A selection of English ESL song exercise printables

In this worksheet, students will exercise writing and comprehension based on a song. I used this with my Brazilian students who can't afford for internet during the pandemic period. It's pretty basic but useful.

Song exercises

Simple Song exercise, to practice the listening skills. The students have to hear the song and find out in the parenteses the correct answer to complete de blank spaces.

Young Folks Song Exercise

Gap text + questions that have to do with John Legend's song All of Me. 

All of Me - song exercise

A short gap and translation exercise for the song Let it Go (from the movie Frozen). 

Let it Go - song exercise

A song exercise for elementary English students.

Live Forever by Oasis- song exercise

A song with examples of verb followed by gerunds. It is an old song but students enjoy it. It can lead to a discussion about the lyrics.

Is this sad? Romantc? Manipulative? How do they deal with a break up?

Song exercise: Can't stand losing you

A video worksheet

The objective of the worksheet is to revise Past Simple.

WHILE-LISTENING ACTIVITIES

1.	Students listen to the song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vK06SgtXin0 ) and try to remember as many troubles as they can. Check their memory after listening (discuss only the troubles that students mention, some phrases may be difficult to understand).

2.	Distribute worksheets.

3.	Students listen to the song again and do exercise 1. 



POST-LISTENING ACTIVITIES

1.	Students read out the lyrics. The troubles that were not discussed earlier can be discussed now.

2.	Students identify the tenses in the song (Present Continuous and Past Simple, the worksheet focuses on Past Simple). Students say how to form positive sentences.

They find Past Simple from the lyrics and write the verb forms on the board into two columns (regular and irregular verb forms). 

Students make positive sentences using the verb forms on the board.

Regular verbs (spilled, climbed, snitched, filled).	

Irregular verbs (broke, hid, bought, put, tied, made, did, tore).

3.	Past Simple Negative. 

Students explain how to form negative sentences in Past Simple. They do exercise 2. Which sentences are from the song and which are not? 

4.	Past Simple Interrogative.

Students explain how to form questions in Past Simple.

Students make up questions (about this morning) using the verbs on the board. This can be done in pairs.

5.	Students do exercise 3. 

Afterward, they can listen to the song once more and sing along if they wish. 

Students brainstorm why the boy did all the mischief. They will come up with reasons or excuses.

6.	Students write a letter to Santa as if they were the boy from the song. They explain in the letter why they should get presents in spite of the troubles they have gotten into. 

NB! This can be done in groups or individually. Students may use the letter template copied behind the worksheet or they can write it in their notebooks.

7.	Students read out their letters.

Christmas Songs + Exercises - Nuttin' for Christmas Song

I made this worksheet because I needed a more "challenging" one for my students to keep them focused, as they almost know this song by heart (I noticed that if the worksheet is easy, they lose interest, even if they like the song). They were sure that it would be an easy task, but I managed to surprise them :) There are 8 different exercises: choose the right word, fill the gaps, fill the gaps with antonyms, choose the correct spelling, find and correct the mistakes, complete the missing letters, match the lines and underline the words you hear. They enjoyed it and we had a lot of fun! I hope you like it too!

Song: Sugar - Maroon 5

Here is a worksheet to pracise listening and vocabulary. The worksheet is based on a very popular song that students know very well. The worksheet includes 5 different exercises. First of all they have tolisten and fill int he lines with the words they hear. Then they have to listen and put the words from the table in the empty spaces.Another task is to number the lines in the correct order. In the two last exercises they have to choose the word they hear from the three given. In the last exercise the first letter of each missing words is given. Nice song, nice exercises - Have fun with your studens:)

Song - Bruno Mars - Just The Way You Are

(with Answer Key) This worksheet is based on the song The Show Must Go On by British rock band Queen. Before listening, the students are given a number of words from the lyrics and are asked to rewrite them in rhyming pairs. Then they try to complete the lyrics using these rhyming pairs. They listen to the song and check their answers. Finally, they do a vocabulary matching exercise so that they can understand the lyrics better. I have also included a short factual text (adapted from Wikipedia), which will help Ss get a wider understanding of the song. 

(song) The Show Must Go On - Queen 

Listening exercise for students to learn new vocabulary and increase their listening skills. Helps with comprehension and can be used to show different adjectives in song. Allow students to listen at least twice.



Blank Space by Taylor Swift

I prepared this worksheet on the song Grenade by Bruno Mars, at the request of my students. It contains a variety of listening tasks (fill in the blanks, put the lines in the correct order, correct the mistakes), a vocabulary exercise, a grammar exercise on second conditional, and a set of comprehension questions. Printer-friendly version and Answer Key provided.

(song) Grenade - Bruno Mars

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

901 Song exercise English ESL worksheets pdf & doc