Christmas and New Year Tense Review- Mimes

Christmas and New Year mimes tense review

Present Continuous mimes

Choose one of these actions and mime it until someone guesses correctly with “You are…”

visiting people                                                           shopping

doing a spring clean                                                watching a film (= a movie)

watching TV                                                                            skating

skiing                                                                                        sledging

cracking nuts                                                                           pulling crackers

carving a roast (e.g. a roast turkey)                      telling jokes

eating sweets ( = candy)                                                       eating grapes

putting up Christmas decorations                                        going for a walk

decorating a Christmas tree                                   arguing

ripping the wrapping paper off a gift                      writing Christmas cards

linking arms and singing                                                      singing Auld Lang Syne

praying                                                                       giving a toast    

putting on a paper party hat                                   eating/ drinking soup

singing Christmas carols                                                       make an offering of food and/ or drink

knocking on neighbours’ doors and singing        playing a musical instrument

making a snowman                                                                throwing snowballs

opening a bottle of champagne                             cutting a cake into slices

pouring gravy on to your dinner                             putting some meat into the oven

lighting fireworks                                                                    watching fireworks

working                                                                      travelling by train

dressing up in a Santa Claus costume                 kissing someone

hanging up a stocking                                            putting gifts into a stocking 

putting gifts into a shoe                                           eating fish

lighting candles.                                                                     putting decorations on to a cake

Ask about any actions which you don’t understand, are not sure how to mime, etc.

 

Past Continuous mimes

Continue the same game, but shouting “Stop” when you are sure what action it was and guessing with the past sentence “(When I shouted ‘stop’), you were…”

 

Past tenses guessing game

Choose one of the things above and give your partner clues about which one you are thinking about by telling them about you and that thing in the past, e.g. “I have done this once or twice” “I didn’t do this last Xmas” “I last did this 3 weeks ago”

 

Grammar presentation

What are the names of the four tenses in the example sentences above? What are the differences between them?

Which tense or tenses can be used with each of these time expressions?

twice (in my life)                                                       at this time last year

when my mother came in and interrupted me                                 on Xmas Day

two years ago                               when the clock struck 12 (three tenses possible)