A selection of English ESL perfect speaking printables

A set of cards to practise the Present Perfect Tense for your students. They work in pairs or groups and interview each other. They will help your students develop their speaking skills. 

PRESENT PERFECT - Speaking cards

This ws contains 10cards with questions to elicit the present perfect. Students match the question cards and the answer cards then extend the hints on the answer cards to form full p.p. sentences. Some of the answers should be negative. After this activity you can ask students to form longer sentences, e.g. I'm happy because I've just got good news.

present perfect speaking activity

Students work in pairs or teams,  take a card and interview each other on the given questions. This activity is aimed to practise the usage of Future Perfect Tense in speaking. 

Future Perfect - Speaking cards

This is a pair work activity practicisng the past perfect simple tense. It has guidelines on how to do the activity, the activity itself and possible answers. Change as you wish :)



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Past perfect speaking exercise

Questions to practice Present Perfect and speaking with your students. You can use them as a bingo-style game, or just regular questions. Encourage students to extend their answers. 

Present Perfect Speaking Cards - Have You Ever

Tired of "Yes/No" answers when teaching the Present Perfect? Get your students talking with this FREE scaffolded speaking activity! This freebie is a sample of my best-selling Grammar Speaking Photo Prompt series. It is designed to move students beyond simple drills and into creative, character-driven conversation using the Present Perfect Simple (with ever/never and Past Simple for follow-up details).

What’s Included in This Free Sample:

4 Unique Character Photos: High-quality, diverse portraits that spark curiosity and "judgmental" fun.
Scaffolded Script Cards: Step-by-step dialogue frames to ensure students use the correct V3 and V2 verb forms.
Teacher Tips & Variations: Instructions on how to use the cards for pairs, groups, or even third-person (he/she) practice.
Color & Ink-Saving B&W: Choose the version that works best for your printer.
Why Teachers Love This Method:

No-Prep: Just print, cut, and you are ready for a high-engagement speaking lesson.
Prevents Grammar Fatigue: By taking on a character (like a chess-playing grandma or a weight-lifting teen), students forget they are "practicing grammar."
Promotes Accuracy: The included scripts prevent students from giving one-word answers, forcing them to produce full, grammatically correct sentences.
How to Use:

Give each pair a Script Card.
Student B chooses a Character Photo.
Student A asks questions from the script; Student B answers as if they are the person in the photo.
Love this sample? Get the full sets!

If your students enjoyed these, check out the complete versions with dozens of characters and every major verb tense:

Full Present Perfect Pack: 6 different activities and 34 character cards (link in doc or on my TPT page linked in my profile)
ESL Grammar Speaking MEGA BUNDLE: 75 activities covering ALL tenses and conditionals with 66 characters! (link in doc or on my TPT page linked in my profile)

Sample of Present Perfect Speaking Activity - ESL Grammar Photo Prompts & Scripts

This worksheet contains 18 conversation cards, an interview box and a quotes box. The cards can be cut out if desired and be used as conversation questions. Can be used with both young learners and adults (pre-intermediate to upper-intermediate). 

Let's Talk About Experiences

This worksheet was created with  intermediate+ learners in mind, perhaps a mixed-ability group (hence an extra task for fast finishers). It could be used as the first part of a task-based lesson on tenses and storytelling. I chose this text, short, yet rich in typical features of an anecdote, to become a springboard for a further discussion of spoken English grammar, reviewing present and past tenses (including past perfect) and introducing reported speech.

A funny tense review story (reading comprehension and speaking)

Two sets of 13 questions that can be used to practise or reinforce the present perfect. Give students some time to prepare and then let them practise in pairs. They should not show each other their questions; this doubles as a listening exercises. Encourage students to answer the questions as well as they can. Follow-up questions should be encouraged.

13 Questions (10) - Have You Ever

With the easy board game, learners will practise the present perfect in an enjoyable way. Every square provides a verb and a picture clue. Every time a correct question is asked, the game can be used as a communicative activity whereby players ask each follow-up questions. (e.g. Have you ever ridden a camel? Where did you do this? Was it fun? How much did it cost? How long did it last? etc.) Answer key and grammar tip included. LetÂ´s make learning fun! 

Board Game - Have You Ever?

SS ask and answer the questions, brushing up present perfect tense.

Could be also used as a warm up in a WCA.



Speaking cards Present Perfect.

A set of speaking cards with one Have you ever...? question on each of the cards. Students pick a question and answer it. Follow up questions using the Past Simple are also included.(If a student hasn't done something, they can tell if they would like to do/try it in the future.) I hope you'll enjoy it!

Have you ever...? (Speaking cards)

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

381 Perfect speaking English ESL worksheets pdf & doc