If you’re looking for some of the top English grammar games and activities, then you’re certainly in the right place. We have the best ESL grammar activities, along with worksheets and lesson plans to help make your classes even better. Keep on reading for all the details you need to know about teaching English grammar.
Grammar Games for Adults and Children
English Grammar Games and Activities
Let’s get into the best English grammar games for adults and kids!
Correct the Sentence
One of the best ways to review some grammar with students is to write some sentences on the board. Some of them should be correct, while others have some grammatical mistakes. Students have to decide which sentences are incorrect and then make the required changes.
English Grammar Board Games
I love to play board games in real life, and of course, I like to design some for my students to play in class too. It’s easy to make them for just about any grammar point, vocabulary set, or topic. Here are some of my recommendations for how to do this:
Dialogue Substitution
Dictation Practice
A nice way to reinforce key grammar concepts is to do some dictation practice. Read some sentences out to the students who have to write down what they hear, using correct spelling and punctuation.
Consider Using Extensive Reading for Grammar and Vocabulary Acquisition
There are a number of reasons to consider implementing an extensive reading program in our classes. However, the two most important ones are to help our students improve their grammar and vocabulary. While you can teach these things explicitly, it’s also possible to pick these things up more subtly through extensive listening or reading. Find out more about it here:
Extensive Reading for English Learners.
Consider Using the Bilingual Method of Teaching
It can sometimes be quite difficult to explain complicated English grammar, in English. If you share another common language with students, consider using it for a quick explanation! This can save a lot of time for more fruitful activities. Find out more:
Error Correction Relay
Using Timelines to Teach English Grammar
If you’re teaching some tricky grammar concepts, then consider using timelines. For example, the difference between the present perfect and the present perfect continuous can be a little bit tricky if not explained with a timeline. Find out more details about this here:
Teaching the Present Perfect Continuous with Timelines.
Relative Clause ESL Activities
Relative clauses are a key grammar point to master for our students. The good news is that this unit can be a lot of fun if you use some of these ESL game and activity ideas. Here are some of my top recommendations:
ESL Relative Clause Activities.
Teaching English Grammar Through a Listening Lesson Plan
Most ESL textbooks introduce new grammar concepts through a listening or a reading passage. This is the best way because it introduces things in a context that can make the lesson far more memorable.
It’s certainly possible to design an entire lesson around a listening passage. And then pull out some of the key grammar concepts from it. Find out how to do that here:
How to Plan an ESL Listening Lesson.
Sentence Making Games and Activities for English Learners
Time spent on helping our students make better sentences will certainly never be wasted time in an English class. It’s an important thing to master and of course, grammar is a huge part of this. Find out some of the best ideas here:
ESL Sentence Making Activities.
The English Grammar Vocabulary Auction Game
Proof-Reading and Editing For English Grammar
I like to do some proofreading work with my students as a way to work on things like grammar, punctuation and spelling. It’s a nice way to slip in a review of a ton of different things covered in the course up to that point.
For beginners, focus on errors related to a certain thing, in this case, grammar usage. More advanced learners can handle a range of different errors.
Steal the Eraser
This is a fun TEFL grammar game for beginners that can be used to review just about anything! It’s engaging, interactive, and best of all, the students love it and always ask to play it again! Find out more about this ESL grammar activity:
Tips for ESL Grammar Lessons
2 Truths and a Lie Game
If you want to target some specific grammatical structure, this is a fun game to do that. It works very well with can/can’t in reference to ability or skills.
Students have to write three sentences using the target grammar. 2 are true and 1 is false. For example:
- I can play soccer well.
- I can bake a birthday cake.
- I can’t swim.
The other students in the class have to guess which one is false.
It can also be used for the present perfect with reference to things students have done, or not done. For example:
- I’ve been to Europe.
- I haven’t seen any Harry Potter movies.
- I’ve read the Lord of the Rings series five times.
Want to give it a try? Find out more here: 2 Truths and a Lie.
Running Dictation
Try out this 4-skills ESL activity to review English grammar with your students:
Past Simple Affirmative and Negative
A key grammar concept to teach is the past simple affirmative and negative. Check out some of the top options for teaching this:
Past Simple Affirmative and Negative Activities.
English Grammar Worksheets
If you’re a teacher, then you’ll certainly want to save some time when preparing your ESL grammar lessons, right? One of the best ways to do this is to use some ESL grammar worksheets that other teachers have made. A few good places to find worksheets are ISL Collective, ESL Library, and Agenda Web.
Did you like these ESL Grammar Games and Activities
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Bolen, Jackie (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 87 Pages - 10/24/2019 (Publication Date)
Yes? Thought so. Then you’re going to love this book on Amazon: 39 No-Prep/Low-Prep ESL Grammar Activities for Teenagers and Adults. The key to better English classes is a wide variety of interesting, engaging, and student-centered games and activities, and this book will help you get there in style.
You can find the book in both digital and print formats. Keep a copy on the bookshelf in your office to use as a handy reference guide when planning your ESL grammar Lessonlessons. Or, take the digital version with you to your favourite coffee shop on any device for some lesson planning on the go.
Either way, you’re going to get some serious ESL teaching awesome in your life. Find out all the details you need to know about the book on Amazon:
FAQs About ESL Grammar Lessons
Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about grammar games for adults, activities for kids, and tips for ESL grammar lessons.
How do you teach ESL students grammar?
One of the most effective ways to teach grammar to ESL students is through games and activities. There are a number of low-prep or no-prep activities you can use in your classroom to play with your students while helping them learn grammar. Error Correction Relay, Grammar Vocabulary Auction Game, and Steal the Eraser are just a few examples of fun grammar games for adults and kids.
Are games effective in teaching grammar?
Yes, games and activities are effective ways of teaching grammar to ESL students. Not only does it help ESL students proactively learn the English language, but it also greatly lessens the stress of learning another language.
How do you teach adult grammar?
ESL grammar games and activities are also a great way to teach parts of the English language to adult ESL students. Try out ESL grammar games like Correct the Sentence, Sentence Making Games, 2 Truths and a Lie Game with your adult students.
The Best Grammar Activities for ESL
English Grammar Activities: Join the Conversation
What’s your top pick for an ESL grammar activity or game? Is it one of the options from this list, or do you have another one that you’d like to recommend? Please leave a comment below and let us know what you think. We’d love to hear from you.
Also, be sure to give this article a share on Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter. It’ll help other busy English teachers, like yourself, find this useful resource.
Last update on 2022-06-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
