Mastering the Past Simple

Mastering the Past Simple

Learning Objective

At the end of the lesson, you will be able to use the past simple tense correctly in sentences.

Introduce the learning objective and set clear expectations for the lesson.

What do you already know about the past simple?

What is the Past Simple?

The past simple is a tense used to describe completed actions or events that happened in the past. It is formed by adding -ed to regular verbs and using irregular forms for irregular verbs.

Explain the definition and formation of the past simple tense using examples.

Regular Verbs in the Past Simple

Regular verbs form the past simple by adding -ed to the base form of the verb. Example: walk -> walked

Provide examples of regular verbs in the past simple and encourage students to come up with more examples.

Irregular Verbs in the Past Simple

Irregular verbs have unique forms in the past simple. Example: go -> went

List commonly used irregular verbs and their past simple forms. Encourage students to practice saying the past simple forms aloud.

Negative Sentences in the Past Simple

To form negative sentences in the past simple, use the auxiliary verb 'did not' (didn't) + base form of the verb. Example: I didn't eat breakfast.

Explain the structure of negative sentences in the past simple and provide examples. Encourage students to create their own negative sentences.

Questions in the Past Simple

To form questions in the past simple, use the auxiliary verb 'did' + subject + base form of the verb. Example: Did you watch the movie?

Explain the structure of questions in the past simple and provide examples. Have students practice asking and answering questions in pairs.

Signal Words

Signal words such as yesterday, last week, or ago indicate that the past simple tense should be used. Example: I saw him yesterday.

Discuss common signal words that indicate the use of the past simple tense. Encourage students to create their own sentences using signal words.

Practice Exercise

Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb in the past simple.

Provide a practice exercise with multiple sentences for students to practice using the past simple tense. Review the answers as a class.

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.