Present Continuous Battleships
somdn_product_pageThis Present Continuous Battleships ESL speaking game helps teachers of adults and teens reinforce the present continuous with A1 students through engaging pairwork and picture-based activities. Students practise forming yes/no questions, giving short and full answers, and describing everyday activities. This present continuous ESL game combines vocabulary revision with meaningful speaking practice.
Level: A1 (A2 as revision)
Time: 45–60 minutes
This lesson comes with:
Fillable Fields – This digital worksheet can be completed online or printed.
Teacher’s Copy – Includes detailed teacher’s notes and an answer key.
Student Version – Ideal for sharing via email for online lessons.
Present Continuous Battleships – Lesson Overview
1. Picture Matching
Students match 16 colourful illustrations with everyday activities, including walking the dog, baking a cake, taking a selfie and watering the plants. This introduces or revises the vocabulary needed for the game.
2. Present Continuous Battleships Game
In this interactive present continuous speaking game, students secretly select eight activities from a picture grid. Working in pairs, they take turns asking questions such as Is she watering the plants? and Are they playing football?
Their partner responds with a short or full answer. Students record hits and misses as they try to identify all eight activities. This present continuous guessing game encourages careful listening, accurate question formation and active participation. The first player to discover their partner’s choices wins.
3. Optional Cut-up Matching Activity
As an alternative to the standard matching exercise, teachers can use the illustrated picture cards and activity phrases for hands-on vocabulary practice in pairs or small groups.
Skills Developed
- Forming present continuous yes/no questions
- Giving positive and negative short and full answers
- Using subject pronouns and possessive adjectives accurately
- Developing speaking, listening and turn-taking skills
- Revising everyday activity vocabulary
Lesson Objectives
By the end of this present continuous pairwork activity, students will be better able to form and answer present continuous questions, describe actions in progress and communicate confidently during a structured speaking game.
Try this present continuous Battleships game in class today!
Note: This lesson includes printable worksheets with fillable fields for digital use. For best results, we recommend using the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.
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