Audience: Intermediate-level learners

This activity can be used to warm up a class and reinforce instruction on the three sounds of –ed endings: /ɪd/, /t/, and /d/. Students can often categorize the sounds by distinguishing whether the end sound is voiced or unvoiced or if it simply ends in /t/ or /d/, but in context, students tend to overuse /ɪd/ if they mark it as past tense at all. (Before you try this activity, ensure your students have a basis for pronunciation: Here is a great primer on the basics of pronouncing –ed.) This interactive activity engages the speakers as listeners first, before making choices as speakers.

Have students arrange their desks in two rows facing each other, so that students are facing partners. One row is facing the board, and the other row is facing away from the board. Using PowerPoint, an overhead projector, or a SMART board, project a past tense question on the board. For example, “Did you brush your teeth today?”

Tell  your students that the answer must always be “yes,” and they must respond with the long answer, not the short. For instance, they should say, “Yes, I brushed my teeth today,” and not, “Yes, I did.” The challenge for students is to listen to their partner ask the question, identify the main verb, identify the past tense sound it makes (/d/, /t/, or /ɪd/), and then form their answer.

After about six to eight questions, ask the students to switch chairs, so that the student who was asking the questions is now answering the questions and vice versa. It’s also a way to reinforce yes/no question intonation.
 
When you design the questions, make sure that all of the endings are represented. You can also try to have a little fun by including student names or things that have happened in class. For example, “Did Roberto talk to himself in class this morning?”

Here are some example questions:

Did you order pizza for this class this morning? /d/
Did you want to sleep in this morning? /ɪd/
Did you like taking the test yesterday? /t/
Did it rain at your house this morning? /d/
Did you need an alarm to wake up this morning? /ɪd/
Did you kiss a dog on the way to school? /t/

SWITCH ROLES

Did you fix Maya’s cell phone for her? /t/
Did you and Juan visit the zoo this morning? /ɪd/
Did you study last night for the test? /d/
Did you watch a scary movie last night with Chen? /t/
Did you Skype your parents last night? /d/
Did you decide to move to another city last night? /ɪd/

During the task, you can walk behind the students, listen to their –ed endings, and offer feedback individually. After the task, a quick review of the sounds with the whole group to ensure understanding is helpful.

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Eve Nora Litt is a language specialist at the University of Pennsylvania’s English Language Programs. She teaches mostly in the Intensive Programs, and she enjoys increasing student-talk and employing informal assessment.