10 fun Present Perfect activities

The following activities will help students to practice and strengthen the understanding of the Present Perfect Tense, feel more comfortable and confident while using this grammar form.

Age: 11
Level: Elementary
Skills: Grammar, speaking, listening
Number of students: 2-10

Warm-up video

Before you practice Present Perfect tense, that would be great to revise Participle 2 of irregular verbs. You can use an amazing video by an ESL English teacher reading a rap about Participle 1 and 2. Students can watch this video as a part of a homework assignment beforehand, learn it, and start reading rap on the lesson. Warm-up video

You can also use an animated  participle 1 and 2 rap.

Where have I been?

This game has a CLIL component: kids remember not only Present Perfect but flags as well. You show the students 10 small flags of different countries. Choose the most popular one, so they can recognize the flag.The flags should be drawn on stickers. Then you stick them on students’ foreheads. Each student asks questions and tries to guess the country. “Have I been to Italy? Have I been to the USA…” Other students answer “No, you haven’t” or “Yes, you have”.

Have you ever…

This is a fun game to play with friends even after school. Each student gets a two-sided card. It’s written “I Have” on one side and “I have never” on the other.

Each student has a chance to ask any question to classmates. Fun questions are welcome. Ex. “Have you ever eaten a frog?” or “Have you ever told a lie to your teacher?”

“After they hear the question, they hold up their cards showing “I Have” or “I have never”. Those who show “I have never” do sit-ups for 3 times.

Who has been a good doll?

Students ask each other different questions about household or everyday duties trying to find out who has done everything he/she was supposed to do.

Examples:

Have you cleaned up your room this week?

Have you done your Maths homework?

Match if you can

You can make a collage of different cartoon episodes and suggest students to match them with the right sentences.

Example:

1. He hasn’t done his homework yet.
2. She has just woken up.
3. He has come across a book.
4. They have noticed something strange.
5. He has just found cool sneakers.
6. They have never seen a tablet before.

Snowball game. What I have done this week

One of the students starts saying what he has done this week, the partner repeats that sentence and goes on with his variant until one of the students breaks the chain. The game starts again.

Example:  

Student 1: I have gone to the movies this week.

Student 2: I have gone to the movies this week, and I have bought new trainers….

I have always wanted to be an artist

Teacher offers the students to draw something funny and not show it to anyone. Teacher collects the drawings and puts them in a hat. Each student takes one drawing and tries to find the author asking “Have you drawn this?” If the student takes his own drawing, he/she must do 5 squats.

I know what you have done

This game can be really fun, because it makes students move, use their body language and practice TPR. One of the students goes to the center of the classroom. Give him 10 activities to choose “Play basketball — 5 seconds, play football — 5s, dance like ballerina — 10s., spin around-15s., eat ice cream — 10 sec…..”. Another student stands up and turns back so that he/she cannot see the action doer. The first student starts showing the action silently using body language only. After he finishes acting, the second student tries to guess what he has done asking questions. “Have you danced like a ballerina…?”

Find it if you can

Divide a class into two groups. Give each group the same text. Their task is to find in the text and write down as many sentences in the Present Perfect Tense as possible. The group which writes all “hidden” present perfects and does it faster, wins. The other group squats for 10 times.

Be creative

This game helps students to improve their creativity.

Teacher shows a situational photo. The student who writes the biggest number of sentences about that situation, wins the game, others just do 5 squats. A photo of a scene from a favorite film can be a good option.

Suitable for Harry Potter films:

1. He has just received hundreds of letters.
2. He hasn’t read the letter
3. He has stood on the table
4. The plump boy has never been so scared.
5. The uncle has never been so angry.
6. The aunt has never been so shocked.
7. The owls have brought the letters.

We hope these funny tasks will make your lessons exhilarating and productive!