Help your students strengthen their sentence structure skills with this engaging mixed-up sentence activity designed specifically for English language learners (ELL, ESL, and EFL students). With 90 sentences and questions to assemble, this printable activity provides valuable practice with Present Simple, Present Continuous, and Past Simple verb tenses. It’s an ideal small-group or literacy center activity that promotes critical thinking, collaboration, and grammar fluency.
Students cut apart the sentence fragments and work to reassemble them in the correct order, creating complete sentences and questions. This hands-on approach gives learners the chance to visually and actively manipulate language, reinforcing grammar rules while making learning fun and interactive.
What’s Included:
- 9 pages of cut-apart sentences and questions
- 30 Present Simple sentences
- 30 Present Continuous/Progressive sentences
- 30 Past Simple sentences
This black-and-white PDF prints beautifully on colored cardstock and can be laminated for long-term classroom use. Lamination ensures durability, making this a reusable activity you can incorporate into your grammar lessons year after year.
How to Use This Resource:
After printing and laminating, cut out the sentence strips and distribute them to students. Learners work individually or in pairs to arrange the fragments into correct sentences. This activity is perfect for practicing positive forms, negative forms, and questions across the three verb tenses included.
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- ESL sentence building activities
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Pair This Resource With:
For even more grammar practice, pair this activity with the Present Simple Conversation Question Cards from Hot Chocolate Teachables. These question cards encourage speaking and listening fluency while giving students a chance to apply their sentence-building skills in real communication contexts.
Also Available on TpT
Prefer to shop on Teachers Pay Teachers? You can also find this resource here: Sentence Building Activity – Present Simple, Present Continuous & Past Simple .