Here are 5 ESL writing activities that work well as warmers or fillers for high beginner+ students. Practice sentence patterns and articles, do some editing, teach English, nudge students towards writing accuracy.
ESL Writing Activities and Worksheets
1. Practice Articles (10-15 minutes)
Do I use a or the? That’s a tricky questions for students learning English writing. Takes students years to learn those rules by heart.
I find short exercises spread over time helps students get a feel for articles. This ESL writing worksheet has two sets of questions with answers on the second page.
2. Even More Articles (10-15 minutes)
Are you students begging for more practice questions with definite and indefinite articles? Well, here they are: more ESL practice questions with answers.
3. Editing Practice (8-12 minutes)
Editing practice, I think, is underused and underappreciated in the writing class. It compels students to concentrate on text and become mindful of errors.
Mindfulness is one path to better writing. Here are three editing questions – short paragraphs – along with answers.
4. Complex Sentences (8-12 minutes)
If your students don’t know how to write a complex, they probably should. This writing worksheet has two sets of questions with examples.
If your students haven’t seen a complex sentence in a while, you might need a 15 minute review lesson – like this review of complex sentences – before setting them loose on this worksheet.
5. Appositive Sentences (10-12 minutes)
I usually include a unit on appositive sentences in my writing courses. Appositives add style and help students squeeze lots of information into a sentence without resorting to bulky relative clauses.
Here is the appositive writing worksheet. If required, here is an English lesson on appositives.
That’s it for now.
Enjoy.
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