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01 Active Grammar: What are you doing?
ESL Materials: Speaking Skills

Practise the present continuous tense (be + ___ing) and a time question.

Conversation① Repeat each line of the conversation 4 times.

A:

What are you doing?

B:

I'm waiting for the coffee shop to open.

A:

Oh yeah? What time does it open?

B:

I think it opens at 8:00. (eight)② Shadow your teacher reading the conversation 4 times.
③ Practise the conversation, changing "A" and "B" roles with your partner.
④ Substitute the underlined words with the following, and practise the conversation:
post office

9:15

nine fifteen

library

9:30

nine thirtymuseum

9:45

nine forty-fivegym

10:00

ten

⑤ Produce conversations by thinking of new words to complete the blanks. Use thefollowing phrases so that you can THINK and SPEAK at the same time:
What am I doing?
Let me see...
Let me think...
That's a good question!
⑥ Challenge yourself by trying the conversation without looking at it!

Copyright © Nick Ramsay

nicksenglish.com/courses

02 Active Grammar: What were you doing?
ESL Materials: Speaking Skills

Practise the past continuous (was/were + ___ing) in a conversation.

Conversation① Repeat each line of the conversation 4 times.

A:

What were you doing in the kitchen?

B:

Oh, I was just looking for something to eat.

A:

Did you remember to feed the cat?

B:

Oh sorry, I wasn't thinking.

② Shadow your teacher reading the conversation 4 times.
③ Practise the conversation, changing "A" and "B" roles with your partner.
④ Substitute the underlined words with the following, and practise the conversation:
getting a biscuitdog

making a sandwich

goldfishmaking some soupchickens

washing the dishes

children⑤ Produce conversations by thinking of new words to complete the blanks. Use thefollowing phrases so that you can THINK and SPEAK at the same time:
What was I doing?
Let me see...
Let me think...
That's a good question!
⑥ Challenge yourself by trying the conversation without looking at it!

Copyright © Nick Ramsay

nicksenglish.com/courses

03 Active Grammar: Have you seen my phone?
ESL Materials: Speaking Skills

Practise the present perfect tense (have done) in a conversation.

Conversation① Repeat each line of the conversation 4 times.

A:

Have you seen my phone?

B:

No. Have you looked in the kitchen?

A:

Yeah, I’ve already checked. It’s not there.

B:

Well, maybe it’s in your car.

② Shadow your teacher reading the conversation 4 times.
③ Practise the conversation, changing "A" and "B" roles with your partner.
④ Substitute the underlined words with the following, and practise the conversation:
penin your pocket

watch

in your bagcat

in the bathroom

glasseson your desk

it’s → they’re⑤ Produce conversations by thinking of new words to complete the blanks. Use thefollowing phrases so that you can THINK and SPEAK at the same time:
Have I seen your phone?
In the kitchen?
Let me see… / Let me think...
That's a good question!
⑥ Challenge yourself by trying the conversation without looking at it!

Copyright © Nick Ramsay

nicksenglish.com/courses

04 Active Grammar: Have you ever been to Tokyo?
ESL Materials: Speaking Skills

Practise the present perfect tense to talk about experiences.

Conversation① Repeat each line of the conversation 4 times.

A:

Have you ever been to Tokyo?

B:Yeah, I went there last summer.

A:

Oh really? What was it like?

B:

It was amazing. I highly recommend it!

② Shadow your teacher reading the conversation 4 times.
③ Practise the conversation, changing "A" and "B" roles with your partner.
④ Substitute the underlined words with the following, and practise the conversation:
seen Titanic

watched it on TV

been surfing

gave it a try

had an accident

broke my leg

eaten frog's legs

tried themwas → were, it → they / them.

⑤ Produce conversations by thinking of new words to complete the blanks. Use thefollowing phrases so that you can THINK and SPEAK at the same time:
Have I ever been to Tokyo?
What was it like?
Let me see… / Let me think...
That's a good question!
⑥ Challenge yourself by trying the conversation without looking at it!

Copyright © Nick Ramsay

nicksenglish.com/courses

05 Active Grammar: I hadn’t seen him in years.
ESL Materials: Speaking Skills

Practise the past perfect tense in a conversation about last night.

Conversation① Repeat each line of the conversation 4 times.

A:

How was the concert last night?

B:

It was good. I hadn’t been to one before.

A:Really? Sorry I couldn’t go. Was Tom there?

B:Yeah. I hadn’t seen him in years, so it was good to catch up.

② Shadow your teacher reading the conversation 4 times.
③ Practise the conversation, changing "A" and "B" roles with your partner.
④ Substitute the underlined words with the following, and practise the conversation:
opera

Lucyauction

JamesTED talkAnna

poetry reading

Dominic

him → her

⑤ Produce conversations by thinking of new words to complete the blanks. Use thefollowing phrases so that you can THINK and SPEAK at the same time:
So…
By the way…
I was wondering...
What’s his/her name?
⑥ Challenge yourself by trying the conversation without looking at it!

Copyright © Nick Ramsay

nicksenglish.com/courses

06 Active Grammar: She had been asking for one.
ESL Materials: Speaking Skills

Practise the past perfect continuous tense in a natural conversation.

Conversation① Repeat each line of the conversation 4 times.

A:

I finally got Amy a new watch, because she’d been asking for one
for ages, and then guess what?

B:

I don’t know. What?

A:

She didn’t even like it!

B:

You're kidding. Unbelievable!

② Shadow your teacher reading the conversation 4 times.
③ Practise the conversation, changing "A" and "B" roles with your partner.
④ Substitute the underlined words with the following, and practise the conversation:a new bagwanting one

new shoes

asking for someit → themconcert tickets

dying to go

it → thema new phone

begging for one⑤ Produce conversations by thinking of new words to complete the blanks. Use thefollowing phrases so that you can THINK and SPEAK at the same time:
So…
Get this…
You won’t believe this…
Oh! I meant to tell you…
⑥ Challenge yourself by trying the conversation without looking at it!
Copyright © Nick Ramsay