Mastering the Present Continuous

Mastering the Present Continuous

Learning Objective

At the end of the lesson you will be able to recognize and use the present continuous tense.

Introduce the objective of the lesson and explain why it's important for students to learn this tense.

What do you already know about the present continuous tense?

What is the Present Continuous?

The present continuous is a verb tense used to describe actions happening at the moment of speaking or actions happening around the time of speaking. It is formed by using the verb 'to be' + present participle (-ing).

Explain the definition of the present continuous tense and give examples.

Examples

I am speaking to you right now. She is studying for her exam. They are playing soccer in the park.

Provide examples of the present continuous tense in use.

Identifying the Present Continuous

To identify the present continuous, look for the verb 'to be' followed by a verb with an -ing ending.

Teach students how to identify the present continuous tense in a sentence.

Practice 1

Identify the present continuous tense in the following sentence: 'I am eating dinner right now.'

Provide a practice question for students to identify the present continuous tense.

Practice 2

Write a sentence in the present continuous tense about what you are doing right now.

Provide a practice question for students to apply their knowledge of the present continuous tense.

Common Mistakes

A common mistake when using the present continuous tense is forgetting to use 'to be'. For example, saying 'I eating dinner' instead of 'I am eating dinner'.

Highlight common mistakes made when using the present continuous tense.

Review

The present continuous is used to describe actions happening at the moment of speaking or actions happening around the time of speaking. It is formed by using the verb 'to be' + present participle (-ing). When identifying the present continuous, look for the verb 'to be' followed by a verb with an -ing ending.

Review the main points of the lesson and provide a summary for students.

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.