Correct word order has a significant role in teaching a foreign language. Many learners automatically order the words in a sentence as in their native language. However, since different languages have various sentence structures, ESL teachers should be very attentive in dealing with this topic. Despite its difficulty, it can be taught in fun and entertaining ways to primary school children. Here we present activities that will definitely come in handy to practise word order with your kids.
Rainbow sentences
One of the fascinating ways of practising word order with kids is definitely with Rainbow order. Distribute the mixed parts of the sentence to your students and ask them to put the words in the correct order according to rainbow colours (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet). To make it more fun, you can also play the rainbow song. Children really enjoy doing this activity.
Question cards
Use question cards to introduce the rules of word order to your students, such as Who/what, what happens, where, when, etc. Provide with an example (Bob goes to school every day.) and get your students to put the mixed words in the correct order.
Expanding the phrase
Write a word on the board. Ask your students to take in turns and add extra words to make it into a longer and longer sentence. It must be a logically coherent sentence. Students cannot remove words, but they can change the order while adding new words. My kids really enjoy this activity, especially when I ask them to use their imagination and expand the phrase in a funny way.
Cat
- A black cat
- A big black cat
- Tom saw a big black cat
- Tom saw a big black cat in the forest
- Tom saw a big black cat in the forest last night
Removing words from a sentence
This activity is considered to be the opposite of the previous one. Here you provide your students with a long sentence and ask them to take turns and to remove words so that it always remains a sentence.
- Kate doesn’t like cartoons because they are loud, so she doesn’t watch them.
- Kate doesn’t like cartoons because they are loud, so she doesn’t watch.
- Kate doesn’t like cartoons because they are loud.
- Kate doesn’t like cartoons.
Brainstorming sentences
Ask your students to work in pairs or in groups. Choose a topic that the students are familiar with (weather, animals, food, jobs, etc) and get them to make up as many correct and long sentences as possible.
Example: Animals
Group A: Crocodiles are very dangerous animals.
Group B: Many people are afraid of spiders and not mice.
Group A: It is very difficult to survive crocodile’s attack because they attack very quickly.
Group B: Last summer, when we were staying in a forest, we suddenly saw a wolf near our tents.
Gringle
This is a guessing game. Choose a player, who will think of a verb his/her classmates must guess what verb this student is thinking of. The verb is replaced by a nonsense word such as “gringle”. The students then ask questions, like this:
— Can you gringle at night?
— Who gringles more — girls or boys
— Do you use a special object to gringle?
— When do you usually gringle?
— Is gringling a fun or a serious action?
Why do people gringle?This game is a magnificent tool for practising word order in interrogative sentences with your kids. With the help of numerous questions, they revise different types of questions, such as General and Special ones.
This was the list of the activities that I usually use with my kids to practise word order. I am sure you are aware of some other fascinating ways as well. Share them in the comments below.
Game Code: 191609
English
10
Public
Put the words in the right order to make questions.
Study
Slideshow
Share Word order — Questions
Use Class PIN to share Baamboozle+ games with your students.
Upgrade
Save to Folder
you a do have car ?
Do you have a car?
5
older is brother your you than ?
is your brother older than you?
25
often he how to write does you ?
How often does he write to you?
15
this time start does what class ?
What time does this class start?
20
Brazil from is friend your ?
Is your friend from Brazil?
15
languages how you many do speak ?
How many languages do you speak?
20
she born where was ?
Where was she born?
15
last go where you summer did ?
Where did you go last summer?
25
father doctor your is a ?
Is your father a doctor?
15
come bus to you by school did ?
Did you come to school by bus?
15
How to Play
Make some teams
Take turns choosing questions
Say the answer then hit the Check button
Click Okay if the team is correct or Oops if not
Classic Jr
Sign in to choose
Educaplay uses its own and third-party cookies for anonymous analytical purposes, save the preferences you select, personalize the advertising you see based on your browsing habits and for the general operation of the page.
You can accept all cookies by clicking the «Accept» button or configure or reject their use by clicking the «Set up» button.
You can obtain more information and reconfigure your preferences at any time in the Cookies policy
If you are under 14 years old, ask your parent or guardian to read this message before continuing.
You have exceeded the maximum number of activities that can be shared in Google Classroom for your account type.
If you want to continue inserting activities in Google Classroom, purchase a Premium Academic or higher account now and enjoy unlimited insertions.
Get Premium Academic
You have exceeded the maximum number of activities that can be shared in Microsoft Teams for your account type.
If you want to continue inserting activities in Microsoft Teams, purchase a Premium Academic or higher account now and enjoy unlimited insertions.
Get Premium Academic
Question Words ESL Activities, Games and Worksheets
- Elementary (A1-A2)
- Pre-intermediate (A2)
- Intermediate (B1)
Interview Me
ESL Question Words Activity — Grammar and Speaking: Forming, Asking and Answering Questions from Prompts, Controlled and Freer Practice — Pair Work — Elementary (A1-A2) — 30 minutes
This free question words activity can be used to help students practice question words and personal information questions. Working alone, students use question words in a box to complete a set of 12 personal information questions. Students then take it in turns to ask the questions to a partner. Students note down their partner’s answers and ask Wh follow-up questions to gain more information. When everyone has finished, students give feedback to the class on what they found out about their partner.
Introduction to Question Words
ESL Question Words Worksheet — Grammar Exercises: Matching, Categorizing, Gap-fill, Writing Questions from Prompts — Elementary (A1-A2) — 30 minutes
This fun question words worksheet helps elementary students learn and practice how to use question words. Students begin by matching answers with questions. Next, students think about which question word can be used for the words and phrases shown. Students then sort the words and phrases accordingly. Students then move on to match the question words with the things they are used to ask about. After that, students use the question words to complete questions. Finally, students write questions that would elicit given answers.
Questions, Questions, Questions
ESL Question Words Activity — Grammar and Speaking: Forming, Asking and Answering Questions from Prompts, Controlled and Freer Practice — Pair Work — Elementary (A1-A2) — 30 minutes
In this question words activity, students complete questions with question words and then ask and answer the questions with a partner. First, students look at incomplete questions and read through the example short answers. Students then complete the questions with question words using the short answers to help them. Next, in pairs, students take it in turns to ask each other the questions, writing down their partner’s answers on the worksheet. Students also ask follow-up questions to gain more information where possible. Afterwards, students report back to the class on the things they found out about their partner.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
