Irregular Verbs ESL Games, Activities and Worksheets

ESL Irregular Verbs Worksheet - Grammar Exercises: Categorizing, Matching, Gap-fill, Writing Questions and Answers - Speaking Activity: Freer Practice - Pair Work This productive irregular verbs worksheet helps students learn and practice ten common irregular verbs in the past and present tense. First, students sort irregular verbs into present and past tense forms and then match the corresponding forms of each verb. Students then complete sentences with the past and present tense irregular verbs. Next, students answer ten past simple questions using the irregular verbs, writing their answers in sentence form. Finally, students write three questions of their own using the irregular verbs from the worksheet and then ask and answer the questions with a partner. show less

ESL Irregular Verbs Game - Vocabulary and Speaking: Forming Sentences from Prompts, Freer Practice - Pair Work Here is a fun irregular verbs game for students to play in class. First, students change ten present tense irregular verbs into their past tense form and write them in their battleships grid. In pairs, students then take turns finding their partner's battleships (irregular verbs) by calling out coordinates for the grid at the bottom of their worksheet. If the square is empty, their partner says 'miss' and the square is marked with an 'X'. If the square contains a letter, their partner says 'hit' and reveals the letter to the student, who writes it in the square and has another turn. When a past tense irregular verb has been completely revealed, the student tries to sink their partner's ship by using the irregular verb correctly in a past simple sentence. If the sentence is incorrect, the ship won't sink. Only one sentence attempt can be made each turn. When a student successfully makes a sentence, the ship sinks and the student writes their sentence in the space provided. The first student to find and sink all ten of their partner's battleships wins. show less

ESL Irregular Verbs Game - Vocabulary and Speaking: Matching, Forming Sentences from Prompts, Freer Practice - Group Work Here is an entertaining irregular verbs game to help students memorise past simple irregular verbs. In pairs, students take turns turning over one infinitive form irregular verb card and one past simple irregular verb card. The aim of the game is to find matching pairs of infinitive and past simple irregular verbs. If a student turns over two cards that match, e.g. awake and awoke, they keep the cards and score a point. The student then tries to score an extra point by using the past simple irregular verb in a sentence. If the student does this successfully, they have another turn. If not, play passes to the other student. If the two cards don't match, the student turns them back over. The student with the most points at the end of the game is the winner. show less

ESL Irregular Verbs Activities - Grammar Game: Pelmanism - Speaking Activity: Asking and Answering Questions from Prompts, Freer Practice - Pair Work In this excellent set of free irregular verb activities, students play a pelmanism game where they match infinitive and past simple irregular verbs together and then practice asking and answering past simple questions with the verbs. First, in pairs, students play the pelmanism game where they take turns turning over two irregular verb cards. If a student turns over a matching pair of infinitive and past simple irregular verbs, they keep the two cards and have another turn. The student with the most cards at the end of the game wins. After that, students answer questions on a worksheet using the past simple irregular verbs from the first activity. Students write short answers in the squares on their worksheet in a random order. Students then work with a new partner. Students swap their answer sheets and take turns guessing why their partner has written the words or phrases in the squares by asking and answering past simple questions. When a student discovers what an answer relates to, they cross it off. Afterwards, students report back their findings to the class. show less

ESL Irregular Verbs Game - Grammar: Matching - Group Work Here is a memorable irregular verbs game to help students practice the three forms of the 20 most common irregular verbs in the English language. The aim of the game is to say and find three matching irregular verb cards in a row. One student begins by turning over an irregular verb card from the base form set, e.g. go. The student then says the past tense form of the irregular verb (e.g. went) and turns over a card from the past tense set. If the card matches, the student says the past participle form of the irregular verb, e.g. gone. The student then turns over a card from the past participle set. If the card matches, the student keeps all three cards and has another turn. If at any point, a student says the wrong form of the irregular verb they need or turns over a card that doesn't match, the cards are turned back over, keeping them in their original place. It's then the next student's turn to play, and so on. The student with the most sets of irregular verb cards at the end of the game is the winner. show less

ESL Irregular Verbs Activity - Vocabulary and Speaking: Guessing, Gap-fill, Asking and Answering Questions - Pair Work In this useful irregular verbs speaking activity, students guess what their partner did yesterday by making statements with past simple irregular verbs. First, students guess what their partner did yesterday by completing each sentence with a past simple irregular verb, adding in their idea, e.g. 'I think you ate a pizza at lunchtime.' Students then taking turns to reading each statement to their partner to see whether their guesses are right or wrong. Their partner replies 'Yes, I did' or 'No, I didn't. I...' Students score one point for each correct guess. The student with the highest score in each pair at the end of the activity wins. show less

ESL Irregular Verbs Game - Grammar: Matching, Gap-fill - Group Work In this rewarding irregular verbs game, students practice recognizing and correctly using past simple forms of irregular verbs in sentences. To begin, the first player tries to place one of their dominoes on either side of the domino on the table by matching a base form irregular verb to a sentence requiring its past simple form, or matching a sentence to an appropriate irregular verb in base form. If the player thinks they have a correct match, they read the sentence aloud, changing the irregular verb from its base form to its past simple form to complete the sentence. If the sentence is correct and the player uses the correct irregular past simple verb form, the domino remains in place. If not, the player takes back their domino and play passes to the next student. The next player then tries to put down one of their dominoes at either end of the domino chain, and so on. The first player to get rid of all their dominoes wins the game. show less

ESL Irregular Verbs Game - Vocabulary: Matching - Group Work In this free irregular verbs game, students play bingo by listening to the infinitive form of irregular verbs and matching them to past simple irregular verbs. Call out the infinitive form of irregular verbs from the caller's sheet in a random order. If students have the past simple form of the verb on their card, they cross it off. When a student has crossed off all nine verbs, they shout 'Bingo' and read out the nine irregular verbs, saying both the infinitive and past simple forms. If the verbs are correct, the student wins the round. Play several rounds with students receiving a different bingo card each time. show less

ESL Irregular Verbs Game - Grammar and Speaking: Changing Word Forms, Forming Sentences, Freer Practice - Pair Work In this engaging irregular verbs game, students write irregular verbs in their past tense or past participle form and make sentences with the verbs. Tell the students which irregular verb form they are going to practice, i.e. past simple (V2) or past participle (V3). Then, tell them which tense the sentences should be in, so either the past simple (V2) or present perfect, past perfect, etc. (V3). Next, students take turns to choose a base form irregular verb, write the past tense or past participle form of the irregular verb under the word, and make a sentence with the irregular verb in the chosen tense. The aim of the game is for students to get four squares in a row, while at the same time trying to stop their partner from getting four in a row. When a student gets four squares in a row, check their answers. If all the irregular verbs are spelt correctly and the sentences are appropriate, the student scores a point. If any of their answers are incorrect, the point is awarded to the other student. Students play several rounds. The student with the most points at the end of the game wins. show less

ESL Irregular Verb Game - Grammar and Speaking: Forming Sentences from Prompts In this creative past simple irregular verbs game, students change present simple irregular verbs into their past tense form and then make a past simple sentence with each verb. Students take turns picking up an irregular card. The student then changes the present simple irregular verb on the card into its past tense form and makes a past simple sentence with the verb. The other group members listen to the sentence and judge whether it's acceptable or not. If it is, the student writes their name on the card and puts the card into a separate pile. If the sentence is grammatically incorrect or doesn't make sense, the card is placed at the bottom of the pile. The student with the most cards at the end of the game wins. show less

ESL Past Simple Irregular Verbs Worksheet - Vocabulary and Reading Exercises: Unscrambling, Gap-fill, Scanning, Answering Questions - Speaking Activity In this comprehensive past simple irregular verbs worksheet, students practice common irregular verbs in their past simple form. Students start by unscrambling letters to make 16 past simple irregular verbs. Next, students use the irregular verbs to complete a set of sentences. Then, students read a story and underline all the past simple irregular verbs. After that, students answer comprehension questions about the story. In the last exercise, students answer questions and then use them to interview a partner. show less

ESL Irregular Verbs Game - Grammar: Matching, Forming Sentences from Prompts, Freer Practice - Group Work In this enjoyable irregular verbs activity, students play a game where they practice making sentences with past tense irregular verbs. In groups, students take turns turning over a numbered card from the pile. The student looks at the number on the card and matches it with the numbered base form irregular verb on the worksheet. The student then makes a sentence with the irregular verb in its past tense form. The other students in the group listen and decide whether the sentence is grammatically correct and appropriate. If it is, the irregular verb is crossed out and the student writes their name in the square under the verb. If the sentence is wrong, the card is put at the bottom of the pile. The student with the highest number of squares at the end of the game is the winner. show less

ESL Irregular Verbs Game - Grammar and Speaking: Answering Questions, Writing Sentences, Guessing, Completing Questions - Pair Work Here is an interesting irregular verbs game for your students to play in class. In the activity, students practice past tense irregular verbs by playing a question and answer irregular verb game. First, students write answers to the questions in the first exercise on their worksheet without using the words in bold, e.g. 'When was the last time you went shopping?' 'It was last weekend. I was at the mall and I bought a pair of shoes.' Students then take turns reading their answers to their partner. Their partner listens and decides what the question was each time by completing the questions on their worksheet using the past tense irregular verbs and words from the box in their correct form. When both students have written the questions, they check their answers by reading them to their partner, who tells them if they are right or wrong. Students receive one point for each correct question. The student with the most points wins. show less

ESL Irregular Verbs Activity - Grammar and Speaking: Writing and Reading Sentences, Gap-fill, Guessing - Group and Pair Work In this free irregular verbs activity, students write sentences containing past participle irregular verbs and then complete a crossword by guessing missing verbs from a partner's sentences. In two groups, students invent and write down a sentence for each past participle irregular verb shown on their crossword. The sentences can be in the present perfect, past perfect, future perfect, third conditional or passive voice. Students then pair up with someone from the other group and take turns asking their partner for a clue to one of their missing irregular verbs. Their partner reads out the corresponding sentence using the word 'blank' for that past participle irregular verb, e.g. 'The bank has 'blank' Olivia some money.' The other student then tries to guess the past participle irregular verb from the sentence. If the student guesses the verb successfully, they write it on their crossword. If not, their partner continues to give more clues until the student is able to guess the word. When the students have finished, they check their spelling by comparing crosswords. show less

ESL Irregular Verbs Game - Grammar: Matching, Asking Questions - Group Work In this challenging irregular verbs card game, students race to collect the infinitive, past simple and past participle form of less common irregular verbs. One student begins by asking another student for a card they need to get three of a kind, e.g. if a student had cards that said ride and rode, they might ask: Sophia, have you got a card that says ridden? If the group member has the card, they give it to the student. If not, the student who asked the question picks up a card from the pile. The turn then passes to the next student, and so on. When a student gets the infinitive, past simple and past participle form of an irregular verb (three of a kind), they place the three cards face-up on the desk. The other students then check that the three forms are correct. The first student to get rid of all their cards wins the game. show less

ESL Irregular Verbs Activity- Vocabulary and Speaking: Gap-fill, Asking and Answering Questions, Controlled and Communicative Practice - Group and Pair Work In this communicative irregular verbs speaking activity, students complete conversation questions with infinitive, past simple and past participle forms of less common irregular verbs and then ask and answer the questions with a partner. First, in two groups, students complete conversation questions with irregular verbs from a box, changing the verb form as needed. Next, students pair up with someone from the other group and take turns asking the conversation questions to their partner, who responds accordingly. For the first question in each set, students include the corresponding irregular verb in their response. Afterwards, students share what they found out about their partner with the class. show less

ESL Irregular Verbs Game - Grammar: Pelmanism, Matching, Gap-fill - Group Work Here is a handy irregular verbs pelmanism game to help students practice the infinitive, past simple and past participle forms of less common irregular verbs. In groups of three, students take turns turning over one irregular verb card and one sentence card from each set. If the irregular verb completes the two sentences on the card, the student reads the two sentences using the past simple form of the verb to complete one sentence and the past participle to complete the other. If the other students agree that the two cards match and the correct verb forms were used, the student writes in the verb forms on the sentence card and keeps the two cards. If the two cards don't match or the student uses the incorrect form of the verb, the student turns them back over. The student with the most pairs of cards at the end of the game wins. show less