TEACHER’S NOTES

WORKSHEETS, ACTIVITIE S & GA ME S Past Perfect Explanations

Activity Type Introduction

Grammar and Here is an amusing past perfect game to play in class.
Speaking Game: giving
explanations from Procedure
prompts (group work)
Divide the class into groups of four.

Focus Give each group a set of cards. Ask the students to shuffle the
cards and place them face down in a pile on the desk.
Past perfect

Giving explanations Demonstrate the game by asking one student to take a card and
read it aloud, e.g. 'I slept in my car all night'.

Aim Ask the other students to think of explanations for the situation
using the past perfect, e.g. 'I slept in my car all night, because
To give explanations for the car had broken down and I was miles from home'.
different situations using
the past perfect tense. Tell the students that they are going to play a similar game in
their groups.

Preparation Students then take it in turns to pick up a card and read the
Make one copy of the sentence aloud to the rest of the group.
cards for each group of
four and cut as indicated. The other students have to each come up with an explanation
for the situation using the past perfect.

Level Each explanation must be different.

Intermediate (B1) Students score one point for each believable explanation they
can come up with.
Time Then, the next student picks up a card and so on.
25 minutes
This continues until all the cards have been used.

The student with the most points at the end of the game wins.

When everyone has finished, go through the situations again and

have the students give some of their best explanations.

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 PAST PERFECT

WORKSHEETS, ACTIVITIE S & GA ME S Past Perfect Explanations

I slept in my car all night. I woke up at 3 a.m.

I smashed my bedroom window. I poured water on my computer.

I jumped into a swimming pool fully

I rode a donkey down the high street.
clothed.

I stood at the bus stop in my underwear. I gave a waiter a $1000 tip.

I ran all the way home from class. I bought everyone in the pub a drink.

I gave 12 red roses to a pretty girl. I quit my job.

I came home and my house was empty. I woke up in a field.

I threw my dinner on the floor. I ran out of the classroom.

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