Tools - Matching Exercise Generator (Dual-purpose)

1. Printable / saveable matching exercise generator for teachers
2. Interactive vocabulary tester for students (see below)

How to use - try first with the examples - where you see ? mouse over for more details

1. Enter the title and instructions (optional): ? Position: Centred Left

2. Enter a vocabulary list into this box ? (See basic instructions)

Show basic instructions

Enter the title and instructions (optional) in the Title Box. When you enter information on a new line in the box, it will also appear on a new line in the exercise

Enter the exercise into the main box. You could have, for example, words and their definitions, words and their opposites, or the first and second halves of a sentences, each pair separated by a backslash(\) divider. This is the default divider. Enter each pair on a new line, as in the example.

You may already have a list with a different separator, for example a comma, in which case click on 'Show' Instructions for using alternative dividers

When you're ready, choose a format, do any fine tuning required and click on 'Generate'. Your exercise will appear below.

Show instructions for using alternative separators

Using alternative separators

• If you have a list with a different separator
  for example a comma or a dash (-)
  Select divider: \ (backslash) , (comma) . (full stop) ; (semicolon) : (colon) - (dash) / (slash) | (upright) (space) (or other: and click )
  
• If you have one with blank lines like this click on
• Or BBC Words in the News style click on

Show how to divide worksheet into 2 or more exercises (not working in Internet Explorer - will investigate)

If you have a relatively long list , you can divide up the worksheet onto two or more exercises. Simply put a blank line where you want to divide it. Check/uncheck 'Number exercises' as desired

3. Fine-tuning - Number Qs ? Select: font Arial Verdana Times Georgia Comic sans Trebuchet Tahoma ?

4. Select format H 2 col V 2 col V 3 col ? and Number exercises:

You can play around and generate again as many times as you like. See note below about switching lines. The contents of the box(es), i.e. the buttons and the Swap stuff, will not appear in the printed version. See below for printing and saving.

Click and Drop - Click on the appropriate option (in grey), then click on the box where you want it to go. If you change your mind, just click on another option and then on the box again.

Your exercise will appear here

Made with the Matching generator at
Random Idea English
http://random-idea-english.blogspot.com

Answers

Printer friendly post

You can open the document in a new tab or window (IE) for printing. Click here. You can open a separate page with the answers by clicking here.

Or you can print as normal from the blog. The exercise will be on Page 2 and the answers on Page 3

Saving your work - open a new document as above

You can save it by clicking:

• Firefox - File > Save Page As
• Internet Explorer - File > Save as ... > Webpage, HTML only
• Chrome - doesn't seem to want to save
• Opera - Menu > Page > Save as > HTML file
• Safari - doesn't seem to want to save

Alternatively just copy (Right click > Select All to get the table qualities) and paste the whole thing into a word processing document, and then you can modify it to your own requirements. You could for example add another exercise.

Finding vocabulary

There are various websites you can go to which have vocabulary lists

• BBC Words in the News
• English Page
• English Club

Notes - Some websites, like English Page, have tables of words and definitions. Just copy the table into the box, add dividers (\) between the words and definitions, 'Generate', and you have a ready made interactive or printable vocab exercise (with answers).

Or keep your own word lists in whatever document format you like, and copy and paste them into the box.