Miming Cards for Practicing Present Progressive or Past Continuous

ESL Level: Pre-Intermediate - Intermediate

Language Focus: Present Progressive/Continuous or Past Progressive/Continuous

Time Required: 15 minutes

Description: A simple activity where a student takes a card and then mimes the action in front of the class.

Download: miming-verbs-progressive.docx

Activity Execution

First, teach the target grammar (present progressive or past progressive).

Then, either take the below sentences and write them on separate cards or download the above attachment and cut it up.

Next, if you are going to practice present progressive, take a card and mime the action in front of the class (without speaking). The first student to say your action a full sentence (e.g. "You are eating chicken!") is the winner. The winner then comes up and takes a card and acts for the class. This repeats until all the cards have been used. If you have more than 10 students, you might make two sets of cards and break them up into two separate groups.

If you want to practice past progressive, do the same thing. However, when a student knows what action you are miming, he or she should yell "STOP!" and then give his/her guess ("You were eating chicken!") in the past tense.

Present Progressive/Continuous Verbs:

You are eating chicken.

You are watching a scary movie.

You are sleeping on the bus.

You are singing in the shower.

You are washing a car.

You are riding a motorcycle.

You are writing a letter.

You are catching a ball.

You are climbing a tree.

You are having/eating breakfast.

You are playing a computer game.

You are eating noodles.

You are waiting for the bus.

You are making a cake.

You are thinking.

Enjoy.

- Matthew Barton / Creator: Englishcurrent.com