A selection of English ESL gap-filling printables

German ESL students are asked to fill the gaps in the given conversation in which a secret agent tries to describe to a colleague back in headquarters where their suspect is going.

There are background graphics included that seemingly insist on losing their transparency between saves. A PDF upload option would have solved that, but here we are. So if a giant secret agent is staring you down from the page, blocking the actual text, try to get a hold of him with the mouse tool and reduce him to 80% transparency.

I realize that a set of solutions would come in handy, however I find myself too pressed for time right now to make one. So Godspeed, dear colleagues.

Giving Directions - a secret agent conversation gap fill exercise

Fun Facts about Pangolins. First students have to match words from the text with their definitions. Then there is a gap fill exercise. A follow-on task can be to come up with creative ideas to raise awareness about the plight of pangolins.

Precious Pangolins - Nature Worksheet (Reading, Definition Matching, Gap Fill)

This (amended) gap filling activity allows for building up skills in using ten most commonly used irregular verbs through completing ten short question - answer exchanges. These short dialogues can be role-played by learners. Answer sheet is included.



This resource can be used on it's own or (recommended) as a follow up activity for "A Sightseeing Holiday In Paris" - another worksheet from my collection.



On my page you can also find a set of cut-up matching cards with the target irregular verbs: these can be used either as a warming up / revising activity before working on the worksheet, or as a recap in the end of the lesson.



Hope this worksheet will be well liked by you. :)

A Sightseeing Holiday In Paris: Gap Filling with Irregular Verbs

Fill in the gaps with irregular verbs (infinitive, present, past or past participle). This is a famous song by Gotye that most students probably already know the words to.

Somebody That I Used To Know - Gotye - Song Gap Fill

Practice using most common irregular verbs through matching, reading and writing activities. This is a good exercise to practice the use of irregular verbs while having fun.

A Sightseeing Holiday In Paris - Gap Filling with Irregular Verbs

An activity to practice simple past of  some irregular and regular verbs through a well-known song. I hope it is useful in the classroom and that students like it



I Saw Her Standing There - The Beatles - Gap Fill song

Listening and reading comprehension activity that includes parts of the body, opposites and irregular verbs and some questions. Key and audio file link provided.

Just The Way You Are - Bruno Mars - Song Gap Fill

It's a quick activity to check students' understanding of Present Perfect sentences containing words such as yet, already, just, befor, ever, never. Students must fill short dialogues with proper words. 

Present Perfect - yet, already, just, before, ever, never - gap filling

Practice your English with this fun video activity. Change the simple present verbs (in brackets) into simple past verbs. Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XU7rzHrQk3Y

Simple Past Gap-fill Worksheet - The Life of Princess Diana

This is a worksheet to review Simple Past regular and irregular verbs. 

Students have to write the verb from the box where it belongs. There are regular and irregular verbs inside the box. 

This activity is good for listening and revising the verbs and structure plus to learn some slang! 

FUN FUN FUN

The One That Got Away - Katy Perry - Song Gap Fill

50 irregular past simple tense verbs! They put the stem (in brackets) into the past and thay are all irregular! A fun way to learn, or test, irregular past. I need a lie-down after this! I hope it will be useful. Key included - get them to mark each other's papers!

Jane the Fairy + Thomas the Cat - Reading Comprehension Gap Fill

Filling-in exercise for Pre-Intermediate and Intermediate adult students. Only Past Simple, both regular and irregular forms. It is a story to first fill in with proper Past Simple form, then to learn and retell in order to learn correct past forms and memorise vocabulary and collocations. 

Storytelling - Jo's Bad Luck Day - Gap Fill and Speaking Exercise

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

372 Gap-filling English ESL worksheets pdf & doc