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From Wikigogy

Keyword

• lesson
• 60min

present progressive vs. the simple present

Contents 1 Prep 1.1 Learning goal 1.2 Prerequisites 1.3 Materials 2 Lesson 2.1 Intro 2.2 Presentation 2.3 Application/activity 2.4 Test

[edit] Prep

[edit] Learning goal

• Students will be able to write short descriptive sentences

• about physical characteristics
• about a situation presented in a sketch or photograph

• students will be able to differentiate between the present progressive and simple present tenses

[edit] Prerequisites

• able to punctuate short sentences
• able to use adjective + noun combinations
• able to use be + adjectives
• familiar with the verb to have used with physical characteristics: (E.g. She has brown hair.)

[edit] Materials

• practice image: any interesting photo of a person or people
• markers or chalk in several different colors
• feeding the baby Feeding the baby/Quiz

[edit] Lesson

[edit] Intro

• Write the following statements on opposite sides of the board:

• The sun sets in the West.
• The sun is setting now.

• a. Ask students to explain the difference in meanings. b. Let them struggle a bit before saying, "Today you are going to learn about the progressive and simple present tenses.

[edit] Presentation

• Answer your own question about the difference in meanings and write the under the respective sentences:

• always true
• in progress now

• Point to one sentence and ask, "When?" (You may need to prompt the answer, either "now" or "always," "everyday," etc.)
• Add another sentence to the simple present side: "I sometimes watch the sunset."

• a. Ask, "Is this always true?" b. When they say, "No," say, "That's right. There's a second meaning. Can you say what it is?"
• Write three more examples of habitual or repeated action under the first. (Make sure to vary the frequency adverb.)
• a. Ask students to explain the sentences and describe the second meaning of the tense. b. Write the second meaning on the board: "habitual or repeated activity."

• Write the names of the tenses over the original sentences: present progressive (continuous) and simple present.

[edit] Application/activity

• Say, "Let's practice. First we'll play a game and then we'll do a little quiz."
• Set the students in small groups, pass out 1 blank sheet of paper to a student in each group and tell that student, "You are the secretary today."
• Put the example image up.
• a. Tell students they will have 10 minutes to think of as many sentences describing the picture as they can. b. Ask them to think of things that are happening now in the picture, things they think might repeatedly or habitually happen in the picture, and things they see as general truths about the world of the picture. c. Tell the secretaries to keep track of their group's ideas.
• a. Hand out a different color marker or chalk to each group and tell them they have 3 minutes to write as many of their sentences on the board as they can. b. Tell them only one student from each group may be standing at any time and that each student may only write one sentence before passing the pen or chalk on to a teammate. c. Remind them to write the sentences on the correct side of the board.
• Correct the sentences (pointing out errors of punctuation and misplacements of meanings) and award points by color. (Two possible points for each sentence: one for correct punctuation etc., and one for clear meaning and correct placement on the board.)
• Congratulate the winning team and if you like, give a prize of some sort.
• Depending on the variety of sentences achieved, add sentences of your own to fill out the vocabulary represented.

[edit] Test

• Pass out the Feeding the baby/Quiz and give students 20 or 30 minutes to write as many sentences as they can about the picture. Remind them to write about what is happening now, what usually or sometimes happens and what is always true.
  • You can vary the difficulty of this quiz by either erasing the sentences on the board or leaving them up for the students as a reference.

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