Modal verbs are a topic I cover in every class I teach. It doesn’t matter if it’s a level one writing class or a level four speaking class; modal verbs always appear on the scope and sequence. For this reason, I have quite a few games to practice using them. I shared several of my classes’ favorites in the post, Modal Verb Practice. Today, I’d like to share another: Modal Verb Four In A Row. The best part is that this game is a free download! You can click the picture to get it from TPT (still free) or use the download button to get the PDF from this post.
Four in a Row games are my version of the classic children’s game, Connect 4. I first introduced the idea of using this game style in class with the context clue version. Later, I talked about using the game as an alternative to the traditional way of using task cards (this post includes a free download of a general Four In A Row game board). The modal verb version is one more variation of the same game.
The goal is to claim four squares in a particular formation (horizontal line, vertical line, diagonal line, square, or four corners). The way to claim a square is to make a sentence using the given pronoun and modal verb. Of course, one’s opponent is also trying to claim four squares in a given formation while simultaneously blocking your moves.
One of the things I love about Four in a Row is how easy it is for me to make and distribute during class. All I have to do ahead of time is print the boards on cardstock and laminate them. This not only helps them last longer, it means students can simply mark their claimed squares with a dry erase marker, wipe the boards clean when they finish, and they are ready for the next time we play. Sometimes, we use physical objects to claim squares, though. Among the most popular are milk jug lids, mini-erasers, and bingo chips. There have been times when necessity was the mother of invention, though, and we’ve used things such as plastic coins and even paper clips! It really doesn’t matter what you use as long as students can identify which squares have been claimed by which student.
The other thing I like about this game is that it doesn’t limit students (or me) to a particular theme or tense. Students can practice multiple uses of modal verbs in a variety of tenses. Its flexibility makes this one of our most used modal verb practice activities. I hope you’ll download it and try it with your students. Happy teaching, everyone!
If you would like to get all of the modal verb activities I use in one easy download, the Modal Verbs Activity Bundle is available and offers a discount on the six activities.
The Gaming Grammarian 