Mastering Past Perfect and Past Perfect Continuous

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• mavo, havo
• Leerjaar 3,4

Mastering Past Perfect and Past Perfect Continuous

Learning Objective

At the end of the lesson, you will be able to differentiate between past perfect and past perfect continuous tenses and use them correctly in sentences.

Introduce the learning objective and explain why it is important to understand these tenses.

What do you already know about the difference between past perfect and past perfect continuous?

Past Perfect

Past perfect is used to describe a completed action before another past action. It is formed with had + past participle.

Explain the structure of past perfect and give examples. Encourage students to ask questions.

Past Perfect Examples

Example: When I arrived, the movie had already started. Example: She had eaten breakfast before she went to work.

Provide examples of past perfect and ask students to identify the completed action and the past action.

Past Perfect Continuous

Past perfect continuous is used to describe a longer, ongoing action that was interrupted by another past action. It is formed with had been + present participle.

Explain the structure of past perfect continuous and give examples. Encourage students to ask questions.

Past Perfect Continuous Examples

Example: I had been studying for hours before I finally understood the lesson. Example: They had been playing tennis for an hour when it started raining.

Provide examples of past perfect continuous and ask students to identify the ongoing action and the past action.

Signal Words for Past Perfect

Signal words for past perfect include already, before, by the time, just, never, and yet.

Explain the signal words for past perfect and provide examples.

Signal Words for Past Perfect Continuous

Signal words for past perfect continuous include for, since, all morning/day/week, and how long.

Explain the signal words for past perfect continuous and provide examples.

Difference between Past Perfect and Past Perfect Continuous

The main difference between past perfect and past perfect continuous is that past perfect describes a completed action before another past action, while past perfect continuous describes an ongoing action interrupted by another past action.

Explain the difference between the two tenses and provide examples.

Practice Exercise 1

Rewrite the following sentences using past perfect: 

1. She finished her homework before she watched TV. 

2. He left the office after he had finished his work. 

3. They had dinner before they went to the movie.

Provide practice exercises for students to apply what they have learned about past perfect. Review the answers as a class.

Practice Exercise 2

Rewrite the following sentences using past perfect continuous: 1. The children played in the park before it got dark. 

2. She studied for the exam before she went to bed. 

3. They talked on the phone before they met in person.

Provide practice exercises for students to apply what they have learned about past perfect continuous. Review the answers as a class.

Interactive: Fill in the Blank

Interactive: Fill in the blank with the correct form of past perfect or past perfect continuous: 

When I arrived, she ___ already ___ (eat) breakfast.

Answer: When I arrived, she had already eaten breakfast.

Provide an interactive element for students to practice identifying the correct tense to use in a sentence.

Interactive: Matching

Interactive: Match the sentence to the correct tense: 

1. She had been cooking dinner for an hour. 

2. She had cooked dinner before he arrived. 

Answer: 1. Past perfect continuous 2. Past perfect

Provide an interactive element for students to match sentences to the correct tense.

Common Errors

Common errors include using past simple instead of past perfect or past perfect continuous, and incorrect use of signal words.

Explain common errors to avoid and provide examples.

Tips for Correct Usage

Tips for correct usage include understanding the difference between completed actions and ongoing actions, and using signal words correctly.

Provide tips for students to remember when using past perfect and past perfect continuous.

Review

Review the difference between past perfect and past perfect continuous and their correct usage.

Summarize the lesson and ask students if they have any questions.

Quiz

Quiz students on their understanding of past perfect and past perfect continuous.

Provide a quiz for students to assess their understanding of the lesson. Review the answers as a class.

Further Practice

Provide further practice exercises for students to reinforce their understanding of past perfect and past perfect continuous.

Encourage students to practice using the tenses in their writing and speaking.

Conclusion

Wrap up the lesson by summarizing the key points and encouraging students to continue practicing.

End the lesson by highlighting the importance of mastering past perfect and past perfect continuous.

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.