ESL Speaking

Games + Activities to Try Out Today!

  • Adult Activities
  • Kid Activities
  • Textbooks
    • ESL Textbooks for Adults
    • ESL Textbooks for Children
  • Teacher Resources
    • Resources
    • Online TEFL Course
  • Learn English
    • Learn English
    • Confusing English Words

in Activities for Adults· Activities for Kids

Parts of Speech Activities ESL | Adverbs, Articles, Nouns, Verbs

Do you want to find out all the details about parts of speech ESL activities and games? Then keep on reading for all the ideas and information you need to teach the English parts of speech in style.

parts-of-speech-esl-activities

Parts of speech ESL

Parts of Speech ESL

Let’s get into the best ESL parts of speech games and activities.

Adjective Activities

Adjectives are one of the most important parts of speech in that they give color to the language. They are what describe people, place, and things. Check out these adjective ESL activities that are designed to provide lots of practice opportunities as well as help students distinguish when to use the ____ing vs the _____ed endings.

Adjective ESL Activities.

Adjectives (Comparatives and Superlatives)

A comparative adjective compares two things. For example, “Timmy is taller than Tommy.” A superlative describes something to the highest degree. For example, “Russia is the biggest country.” There are lots of interesting ESL games and activities for this part of speech. Find out more:

Adjectives (Comparatives/Superlatives).

Adjectives (Feelings and Emotions)

Check out these engaging TEFL activities that will help students use adjectives to describe feelings and emotions. Students will be able to practice talking about how certain things make them feel. Take a look:

Adjectives (Feelings/Emotions).

Adverbs

There are five main types of adverbs to be aware of:

  • time
  • place
  • frequency
  • manner
  • place

Find out more information about each of them here:

Kinds of Adverbs

Manner Adverbs

Adverbs of Frequency

These are a key part of speech as it allows people to talk about how often something happens. There are lots of great activities for these frequency words that are fun and engaging. Have a look at some of the best ones here:

Adverbs of Frequency ESL.

Articles

Common and Proper Nouns

Common nouns are a general version of something while proper nouns are a specific, named version. There are a few key differences in how these types of nouns are treated, especially with regards to punctuation and articles. That’s why it’s important to focus on this English part of speech with some dedicated practice. Here are some recommendations:

Common and Proper Noun ESL Activities.

Conditionals

We use conditionals (statements or questions using “if”) frequently in English. They can express a future possibility or a possibility in the past if something were different. Find out some of the best ideas here:

How to Teach Conditionals.

Conjunctions and Linking Words

Check out these engaging and interactive conjunctions activities and games to help students learn how to use linking words in their writing or speaking. The activities cover both coordinating and subordinating conjunctions and how and when to use each one. Have a look here:

Conjunctions and Linking Words Activities.

Countable and Uncountable Nouns

A key concept for nouns is the idea of countable and uncountables. These enjoyable ESL activities will help students with the key differences between them as well as how to use them with quantifiers. More details:

Countable and Uncountable Noun Activities.

english-parts-of-speech

Parts of speech activities

For/Since (Present Perfect)

Being able to use for and since along with the present perfect is important for our students to be able to master in English. Have a look at these interactive, student-centred TEFL activities that will help students with this.

For/Since Present Perfect.

Helping Verbs

Linking or helping verbs are key to forming the more complicated verb tenses in English as well as for conveying meaning like in the case of modals. It’s vital that our students are able to recognize them and form them as well. Here are some of the best ways to help them with this:

Helping Verbs Activities.

Indefinite Pronouns

This important part of speech helps students refer to non-specific people, places or things by using words like anybody, anywhere, someone, something, etc. Find out some of the best ways to help students practice using these kinds of pronouns:

Indefinite Pronoun ESL Activities

Prepositions of Place

Prepositions are one of the most important English parts of speech. They tell the location of things in relation to other things and are very common in general conversation. Students will learn how to describe the location of things in relation to other things with these games and activities:

Preposition of Place Activities and Games.

Relative Clauses

Being able to use relative clauses effectively is important for our students to master. These ESL activities will help them with this skill. Check them out here:

ESL Relative Clause Activities.

Singular and Plural Nouns

Knowing how to make singular nouns into the plural is a key skill for English learners to know. Try out these fun, engaging ESL activities with your students:

Singular and Plural Noun ESL Activities.

Subject and Object Pronouns

These types of pronouns can replace a named subject or object within a sentence. Check out these ESL games and activities to help students practice this important part of speech:

Subject and Object Pronouns.

Subject Verb Agreement Activities

Being able to make subjects and verbs in a sentence agree with each other is a key skill for English learners to master. There are plenty of fun games and activities to help with this. Have a look here:

Subject Verb Agreement ESL Activities.

Suffix Activities

These parts of speech games and activities related to suffixes will help students build their vocabularies. They encourage students to use their powers of deduction to guess the meanings of words. They will also learn how to use a suffix to form a new word. Check them out:

ESL Suffix Activities.

Verbs

Verbs are one of the most important parts of speech as every sentence must have one! It’s vital for students to learn how to conjugate and use verbs correctly. Check out these activities that will help students master the most common verbs, including their meaning and usage.

ESL Verb Activities.

Verbs (Past Tense)

Verbs are one of the most important parts of speech. In this case, students will learn how to use verbs in the past tense to talk about things that have previously happened. They cover both regular and irregular past verbs. Find out more:

Past Tense Verbs (Regular and Irregular).

parts-of-speech-esl-games

Part of speech games

Parts of Speech ESL Activities and Games

If you’re looking for some of the best parts of speech activities ESL, then keep on reading. Here are some of the top picks to help students learn how to differentiate between the various parts of speech and to make better sentences.

#1: Sentence Building ESL Games and Activities

Building good sentences is ALL about using the various parts of speech. There are certainly lots of grammatical rules that students must pay attention to. For example, word order. A common way to construct an English sentence is with a subject-verb-object. These activities are designed to help students with parts of speech when making sentences:

ESL Sentence Building Activities.

#2: Dialogue Substitution

Various parts of speech are often introduced in ESL/EFL textbooks through a dialogue of some kind that students are supposed to read with a partner. However, students often blow through these without really paying that close of attention to what they’re reading. Removing some of the key words (the part of speech you want to focus on) can turn this from a simple reading activity into one that focuses on meaning as well. Try it out:

Dialogue Substitution ESL Reading Activity.

#3: ESL Listening Lessons and Parts of Speech

I love to use listening lessons to focus on a certain part of speech. To start off with, I’ll introduce the part of speech I want to focus on. For example, adverbs. I’ll elicit some adverb examples and give a quick primer on what they are. Then, I’ll get students to listen to someone and take notes about which adverbs they hear. This can lead into a more complete lesson on adverbs where students can become more proficient at recognizing and using them. Find out more:

ESL Listening Lessons.

#4: Puzzle Finder Activity

I generally use puzzle finder as a kind of icebreaker activity but it’s also ideal for focusing on various parts of speech. For example, you may want to make up some simple sentences with subjects/verbs/objects. Then, students get a puzzle piece with one of these things on it and have to form a group of 3 with a good sentence. Add in things like adjectives or articles to increase the group sizes that have to find each other.

ESL Puzzle Finder Activity.

#5: Parts of Speech Quest

Parts of Speech FAQs

There are a number of common questions that people have about teaching students to use the various parts of speech. Here are the answers to some of the most popular ones.

What are the 4 main parts of speech?

In English, the 4 main parts of speech are nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs.

What are the 9 parts of speech with examples?

In English, here are the 9 main parts of speech with examples:

  • noun (table)
  • verb (sit)
  • pronoun (it)
  • adverb (slowly)
  • adjective (tall)
  • conjunctions (and)
  • article (the)
  • preposition (on)

How do you introduce a part of speech?

In a language class, a part of speech is usually introduced in the context of a reading or listening passage. Students notice the specific part of speech, learn a short lesson on the meaning and forms, do some controlled practice and then engage in an activity that allows for more freedom. It can be followed up with a homework exercise.

How do you teach parts of speech in a fun way?

There are various activities and games that can make teaching parts of speech more fun. Some of these include vocabulary auctions, puzzle finder activities, charades, disappearing text, board games, and more.

How do you identify a noun?

You can identify a noun by considering whether the word is a person, place, or thing. It may be singular (tree) or plural (trees) and countable (glass of water) or uncountable (water).

Part of Speech ESL Lesson Plans

If you’re a teacher then you know how much time it can save to not have to make your own lesson plans. If you’re looking for some ESL parts of speech lessons that other teachers have made, have a look at our top options here:

Study.com

ESL Writing

Pixton

English Parts of Speech Worksheets

Another huge timesaver is worksheets for parts of speech. Here are links to some of the best resources:

ISL Collective

English Worksheets

English for Everyone

Did you like these Parts of Speech ESL Activities?

101 ESL Activities: Games, Activities, Practical ideas, & Teaching Tips For English Teachers of...
101 ESL Activities: Games, Activities, Practical ideas, & Teaching Tips For English Teachers of...
  • Amazon Kindle Edition
  • Bolen, Jackie (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 148 Pages - 03/09/2016 (Publication Date)
Check Price on Amazon

Yes? Thought so. Then you’re going to love this book over on Amazon: 101 ESL Activities for Teenagers and Adults. The key to better English classes is a wide variety of interactive, engaging and student-centred TEFL games and activities and this book will help you get there in style.

You can find the book in various formats. Consider keeping a copy on the bookshelf in your office to use as a handy reference guide. Or, take the digital version with you on any device with the free Kindle reading app for some lesson planning on the go. Finally, listen to the audio version when commuting to work for some lesson planning inspiration.

It really is that easy to have better English classes. Pick up a copy of the book today but only if you want a serious dose of ESL teaching awesome in your life. Head over to Amazon now:

shop-now-amazon

Have your Say about ESL Parts of Speech Activities

What’s your top pick for a parts of speech ESL activity? Is it one of the options from this list or do you have another one that you’d like to recommend? Leave a comment below and let us know what you think. We’d love to hear from you.

Also be sure to give this article a share on Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter. It’ll help other busy English teachers, like yourself, who are interested in parts of speech ESL activities or games.

 

Last update on 2022-10-15 / 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 101 ESL Activities for Teenagers and Adults and 1001 English Expressions and Phrases. 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
TikTok
Pinterest
Instagram

« Adverbs of Frequency ESL Activities, Games, Worksheets, Lesson Plans
ESL Animal Activities, Games, Worksheets and Lesson Plans »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Great Debates for ESL/EFL: 39 Important Debating Topics for English Learners
Great Debates for ESL/EFL: 39 Important Debating Topics for English Learners
Check Price on Amazon
103 Fun ESL Games & Activities for the Classroom : Interactive, Minimal Prep TEFL Ideas for All Ages
103 Fun ESL Games & Activities for the Classroom : Interactive, Minimal Prep TEFL Ideas for All Ages
Check Price on Amazon

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. What does this mean? I recommend products (only ones that I like) and if you purchase a product through that link, I earn some money.

Search this site

39 No-Prep/Low-Prep ESL Speaking Activities: For English Teachers of Teenagers and Adults Who Want...
39 No-Prep/Low-Prep ESL Speaking Activities: For English Teachers of Teenagers and Adults Who Want...
Check Price on Amazon
101 Activities and Resources for Teaching English Online: Practical Ideas, Games, Activities & Tips...
101 Activities and Resources for Teaching English Online: Practical Ideas, Games, Activities & Tips...
Check Price on Amazon
101 ESL Activities: Games, Activities, Practical ideas, & Teaching Tips For English Teachers of...
101 ESL Activities: Games, Activities, Practical ideas, & Teaching Tips For English Teachers of...
Check Price on Amazon

ESL Phrasal Verbs: Games, Activities, Lesson Plans & Worksheets

ESL Conversation Activities for Adults | ESOL Speaking Activities Adult

Adverbs of Frequency ESL Activities, Games, Worksheets, Lesson Plans

Tell a Story, ESL style | ESL Speaking Adults

Choose your Own Adventure ESL Writing Activity

Online TEFL Courses

Get Certified Entirely Online

67 ESL Conversation Topics with Questions, Vocabulary, Writing Prompts & More: For English Teachers...
67 ESL Conversation Topics with Questions, Vocabulary, Writing Prompts & More: For English Teachers...
Check Price on Amazon
Scatter Sheets for Intermediate-Advanced Students to Improve Fluency: ESL Speaking & Vocabulary...
Scatter Sheets for Intermediate-Advanced Students to Improve Fluency: ESL Speaking & Vocabulary...
Check Price on Amazon
1001 English Expressions and Phrases: Common Sentences and Dialogues Used by Native English Speakers...
1001 English Expressions and Phrases: Common Sentences and Dialogues Used by Native English Speakers...
Check Price on Amazon
39 ESL Warm-Ups: For English Teachers of Kids (7+) Who Want to Get their TEFL Classes Started Off...
39 ESL Warm-Ups: For English Teachers of Kids (7+) Who Want to Get their TEFL Classes Started Off...
Check Price on Amazon
Jackie Bolen

Disclosure Statement

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

  • Adult Activities
  • Kid Activities
  • Textbooks
  • Teacher Resources
  • Learn English

Our Top-Seller

Sale 39 No-Prep/Low-Prep ESL Speaking Activities: For Teenagers and Adults (Teaching ESL Conversation and...
39 No-Prep/Low-Prep ESL Speaking Activities: For Teenagers and Adults (Teaching ESL Conversation and...
Check Price on Amazon

Search

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

More ESL Activities

manners would u rather questions for kids

20 Kids Would You Rather Questions About Manners

easy trivia questions

50 Easy Trivia Questions for Kids with Answers

present-perfect-for-and-since

Present Perfect For and Since Activities, Worksheets, Lesson Plans

road trip activities

10 Fun Road Trip Activities for All Ages

About, Contact, Privacy Policy

Jackie Bolen has been talking ESL speaking since 2014 and the goal is to bring you the best recommendations for English conversation games, activities, lesson plans and more. It’s your go-to source for everything TEFL!

About and Contact for ESL Speaking.

Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Email: [email protected]

Facebook

Pinterest

TikTok

YouTube

LinkedIn

Address: 2436 Kelly Ave, Port Coquitlam, Canada

Copyright © 2023 Jackie Bolen + ESL Speaking. All Rights Reserved.