CHARADES AND THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS

An Acting and Speaking Activity

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE TEACHER

Students will practice the present continuous tense in this traditional game of acting and
guessing. Before playing, have students review the chart Some verbs and prepositions on
page 24 of Spectrum Book 2.
To play charades:
1. Copy and cut out the charades cue cards before the beginning of class.
2. Shuffle the cue cards and place them in a bag.
3. Explain that one student will silently act out an activity. The class must guess what the
activity is, using the present continuous tense.
4. Silently act out an activity for the class as an example. Students must correctly identify
the activity using the present continuous.

EXAMPLES:
TEACHER: (acts out listening to a radio)

STUDENT: You are listening to a radio!

5. Ask for one volunteer to mime the first cue card. The volunteer will draw a cue card from
the bag and mime the action on the cue card. Give the class one minute to correctly guess
the activity.
6. The student who guesses the activity is the next person to select a new cue card from the
bag and mime the action on it. Continue playing until all the cue cards have run out.
7. If you want to make this activity more competitive, you can divide the class into teams and
award a point to a team each time one of its members guesses an action correctly.

Spectrum Book 2, Unit 3

Copyright 2002 by Pearson Education, Inc. Permission granted to reproduce for classroom use.
 You are looking for your wallet. You are waiting for a taxi.

You are listening to dance music. You are looking at the teacher.

You are talking to a friend. You are thinking about eating.

You are drinking water at a water

You are waiting for a telephone call.
fountain.

You are watching a soccer game on

You are reading a funny book.
TV.

You are thinking about your

You are talking to a waitress.
boyfriend/girlfriend.

Spectrum Book 2, Unit 3

Copyright 2002 by Pearson Education, Inc. Permission granted to reproduce for classroom use.