Scrambled Sentences are an excellent way to practice grammar recognition and syntax. You give students all the words to form one sentence in mixed-up order. Students then re-arrange the words to form a grammatically correct sentence. You write words on the blackboard then give students a few minutes to form a sentence. Students work individually.
Students raise their hands when they think they've formed a good sentence.
You walk over and check. Once most of the class has the answer, write the sentence on the board and ask if anyone has questions. Students then compete in small groups to successfully arrange the words in all the envelopes. You keep track of the groups and the envelopes they've completed on the board. You could try either of these activities by using sentences from an actual newspaper article or advertisement.