Academic English Worksheets, Activities and Games

Help students analyse a case by identifying who a decision affects and explaining how different groups may benefit or lose out. Students discuss their interpretations and draw on details from the case to write a short analysis.

Academic focus: Stakeholder perspectives, supporting reasons and paragraph writing.

Help students make academic writing more precise, balanced and concise. These EAP worksheets and games guide learners through revising claims, choosing an appropriate register and connecting ideas while preserving the original meaning. Students apply the language in sentence and paragraph tasks, with opportunities to compare revisions and give peer feedback.

Academic focus: Hedging, neutral tone, limiting generalisations, concision, signposting, nominalisation, reporting verbs and impersonal subjects.

Resource types: Worksheets, claim-sorting games, sentence and paragraph rewriting, guided discussion and peer review.

Levels: Intermediate (B1) to upper-intermediate (B2).

Build familiarity with the first two sublists of the Academic Word List through focused vocabulary worksheets. Students explore meanings, related word forms and how academic words work in context. Reading passages, sentence work and revision tasks provide repeated practice with the word families in each sublist.

Academic focus: AWL Sublists 1 and 2, word families, meanings and contextual use.

Resource types: Vocabulary worksheets, matching, sentence ordering, gap-fills, word-form changes and sentence rewriting.

Organisation: Organised by AWL Sublist 1 and Sublist 2, rather than CEFR level.

Develop clear explanations of why something happens and what follows from it. These cause-and-effect essay worksheets and activities take students from linking individual ideas to planning paragraphs and complete essays. Learners compare organisational structures, discuss possible connections and use signal language to make their reasoning easier to follow.

Academic focus: Cause-and-effect relationships, signal words, paragraph development, block and point-by-point essay organisation.

Resource types: Worksheets, planning tasks, group discussions, outline presentations, paragraph and essay writing, and peer review.

Levels: Intermediate (B1) to upper-intermediate (B2).

Help readers follow an argument from one sentence to the next. These academic writing worksheets and activities develop the language choices that connect ideas within and between paragraphs. Students examine examples, explain their choices and revise writing to clarify references, maintain focus and show logical relationships.

Academic focus: Logical connectors, lexical chains, parallel structure, reference words and bridge sentences.

Resource types: Worksheets, text analysis, matching, gap-fills, sentence and paragraph rewriting, and peer feedback.

Levels: Intermediate (B1) to upper-intermediate (B2).

Help students use words together naturally in academic contexts. This collection combines Academic Collocation List practice with speaking tasks and games that encourage learners to explain ideas using the target combinations. Materials range from study-related expressions to collocations for research writing, allowing teachers to select an appropriate level of challenge.

Academic focus: Academic word combinations, study-related verb-noun collocations and research-writing expressions.

Resource types: Worksheets, matching and memory games, quizzes, board games, discussions and paragraph writing.

Levels: Pre-intermediate (A2) to advanced (C1).

Move beyond listing similarities and differences to organising a clear comparison. These EAP worksheets, games and activities help students choose useful criteria and develop them in paragraphs and essays. Learners work with comparison matrices, model texts and linking language before planning and writing their own responses.

Academic focus: Comparison criteria, similarity and contrast signals, block structure and point-by-point organisation.

Resource types: Worksheets, discussion games, comparison matrices, essay-ordering tasks, outline and essay writing, and peer feedback.

Levels: Intermediate (B1) to upper-intermediate (B2).

Help students decide when and how to acknowledge a source in their coursework. Pairs use an academic integrity checklist to discuss ten scenarios, explain borderline cases and write advice for a student.

Academic focus: Source use, academic integrity and explaining decisions.

Resource type: A scenario-based reading, discussion and writing activity.

Level: Upper-intermediate (B2).

Encourage students to question how well a claim is supported. These critical thinking worksheets, games and activities explore facts, opinions, bias, evidence and flaws in reasoning through academic scenarios and text analysis. Learners explain their judgements and compare interpretations rather than simply identifying a correct label.

Academic focus: Facts and opinions, evidence reliability, bias, inference and logical fallacies.

Resource types: Worksheets, scenario discussions, evidence-ranking tasks, argument auctions, bingo and explanation games.

Levels: Intermediate (B1) to upper-intermediate (B2).

Prepare students to build an argument and respond thoughtfully to an opposing view. These academic debating resources combine useful language with structured practice in arguments, counter-arguments and rebuttals. Short debates and rotating roles give learners opportunities to speak, moderate and evaluate contributions from different perspectives.

Academic focus: Argument structure, supporting explanations, agreement and disagreement, rebuttals, counter-arguments and logical fallacies.

Resource types: Worksheets, mini-debates, strategy-card games, argument planning, rebuttal presentations and academic debate reading tasks.

Levels: Intermediate (B1) to advanced (C1).

Help students examine different perspectives before reaching a reasoned conclusion. These discussion essay worksheets and activities connect idea generation with balanced paragraph development and essay organisation. Learners discuss issues, work with model structures and collaborate on writing before reviewing how clearly the different viewpoints fit together.

Academic focus: Balanced arguments, alternative perspectives, essay structure, cohesion and language for widely held beliefs.

Resource types: Worksheets, model-essay analysis, brainstorming, collaborative paragraph and essay writing, discussions and peer feedback.

Levels: Upper-intermediate (B2).

Give students sustained practice exploring ideas with classmates. These EAP discussion activities and games use reading texts, topic vocabulary and questions to support conversations about education, society, technology and other issues. Learners explain opinions, respond to different views and, in selected tasks, present the ideas developed by their group.

Academic focus: Topic vocabulary, expressing and developing opinions, impromptu speaking and participation in group discussions.

Resource types: Reading-led discussions, vocabulary matching, question prompts, a discussion board game and group presentations.

Levels: Intermediate (B1) to upper-intermediate (B2).

Build the interaction skills students need to take part in academic discussions. These EAP resources introduce language for expressing opinions, responding to others and keeping a conversation moving. Guided practice, role-plays and timed discussions give learners opportunities to apply the expressions as participants and discussion leaders.

Academic focus: Opinion exchange, disagreement, interaction techniques, hesitation expressions and leading discussions.

Resource types: Worksheets, phrase matching and categorising, dialogue preparation, rapid-fire discussions, role-plays and a facilitation game.

Levels: Intermediate (B1) to upper-intermediate (B2).

Teach the foundations of a clear, well-organised academic essay. These essay writing resources cover introductions, body paragraphs and conclusions alongside outlines, academic style and sentence accuracy. Students examine how the parts work together, develop their own writing and practice giving feedback on content, organisation and language.

Academic focus: Essay structure, thesis statements, paragraph development, cohesion, academic style, hedging and sentence errors.

Resource types: Worksheets, outline and essay writing, running dictation, matching games, error correction and peer review.

Levels: Intermediate (B1) to upper-intermediate (B2).

Help students bring source material into their own academic arguments. These EAP worksheets and activities move from identifying useful evidence to combining ideas from several texts in a coherent paragraph. Learners practice synthesis, citation and explanation so that sources support a point rather than appearing as an unconnected list of quotations or facts.

Academic focus: Source synthesis, claim-evidence-reasoning, citations, quotations, data commentary, evidence evaluation and research gaps.

Resource types: Worksheets, source comparison, evidence tables, sentence revision, synthesis paragraph writing and peer feedback.

Levels: Upper-intermediate (B2).

Explore how communication expectations can differ in academic settings. These intercultural communication resources use scenarios, discussion and role-play to help students consider misunderstandings and possible responses. Learners compare direct and indirect styles, explain perspectives and practice language for working through disagreements respectfully.

Academic focus: Communication styles, academic cultural expectations, intercultural misunderstandings and strategies for resolving them.

Resource types: Worksheets, scenario analysis, role-plays, group problem-solving, presentations, Find Someone Who activities and vocabulary bingo.

Levels: Intermediate (B1) to upper-intermediate (B2).

Develop academic paragraphs with a clear main idea and relevant support. These paragraph writing worksheets and games help students connect topic sentences, supporting details and conclusions into an organised whole. Learners plan, write and revise paragraphs while checking sentence structure, unity and the links between ideas.

Academic focus: Topic sentences, supporting ideas and details, concluding sentences, paragraph outlines, unity and coherence.

Resource types: Worksheets, paragraph-ordering games, sentence writing, outline tasks, editing, paragraph development and peer review.

Levels: Intermediate (B1) to upper-intermediate (B2).

Help students express source ideas in their own words without changing the meaning. These paraphrasing worksheets, activities and games develop techniques for adjusting vocabulary and sentence structure while retaining key information. Learners compare versions, rewrite short texts and use feedback to check accuracy and clarity.

Academic focus: Synonyms, key terms, sentence combining and splitting, nominalisation, numerical information and neutral attribution.

Resource types: Worksheets, glossary building, sentence transformations, timed paraphrasing games, text rewriting and peer review.

Levels: Intermediate (B1) to upper-intermediate (B2).

Help students develop a position that responds to opposing arguments as well as presenting their own. These persuasive essay resources connect argument analysis with structured writing practice. Learners examine assumptions, plan supporting points and practice counter-arguments and refutations before reviewing their paragraphs and essays.

Academic focus: Persuasive essay structure, supporting arguments, hidden assumptions, counter-arguments, concessions and refutations.

Resource types: Worksheets, argument analysis, refutation games, paragraph and essay writing, vocabulary games and peer review.

Levels: Intermediate (B1) to upper-intermediate (B2).

Introduce phrasal verbs students encounter when talking about studies and academic work. These worksheets, activities and games combine meaning-focused practice with questions about learners' experiences. The collection also explores phrasal verbs used in research, humanities and science contexts, helping students connect expressions with their use.

Academic focus: Study-related phrasal verbs and their meanings and use in research, humanities and science contexts.

Resource types: Worksheets, sentence races, board games, matching tasks, quizzes, conversation questions and paragraph writing.

Levels: Intermediate (B1) to upper-intermediate (B2).

Support students in planning and delivering clear academic presentations. These EAP worksheets and activities combine presentation structure and useful language with short talks, impromptu speaking and repeated fluency practice. Learners also practice follow-up questions and focused peer feedback to review both organisation and delivery.

Academic focus: Presentation structure, signposting language, academic style, fluency, impromptu speaking and constructive feedback.

Resource types: Worksheets, outline planning, short presentations, 4-3-2 fluency practice, question-and-answer tasks and peer review.

Levels: Intermediate (B1) to upper-intermediate (B2).

Help students move from identifying a problem to explaining and evaluating possible solutions. These EAP resources develop ideas through discussion, paragraph planning and structured essay writing. Learners consider how proposed responses address the issue and organise their reasoning using problem-solution and situation-problem-solution-evaluation structures.

Academic focus: Problem analysis, solution development, evaluation, paragraph organisation and SPSE essay structure.

Resource types: Worksheets, matching and categorising tasks, a problem-solution board game, discussions, outlines and essay writing.

Levels: Upper-intermediate (B2).

Develop academic reading comprehension through texts on a range of social, scientific and educational topics. Students identify main ideas, locate details and interpret meaning through varied question types. Vocabulary work and selected discussion and writing tasks help learners examine the information more closely and respond to what they have read.

Academic focus: Main ideas, specific information, inference, vocabulary in context, reading for detail and paraphrasing.

Resource types: Reading worksheets, matching, multiple-choice and short-answer questions, summary completion, discussions and selected writing tasks.

Levels: Intermediate (B1) to advanced (C1).

Help students choose effective strategies for common academic reading exam tasks. These activities, games and worksheets combine question-type practice with skimming, scanning and working out unfamiliar vocabulary. Learners locate evidence and explain their answers, making the reasoning behind a response part of the practice.

Academic focus: Reading question types, context clues, skimming, scanning, inference and evidence-based answers.

Resource types: Worksheets, gap-fill games, timed reading challenges, text analysis, summaries and True, False or Not Given practice.

Levels: Intermediate (B1) to upper-intermediate (B2).

Build a more purposeful approach to academic reading. These worksheets and games help students decide what to look for before reading, find information efficiently and examine a text more critically. Learners practice prediction, context clues and summarising as well as considering whether a source is useful for their studies.

Academic focus: Gist, specific information, prediction, context clues, text organisation, KWL and critical evaluation.

Resource types: Worksheets, reading games, prediction tasks, KWL charts, comprehension questions and summary writing.

Levels: Intermediate (B1) to upper-intermediate (B2).

Introduce the conventions students need when writing with sources. These EAP worksheets connect academic integrity and source evaluation with practical citation, referencing and paraphrasing tasks. Learners examine examples and apply APA or Harvard conventions in the relevant materials while considering how to use information responsibly.

Academic focus: Academic integrity, source reliability and bias, APA and Harvard citations and references, paraphrasing and source integration.

Resource types: Worksheets, source evaluation, citation and reference writing, error correction, paraphrasing and summary tasks.

Levels: Intermediate (B1) to upper-intermediate (B2).

Prepare students to develop clear spoken answers rather than rely on short, unsupported responses. These EAP activities, games and worksheets give students practice in explaining opinions, extending ideas and handling moments of hesitation. Mock tests, timed prompts and feedback give learners opportunities to review how effectively they communicate their answers.

Academic focus: Answer development, justification, fluency, question types, clarification, self-correction and transition phrases.

Resource types: Worksheets, speaking board games, mock tests, examiner-candidate role-plays, timed speaking and peer feedback.

Levels: Intermediate (B1) to upper-intermediate (B2).

Help students reflect on their study routines and choose practical ways to improve them. These study skills resources combine discussion of common academic challenges with planning, advice and self-assessment. Learners explore time management, procrastination and review strategies, then apply the ideas to their own habits and goals.

Academic focus: Study habits, time management, procrastination, learning processes, spaced repetition and SMART goals.

Resource types: Worksheets, surveys, advice exchanges, self-assessments, planning tasks, scavenger hunts and board games.

Levels: Intermediate (B1) to upper-intermediate (B2).

Help students identify what matters in a source and express it concisely. These academic summary-writing resources cover short texts, processes and data, with attention to accurate meaning and objective language. Learners compare summaries, reduce information to notes and revise their writing through focused feedback.

Academic focus: Main ideas and supporting details, summary structure, reporting verbs, neutral attribution, hedging and data summaries.

Resource types: Worksheets, note-taking, chart analysis, summary comparison, rewriting tasks, summary-writing games and peer review.

Levels: Intermediate (B1) to advanced (C1).

Guide students through academic writing as a sequence of manageable decisions. These EAP worksheets and activities connect interpreting a task with planning, drafting, revising and editing. Collaborative work and feedback help learners identify what needs changing and make purposeful improvements to paragraphs and essays.

Academic focus: Essay-question analysis, brainstorming, mind mapping, outlining, drafting, revision, editing and research questions.

Resource types: Worksheets, planning tasks, collaborative writing, paragraph revision, peer-feedback gallery walks and goal setting.

Levels: Intermediate (B1) to upper-intermediate (B2).

Help students plan, write and check a response that fits an academic exam task. These activities, worksheets and games develop task awareness, outlines, conclusions and editing skills alongside time management. Learners compare approaches and review common errors before bringing the stages together in timed collaborative writing.

Academic focus: Writing task types, relevant planning, essay conclusions, punctuation, error correction and time allocation.

Resource types: Worksheets, outline stations, editing tasks, quiz games, timed essay writing and peer review.

Levels: Intermediate (B1) to upper-intermediate (B2).