TEACHER’S NOTES

WORKSHEETS, ACTIVITIE S & GA ME S Parentheses Race

Activity Type Introduction

Reading and writing In this engaging punctuation activity, students play a game where
activity, pair work they race to add parentheses (round brackets) to sentences.

Procedure
Focus
Divide the students into pairs.
Parentheses (round
brackets)
One student from each pair comes to your desk and picks up
sentence card 1.
Aim
The student then goes back to their partner with the card and
To race to add the two students race to add parentheses to the sentence or
parentheses to sentences on the card.
sentences.
When the students have completed the card, they come back to
your desk and show it to you.
Preparation
If they have correctly placed parentheses everywhere needed
Make one copy of the
(paying attention to whether the punctuation is inside or outside
cards for each pair of
the parentheses), give them the second card.
students and cut as
indicated.
If not, the students take the card back and try again.
Put the cards in order
The first pair of students to complete all 15 sentences correctly
from 1 to 15 and place
wins.
them in a pile on your
desk, starting with card
Possible answers are on the following page.
number 1.

Level
Upper-intermediate (B2)

Time
25 minutes

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 TEACHER’S NOTES

WORKSHEETS, ACTIVITIE S & GA ME S Parentheses Race

Activity Type Possible answers

Reading and writing 1. R
 alph (who had nothing else to do) spent the day taking
activity, pair work pictures in the forest.

2. S
 ince Jane will not be able to help (her arm is broken), I need
Focus you to carry this for me.
Parentheses (round
brackets) 3. I 'm sure there's no food left (I was late, after all), but is there
any dessert?

Aim 4. T
 his repair isn't too hard (if you know what you're doing, that
is), it just takes time.
To race to add
parentheses to 5. D
 ave cycled to the stadium (he lived nearby), but everyone
sentences. else drove.

6. I didn't have a long shopping list (eggs, milk, bread and some
Preparation lettuce), but at 5:00 (just before dinner time), it took 30
Make one copy of the minutes to get everything and check out.
cards for each pair of
students and cut as 7. S
 he couldn't hide her excitement as we approached the
indicated. beach. (She had never been to the sea before.) As soon as
we stopped, she ran out of the car straight for the waves.
Put the cards in order
from 1 to 15 and place 8. M
 ost of us are vegetarians (only Susie eats meat), so we
them in a pile on your made a vegetarian chili for the party.
desk, starting with card
number 1. 9. On
 the first day, the teacher wasn't surprised at her absence
(she often skipped class), but three days in a row was new.

Level 10. L
 ook out for the boss today! He's in a terrible mood (I
think the sales figures were way down) and is looking for
Upper-intermediate (B2) someone he can shout at.

11. I saw something (a raccoon?) dash into a bush when I was

Time taking out the trash, but when I looked closer, it was gone.
25 minutes
12. T
 he endless ads (Sale! Now only $19.99!) don't make me
want to buy anything, they're just annoying.

13. W
 ith hours to kill (her flight was delayed), April struck up a
conversation with the woman next to her.

14. I 've got an awful headache (I didn't sleep much last night),
so would you mind keeping the noise down?

15. I t's basically impossible for you to go to space. (Stranger

things have happened, though.)

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 PUNCTUATION

WORKSHEETS, ACTIVITIE S & GA ME S Parentheses Race

1. Ralph who had nothing else to do spent the day taking pictures in the forest.

2. Since Jane will not be able to help her arm is broken, I need you to carry this for me.

3. I'm sure there's no food left I was late, after all, but is there any dessert?

4. This repair isn't too hard if you know what you're doing, that is, it just takes time.

5. Dave cycled to the stadium he lived nearby, but everyone else drove.

6. I didn't have a long shopping list eggs, milk, bread and some lettuce, but at 5:00 just
before dinner time, it took 30 minutes to get everything and check out.

7. S
 he couldn't hide her excitement as we approached the beach. She had never been to
the sea before. As soon as we stopped, she ran out of the car straight for the waves.

8. M
 ost of us are vegetarians only Susie eats meat, so we made a vegetarian chili for the
party.

9. O
 n the first day, the teacher wasn't surprised at her absence she often skipped class,
but three days in a row was new.

10. L
 ook out for the boss today! He's in a terrible mood I think the sales figures were way
down and is looking for someone he can shout at.

11. I saw something a raccoon? dash into a bush when I was taking out the trash, but
when I looked closer, it was gone.

12. T
 he endless ads Sale! Now only $19.99! don't make me want to buy anything, they're
just annoying.

13. W
 ith hours to kill her flight was delayed, April struck up a conversation with the
woman next to her.

14. I 've got an awful headache I didn't sleep much last night, so would you mind keeping
the noise down?

15. I t's basically impossible for you to go to space. Stranger things have happened,
though.

Teach-This.com © 2021 Permission granted to reproduce for classroom use.