A selection of English ESL spot difference printables

There are many dangerous practices in this workplace! They circle the hazards and then match them up with their possible consequences. There is an unmarked image on page 2, get them to spot the hazards themselves first! A key is provided for the match-up. There are different ways to express these hazards... 

Spot the hazards/dangers

First, they decide which picture the sentences are describing and pit a cross in the right box. Then there is a TRUE or FALSE activity and finally they write full sentences comparing the differences. These exercises are not as easy as they look, but I have included all the vocabulary they need and examples. 

Spot the differences

A set of 50 different dominoes (50 pairs of easy opposites) to print, laminate and play with.



In addition to the words there are small visual hints and also, all the dominoes have the number of spots which must match. (For example; the opposite pair of 'POOR/RICH' both have two spots.) This will help younger learners know if they have the right word match.



Although the English is at a basic level the game can be enjoyed at all levels.



There are many ways to use these cards with both small and large classes.



Let me know if these are of use to you.



Good luck!

Domino Opposites

They spot the differences. But first, they complete a true or false exercise and then they read the mini RC and answer the questions. The key to the differences is included. 

Spot the difference exercise

This activity is designed for a speaking activity in pairs or three's.



It was designed specifically for family vocabulary for beginners. (Mom, dad, sister, brother, grandma, grandpa).

Can be made harder depending on the structure you give students to follow in terms if they must ask and create questions themselves or not.



The student need to ask questions or describe their picture to come up with the differences in their photos. As mine was on a black and white printer, colour was not option and thus colour was not changed on items. 



Spot the differences-family portraits

A bit of reading, then they decide which Christmas house is being described. There is a key on page 2. There are lots more differences for them to spot! This is good practice for present continuous and a lot of scope for prepositions practice. 

Which house is it?

Print one sheet fro a pair of students. Students count the items on the picture and then make sentences with There is/are to spot the differences. Good for review of classsroom objects (ruler, eraser, desk, bokcase, teacher, chair, cupboard, pencil), prepositions of place, There is/are phrases, numbers 1-20.

Spot the differences classroom

Learners have to look at the picture very well to spot as many differences they can find between the two pictures. Learners then can write sentences about the differences. 

Spot the difference 4

Sts are asked to spot the difference and write sentences as: In pic 1 the boy is eating an Apple but in pic 2 he's  eating......

Spot the difference

This is a worksheet for speaking practice. The student must use prepositions, there is there are,make comparisons and also use halloween vocabulary . Can be used as a warmer, in pairs or individually. 

Hope it is useful

Spot The difference Halloween

Split the class into two or three big teams. Each team will enter their best competitor in each event. A different competitor must be chosen for each event. The teams will receive one point for each event won. All team members must write the correct superlative sentence after each event. The first team to do this wins an extra point.

Superlative Olympics

These pictures are of the same scene with many differences. Some sentences are included to help them by saying whether the sentences describe picture A, picture B or both.

spot the differences

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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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

118 Spot difference English ESL worksheets pdf & doc