Mastering the Present Simple and Past Simple Tenses

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vmbo k, g, t
• Leerjaar 1-4

Mastering the Present Simple and Past Simple Tenses

Learning Objective

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

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

Slide 1: Introduction

Let's start by understanding the basic definitions of the present simple and past simple tenses.

Slide 2: Present Simple

The present simple tense is used to describe habitual actions (Regelmatige bezigheden/acties), general truths (Waarheden), and permanent situations (Dingen die vast staan).

Slide 3: Present Simple - Examples

Examples: 

1. I eat breakfast every morning. 

2. She speaks Spanish fluently. 

3. The sun rises in the east.

Slide 4: Past Simple

The past simple tense is used to talk about completed actions or events that happened in the past.

Slide 5: Past Simple - Examples

Examples: 

1. I watched a movie last night. 

2. They traveled to Europe last summer. 

3. She studied English in high school.

Slide 6: Verb Conjugation - Werkwoord vervoegen

In the present simple tense, most verbs take the base form (infinitive) without any changes. Dus het werkwoord verandert niet! Behalve bij: HE, SHE en IT (SHIT).

In the past simple tense, regular verbs usually take '-ed' or '-d' at the end. 

Slide 7: Irregular Verbs

Some verbs have irregular past tense forms that do not follow the regular '-ed' pattern. Examples:

Go -> Went

Run -> Ran

Fall -> Fell

Slide 8: Present Simple vs Past Simple

Key difference: The present simple tense is used for current situations or repeated actions, while the past simple tense is used for completed actions in the past.

Slide 9: Practice Exercise

Complete the sentences with the appropriate form of the verb. Dus kijk goed of de zin verleden tijd is of tegenwoordige tijd. 

Mary ___________ to her work every morning.

France ____________ (lose) the football match yesterday.

I ______________ (play) football every Saturday.

My friends _____________ (work) in that pub last year

He could have ____________ (help) me, but he didn't.

Max _____________ (cycle) to the train station every other evening.

I think he and his brother _____________ (fight) a lot when they were younger.

We ___________ (go) to spain last year.

I think she ____________ (need) some help with that.

Slide 10: Summary

Review the key points: present simple for habitual actions, (Regelmatige bezigheden/acties), general truths (Waarheden), and permanent situations (Dingen die vast staan).

past simple for completed actions in the past. (Dingen die dus in het verleden zijn gebeurt.)

Slide 11:Conclusion

Congratulations! You have mastered the present simple and past simple tenses. Keep practicing to solidify your knowledge.

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.

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.