TEACHER'S NOTES

ESL / EFL RESOURCES Past Perfect Explanations

Activity Type Introduction

Reading and speaking Here is an amusing speaking game to help students practice the
activity, group work past perfect tense.

Procedure
Language Focus
Divide the class into groups of four.
Past perfect

Giving explanations 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.

Aim Demonstrate the activity by asking one student to take a card

To give explanations for
different situations using
the past perfect tense.
Preparation
Make one copy of the
cards for each group of
four and cut as indicated.
and read it aloud, e.g. 'I slept in my car all night'.
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
the car had broken down and I was miles from home'.
Tell the students that they are going to play a similar game in
their groups.
Students then take it in turns to pick up a card and read the
sentence aloud to the rest of the group.

Level The other students have to each come up with an explanation for
the situation using the past perfect.
Intermediate
Each explanation must be different.
Time Students receive one point for each believable explanation they
25 minutes can come up with.

Then the next student picks up a card and so on.

This continues until all the cards have been used.

The student with the highest number of 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

ESL / EFL RESOURCES 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

I gave a waiter a $1000 tip.
underwear.

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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