A selection of English ESL fillers printables

a table with common and more elaborate gap fillers

gap fillers

This informative worksheet is full of fillers and everyday expressions.  Also called discourse markers, this worksheet is best for upper intermediate or advanced classes.

fillers and everyday expressions

After years of teaching ESL and training TESOL teachers, I have compiled an anthology of tried and tested warmers, coolers and fillers. There are some old classics, as well as new ideas. Hope you enjoy! Any contributions welcomed, e-mail me: teacherdianarenke@gmail.com

Warmers, Coolers & Fillers Teachers' Handbook

here is a new activity in which students read the sentences and choose the correct linking words among the list above, you can find other practices on this site here:https://en.islcollective.com/mypage/my-creations?search_key=linking+words&type=printables&option=published&id=725285&grammar=&vocabulary=&materials=&levels=&studentTypes=&skills=&languageExams=&dialect=&functions=&page=1&sorting_type=most_newest&filter_type=filter_all&view_type=list&view_length=12

linking words/gap filler with key

This is a GAP FILLER story. Students read and fill the gap with somebody/anybody/anything/nobody, etc. 

One peculiar aspect is that the document is 'made personal'. The teacher fills gap 11 with the nationality of the students and writes the last sentence in the students' L1 before handing in the paper.



I did it in French, Somali, Swahili and Arabic.



Hope you like it.



ps: pre-teach vocabs in bold if necessary

Pps: my last sentence was “that somebody died a week ago” (in French, Arabic, Somali and Kiswahili respectively)

Indefinite pronouns - gap filler to edit

Maturita Speaking: Filler Phrases and Sentence Chunks (with Czech Translations)

This worksheet helps students improve their fluency for speaking exams like the Czech Maturita or any B1-level oral exam. It focuses on teaching useful filler phrases and reusable sentence chunks that help students speak more naturally, even if they make some grammar mistakes.

The first part of the worksheet explains why these tools are important. Many students freeze or give very short answers during speaking tests. Filler phrases give them time to think, while sentence chunks help them express their opinions and compare ideas without struggling to find words.

Czech translations are included to support understanding. However, the translations can easily be switched to match the students’ first language if you are working in a multilingual classroom.

The second part includes a pair-work activity where students practise answering questions using the phrases. This gives them a chance to build confidence and use natural-sounding English in a structured way.

This worksheet is ideal for teachers preparing students for the Maturita, the PET exam, or any situation where speaking fluency and exam confidence are key goals. It works well as part of a regular speaking routine, and it helps students develop strategies to stay calm and keep talking during oral exams.



Maturita Speaking: Filler Phrases and Sentence Chunks

Here is a simple worksheeet in which students read the sentences and have to choose among the linking words and gap filler suggested to complete, key is included

linking words/gap filler for beginners with key

Complete the words by filling in the missing letters which reveals the instrument. There are pictures to give you clues. Then find the instruments in the word find below - remember the words are often vertical, backwards or both. 

Gap filler: guess the instruments. Word find: find the instruments

a. The worksheets are completely editable. It can be used for warmer, filler, or even communicative controlled practice. 

b. Since warmer usually takes approximately 15-20 minutes, teacher can give two or three questions for each student.

c. The instruction for the guessing game is on the last page (page 6).



I hope it’s useful. Happy teaching :)



Warmer or filler (guessing game with teacher's note) - books, music, movies, vacation, and food

Another one of these fun fillers to be used in the beginning of a lesson or as an end of lesson one. Generates some talking, too.

A 5 Minute Activity #28

A good ws to be used in different ways: as a filler, as a vocabulary expanding activity, a test, a competition in class....well, you name it!

A 5 Minute Activity #30

Another one in the 5 Minute activity series. Students love this activity as end of lesson activity, a starter or just to test their vocabulary.

A 5 Minute Activity #31

Culture, intercultural communication, cross-cultural communication

Adjectives to describe feelings, emotions

Adjectives to describe personality and character

Adjectives: Gradable / Non-gradable adjectives

Articles: Definite or indefinite article (a, an or the)

BE + infinitive structures (e.g. he was to become famous)

Clauses of contrast (e.g.  although, while)

Clauses of purpose (e.g. in order to, so that, so as to)

Clauses of reason (e.g. because, because of, due to, as, since)

Cleft sentences (e.g. It's Joey we're looking for)

Comparison: Comparative adjectives and structures

Comparison: Superlative adjectives and structures

Conditional 2 (second conditional) - would

Conditionals: Conditional phrases (e.g. unless, provided that, as long as)

Conjunctions (aka connectives, e.g. and, but, or, so, then)

Contractions (shortened forms, e.g. don't, aren't, etc.)

Determiners (words that can come before nouns)

Formal and informal English (politeness or colloquial language)

Future perfect continuous (progressive) tense

Future perfect simple and continuous (progressive) tense

Future phrases (e.g. be about to, bound to, likely to, due to, set to + INF)

Homonyms (two words with the same pronunciation - homophones and homographs)

It as preparatory subject (e.g. it's raining, it's nice of you to)

Linking verbs (aka copulas, e.g. I am a student)

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how to accuse somebody of something in English

how to apologize, say sorry, forgive and express regret in English

how to ask for information and make inquiries in English

how to ask for something, make requests in English

how to blame somebody for something in English

how to defend yourself from criticism in English

how to deny or admit something in English

how to describe things or people in English

how to emphasize important things in English

how to encourage or discourage people in English

how to evaluate people or progress in English

how to express agreement /disagreement in English

how to express approval and disapproval  in English

how to express cause and effect in English

how to express interest in something in English

how to express likelihood, probability in English

how to express likes and dislikes in English

how to express sequence and chronology in English

how to express shock and disbelief in English

how to express sympathy and condolences in English

how to give permission, authorization in English

how to inform somebody about some news in English

how to interpret what was said in English

how to keep a conversation going in English

how to make guesses about something in English

how to make, accept and refuse offers in English

how to order or make a booking in English

how to persuade, convince people in English

how to praise people and express appreciation in English

how to reassure somebody of something in English

how to refuse and object to something in English

how to remind people of something in English

how to rephrase, paraphrase what was said in English

how to say thank you, express gratitude in English

Nouns: Collective nouns (team, class, family, committee)

Nouns: Proper nouns (names of people, cities, companies)

Oxymorons (phrases with words of contradictory meaning, e.g. living dead)

Participles: Past participle (e.g. HAVING DONE)

Participles: Present participle (e.g. DOING)

Parts of Speech (aka word classes, e.g. nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs)

Past perfect continuous (progressive) tense

Phonetics (pronunciation, IPA, phonetic symbols)

Plural nouns: regular plurals with S ending

Prefixes (e.g. A, UN, IM, DIS, MIS, EN, etc. )

Prepositions vs adverbs (e.g. before me, saw him before.)

Prepositions: Double prepositions (e.g. out of)

Prepositions: Participle prepositions (e.g. pending, concerning)

Prepositions: Phrase prepositions (e.g. by means of)

Present perfect continuous (progressive) tense

Present perfect simple or present continuous tense

Present simple tense: S for third person singular verbs

Present simple vs continuous (progressive) tense

Pronouns: EACH OTHER, ONE ANOTHER (reciprocal pronouns)

Pronouns: Possessive pronouns (e.g. my, mine)

Pronouns: Reflexive pronouns (e.g. myself, yourself))

Pronouns: SOMEBODY, ANYBODY, EVERYBODY, NO ONE, NOTHING, etc.

Pronouns: THIS, THAT, THESE, THOSE (demonstratives)

Pronouns: YOU and THEY to talk about people in general

Quantifiers (e.g. some, many, much, any, few, little)

Questions: WH questions (open-ended questions)

Reported speech: reported questions (indirect questions)

There is / there are / there was / there were / there will be, etc.

Verbs: Transitive or intransitive verbs (words that can or cannot stand with objects)

Working with Paragraphs: ordering, titling

Role play, miming, drama activity or improv game

Pictionary (picture dictionary) or picture matching

Writing an opinion essay (persuasive essay)

Learners who are Pre-A1 have just begun learning English and will first learn how to:<ul><li>Say the letters in the alphabet and numbers</li><li>Say hello, talk about names and age</li><li>Name the colors and dates, express likes and dislikes</li></ul>

Absolute beginners who have begun to learn the letters and numbers

Learners taking the A1 Elementary exam should be able to:<ul><li>Introduce themselves and ask and answer questions about personal details such as where he/she lives, things he/she has, people he/she knows.</li><li>Communicate using very basic phrases as long as the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.</li><li>Main grammar points to know: common adjectives & adverbs of frequency, going to, how much/how many, imperatives, I'd like, 's – possessive, common prepositions of place and time, present simple & continuous, there is/are</li></ul>

A very basic tourist level, which is enough for buying food and a bus ticket

Learners taking the A2 Pre-intermediate exam should be able to:<ul><li>Understand sentences and frequently used expressions (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment).</li><li>Complete tasks that are routine and exchange information about familiar matters.</li><li>Describe matters of immediate need in simple terms.</li><li>Main grammar points to know: countable/uncountable nouns, adverbs of frequency, future will/going to, much/many, present perfect, past simple, past continuous, common phrasal verbs, common modals: can/should</li></ul>

A tourist who can do basic conversations about the past, present and future

Learners taking the B1 Intermediate exam should be able to:<ul><li>Understand points regarding family, work, school or leisure-related topics.</li><li>Deal with most travel situations in areas where the language is spoken.</li><li>Create simple texts on topics of personal interest.</li><li>Describe experiences, events, dreams, and ambitions, as well as opinions or plans in brief.</li><li>Main grammar points to know: question tags, intensifiers: too/enough, future tenses, past tenses, modals, conditionals, wh-questions in the past</li></ul>

Learners who can deal with both familiar and routine situations, in friendly and work contexts

Learners taking the B2 Upper-intermediate exam should be able to:<ul><li>Understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in his/her field of specialization.</li><li>Interact with fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without difficulty for either party.</li><li>Produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain an opinion on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options.</li><li>Main grammar points to know: perfect tenses, mixed conditionals, modals in the present, phrasal verbs, reported speech, wish, relative clauses</li></ul>

The level where you can be a tour guide for your foreign friends and talk about a lot of topics, even abstract ones, with ease and fluency

Learners taking the C1 Advanced exam should be able to: Express ideas fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions. Use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes. Understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts. Produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, using linking phrases (=words that connect ideas between sentences). Main grammar points to know: inversion, mixed conditionals, modals in the past, all passive forms, phrasal verbs (all patterns), wish/if only for regrets

Learners who can smoothly communicate in every walk of life, read long texts and write well

Learners taking the C2 Proficient exam should be able to:<ul><li>Understand almost everything read or heard with ease.</li><li>Summarize information from a variety of sources into a coherent presentation.</li><li>Express themselves using precise meaning in complex scenarios.</li><li>Can express him/herself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in the most complex situations</li></ul>

Get here and you are ready to study in English at university

38 Fillers English ESL worksheets pdf & doc