Team Name

N-13

2-28

TENSE RELAY

To the Teacher: Pick four teams. T h e goal of the relay is to introduce, practice, o r review verb tenses. You p u t t h e following o n t h e chalkboard, using four distinct columns:
PRESENT TENSE PAST TENSE FUTURE TENSE PERFECT TENSES

Today I
SEE

Yesterday I
SAW

Tomorrow I will or shall

SEE

I have, had, will have, o r shall have

SEEN

Number of Players: Entire class Materials Needed: Both regular and irregular verbs can be used for the relay. T h e next page shows COMMON IRREGULAR VERBS LIST with four tenses. You can reproduce it as a study list for students o r use it as a quick check sheet for yourself as the game progresses. How to Play: T h e first student o n the first team rushes to the chalkboard, puts any present tense verb u n d e r column 1, a n d returns to seat. T h e first student o n t h e next team hurries to chalkboard, puts correct past tense of that same verb u n d e r column 2, a n d is seated. T h e first person o n the third team does the same for the future tense; the first person o n the fourth team puts u p the perfect tense. T h e n t h e second person o n the first team has a turn, and so o n with each team sending u p its next member. No player can stand u p o r head for the board until the previous player is seated. (This avoids confusion and gives everyone a fair chance.) When errors are made, the student (or students if several miss sequentially) stand u p for a moment. As soon as a child gets the correct answer, the player "captures" the standing student or students for his or h e r team. Thus, the less able pupils still have value to the team, because the relay team with the most players at the end of the time period is the winner. Rationale: Instead of being "out," less able players continue to get practice and b e actively engaged. In fact, errors make t h e relay m o r e interesting because different teams end u p doing various tenses, instead of the first team always introducing new words, the second team doing the past tense, and so forth. Modifications: Fourth or fifth graders may want to do just present, past, and future tenses. Sixth graders should be able to include the perfect tenses. If you use three tenses, of course you will use three teams instead of four. With less able children, you might use just present and past tenses. Two tenses can be played with four teams, with the remaining procedures staying the same. Another modification would be to use Present Participle and Past Participle as categories. The game can be adapted to whatever you are teaching about tenses. 90

1996 by The Center for Applied Research in Education

COMMON IRREGULAR V E R B S LIST (for use with TENSE RELAY)

PRESENT PAST FUTURE PERFECT

(will or shall)

(have, has, had, will have, or shall have)

been begun blown brought built burst bought caught chosen come done drunk driven eaten fallen felt fought flown forgotten frozen given gone grown hanged had heard hit held kept known lost rung risen said seen sold shaken sung sat stolen stunk taken taught torn told thought

am begin blow bring build burst buy catch choose come do drink drive eat fall feel fight fly forget freeze give go grow hang have hear hit hold keep know lose ring rise say see sell shake sing sit steal stink take teach tear tell think

was began blew brought built burst bought caught chose came did drank drove ate fell felt fought flew forgot froze gave went grew hung had heard hit held kept knew lost rang rose said saw sold shook sang sat stole stank took taught tore told thought 91

be begin blow bring build burst buy catch choose come do drink drive eat fall feel fight fly forget freeze give go grow hang have hear hit hold keep know lose ring rise say see sell shake sing sit steal stink take teach tear tell think

1996 by The Center for Applied Research in Education