Instructors Page

Present Perfect a story. The next student picks a card

and uses that word to continue the story
The Meaning of Success in a logical way, and so on.
5. Model the activity by choosing a card
Activity type: Chain Story from one groups pile and using the
word in a sentence about success. Be
Level: High Intermediate to Advanced sure to include a present perfect form. (I
Purpose: Students practice using the havent achieved all of my goals yet.)
present perfect tense in spontaneous Have a volunteer choose the next card
speech. and continue the story. Make sure that
the student has used your first sentence
as the basis for their sentence and has
Set-up: Small groups or pairs used the word on the card they chose,
along with a present perfect form.
Time: 5 minutes to prepare / 15 minutes
6. Have students complete the activity in
to do the activity
their groups until all the cards are used
Materials Preparation: up. Tell them to save their cards for a
1. Make one copy of the Students Page follow-up activity. Walk around and offer
for each group (or pair). assistance as needed.
2. Be sure each group (or pair) has
scissors for cutting out the cards.
Alternatively, you may cut out the cards Follow-up
ahead of time. Be sure to keep the set of
cards for each group separate. Have each group write their story using
the cards to help them, or by adding
their own new ideas about a successful
life. Their written story does not have to
Procedure match their first story exactly. Ask
1. As a warm-up, ask students to share volunteer groups to share their stories
experiences in which they have felt with the class.
successful. Ask questions, such as
Have you ever won a competition? How
did you feel?
2. Pass out one Students Page to each
group (or a set of cards if you have
already cut them out). Have them cut
out the word cards if necessary. Ask
groups to put the cards faceup in a pile
that all group members can reach.
3. Tell students that they are going to
tell the story of someones experience
with becoming successful, and that they
will use the simple past, the present
perfect, and the present perfect
progressive (along with the words since,
for, already, yet, still, ever, and never) in
their story.
4. To begin, one student in each group
picks a card and uses the word to begin

Grammar and Beyond Communicative Activities Cambridge University Press 2012 Photocopiable
 Students Page

Present Perfect | Chain Story

The Meaning of Success

1 Work in a group. Cut out the cards. Put the cards faceup in the center of the group.
2 One person chooses a card and uses the word or phrase to start a story about the
meaning of success. Include the present perfect or present perfect continuous form.
Keep the card.
3 The next person chooses a card and continues the story. Include the present perfect
or present perfect continuous form. Keep the card.
4 Continue until all cards have been used and the story is over.
Example:
Student A: My cousin hasnt achieved all of her goals yet, but Im pretty sure that
shell get there.
Student B: Her first goal, of course, is to finish her education. Shes completed her
associates degree, and she wants to continue studying for a bachelors degree.

goals career family and children

economic success power hard work

luxury degree personal growth

my community make a difference to others fame

Grammar and Beyond Communicative Activities Cambridge University Press 2012 Photocopiable