This is a really simple one that we made as a tense review before an end-of-term test. It had two main aims:

1. to find out which language points needed a bit more of a review.
2. to get my students thinking about how all of the language points they’d learnt over the past term might appear together. (so often they are studied in isolation)

Note: depending on the age of your students (mine were slightly older), you might need to change the discussion questions at the end. I’ve attached an editable word copy so feel free to edit it and make it work for your group.

• Objective: see above
• Time: 2 – 3 hours
• level: high intermediate and above

Materials:

1. Worksheet (word): Reunion tense review worksheet
2. Worksheet (PDF): Reunion tense review worksheet
3. Teacher’s copy: Reunion tense review teacher’s copy

Procedure:

1. Students skim read the story and discuss the question at the top of the page. Feedback as a class.
2. Students match the definitions to the vocab in the story (it’s important that no words / phrases stand in the way of them understanding the text so spend a little time here if needs be)
3. In small groups, students work through the story, filling in the gaps. I always tell them they should have a reason for every answer they give. I will ask them why!
4. Students check their answers on the back of the sheet and circle any they got wrong. They should then discuss if their answer was also possible, if it changes the meaning or if it was just impossible.
5. Feedback as a class, focusing on the ones they had trouble with (this will be clear from your monitoring). If they all had issues with one language point, that’s one to go over in the next lesson.
6. In the language analysis section, the students look at an isolated piece of language and use the questions to help them analyse it. Discuss as a class.
7. Finally, students discuss the questions in small groups. Teacher monitors for delayed error correction and emergent language, which they deal with after the discussion.