Drawing Present Continuous

Activity type: This game is focused on practicing the Present Continuous (affirmative, negative and question form) for actions happening at the moment of speaking. It doesn’t need a lot of preparation, just a set of cards showing the sentences.

Level: Elementary and lower-intermediate

Teacher's notes:

1. Divide the students into two teams (team A and team B).
2. Tell each team to choose one volunteer.
   
3. Show the two volunteers a sentence on a card which is written in the present continuous, for instance: He isn't eating an apple in a castle" (see below).
   
4. Tell one volunteer, for example from team A, to draw on the blackboard some drawings which represent the sentence.
   
5. Tell them to take only one minute to do this, not longer.
   
6. Drawings such as this:
   
   
   "He isn't eating an apple in a castle"
   
   
7. The rest of team A should guess the whole sentence. If they guess it correctly in the time allotted, they score 10 points. If they're wrong, there's a bounce, that means that team B can try to guess the sentence and if they are right they score 5 points. They score fewer points because they have had a second opportunity and therefore have had a longer time to guess.
   
8. Remind the student who is drawing not to say anything, they are only allowed to draw.
   
9. Then it's team B turn i.e. show the volunteer from team B a different sentence. Tell him or her to draw in order to convey the sentence. Team B should guess and if they can't team A should.
   
10. Continue doing this, swapping the volunteers each time and using a variety of present continuous sentences.
    
11. The team that scores the most points is the winner!