Mastering Verb Tenses

Mastering Verb Tenses

What do you already know about the present simple, present continuous, and past simple verb tenses?

Present Simple

The present simple tense is used to describe actions that are habitual, general truths or facts, and things that are always true.

Provide examples of present simple tense and ask students to give examples of their own. Have them practice using present simple tense in a sentence or two.

Present Continuous

The present continuous tense is used to describe actions that are happening at the moment, ongoing actions, and future arrangements.

Provide examples of present continuous tense and ask students to give examples of their own. Have them practice using present continuous tense in a sentence or two.

Past Simple

The past simple tense is used to describe actions that happened in the past and are now finished.

Provide examples of past simple tense and ask students to give examples of their own. Have them practice using past simple tense in a sentence or two.

Irregular Verbs

Irregular verbs do not follow the regular past tense rules. They have their own unique past tense forms.

Provide examples of irregular verbs and their past tense forms. Ask students to give examples of their own and have them practice using irregular verbs in a sentence or two.

Verb Conjugation

Verb conjugation is the process of changing a verb to fit the subject of the sentence.

Provide examples of verb conjugation and have students practice conjugating verbs to fit different subjects.

Present Simple vs Present Continuous

The present simple is used for habitual actions while present continuous is used for temporary actions.

Provide examples of present simple and present continuous tense and explain the differences between the two. Have students practice using both tenses in a sentence or two.

Past Simple vs Present Perfect

The past simple is used for finished actions while present perfect is used for actions that started in the past and are still happening in the present.

Provide examples of past simple and present perfect tense and explain the differences between the two. Have students practice using both tenses in a sentence or two.

Signal Words

Signal words are words that indicate which tense should be used in a sentence.

Provide examples of signal words for each tense and have students practice identifying which tense should be used in a given sentence.

Negative and Interrogative Forms

Negative forms of verbs use 'not' and interrogative forms use 'do' or 'does'.

Provide examples of negative and interrogative forms for each tense and have students practice forming negative and interrogative sentences using each tense.

Practice Exercise

Provide students with a practice exercise to reinforce their understanding of the different verb tenses.

Provide instructions for the exercise and give students time to complete it. Go over the answers as a class.

Reading Exercise

Provide students with a reading exercise that utilizes the verb tenses.

Provide instructions for the exercise and give students time to read and answer the questions. Go over the answers as a class.

Writing Exercise

Provide students with a writing exercise that requires them to use the different verb tenses.

Provide instructions for the exercise and give students time to write. Go over the answers as a class and provide feedback.

Speaking Exercise

Provide students with a speaking exercise that requires them to use the different verb tenses in conversation.

Provide instructions for the exercise and give students time to practice speaking. Monitor their conversations and provide feedback.

Common Mistakes

Common mistakes when using verb tenses include using the wrong tense, using the wrong signal word, and failing to conjugate the verb properly.

Provide examples of common mistakes and have students practice correcting them.

Final Assessment

Provide students with a final assessment to evaluate their understanding of the different verb tenses.

Provide instructions for the assessment and give students time to complete it. Go over the answers as a class and provide feedback.

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.