Mastering the Present Perfect versus Past Simple

Mastering the Present Perfect versus Past Simple

Learning Objective

At the end of the lesson, you will be able to confidently differentiate between the present perfect and past simple tenses in exercises.

Explain to the students that the goal of this lesson is to improve their understanding and usage of the present perfect and past simple tenses in various exercises.

What do you already know about the differences between the present perfect and past simple tenses?

Slide 1

Present Perfect

Introduce the concept of the present perfect tense, explaining that it is used to talk about past actions or events that have a connection to the present.

Slide 2

Past Simple

Explain that the past simple tense is used to talk about past actions or events that are completed and no longer have a connection to the present.

Slide 3

Forming the Present Perfect

Provide a brief overview of how to form the present perfect tense, including the use of 'have' or 'has' + the past participle of the verb.

Slide 4

Forming the Past Simple

Explain the formation of the past simple tense, highlighting the use of regular and irregular verbs in their respective past tense forms.

Slide 5

Examples - Present Perfect

Provide a few examples of sentences in the present perfect tense and ask the students to identify the main verb and its connection to the present.

Slide 6

Examples - Past Simple

Share examples of sentences in the past simple tense and ask the students to identify the main verb and its lack of connection to the present.

Slide 7

Exercise 1

Present an exercise where students have to choose between using the present perfect or past simple tense in given sentences. Discuss the correct answers as a class.

Slide 8

Exercise 2

Provide a second exercise where students need to rewrite sentences, converting them from the present perfect to past simple or vice versa. Review the answers together.

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.