Present Simple Explained

Present Simple Explained

Learning Objective

At the end of the lesson, you will be able to explain the Present Simple tense.

Introduce the learning objective and make sure students understand what they will be able to do by the end of the lesson.

What do you already know about the Present Simple tense?

What is the Present Simple?

The Present Simple is a verb tense used to talk about actions that happen regularly, repeatedly or habits. It's also used to talk about facts, general truths, and future events scheduled on a timetable.

Explain what the Present Simple is and give examples of when to use it.

Forming the Present Simple

To form the Present Simple, we add -s or -es to the base form of the verb in the third person singular (he, she, it). In other cases, we use the base form of the verb.

Explain how to form the Present Simple and give examples of regular and irregular verbs.

Negative Sentences

To make a negative sentence, we use the auxiliary verb 'do not' or 'does not' + base form of the verb. In contracted forms, 'do not' becomes 'don't' and 'does not' becomes 'doesn't'.

Explain how to make negative sentences and give examples.

Question Sentences

To make a question, we use the auxiliary verb 'do' or 'does' + subject + base form of the verb. In contracted forms, 'do' becomes 'do' and 'does' becomes 'does'.

Explain how to make question sentences and give examples.

Spelling Rules

There are some spelling rules to follow when adding -s or -es to the base form of a verb. For example, if the verb ends in -y preceded by a consonant, we change the -y to -ies. If it ends in -o, -ch, -s, -sh, -x or -z, we add -es.

Explain the spelling rules and give examples.

Practice Exercise

Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb in Present Simple:
1. She always (go) to bed early.
2. They (not like) spicy food.
3. Do you (play) tennis every weekend?
4. John (study) English at university.
5. The train (leave) at 9:30 PM.

Give students time to complete the exercise and then go over the answers with them.

Conclusion

Now you know how to explain the Present Simple tense! Keep practicing to improve your skills.

Review the main points of the lesson and encourage students to keep practicing.

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.