke

2) How often does Jeff need physical exercise? 

a) Basically every day                          b) A few times a week

3) Why does Fred go to the gym? 

a) To get big muscles                           b) To reduce stress

4) What does Reky do every Monday? 

a) Homework                                       b) Watches “Heroes”

5) Two people are addicted to __________. 

a) exercise        b) television      c) smoking

ADDICTION VOCABULARY AND IDIOMS

to be (get) hooked on – to be addicted, e.g. She is hooked on gambling.

compulsive -  addicted, unable to stop doing sth, e.g. She is a compulsive shopper.

to be dependent (on) – addicted to, e.g. He is dependent on alcohol.

to kick a habit – to stop or break the habit, e.g. He smokes, but he wants to kick the habit.

to overcome an addiction – to manage to stop the bad habit, e.g. It is difficult to overcome  an addiction.

• What are you hooked on?
• Have you ever kicked the habit?

VIDEO

Watch the video and fill in the blanks in the text below  with words given.

http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/my-strange-addiction/videos/addicted-to-looking-like-justin-bieber.htm

ADDICTED TO LOOKING LIKE JUSTIN BIEBER

about * bangs * cars * jealous * money * open * right * smile * successful * surprise

TOBY: My name is Toby, I’m 33 and I’ve spent ¹_______ a 100,000$ to achieve my perfect Justin Bieber look. Some people buy fancy ²_______ or fancy mansions and what I do with my ³_______  I get surgery to look more like Justin Bieber.

When Justin Bieber got famous I was so ⁴_______  of his good looks. He had this baby face that I just really liked.  It was like “Damn, that’s what I wanna look like!” , you know.

TOBY’S FRIEND: He told me ⁵_______  away that was the emphasis for his new looks. But he’s never been a particular Justin Bieber fan so that was a bit of a ⁶_______.

TOBY: I had various hair transplants done to get his full ⁷_______  and his hairline. I also had a filler added under the brows, skin removed under upper eyelid to get his bright ⁸_______ eyes. I had surgery on my upper lip, my lip corners and  my lower lip to  get his perfect ⁹_______. I also had my chin reduced to get the facial structure that he has. I can definitely look back and say that all those surgeries they were really … like… really ¹⁰_______.

DISCUSSION POINTS

• Give examples of some other unusual addicions. 
• Why do you think people become addicted to things? 
• Are all addictions bad?
• Are addicts weak people? How can we help people overcome addictions?
• Are there any new addictions?

Decide which of the addictions below are the worst and discuss how to treat them

	DRUGS	…………………………………………………………………...
	GAMES	…………………………………………………………………...
	SHOPPING	…………………………………………………………………...
	CIGARETTES	…………………………………………………………………...
	FAST FOOD	…………………………………………………………………...

talking about HOUSEWORK

I've noticed a funny thing today - it's the middle of January but most of my lady neighbours are busy doing the spring cleaning. Well, the weather sure does encourage this sudden outburst of  housework fever. It inspired me to share some exercises about CHORES. You may use this subject to practice PAST CONTINUOUS tense in a less conventional way, however in that case a short revision before actually doing the exercises would be required.

VOCABULARY

Tick the housework that are your responsibility in your household.

___ clean windows  ___ dust  ___ fold towels ___ hang laundry (on clothes line) ___ iron   ___ make bed ___ repair clothes ___ mop the floor ___ polish furniture

___ scrub the floor  ___ sweep the floor  ___ take the rubbish out / empty trash bin ___ tidy your room ___ vacuum / hoover the floor  ___ wash clothes / do laundry / do the washing  ___ wash the dishes / do the washing up / do the dishes

VOCABULARY

to build up – to increase or grow by adding

to crouch – to be on your knees close to ground

to gross somebody out – to make sb feel disgusted

messy - untidy

mud – wet ground

progressively – increasing bit by bit

time consuming – taking a lot of time

a workout – physical exercise

Fill in the blanks in sentences with new words.

1.    I had to ¹_______________down to get my keys from under the table.

2.    I got really fat nowadays. I think I need some good ²_______________.

3.    Travelling by bus is very ³_______________ I’ll go there by car.

4.    My washing machine is broken so the laundry keeps ⁴_______________.

5.    I haven’t got time to finally clean this ⁵_______________ bedroom.

6.    Take off your dirty shoes! You’re bringing ⁶_______________ into the house!

7.    The smell of boiled milk ⁷_________me ___________. I hate it!

8.    You’re getting ⁸_______________ better with your English.

LISTENING

Listen to a dialogue and answer the questions below.

http://www.elllo.org/english/1251/1288-Josh-Todd-DislikedChores.htm

1. Which of the chores Josh doesn’t like?

a. Doing laundry                       b. Washing dishes

2. How does he feel about cooking?

a. He loves it.                           b. He can’t stand it.  

3. Why doesn’t he like dusting?

a. Because it’s boring.              b. Because of his allergies.

4. Where does the dust come according to what Josh says? 

a.  Dirt                                     b. Dead skin

5. Why does he enjoy mowing the lawn?

a. Because he can get suntan. b. Because it’s a good workout

6. What’s wrong about pulling the weeds?

a. They come back                   b) Your face gets dirty

Which chores are mentioned in the conversation. Tick the ones you hear.

___ cooking ___ dusting ___ hoovering ___ ironing clothes

___ moping the floor ___ mowing the lawn ___ pulling weeds ___ sweeping the floor

___ taking out the trash  ___ washing clothes ___ washing dishes ___ watering the grass

VIDEO

Watch a video and correct the mistakes in the sentences if necessary.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekyfHNc4G4Y&feature=related.

MR BEAN’S SPRING CLEANING

•  Mr Bean was using his teddy bear to clean the kitchen floor.
• He was trying to push the laundry into the washing machine.
• He was hanging the laundry on a clothes line on his balcony.
• He was looking at himself in the mirror.
• Mr Bean was polishing the door knob.
• He was wearing diving goggles.
• Mr Bean was smelling a very old fish bone.

Now watch the video again and note as many other Past Continuous actions of Mr Bean or Teddy as you can:

1. …………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. …………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. …………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. ………………………………………………………………………………............................

talking about FOOD PREPARATION

A while ago I came across an interesting game to practice PRESENT CONTINUOUS in the context of food preparation. It works beautifully as a food vocabulary revision. It also proves to be a fun drill helping students to remember PRESENT CONTINUOUS sentence structure better. Have fun!

WARM-UP
You may want to start with a short revision of names of different food to make sure the students won't have any problems with the vocabulary. One easy and entertaining way is to make riddles, e.g. 
- It's a round vegetables. You cry when you cut it.
- It's a small round fruit. People make wine with it.
- It's sweet and good for your teeth, You may use it when you haven't got a toothbrush around.
- It's a warm meal made of water and vegetables. You eat it with a spoon.
etc.

VOCABULARY
Which of the words match best with the verb given? Circle one word in every line.

1.       PEEL	Ò	a banana * a strawberry * rice
2.       CUT	Ò	milk * chewing gum * an orange
3.       BREAK	Ò	a potato * an egg * apple juice
4.       OPEN	Ò	wine * a carrot * a salad
5.       DRINK	Ò	a watermelon * water * bread
6.       EAT	Ò	a sandwich *  tea * hot chocolate
7.       MAKE	Ò	grapes * a cake * an apricot
8.       COOK	Ò	macaroni * a lollipop * ice cream
9.       MIX	Ò	soup * a cherry * a tomato

SPEAKING

The rules of the game are simple. Prepare cards with PRESENT CONTINUOUS sentences on them (you may use the examples in the table below or make your own). Put them on a table face down. One of the students takes one card and using gestures and body language tries to convey the message to the rest of the class. A point is granted when the class guesses and says the whole grammatically correct sentence as on the card. You may play it in two team or just have fun with the whole class.

You are peeling a banana.

She is drinking apple juice.

You are cutting bread.

Baby is drinking milk.

Teachers are eating apples.

You are making a cake.

You are cooking macaroni.

I am eating a sandwich.

You are breaking an egg.

We are eating rice.

You are eating a lollipop.

I am eating chewing gum.

A man is opening wine.

You are eating grapes.

He is peeling an orange.

You are buying a watermelon.

Children are eating an ice cream

I am eating soup.

She is mixing a salad.

NOTE

It's a good idea to make a brief revision of PRESENT CONTINUOUS prior the game. You may for example ask the students what their classmates are doing at the moment or ask the following questions to some of the students:

• What is your father/father doing now?
• what is your brother/sister doing now?
• What is your best friend doing now?
• What is your teacher doing now?
• What is your boss doing now?
• What is your neighbour doing now?
• What is your boyfriend/girlfriend doing now? etc.

asking questions in PRESENT SIMPLE

While presenting the principles PRESENT SIMPLE, teachers take this opportunity to introduce wh-questions to the class. One of the most common grammar exercise to master the subject is of course classical asking questions about particular (underlined) parts of a sentence. Let me show you a fun alternative or addition to it - a good old-fashioned tic-tac-toe.

SPEAKING

The class is divided into two teams. One team is a cross (x), the other is a circle (o). They are asked to put their symbol in a diagram below which may be drawn on the board. To do that they need to make a Present Simple question using a word/phrase in a space they have chosen. If their sentence is correct, they may draw their symbol in a chosen place. In addition you may ask the students to answer the questions they create.

What?	Where?	How?
Why?	How often?	Whose?
How much?	Who?	When?

The aim of the game is to get a sequence of three same symbols in a horizontal, vertical or diagonal line. the team which does it first is a winner. Look at the example.