Bingo With Opposites

Introduction

Learning vocabulary, especially opposites, is essential in language acquisition, and interactive games can make this process both effective and enjoyable.

This lesson plan introduces an engaging way to review opposites using a Bingo game, which enhances students’ motivation and understanding.

The activity can be easily adapted to various language points, making it versatile for different lessons.

Before exploring the bingo with opposites activity, let’s review the lesson details.

Bingo With Opposites: Lesson Details

Bingo With Opposites: Activity Procedure

Step 1: Reviewing Opposites (10 minutes)

Before starting the game, review a list of common opposites with students. Present the following table with adjectives and their opposites:

For a longer list, check this post about opposites.

Word	Opposite
Hot	Cold
Big	Small
Fast	Slow
Easy	Difficult
Strong	Weak
Happy	Sad
Clean	Dirty
Young	Old
Expensive	Cheap
Full	Empty

Discuss the meanings with students to ensure they understand the vocabulary.

Step 2: Gap-Fill Exercise (10 minutes)

Next, give students a gap-fill worksheet where they must complete sentences with the correct opposite words. Example sentences might include:

1. The water is ___ (hot/cold). It is boiling.
2. The room was ___ (big/small), so we had plenty of space.
3. My car is very ___ (fast/slow), it takes me hours to get anywhere.
4. This math problem is ___ (easy/difficult), I can’t solve it.
5. He’s become ___ (strong/weak) after years of workouts.
6. I was feeling very ___ (happy/sad) because of the bad news.
7. The floor is ___ (clean/dirty) after the rain.
8. The new student is ___ (young/old).
9. This shirt is ___ (expensive/cheap), I can’t afford it.
10. The bottle is ___ (full/empty), and there’s nothing left to drink.

Step 3: Opposites Bingo Game (15-20 minutes)

Materials needed: 25-cell Bingo grids, a list of opposites, a printed sheet for each student

A. Preparation:

• Each student will create a Bingo grid with 25 cells.
• They fill the cells with adjectives from the review (or those suggested by the teacher).

Here is a Bingo grid with 25 cells, filled with adjectives:

A	B	C	D	E
Big	Short	Fast	Soft	Bright
Small	Tall	Slow	Hard	Dark
Weak	Loud	Happy	Cold	Full
Strong	Quiet	Sad	Hot	Empty
Clean	Dirty	Young	Old	Rich

B. Gameplay:

• The teacher reads aloud a series of sentences or phrases that contain opposites of the adjectives in the students’ Bingo grids.
• As students listen, they mark off any adjective that has its opposite mentioned in the sentence.

For example, if the teacher says, “The day was cold and windy,” students would mark off “hot” if it appears in their grid.

C. Winning:

• When a student marks off five adjectives in a row (vertically, horizontally, or diagonally), they shout “Bingo!” to win.
• The game can continue after the first winner to allow others to achieve Bingo, making it more inclusive.

Step 4: Wrap-Up (5 minutes)

After the game, review the opposites used during the activity to reinforce understanding. Ask students to share which words they found challenging or interesting.

Conclusion

This engaging and interactive Bingo game not only makes learning opposites fun but also reinforces listening skills and vocabulary retention. By actively participating, students become more confident in using new words and expressions.

This activity can be easily modified to suit other topics, creating a dynamic and motivating classroom environment.

More on the meaning of bingo.

Related Pages

• List of Opposites – English vocabulary
• Vocabulary Exercises: Opposites
• List of Opposite Adjectives (Vocabulary Lesson)