About this activity
Twelve sentences with the verb removed: Yesterday I ___ to the store (went). She ___ a whole sandwich (ate). He ___ off his bike (fell). We ___ a movie last night (saw). The baby ___ all night (slept). He ___ his name on the paper (wrote). Unlike a paired list, these require the student to choose the verb as well as its form, which is closer to what speech demands.
How to use it in a session
Read the whole sentence and let the time marker do the work. Yesterday and last night are what signal the past tense, and pointing at them is more useful than telling the student the sentence is past. When a verb is regularised — falled, throwed — say the correct form in a sentence back rather than asking for a repetition, since recasting is what changes this in speech. Eight minutes covers the twelve.
What to listen for
Listen for the pattern of errors. A student who regularises every irregular verb has the rule and no exceptions; one who gets went and not threw has learned the frequent ones individually. Watch did in I ___ my homework already, which is the most irregular verb in English and the one most often produced as doed.
Carrying it home
Past tense comes up every time a child is asked what they did today. Recasting the irregular ones without stopping the story gives more practice than any card set, and it does not feel like practice.
Questions
- How is this different from the paired list board?
- That gives both forms and asks for recognition. This gives a sentence and asks the student to supply the verb, which requires choosing the word as well as its form.
- Do I need an account?
- No, all twelve sentences play free.
- What grades is it for?
- First through fourth grade.