Tense Questions

Purpose: To get learners comfortable with asking and answering basic questions using a variety of verb tenses.

Preparation Time: None

Materials Needed: Sets of grammar tense questions and answers cards, cut apart.

Procedure:

1. Break the learners into partners or small groups.
2. Give each group a set of the Grammar Tense questions and answers cards (to support lower level learners, print the questions on one color of paper and the answers on a different color).
3. Have the learners work together to match up the questions and the answers.
4. Ask the groups to divide the questions up according to verb tense: past tense verbs together, present continuous verbs together, etc.
5. Check the work as a group. Hold up and read a question, and have the groups hold up and read the matching answer.
6. Model having one learner in the group ask their partner or other group members the question from the question card, and their partner or other group members answering the question using the sentence frame on the answer card.
7. After all of the questions are asked, the learners will switch roles. Do this until everyone has had an opportunity to ask and answer all of the questions.

Expansion: As a class or in a small group, have the learners generate one or two more questions and answers for each verb tense. Have them find a partner from another group and ask the new questions.