esl worksheets on e grammar org

• Time clauses
• English grammar PDF
• PDF worksheets
• Mixed PDF tests
• Irregular verbs
• Modal verbs
• If-conditional
• Passive voice
• Reported speech
• Relative clauses
• Indirect questions
• Question tags
• Imperative sentence
• Gerund and infinitive
• Direct | indirect object

Future time clauses

• Exercises with answers
• Grammar rules with examples

English grammar books PDF

PDF book 1: English grammar exercises PDF

PDF book 2: English grammar rules PDF

Time clauses exercises

Online exercises with answers for elementary - intermediate levels.

Time clauses exercise 1 Complete sentences.

Time clauses exercise 2 Make time clauses I.

Time clauses exercise 3 Make time clauses II.

Time clauses exercise 4 A multiple choice test.

PDF worksheets:

Time clauses PDF 1

Key with answers 1

• Complete sentences with the verbs in brackets.

Grammar rules PDF:

Time clauses rules PDF Grammar rules with examples to download for free.

English grammar PDF All PDF rules on e-grammar.org.

Future time clauses are introduced by conjunctions such as after, as soon as, before, till, until, when, whenever, while or time expressions such as the minute, the moment etc. We do not use the future tense (will) in a time clause to describe future activities (in this respect, it is similar to if clauses).

Compare: I'll come back home and I'll do it. x I'll do it when I come back home. ( when I come is the time clause) You will push this button and the door will open. x As soon as you push this button the door will open. Don't stand up. First I'll tell you. x Don't stand up till (until) I tell you. You'll need my car. Take it. x Whenever you need my car you can take it. You'll tidy up the house and I'll do the shopping. x You'll tidy up the house while I do the shopping. You will drop the bomb and it will explode. x The moment you drop the bomb it will explode.

Similarly, other future forms also change to the present simple tense. He is going to leave. The room will be empty. x As soon as he leaves the room will be empty. We are moving next week. Then we'll call you. x When we move next week we'll call you.

If we describe an action that is happening at the same time as another future action (the two activities are simultaneous), we use the present continuous in time clauses. We are going to cut the grass. You'll pick the apples. x While we are cutting the grass you'll pick the apples.

The future perfect simple and continuous become the present perfect simple and continuous. I'll have finished my grammar exercises in ten minutes. Then I'll go out. x After I have finished my grammar exercises I'll go out. They will have repaired our car by the weekend. And we will go for a trip. x As soon as they have repaired our car we will go for a trip.

Be careful! If when introduces a noun clause which is the object of a verb, it is followed by a future tense. I don't know when she will arrive. I can't remember when the race will start. You must decide when you will meet them. In all these sentences the question is: What? not When? (I don't know what, I can't remember what, You must decide what.)

• All PDF exercises and grammar rules from this website.

Free English Grammar Worksheets For Your ESL Lessons

Grammar: It’s what holds language together, it’s crucial to speaking and writing well, it’s … sooooo boring.

If you hate teaching grammar (or even if you love it!) you’ll love these free worksheets.

They’ll help your students understand and practice things like that pesky past participle — and in turn become better speakers and writers!

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Why Is Grammar So Important For ESL Learners?

How can you incorporate grammar into your lessons, free printable esl grammar worksheets.

Grammar is the structure of language: it’s how we put words together to create meaningful, widely understood sentences.

As native English speakers, we may have received some grammar instruction in school.

By and large, though, our grammar knowledge is innate: we don’t need to know fancy terms for what all the parts of speech are in order to speak correctly.

For non-native speakers, however, grammar is a lot harder. This is especially true because not every language’s grammar functions the same way.

For example, Chinese doesn’t have a plural form, and the way past and future tense work is different. Likewise, many languages such as Hebrew and French are gendered, so they refer to inanimate objects using the equivalent of “her” and “him”.

Because it’s confusing getting used to a new way of speaking, nonnative speakers should learn formal grammar so that they can understand how to put sentences together correctly and fluently in English.

Worksheets are a really great way to have your class practice grammar.

When your students do a number of exercises practicing the same grammar concept (like future tense or indirect objects), they gain a better understanding of how the concept works in different settings.

Doing the work by themselves also forces your students to pay attention and try more, which will help them apply the grammar concepts they’ve learned in their own writing and speaking.

Get 33+ strategies and activities for teaching English grammar here.

Download, customize and print all of the following worksheets for ESL teachers for free and use them within your lessons!

Browse our full archives of resources for ESL teachers.

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Grammar Worksheets

Two sets of copyright-free photocopiable worksheets that you can print or download, with answers .

Downloadable PDF Worksheets

With each download you get one worksheet with answers and one worksheet without answers. Easy and quick to download.

Printable Worksheets

You can print each worksheet out right from the webpage. Depending on your system, you may also be able to save these as PDFs.

Interactive Online English Grammar Exercises

English grammar is tough to master, especially for English language learners! The best way to improve English grammar skills is through practice, practice, and more practice! Below you’ll find a collection of interactive online English grammar exercises for English language learners. As always, these are free! If you would prefer to print these exercises, then head on over to our English Grammar Worksheets page . Choose a topic below to get started!

Online English Grammar Exercises

A / an / some / any exercises:.

• Some And Any

There Is There Are Exercises:

• There Is There Are
• There Isn’t There Aren’t

Present Simple Tense Exercises:

• Present Simple With Be Verb – Positive
• Present Simple With Be Verb – Negative
• Present Simple With All Verbs – Positive
• Present Simple With All Verbs – Negative

Present Continuous Exercises:

• Present Continuous – Positive
• Present Continuous – Negative
• Present Continuous Tense Quiz

Present Perfect Exercises:

• Present Perfect – Positive
• Present Perfect – Negative
• Present Perfect – Questions
• Present Perfect Quiz

Present Perfect Continuous Exercises:

• Present Perfect Continuous (All)

Past Simple Exercises:

• Past Simple Irregular Verbs 1
• Past Simple Irregular Verbs 2
• Past Simple Regular Verbs
• Past Tense Quiz
• Was Were Quiz

Past Continuous Exercises:

• Past Continuous – Positive
• Past Continuous – Negative

Future Simple Exercises:

• Future Simple – Positive
• Future Simple – Negative

Comparative And Superlative Exercises:

• Comparative Adjectives
• Superlative Adjectives

Prepositions Of Time Exercises:

• Prepositions Of Time At On In

Conditional Sentences Exercises:

• Zero Conditional Sentences
• First Conditional Exercise

Interjections Exercises:

• Interjections Quiz

Parts Of Speech Exercises:

• Parts Of Speech Exercise
• Adverbs Exercise
• Pronoun Exercise
• Possessive Pronoun Exercise
• Subject Verb Agreement Exercise
• Adjective Exercise
• Plural Nouns Exercise

More Exercises:

• Question Tag Exercises
• Have Has Exercise
• Mixed Tenses Exercise

Grammar exercises

Vocabulary exercises

Verbs exercises

Listening exercises

Reading - exercises

Videos - lessons

Songs - nursery-rhymes

Stories - fairy-tales

Phonetic - exercises

Worksheets - handouts

Worksheets - 1

Grammar: printable handouts.

• Articles: worksheets - lessons
• Determiners a / any / some
• Adjectives - opposite words
• Comparatives - comparison
• Conjunctions - linking words
• Contractions - possessive 's - genitive
• Countable - uncountable nouns
• Either / neither / both
• Few - little - less - fewer
• Many - much - a lot of
• Possessives - adjectives & pronouns
• Prepositions
• Pronouns: personal - object

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Learn English Grammar | Online Grammar Lessons

Grammar is the set of rules that govern the usage of English language. A strong grasp of English grammar is therefore of the greatest importance.

Most non-native English speakers make grammatical mistakes while speaking in English. Improving grammar takes time and effort but it is well worth it.

How to Improve your Grammar in English | Infographic

Learn English Grammar

Grammar tips.

Here are some tips which will help you improve English grammar.

# 1. Understand the building blocks of grammar

As a first step, it is important to know the different building blocks of grammar like nouns , pronouns , articles , adjectives , verbs , adverbs , prepositions , conjunctions and interjections . The internet is full of resources about these and it is usually a good idea to understand them well.

#2. Pay attention to sentence structures

When you read an article or watch a movie, it is important to pay attention to how sentences are constructed. This practice helps ingrain different sentence structures and will help your spoken and written English.

#3. Practice when you can

This tip can never be overemphasized. As an English learner, it is extremely important for you to talk in English at any given opportunity. If you do not have partners to practise with, then try to speak in front of the mirror.

#4. Grammar exercises will help you

Try doing different grammar exercises and find out your weaknesses. These exercises are freely available on the internet. It is only after you are able to correctly assess your weaknesses that you will be able to rectify them.

#5. Find a mentor

Many learners have improved their grammar working with a mentor. A mentor could even be a friend who has a strong command over English grammar. You must speak only in English with your mentor and ask the mentor to point out your mistakes. This real time feedback is very beneficial in improving grammar.

#6. Join a course

Many students find that an English improvement course is the quickest way to improve English grammar. If joining a classroom program is difficult, then an online course is a great option.

English Grammar Lessons

A noun is a word used as the name of a person, place or thing. Examples: King, Mohan, Sarita, Mumbai, Table

List of different types of nouns in English:

• Common Proper Nouns in English
• Collective Nouns with Examples
• Possessive Nouns in English
• Abstract Nouns
• Countable Nouns with Uncountable Nouns

Other Noun Lessons:

• List of Nouns : 185 Common Nouns List for A-Z in English
• Nouns as Adjectives : When Nouns Act Like Adjectives.

A pronoun is a word used instead of a noun. Examples: He, She, It, They

List of different types of pronouns  in English:

• Personal Pronouns in English
• Demonstrative Pronouns
• Interrogative Pronouns
• Relative Pronouns
• Indefinite Pronouns
• Reflexive and Intensive Pronouns
• Reciprocal Pronoun

The words ‘a’, ‘an’ and ‘the’ are called articles. They are used before nouns.

• Indefinite Articles: A and An
• Definite Article – THE

A verb is a word that describes an action or occurrence or indicates a state of being. Examples: He talks to Sameer, She sings a song

Different types of verbs:

• Action Verbs: Transitive Verbs & Intransitive Verbs
• Dynamic and Stative Verbs
• Linking Verbs
• Helping Verbs (Auxiliary Verbs)

Other Verb Lessons:

• Regular Verbs : A Big List of Regular Verbs in English
• Irregular Verbs : 75+ Important Irregular Verbs List
• Finite and Non-finite Verbs : Learn the Definition & Useful Rules
• List of Useful Verbs followed by Gerunds in English
• Modal Verbs : Useful Rules, List and Examples in English
• List of Verbs : +200 Most Common English Verbs for ESL Learners

An adjective is a word used to describe a noun. Examples: Beautiful house, Tall man

List of different types of adjectives:

• Adjectives of Quality
• Adjectives of Quantity
• Adjectives of Number
• Demonstrative Adjectives
• Interrogative Adjectives : Coordinate Adjectives & Non-coordinate Adjectives

Other Adjective Lessons:

• Comparison of Adjective : Forming Comparative  and Superlative  Adjectives
• Order of Adjectives
• List of 130+ Prepositions after Adjectives in English
• List of 300 Common Adjectives in English

An adverb is a word which modifies the meaning of a verb, adjective or another adverb. Examples: He runs fast , They fought bravely.

List of different types of adverbs:

• Adverb of Time
• Adverb of Place
• Adverb of Manner
• Adverb of Frequency
• Adverbs of Degree
• Adverbs of Confirmation and Negation
• Adverbs of Comment
• Adverbs of Conjunction

Other Adverb Lessons:

• List of Adverbs : 135+ Useful Adverbs List from A-Z
• Position of Adverbs in English Sentences

Prepositions

A preposition is a word which shows the relation between the noun or pronoun and other words in the sentence. Examples: The boy is in the room, The book is on the table.

List of different types of prepositions:

• Simple Prepositions
• Double Prepositions
• Compound Prepositions
• Participle Prepositions
• Phrase Prepositions

Prepositions are also categorized based on their use in a sentence as:

• Prepositions of place
• Prepositions of time
• Prepositions of movement

Conjunctions

A conjunction is a word which joins to sentences to complete their meaning. Examples: They reached the station but it was too late. He put on his shoes because he was going for a run.

List of different types of conjunctions:

• Coordinating Conjunctions
• Subordinating Conjunctions
• Correlative Conjunctions

Interjections

An interjection is a word which expresses sudden feeling or emotion. Examples: Hello!, Alas!, Hurray!, Oh!

Direct and Indirect Speech

In the English language, there are two ways of conveying what someone else has said: direct/quoted speech and indirect/ reported speech.

• Direct speech: She said, “I won’t be coming home tonight ”.
• Indirect speech: She told us that she wouldn’t be coming home that night.

Verb Tenses in English

Learn 12 tenses in English with grammar rules and examples.

Present Tense

• Simple Present Tense
• Present Continuous Tense
• Present Perfect Tense
• Present Perfect Continuous Tense
• Simple Past Tense
• Past Continuous Tense
• Past Perfect Tense
• Past Perfect Continuous Tense

Future Tense

• Simple Future Tense
• Future Continuous Tense
• Future Perfect Tense
• Future Perfect Continuous Tense

Punctuation Marks in English

Learn useful punctuation rules , definition and usage of each punctuation marks that are commonly used in English.

• Punctuation Mark: Full Stop
• Punctuation Mark: Comma
• Punctuation Mark: Question Mark
• Punctuation Mark: Colon
• Punctuation Mark: Semi-colon
• Punctuation Mark: Exclamation Mark
• Punctuation Mark: Apostrophe

Other Grammar Lessons

• Conditionals : First, Second, and Third Conditional in English
• Determiner : Types of Determiners with Useful Examples
• Subjunctive : Definition, Useful Usage and Examples in English
• Direct and Indirect Speech : Useful Rules and Examples
• Independent and Dependent Clauses : How to Identify Independent and Dependent Clauses
• Regular & Irregular Plural Nouns : How to Make Plurals in English?
• WH Questions Words : 8 Basic Question Words with Definition & Useful Examples
• Proverbs : List of 25 Famous Proverbs with Useful Meaning

Related Posts:

ESL Activities

ESL Games, Activities, Lesson Plans, Jobs & More

in Icebreakers + Warm-Ups · Listening · Reading · Speaking · Writing

ESL Grammar Activities, Games, Worksheets and Online Practice

Do you want to incorporate some fun ESL grammar activities or games into your classes? Then you’re most certainly in the right place. Keep on reading for all of the fun grammar games you need to check out for your English learners.

ESL grammar games and activities

Let’s get into the top picks for TEFL grammar games and activities to consider using in your classes. Also, check out our article on punctuation marks that will help you with your grammar lesson.

ESL Grammar Activities and Games

Are you ready? Let’s go to our top pick for English grammar games and activities!

#1: Is that Sentence Correct?

If you want to start your classes off with a quick review of material from the previous class, or round out your lesson with a little bit of review, then consider trying out this grammar activity. It’s also a stellar choice to teach English online .

The way it works is that write some sentences on the board (or have a worksheet). Some of the sentences are correct while others are not.

The students race to complete the activity, and the winner is the first team who finds all the mistakes. It’s a nice way to review some of the finer details for more complicated English grammar constructions.

Learn more here about this quick warmer activity: Is that Sentence Correct?

#2 ESL Grammar Activity: ESL Surveys

Surveys are one of my all-time favourite ESL activities. They are extremely versatile and can work with just about any topic or grammatical point. The way it works is that students have to circulate around the class, talking to their classmates to find someone who answers yes to one of their questions.

This works particularly well for the past tense, or future plans . Learn more here: Surveys for ESL Students .

#3: Past Tense Activities for TEFL Grammar Lessons

The past tense is one of the first “grammar” lessons that beginner students learn during their first few months of learning English. Sure, you can just soldier on through the textbook, but why not mix it up a bit and incorporate some of these fun grammar activities and games related to this common English lesson.

You can find them all here: Top 13 ESL Past Tense Activities . Or, you can also take a look at this article: Irregular Verb Activities and ESL past continuous games and activities.

• Amazon Kindle Edition
• Bolen, Jackie (Author)
• English (Publication Language)
• 87 Pages - 10/24/2019 (Publication Date)

#4: Using Videos to Teach English Grammar

Did you know that there are what seems like a million and one videos for almost every single ESL grammar point? If you think your students are tired of hearing you talk, or you’re tired of talking, just have a quick look and find one of these videos.

Or, you can also find things like dramas, or interviews with examples of the specific grammar point that you’re teaching like a certain modal verb . Have students give the video a listen and jot down any instances that they hear of this specific thing. It makes a nice review activity for the end of class.

Need more information? Learn more here: Using Videos in ESL Classes .

#5: Can/Can’t English Grammar Game

If you’re looking for a fun game to help your students out with can or can’t, then you’ll want to consider this one. The way it works is that students think of a secret animal (or other things too), and write some hints for the other people in the class using can or can’t statements.

Then, you bring the whole class together and use the hints to help the other teams guess the secret thing. It’s equally fun for both children as well as adults. Try it out for yourself today: Can/Can’t ESL Grammar Game .

#6 ESL Grammar Practice: Proof-Reading and Editing

If you teach ESL writing, then chances are you’re probably focused on things like writing good paragraphs or essays. However, you can also sneak in a little bit of grammar practice as well. The way that I do this is by teaching my students about proofreading and editing. I teach them how to look for things like subject-verb agreements, linking verbs or conjunction and transitions for example.

Find out more details here, along with the checklist that I give my students: Proofreading and Editing for ESL Students .

Fun ESL grammar games

#7 English Grammar Activity for Adults: Present Perfect + Simple Past Activity

Most intermediate and advanced level textbooks have a unit where they differentiate between these two English tenses. If you’re looking for a fun activity to do related to this, then look no further!

More details right here: PP and Simple Past ESL Activity.

Or, you may also want to check out these ESL Present Perfect Activities .

You might also be interested in Present Continuous Activities .

#8: Comparative Adjectives Online Quiz

A simple grammar concept for beginner-intermediate students is comparatives. Have a look here for a fun quiz:

#9 ESL Grammar Game: Flashcard Sentences

If you teach beginners who are just starting to make complete sentences, then don’t even consider walking into a class without a set of flashcards! They’re one of the most versatile English teaching tools, and also one of the most underutilized in my opinion. In particular, they’re ideal for daily routines and telling time .

Do you want to find out one of my favourite activities for using them? Then check this out: ESL Flashcard Sentences.

#10: How to Teach Relative Clauses

Relative clauses are one of those English grammar points that seem easy enough, but they can actually be a wee bit tricky once you get into it. And, it’s also not that easy to come up with fun and engaging games or activities to get your students working on them.

But, not to worry. Help is here for TEFL grammar lessons. Take a look at these tips: How to Teach Relative Clauses .

#11 ESOL Grammar Games: Error Correction Relay Race

This is a fun way to make something old (error correction) new again by making a game out of it. The way it works is that you put together a paragraph with a certain number of grammatical errors. The students have to race to figure them all out before their classmates do.

If you want to try out this fun ESL grammar game with your students, you can find out more right here: Error Correction Relay Game.

#12: Yes/No Questions Games and Activities

If your students are beginners and you’re working on the “Be” verb in the simple present, then you’ll want to consider some of these activities or games:

ESL Yes/No Question Activities .

• 148 Pages - 03/09/2016 (Publication Date)

#13: Sentence Structure Games

If your students need some help with building simple and complex sentences, then you’re certainly going to want to check out some of these top games and activities. More details here:

Sentence Building Games for ESL.

#14: Subject Verb Agreement Games

Many students struggle with subject-verb agreements. The basics of it are simple enough, but when you start to get a lot of words in between the subject and verb in a sentence, it can get a little bit tricky.

Whether or not students struggle with this also depends on their first language. In Korean for example, the verb is at the end of the sentence, so they’re not used to English sentence order.

If you want to help your students out with this important grammar skill, then you’ll want to check this out: Subject/Verb Agreement Games .

#15: Running Dictation 

#16: ESL Grammar Practice with Board Games 

Board Games often come in the “teacher’s resource book” that goes along with your textbook. If this is the case, you’re in luck because no prep will be required but you’ll have a solid activity that your students will probably love. It also has the bonus of being extremely student-centred.

Some grammar points that work particularly well for board games are the following:

Problem and advice

Write a small problem in each square (I’m so tired), and then students have to use the correct grammar for giving advice. For example, “He should go to bed earlier.”

Reported Speech

Put students in pairs and they play against another pair. Each square has a question. For example, “Are you addicted to your cell-phone?” One student answers the question and then their partner makes a reported speech statement based on that: “I’m not addicted to my phone.” Then their partner reports what they were told, “She said that she’s not that addicted to her phone.”

Here are some ideas: Reported speech games and activities .

The Simple Past

There is any number of interesting questions you could make related to this. Students have to answer the question using the correct verb form (regular or irregular). Or, you could make a statement but leave the verb blank and the students have to fill it in correctly. For example, “She didn’t have time to _____ dinner last night.”

Must/might/could/can’t

Put a statement in each square such as, “My mother is crying.” The student has to make a statement using the specified grammatical construction. For example, “She must be upset about something.” Or, “She could have had a bad day at work.”

Future Possibilities

For example, you could write, “What would you do if you came out to the parking lot and saw that your car was scratched?” The student might answer, “Maybe I would see if the store had CCTV.”

However, almost anything can work so put your creative powers to work and come up with a fun board game for your students! It will only take 5-10 minutes to make your own game once you get a bit of experience doing it. I use Google Drive for this. I make a grid, usually 5×5, and then fill in the blanks with questions or “fun squares” (see below).

Board Game Questions

Use questions based on the grammar that you’ve been teaching during the previous classes. Have some fun squares, such as, “Switch positions with the person on your right” or “Go back 5 spaces.” The style I typically use is a question of some kind where the student has to speak one or two sentences in response to it. Or, a statement with a word missing that they have to fill in by speaking the entire sentence.

How to Play this ESOL Grammar Game

The other students in the group listen for incorrect answers, in which case the student has to move back the number that they “rolled.” You can use dice (which gets loud), two coins (2 heads = 5, 1 head + 1 tail = 3, 2 tails = 1), or a number sheet where students close their eyes and move their pen to choose a number. Or, you can have students spin their pen to point to a number on a sheet of paper.

Do you want to find out more? You’ll need to check this out: ESOL Grammar Board Games .

• Smith, Jennifer Booker (Author)
• 134 Pages - 03/31/2016 (Publication Date)

#17 Fun Grammar Activities: Hot Potato

This is a simple grammar review game, spiced up with a timer. There are plenty of phone app timers, but a kitchen timer is ideal. To play, start the potato, which can be a whiteboard eraser, ball, or any lightweight, easily seen object, moving around the class from student to student. You could also bring a potato from home!

If there is not a practical way to play in a circle, have a contingency for the last student getting the potato back to the first student, such as pausing the timer.

When the timer goes off, the student holding the potato is shown a flashcard. If they can make a grammatically correct sentence, they stay alive. If they’re wrong, they are out and must sit down. Require that students use a specific kind of grammar. For example, superlative adjectives , present perfect, simple past, etc.

Variations of Hot Potato

Vary the length of time for the timer, generally 5-15 seconds, with an occasional longer or shorter spell. A variation is to have two potatoes which look different. The person holding potato A must ask the person holding potato B a question about the flashcard using the target grammar, and that student must answer.

For example: A: Do you like oranges? B: Yes, I do/No, I don’t.

Teaching Tip for this ESL Grammar Activity:

If the class is large, this can be a very long game and the students who are out will lose interest quickly. So, I would break large classes into groups of 10-15. All groups use the same timer and flashcard—I say, “Three, two, one . . . . .” and the students holding potatoes all say their answers together.

#18: ESL Passive Games and Activities

Teaching the passive tense can be a little bit tricky. However, help is here! Check out this article for all the tips, tricks, activities, games and lesson plans you need to know to do it in style:

ESL Passive Voice Activities and Games

#19: Modal Verb Activities

#20: Quantifier Activities and Games

Quantifiers are a part of speech and are words that deal with amounts of something in English. For example much, many, few, a lot of, some, etc. The grammar and usage of them can be a little bit tricky, particularly for beginners because there are some very specific rules about when to use which ones.

If you want to help your students out with this by giving them lots of practice, you’ll want to check out the following resource:

ESL Quantifiers Games .

#21: ESL Possessive Pronouns and Adjectives

The grammar of possessives is relatively simple, but our students need to master it because these things are so important in the English language. The good news is that there are lots of fun things you can do with this grammar point. Check out some of our top ideas here:

ESL Possessive Activities and Games .

#22: ESOL Grammar Games

Do you need even more tips and tricks for teaching ESL grammar? Then you’ll definitely want to check out this short video below for more ideas to do it in style!

#23: Dictation Practice

A nice way to review any grammar concepts that you’ve been teaching your students is by doing some dictation that targets them specifically. The way it works is that you read sentences or passage to your students and they have to write down what they hear.

Want to find out all the details about this ESL writing and grammar activity? Check it out here:

ESL Dictation Activity .

#24: Reflexive Pronoun Activities

In English, there are nine reflexives that are used when the subject and object of a sentence are the same. They end in self (myself) or selves (themselves). They can be a little bit tricky to teach but the good news is that there are lots of activities and games you could consider using. Find out the recommendations:

ESL Reflexive Activities and Games .

#25: Vocabulary Auction

#26: Prefix Games and Activities

A prefix in English is when letters are added to the beginning of words to change the meaning. For example, to make it opposite or negate something. It’s an important English grammar concept for our students to know and it’s an excellent way for them to expand their vocabulary. Here are some of the best resources:

ESL Prefix Activities .

#27: Dialogue Substitution 

#28: There Is There Are

A key grammatical concept in English is when to use there is and there are. It can get a bit tricky when you take into account things like uncountable nouns and modifiers. Check out some of my ideas there.

Games for There Is and There Are .

#29: Teaching the Third Conditional 

The third conditional expresses unreal situations from the past. The grammar can be a little bit tricky in terms of both form and meaning. Have a look here for some of the top ideas for teaching it:

Third Conditional ESL . 

Did you Like These English Grammar Activities and Games?

Yes? Thought so! Then the book you’re going to want to check out is this one over on Amazon: 101 ESL Activities for Teenagers and Adults.  The key to happy, engaged students who love learning English is a variety of interesting games and activities for them to do in class. This book will help you achieve that lofty goal!

The best part is that the book is well organized into various sections, from speaking to listening, reading to writing, grammar to review and more. You should be able to find an activity or game that’ll work for your students in just a minute or two. Sounds awesome, right? It is! It’ll make your lesson planning easier, guaranteed.

You can get the book in a couple of different formats: the e-version or the physical copy. Take the digital version with you to your favourite coffee shop for some serious lesson planning on the go. Or, keep a copy of the book on the bookshelf in your office to use as a handy reference guide.

Either way, you’re getting a serious hit of ESL teaching awesome in your life. Are you ready for it? Check out the book for yourself right here:

What About ESL Grammar Worksheets?

If you’re looking for the source of all things English grammar practice and worksheets, then you’ll want to check out some of our favourite sources right here:

ESL Library

Busy Teacher

Where Can my Students Practice English Grammar Online?

My students often ask me where they can get some more practice online with these English grammar concepts. If I’m using one of the big, 4-skills ESL textbooks, I try to get the accompanying online practice. This is often the best source because the grammar and vocabulary will match exactly what you’re teaching in class.

However, there are plenty of great resources for online grammar practise too:

English Media Lab

Learn English Feel Good

Tips for Teaching ESL Grammar

Teaching ESL grammar effectively requires careful planning and a variety of instructional strategies. Here are some tips to help you teach ESL grammar more effectively.

Understand the Grammar Point

Gain a thorough understanding of the specific grammar point you are teaching. Review grammar rules, sentence structures, and usage before teaching. Identify common errors and challenges that learners may face.

Contextualize Grammar

Present grammar within a meaningful context. Use authentic materials, real-life situations, or interesting topics to introduce and practice grammar. Help students understand the relevance and application of the grammar point in their daily lives.

Visual Aids and Manipulatives

Utilize visual aids, such as charts, diagrams, or infographics, to illustrate grammar concepts. Manipulatives like flashcards or word cards can help students manipulate sentence components to understand sentence structure and word order.

Provide Clear Explanations

Present grammar rules and explanations in a clear and concise manner. Use simple language and provide examples to illustrate the concept. Ensure students understand the purpose and usage of the grammar point.

Scaffolded Practice

Progress from controlled to freer practice activities. Begin with guided exercises that provide step-by-step instructions and gradually transition to activities that allow more independent application of the grammar point. Scaffold the practice to match students’ proficiency levels.

Interactive Grammar Activities

Incorporate engaging activities that require active participation. Use games, puzzles, role-plays, pair work, group discussions, or online interactive exercises to practice grammar in a fun and meaningful way. Make grammar practice interactive and enjoyable for students.

Error Correction

Provide targeted and constructive feedback on students’ grammar errors. Focus on specific errors related to the grammar point being taught. Use a combination of explicit correction, guided self-correction, peer correction, and providing models to reinforce correct usage.

Authentic Writing Tasks

Assign writing tasks that require students to apply the grammar point in authentic contexts. Provide prompts or topics that encourage students to use the grammar structure naturally. Offer feedback and guidance on their writing, highlighting both correct usage and areas for improvement.

Integration with Speaking Skills

Encourage students to incorporate the grammar point in their spoken language. Design speaking activities, discussions, or debates that require the use of the target grammar structure. Provide opportunities for students to practice using the grammar point in meaningful conversations.

Review and Reinforcement

Incorporate regular grammar review and reinforcement activities to consolidate learning. Periodically revisit previously taught grammar points to ensure retention. Use quizzes, review games, or short exercises to reinforce students’ understanding and application of grammar concepts.

Do you Have a Recommendation for ESL Grammar Textbook?

If you’re looking for some super solid reference and practice textbooks for English grammar, my favorite ones are usually the Grammar in Use series. You can find them for beginner, intermediate, or advanced levels. Check them out on Amazon:

Of the 4-skills ESL textbooks for teenagers or adults, the one that’s best for grammar and vocabulary is Touchstone. It gets way more into the finer points of things than the books that focus more on communicative activities do. You can check it out here: ‘

• McCarthy, Michael (Author)
• 83 Pages - 08/25/2015 (Publication Date) - Cambridge University Press (Publisher)

Teaching ESL Grammar FAQs

There are a number of common questions that people have about teaching grammar to English learners. Here are the answers to some of the most common ones.

What is ESL grammar?

ESL grammar is English grammar used by people who do not speak English as their first language. Depending on the level of fluency, it may be closer or further away from the grammar that would be used by a native English speaker.

How to I teach ESL grammar?

Here are a few tips for teaching ESL grammar:

• Make it fun! Teaching grammar doesn’t have to be boring.
• Use a variety of ESL grammar activities and games.
• Don’t forget about context when teaching English grammar.
• Consider teaching fewer grammatical points but ensuring that students know them really well.
• Use guided discovery or noticing for grammar teaching.

What are the 8 parts of speech?

In English, the 8 parts of speech are: nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The part of speech indicates meaning as well as the grammar within the English sentence.

How do you write a grammar lesson?

There are a few distinct steps when writing a grammar lesson:

• Lead-in/motivation/setting the context
• Presentation
• Controlled practice
• Freer practice
• Homework task (optional)

What is basic English grammar?

Basic English grammar is the structure and system of the English language. It helps us know what order to put the words in a sentence and also gives the words meaning. Each piece of the sentence is known as a part of speech.

What are the steps in an ESL grammar lesson?

Have your say about these ESL Grammar Games and Activities

What are your thoughts about these ESL grammar games, activities, worksheets and online practice? Do you have any recommendations that you’d like to share with us? Leave a comment below and let us know. We’d love to hear from you. Also, learn how you can use grammar points to decorate your ESL classroom .

English grammar activities and games

Last update on 2022-07-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

About Jackie

Jackie Bolen has been teaching English for more than 15 years to students in South Korea and Canada. She's taught all ages, levels and kinds of TEFL classes. She holds an MA degree, along with the Celta and Delta English teaching certifications.

Jackie is the author of more than 60 books for English teachers and English learners, including Business English Vocabulary Builder and 39 No-Prep/Low-Prep ESL Speaking Activities for Teenagers and Adults . She loves to share her ESL games, activities, teaching tips, and more with other teachers throughout the world.

You can find her on social media at: YouTube Facebook Pinterest TikTok LinkedIn Instagram

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Best-selling author and English teacher Jackie Bolen has been talking ESL activities and games since 2015. The goal is to bring you the best ideas, lesson plans, and activity recommendations for your TEFL classes.

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