Mastering the Present Perfect and Past Simple Tenses

• Engels
• WO
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 2,3

Mastering the Present Perfect and Past Simple Tenses

Learning Objective

At the end of the lesson, you will be able to explain and apply the difference between the present perfect and past simple 

Introduce the learning objective to the students and explain how the lesson will help them achieve it.

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

Present Perfect Tense

The present perfect tense is used to describe an action that happened at an unspecified time in the past or one that started in the past and continues up to the present. It is formed using 'have/has' + past participle verb.

Explain the concept of the present perfect tense and give some examples.

Past Simple Tense

The past simple tense is used to describe an action that happened at a specific time in the past. It is formed by adding '-ed' to regular verbs or using the second form of irregular verbs.

Introduce the past simple tense and give examples of regular and irregular verbs.

Signal Words for Present Perfect Tense

Signal words for present perfect tense include 'already', 'yet', 'just', 'ever', 'never', 'so far', 'up to now', and 'recently'.

Teach the students to identify signal words for present perfect tense and give examples.

Signal Words for Past Simple Tense

Signal words for past simple tense include 'yesterday', 'last week/month/year', 'ago', 'in 2005', and 'when I was a child/teenager'.

Teach the students to identify signal words for past simple tense and give examples.

Difference between Present Perfect and Past Simple Tense

The present perfect tense is used for actions that started in the past and continue up to the present, while the past simple tense is used for actions that happened at a specific time in the past and are now complete.

Explain the main difference between the present perfect and past simple tenses and provide examples.

Practice Exercise

Choose the correct verb tense: 1. I (have/ had) breakfast an hour ago. 2. She (has been/ was) to Paris twice. 3. They (have/ had) a great time at the party last night.

Provide an exercise to allow students to practice using appropriate verb tenses. Review the answers with them.

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.