Can you help me with classroom activities for was/were?

[Toma]

Hello Lucy
I'm new here. But I really enjoy this site and this Forum in particular.
I wonder if you could help me with my preparation for the next lesson. Some sort of an inspection/comission coming to watch my lesson so I really wanted to do something special.
If you know any interesting activities and/or games on WAS/WERE topic. I've already presented this topic to my students at my previous lesson. So, this time we'll be doing activities to check their understanding of this topic and to give them an opportunity to try it in their speach.
I searched for interesting activities on the net but could only find "fill in the gaps" exercises which is not what I want to do this time.
P.S. MY students are high beginners/low intermidiate level.
Thank you very much.
Toma

[Lucy]

Dear Toma,

It’s really not easy to find activities that practise only was and were. Most books tend to teach these along with other past tense verb forms.

New English File, elementary level published by Oxford University Press has an excellent unit for teaching and practising was and were. If you can’t get hold of it in New Zealand I suggest you prepare a text on famous people who are no longer alive. Write a short piece about each person; try to include at least one description of a couple. You should try to make sure the only verbs you use are was and were. After studying the texts and making sure students understand them, turn their attention to the use of was and were. Remind them (or elicit from them) of the use and meaning of was and were.

You can then show them pictures of other famous people and ask questions such as:

Where was he from?
Where was he born?
Where were his parents from?
Was he famous?
Why was he famous?

Remember to include some work on pronunciation. Students can then continue with pictures and these type of questions in pairs. They can finish off by asking each other questions similar to those above.


Kind regards,

Lucy