Present Continuous vs Present Simple

Present Continuous vs Present Simple

Learning Objective

At the end of the lesson, you will be able to differentiate between Present Continuous and Present Simple tenses.

Introduce the lesson objective and explain the importance of understanding the difference between these two tenses.

What do you already know about Present Continuous and Present Simple?

Present Simple

The Present Simple is used for general facts, habits, and routines. For example: 'I brush my teeth twice a day.'

Explain the basic usage of the Present Simple and provide an example. Ask students if they can come up with any other examples.

Present Continuous

The Present Continuous is used for actions happening at the moment or for future plans. For example: 'I am watching TV right now.'

Explain the basic usage of the Present Continuous and provide an example. Ask students if they can come up with any other examples.

Present Simple vs Present Continuous

Use Present Simple for habits and routines, and Present Continuous for actions happening now or future plans. For example: 'I eat breakfast at 7am every day, but I am eating lunch right now.'

Explain the main differences between the two tenses and provide an example that shows how they can be used in the same sentence.

Affirmative Form

The Present Simple is formed with the base form of the verb, while the Present Continuous is formed with 'to be' + the present participle. For example: 'I play tennis.' vs 'I am playing tennis.'

Explain the differences in form between the two tenses and provide examples. Ask students to come up with their own examples.

Negative Form

The negative form of the Present Simple is formed with 'do not' + base form of the verb, while the negative form of the Present Continuous is formed with 'not' + 'to be' + the present participle. For example: 'I do not play tennis.' vs 'I am not playing tennis.'

Explain the differences in negative form between the two tenses and provide examples. Ask students to come up with their own examples.

Question Form

The question form of the Present Simple is formed with 'do' + base form of the verb, while the question form of the Present Continuous is formed with 'to be' + subject + the present participle. For example: 'Do you play tennis?' vs 'Are you playing tennis?'

Explain the differences in question form between the two tenses and provide examples. Ask students to come up with their own examples.

Signal Words

Signal words can help you identify which tense to use. Signal words for Present Simple include: always, often, usually, never, etc. Signal words for Present Continuous include: now, at the moment, today, etc.

Explain the importance of signal words and provide examples for each tense. Ask students to come up with their own examples.

Exercises

Complete the following sentences with the correct form of the verb: 1. I _______ (watch) TV every night. 2. We _______ (play) tennis right now. 3. She _______ (not/study) for her exams. 4. _______ (you/do) your homework now?

Provide exercises for students to practice using both tenses. Correct the exercises as a class.

Interactive Exercise

Use Kahoot to create an interactive quiz to test students' understanding of the difference between Present Simple and Present Continuous.

Provide instructions for using Kahoot and creating the quiz. Encourage students to participate and have fun.

Review

Review the main differences between Present Simple and Present Continuous tenses. Ask students to provide examples of each tense.

Summarize the lesson and ask students to share their understanding of the tenses.

Homework

Complete the worksheet on Present Simple and Present Continuous tenses. Write 5 sentences using each tense.

Provide instructions for completing the homework and ask students if they have any questions.

Quiz

Administer a quiz to test students' understanding of the difference between Present Simple and Present Continuous. The quiz should include multiple choice, fill in the blank, and short answer questions.

Create a quiz that tests the students' knowledge of the tenses. Correct the quiz as a class and provide feedback.

Extension Activity

Have students write a short paragraph using both Present Simple and Present Continuous tenses. Encourage them to be creative and use signal words.

Provide instructions for the writing activity and encourage students to share their work with the class.

Resources

Provide a list of resources for students to continue practicing Present Simple and Present Continuous tenses, such as online exercises and grammar books.

List resources that students can use to continue practicing the tenses outside of class.

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.