Sentence Combining Games CUSTOMIZABLE: Clue, Mastermind, Rummy

Grammar drills are a great way to practice putting sentences together correctly, but they can be boring. Turn them into fun games, and students won't even know they are practicing grammar! Included here are three different games; all based on the 4-column concept of combining sentence elements. (There is a regular grammar-drill activity as well).

The sample drill topic is "What do you see?"

These samples are easily changed to match the grammar and vocabulary of your current lesson. Ready to print in moments!

Clue: Discover the secret!
The secret sentence is placed in an envelope, and the remaining sentence elements are passed out to the players.
** Shuffle the cards from all four categories together and pass them out amongst the players. (It is OK if one or more players have more cards than the others.)
**The object of the game is to find out what four cards are in the envelope, by eliminating the cards in one's own hand, and by creating sentences and asking other players to show one of the sentence elements, thus proving that that element is not in the envelope.
**Give each player an information sheet. Players mark off all of the cards in their hands.
**Player A puts together a sentence, and then calls on another player (B). If Player A says the sentence correctly, and Player B has any of the cards used to create the sentence, s/he must show Player A one of them. (If Player B has more than one, s/he should still show only one). Player A marks off the information sheet and play continues to the right. If Player A does not say the sentence correctly, other players should point it out, and no one has to show any cards.
**If a player thinks s/he knows the "Secret Sentence" s/he must say it, and may then check the cards in the envelope. If s/he is right, s/he wins and the game is over. If not, then s/he puts the cards back in the envelope and cannot guess again. The other players continue to play, and may still ask the player who is out to reveal cards. After the game materials are put away, give a quick quiz to check for understanding.

Mastermind: Find the secret sentence!
Print one sheet for each student.
Students get into groups of 3 or 4.

One student is chosen to be "it", and the others try to guess his/her sentence.

Guesses are made by creating new sentences.
When someone guesses a sentence, all players write it down on their sheets.
The person who is "it" tells only how many elements of the guessed sentence are a match for the secret sentence, but does NOT say which ones.
Students continue to guess and write down sentences until all 4 elements are correct.


Rummy
Rather than collecting runs or sets of numbers, students collect elements of specific sentences. Challenge Sheets give each player 6 possible sentences to collect.

Give each player a Challenge Sheet. Students should write out the 6 Challenge sentences before starting the game.
Cut up the color-coded cards, shuffle, and pass out 7 cards to each player. Put remaining cards face down in the center. Turn over the top card--this will be the discard pile.
The object of the game is to collect as many complete Challenge Sheet sentences as possible.
Player to the left of the dealer goes first. On every turn, a player must draw a card, either from the draw pile or from the top of the discard pile, and then must discard a card.
If a player has all four elements of a Challenge sentence, on his/her turn, s/he may say the sentence, and then lay down the four cards. The player then takes four new cards from the draw pile to end his / her turn.
At the end of the game time, the player who has laid down the most sentences wins.