Yolanda Argumanis Yolanda Argumanis

Grammar lesson
Pre-Intermediate level

Description

In this lesson students learn and practice the use of the present perfect simple (affirmative).

Materials

Main Aims

  • To enable students to better understand and use the present perfect simple to talk about past experiences.

Subsidiary Aims

  • To provide gist reading practice using a text about an old man's past experiences.
  • To provide accuracy speaking practice in a narration of their past experiences using the present perfect simple.

Procedure

Warmer/Lead-in (5 minutes) • To set lesson context and engage students

1. Show a picture of an old man called Jasper and ask the students how old they think he is. 2. Show a thinking bubble with pictures in black & white. Ask the students what they see. Elicit their answers. 3. Ask them why the pictures are in B&W. (Because they're memories.)

Exposure (5 minutes) • To provide context for the target language through a text about an old man's experiences

1. Tell the students that they will read a text about old Jasper and have to answer the question in the slide: "What was the most interesting thing you learned about old Jasper?" 2. Share the text document with the students and give them 3 minutes to read it. Old Jasper I think I have had a very interesting life. I'm 73 now and I don't work anymore. I was in the army for 51 years. I retired when I was 69. I have been to so many countries that I can't remember all of them. I've been to Australia six or seven times and to South Africa three times. I only like warm places. My son, on the other hand, loves the cold. He has been to Antarctica twice. Crazy! They say that love is the greatest thing and I agree. I've been married four times but never for more than five years. I don't think women really understand me! I've talked on a radio show once. It was a programme about life in the military about twenty years ago. I met the Prime Minister on the same day. Actually, I've met a lot of famous people: members of the royal family, politicians and famous celebrities. I've never met the American President though, which is a pity. Because I've travelled a lot, I've seen lots of wonderful things and have also eaten and drunk some strange foods and drinks. I ate guinea pig in Peru and drank something called Mirto on a little island in Italy many years ago. 3. The students share their answers in OCF.

Highlighting (4 minutes) • To draw students' attention to the target language

1. Show students the same text with the following questions below. What does he mention about...? o travelling o romantic relationships o the radio o food and drink o his son’s trips 2. Highlight in the text the students' answers that are in the present perfect tense. 3. Ask the students if they see a pattern.

Clarification (10 minutes) • To clarify the meaning, form and pronunciation of the target language

1. Show 3 sentences adapted from the text in the present perfect: • I have talked on a radio show. • I have eaten some strange foods. • He has been to Antarctica. 2. Ask the students CCQs and to fill in the blanks to check MEANING. a. Is he talking about present, past or future activities? • PAST b. Is the time mentioned/important? • NO We use the Present perfect to talk about ________ experiences when the time is ________________________________. [past – not mentioned or important] Use 'been' to talk about ________________. [trips] 3. Ask the students to fill in the blanks to check FORM Present perfect (structure): + + + [complement]. ( [Subject] + have / has + verb in past participle) "I have talked on a radio show. It was a programme about life in the military about twenty years ago. I met the Prime Minister on the same day." To give extra information about a past experience we use the _____________. [past simple] 4. Check PRONUNCIATION. Ask: - What are the stressed words? - Can we use contractions? - What sounds can we link? Then drill.

Controlled Practice (8-10 minutes) • To concept check and prepare students for more meaningful practice

Kahoot 1. Tell students that they will play Kahoot, so everyone needs to have their phone at hand. Ask them if they have played it before. 2. Quickly explain what they will see on their laptop screen and their phone screen. 3. Instruct them to: i. Go to kahoot.it on your mobile phone. ii. Write the PIN code. iii. Write your name. 4. Start the game. 8 questions. 20 seconds per question. After they answer each question asked them why they chose those answers. Quiz: i. Old Jasper ___________ many interesting things. a. have done b. has did c. ’ve do d. ’s done (x) ii. Jasper and his son ___________ African elephants. a. have seen (x) b. has saw c. ’ve saw d. ’s seen iii. I _________ guinea pig, too. a. ate b. has eaten c. have eat d. ’ve eaten (x) iv. You _________ Mirto in Italy, right? a. ’ve drank b. ’s drank c. ’ve drunk (x) d. has drink v. We ________ together. Let’s plan a trip! a. has never travelled b. ’ve never travelled (x) c. ’s travelled never d. have never travel vi. My grandma is lovely. I think she ___________ a good life. a. ’s have b. had had c. ’ve had d. has had (x) vii. Yesterday I read Old Jasper’s Biography. He ______ to Australia so many times! a. is been b. have travelled c. has trip d. has been (x) viii. My class _________ many books. The last one was ‘Old Jasper’s Biography’. a. have read b. ’ve readed c. has read (x) d. is read 5. Show the quiz results and congratulate them.

Free Practice (8 minutes) • To provide students with free practice of the target language

Tell us about your experiences! 1. Tell the students to take some notes of two interesting experiences they have had. Give them 2 minutes. 2. Tell them they will go to groups and have to: a. Mention their two experiences. (Using the present perfect.) b. Give more information about them. (Using the past simple.) c. Take notes of the most interesting experience they hear. Show the list of verbs in base form from the previous exercises to help them. (eat – have – travel – drink – read – talk – be – see – do) 3. Check instructions, share the PDF file where they can find the activity, and send the students to BORs to work in pairs for 6 minutes. Monitor closely and note down some of the students' mistakes. 4. Students return to the main room. Whole-class feedback: - Which was the most surprising story?

Delayed Error Correction (3 minutes) • To give the students feedback on their mistakes and help them improve their use of language and pronunciation

1. Show students some of the sentences with mistakes and words that were mispronounced noted down during the monitoring phase. 2. Elicit the correct syntax/lexis and pronunciation. Students correct their own mistakes. 3. Drill.

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