by Shahid Abrar-Ul-Hassan |
Past Simple Versus Past Progress
Tense and Aspect: Past Simple Versus Past Progress
This lesson plan will help students change from simple past to past progressive using a very timely news article along with a topic very much debated.
The target population of this lesson is comprised of adult ESL students who have Bachelor’s level education and intend to improve their English language proficiency, in order to meet the expectations of an undergraduate program and integrate well into the socio-academic life in the school (e.g., in the US).
The lesson exemplifies an implicit and explicit grammar teaching segment, which an ESL program can offer. It is pertinent to review or brush up learners’ knowledge of the past simple before the past progressive can be introduced or discussed. As the learners have an intermediate level of English proficiency, they have some familiarity with past tense and aspect structures. However, they need intensive input on the meaning and use of the various aspects of the past tense.
The lesson exemplifies an implicit and explicit grammar teaching segment, which an ESL program can offer. It is pertinent to review or brush up learners’ knowledge of the past simple before the past progressive can be introduced or discussed. As the learners have an intermediate level of English proficiency, they have some familiarity with past tense and aspect structures. However, they need intensive input on the meaning and use of the various aspects of the past tense.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Audience: University, Adult
Audience Language Proficiency: Intermediate
Duration: 1 hour 50 minutes
Materials And Technology:
- 3 handouts
- a whiteboard and a marker
- a multimedia projector
Objective:
Enabling objectives
a. To refresh learner's understanding of past simple tense
b. To introduce them to past progressive tense, form meaning and use, while participating in interactive activities
c. To illustrate the difference between past simple and past progressive tense use
d. To help them accurately use past simple and past progressive tenses in reporting events.
a. To refresh learner's understanding of past simple tense
b. To introduce them to past progressive tense, form meaning and use, while participating in interactive activities
c. To illustrate the difference between past simple and past progressive tense use
d. To help them accurately use past simple and past progressive tenses in reporting events.
Terminal Objectives
a. Learners will be able to identify the difference between past simple and past progressive tenses in authentic texts.
b. Learners will be able to use the simple and progressive past tense to describe an event that was happening in the past, but was interrupted by another event.
c. Learners will be able to use past simple and past progressive tenses with optimal precision to describe what they were doing at a specific point in time in the past.
a. Learners will be able to identify the difference between past simple and past progressive tenses in authentic texts.
b. Learners will be able to use the simple and progressive past tense to describe an event that was happening in the past, but was interrupted by another event.
c. Learners will be able to use past simple and past progressive tenses with optimal precision to describe what they were doing at a specific point in time in the past.
Language Skill: Grammar, Listening, Reading, Speaking, Writing
Content Area:
Social sciences;English for academic purposes
Procedure: see PDF below
Assessment: see PDF below
References:
Celce-Murcia, M., & Larsen-Freeman, D. (1999). The grammar book: An ESL/EFL teacher’s course (2nd ed.). Boston: Heinle.
Fuchs, M., & Bonner, M. (2003). Grammar express. Harlow, England: Longman.
Raimes, A. (2004). Grammar troublespots: A guide for student writers. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Useful Link:
Purdue Online Wring Lab http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
About.com: English as 2nd Language http://esl.about.com/
LearnEnglish http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en
Supporting Files:
Tense And Aspect Past Simple Versus Past Progress 01.pdf
Tense And Aspect Past Simple Versus Past Progress 02.pdf
TESOL Interest Section: English for Specific Purposes