Teacher Guide / Instructions
Have the students stand in a circle. The first student starts miming an action. The next student turns to them and asks "What are you doing?"
The first student must reply, in a complete sentence using the present continuous tense, describing any action that is NOT what they were miming. At which point the second student must start miming whatever the first person said. This continues around the circle in a chain. After a few rounds to get used to the pattern, start 'eliminating' students who can't think of an action to describe, repeats an action already described, or (depending on levels) doesn't form the sentence correctly.
For example:
Student 1: mimes brushing his hair
Student 2: What are you doing?
Student 1: I'm walking my dog
Student 2: mimes walking a dog
Student 3: What are you doing?
Student 2: I'm eating an ice-cream
Student 3: mimes eating an ice-cream
.... and so on around the circle
It's a great way for students to show their sense of humour as they realise they can make their classmates act out silly things. It also motivates them to think of a wide variety of interesting verbs. Best of all, it repeats the present continuous structure over and over without being boring, and connects it to the purpose of why it's used.
Teacher Guide
Have the students stand in a circle. The first student starts miming an action. The next student turns to them and asks "What are you doing?"
The first student must reply, in a complete sentence using the present continuous tense, describing any action that is NOT what they were miming. At which point the second student must start miming whatever the first person said. This continues around the circle in a chain. After a few rounds to get used to the pattern, start 'eliminating' students who can't think of an action to describe, repeats an action already described, or (depending on levels) doesn't form the sentence correctly.
For example:
Student 1: mimes brushing his hair
Student 2: What are you doing?
Student 1: I'm walking my dog
Student 2: mimes walking a dog
Student 3: What are you doing?
Student 2: I'm eating an ice-cream
Student 3: mimes eating an ice-cream
.... and so on around the circle
It's a great way for students to show their sense of humour as they realise they can make their classmates act out silly things. It also motivates them to think of a wide variety of interesting verbs. Best of all, it repeats the present continuous structure over and over without being boring, and connects it to the purpose of why it's used.
Teacher Guide
Have the students stand in a circle. The first student starts miming an action. The next student turns to them and asks "What are you doing?"
The first student must reply, in a complete sentence using the present continuous tense, describing any action that is NOT what they were miming. At which point the second student must start miming whatever the first person said. This continues around the circle in a chain. After a few rounds to get used to the pattern, start 'eliminating' students who can't think of an action to describe, repeats an action already described, or (depending on levels) doesn't form the sentence correctly.
For example:
Student 1: mimes brushing his hair
Student 2: What are you doing?
Student 1: I'm walking my dog
Student 2: mimes walking a dog
Student 3: What are you doing?
Student 2: I'm eating an ice-cream
Student 3: mimes eating an ice-cream
.... and so on around the circle
It's a great way for students to show their sense of humour as they realise they can make their classmates act out silly things. It also motivates them to think of a wide variety of interesting verbs. Best of all, it repeats the present continuous structure over and over without being boring, and connects it to the purpose of why it's used.