Free Time
This past simple ESL lesson reviews regular and irregular verbs through weekend and free-time activities. Students use charades, sort verb forms, build a memory chain and interview classmates about Saturday. They write a free-time diary and roleplay interviewing a celebrity about an exciting past weekend.
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Lesson format
2 × 45 minutes
Level
Pre-Intermediate
Age group
Ages 10–13
Main focus
Speaking first
What students will learn
Lesson flow
Students mime past actions guessing 'You danced yesterday!', sort verbs into regular and irregular columns (go-went), and interview three classmates asking 'What did you do on Saturday?'. The second lesson watches a Guess the Weekend video, builds a memory-chain game adding a new past verb each turn, writes 'My Free Time Diary' about the weekend, and roleplays interviewing a celebrity about their exciting past weekend.
Target language
- • Regular and irregular past tense verbs
- • 'What did you do on Saturday?'
- • Past simple in storytelling
- • Time expressions (yesterday, last weekend)
Key vocabulary
- hobby
- leisure
- cinema
- sports
- music
- travel
- read
- relax
- interest
- opinion
Speaking questions students answer
- • What did you do last weekend?
- • Did you watch a movie?
- • What did she do?
- • Where did you go on holiday?
- • Did he go to the zoo?
Recommended teaching contexts
Why this lesson works
The lesson follows a clear progression: Mime past actions in a Yesterday Charades warm-up, interview classmates about last weekend, write a free-time diary and roleplay a celebrity interview. Teachers can open the materials and start immediately, while students move from supported vocabulary practice to purposeful spoken English.