Introduction:

This is a crossword puzzle you can do with intermediate + students to review past simple irregular verbs. All the clues together form a description of my own birthday a few years ago, which makes the activity more personal. Students solve the puzzle individually, compare with their classmates and describe their own birthday or any other special event in their lives.

Level: B1+

Time: 40 minutes

Objectives:

1. To review irregular verbs.
2. To complete a crossword puzzle with past simple irregular verbs.
3. To describe a special occasion using the verbs from the crossword puzzle.

Procedure:

1. Elicit examples of special occasions from the students, e.g. graduation, Christmas, wedding anniversary, birthday, etc.
2. Explain that you are going to give them a description of your best birthday but they will have to complete the story with the missing verbs.
3. Give students worksheet A and ask them to first read all of the clues (1 to 20) to give them context and to help them with completing the sentences.
4. Students work individually to complete the crossword using the clues.
5. In pairs, ask them to compare their answers.
6. If the students are struggling at this stage, give them a list of all 20 infinitive verbs (on the answer worksheet) in random order and encourage them to keep trying. The students I have done this crossword with became very engaged and loved the challenge.
7. Check and provide feedback.

Fast finishers / homework idea:

1. Students choose ten irregular verbs from the crossword and describe their best birthday ever.

worksheet-a-best-birthday-ever-crossword

best-birthday-ever-answer-sheet

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