Instructor: Chen, Pei-Ching Course: the Present Tense Verbs

Textbook: Azar, Betty Schrampfer, and Stacy A. Hagen. Basic English Grammar. NY: Longman, 2006.
Weekly Objectives:
1. Students will demonstrate their knowledge of the present tense verbs by asking and responding to questions with their partners.
2. Students will demonstrate their ability to use the present tense verbs by creating and performing a dialogue in class.
Monday

Simple Present: first

person, second person and
third person plural forms

Tuesday

Simple Present: third

person singular forms

Wednesday

Adverbs of Frequency

Thursday

Friday

Simple Present: WhQuestions

Final Assessment

-Students will be able to

demonstrate their
knowledge of WhQuestions by creating
and responding to WhQuestions in class.
-Students will
demonstrate their ability
to make and answer WhQuestions by completing
exercise 37 on pages 82
and 83.

-Students will
demonstrate their
knowledge of the present
tense verbs by creating a
3-minute dialogue in
class.
-They also need to
perform their dialogue in
class.

-Ask students what WhQuestions are. They may

reply: a question that
begins with What, Who,
When, Where, How, etc.
-Ask students to create
some Wh- Questions.

-Ask students if they

want to know their
classmates daily routine
or hobbies, what
questions would they
ask?
-They may reply:

Objectives
-Students will
demonstrate their ability
to use first person, second
person and third person
plural forms in the Simple
Present tense by asking
and responding to
questions with their
partners in class.
-Students will
demonstrate their ability
to use first person, second
person and third person
plural forms in Simple
Present tense by
completing exercise 1 on
pages 54 in the textbook.

-Students will demonstrate

their ability to use third
person singular forms in
the Simple Present tense
by first listening to and
then reporting their
partners hobbies in class.
-Students will demonstrate
their ability to use the third
person singular form in
Simple Present tense by
completing exercise 3 on
page 55 in the textbook.

-Students will be able to

demonstrate their ability to
apply adverbs of frequency
by adding these adverbs
into sentences in class.
-Students will write a short
paragraph recording their
daily routine and submit it
tomorrow.

Warm-up
-Students have learnt the
Present Progressive tense
in the previous class. Ask
them to give me some
verbs and making
sentences using the
Present Progressive tense.

-Students have learnt first

person and second person
forms in the Simple
Present tense in the
previous class. Ask them
to make some sentences.
-Ask them what first

-Brainstorm a list of
adverbs of frequency with
students. Write down what
they have already known
on the blackboard. Ask
them to create an adverbs
ladder: put the adverb that

Pei-Ching Chen

-Ask students when we

should use the Present
Progressive tense. They
may say that when we are
doing something.
-Ask students when we
need to describe daily
routines, what other
tenses we should use.
Some of them may know
that we should use the
Simple Present tense.

person, second person and

third person plural are.
They may reply: I, we,
you, and they.
-Ask them what third
person singular is. They
may reply: he, she, it and
Jenny, Amy, etc.

indicates most frequent

occurrence on the top, the
adverbs that show
moderate frequency in the
middle, and the adverb that
indicates the least frequent
occurrence on the bottom.
The order of the ladder
will be:
Always 100%
Usually 80%
Often 70%
Sometimes 50%
Seldom 20%
Never 0%
-Write a list of times and
verbs on the blackboard.
7:00-get up
7:30-eat breakfast
8:00-go to school
-Since students have
learned Simple Present
tense in the previous
lesson, ask them to make
sentences with the
information provided on
the blackboard.
-Ask several students to
write down their sentences
on the blackboard. In
instruct and model session,
we will find grammatical
rules from these sentences
together.

Since they have leant

how to use Be verb to
ask Wh Questions, they
may reply:
What is your name?
Where is he from?
How are you?
How old are you?
-Ask them whether they
know how to make WhQuestions with the
auxiliary verbs that they
have learnt during this
week. Some of them may
be able to create WhQuestions with the
auxiliary verbs. Write the
sentences that students
create on the blackboard.

When do you get up?

When do you eat
breakfast?
How often do you play
tennis?
How often do you visit
your grandparents?
What days do you take
guitar lessons?

Pei-Ching Chen

Objective Discussion
-Tell students that the
Present Progressive tense
is used to express
something that is
happening now, whereas
the Simple Present tense
is used to express
something that happens in
general.
-Tell students that they
will learn first person and
second person forms
today, and they need to
demonstrate their ability
to use the Simple Present
tense by asking and
responding to questions
with their partners.
-They also need to
complete exercise 1 on
pages 54 in the textbook
as their homework.

-Tell students that they will

learn how to use third
person singular form in the
Simple Present tense
today, and they need to
demonstrate their ability to
use this form by first
listening to and then
reporting their partners
hobbies.
-They also need to
completed exercise 3 on
page 55 in the textbook as
their homework.

-Tell students that they will

learn how to use adverbs
of frequency today.
-Ask students whether they
know when to use adverbs
of frequency. If they cant
come up with any answers,
tell them that we use
adverbs of frequency to
indicate how often we do
something.
-Tell students that they will
complete a worksheet by
placing adverbs of
frequency in the right place
in the sentences.
-They also need to write a
short paragraph using the
adverbs that they have
learnt today to describe
their daily routines and
submit it tomorrow.

-Tell students that they

will learn how to make
Wh- Questions with the
auxiliary verbs today.
-They will learn when to
use the Be Verb and
when to use the auxiliary
verbs when creating
questions. They need to
demonstrate their ability
to use both question
forms by asking and
responding to questions
with their partners.
-They will ask their
classmates questions and
then report their answers
in class.
-They also need to
complete exercise 37 on
pages 82 and 83 as their
homework.

-Tell students that they

will create a 3-minute
dialogue discussing their
daily routine or hobbies.
-They also need to
perform their dialogue by
the end of the class.
-Before they begin to
create their dialogue,
they will learn time
expressions and
expressions of agreement
and disagreement.

1. Write down some WhQuestions on the

blackboard.
What do you eat?
How often does he
play the guitar?
Where do you live?
When does she play
basketball?
What days does he go
to the chess club?
2. Ask students to

1. Time Expressions
1.1 Ask students if they
know what time
expressions are. Give
them some clues. For
example, what time
expressions will they add
after the prepositions
in, at, every, and
on?
1.2 List students
answers on the
blackboard.
Pei-Ching Chen

Instruction and Model

-Write down sentences
made by students using
the Present Progressive
tense.
-Write down sentences
using the Simple Present
tense.
-Ask students to observe
the differences between
these two kinds of
sentences. They may
notice that the Present
Progressive tense is

1. In the warm-up section,

students have made several
sentences using the first
person form in the Simple
Present tense.
-Change these sentences
into the third person
singular form.
-Ask students to observe
the differences between
these two forms.
I go to school at 8.

1. The affirmative
statement
1.1 In the warm-up
session, students have
already written some
sentences on the
blackboard. Ask them how
often these routine
activities occur. Help them
add adverbs of frequency
in the sentences. Write two
more sentences with Be
Verb on the blackboard.

formed with subject, the

be verb and the present
participle (or the ing
form of a verb). The
Simple Present tense is
formed with subject and a
verb.
I am eating now.
S + beV + Ving.
I eat breakfast every
day.
S + V.
-Ask students what we
should do when we want
to create a statement in
negative form in Present
Progressive tense. Ask
them to change the
sentenceI am eating
nowinto negative form.
They may say: I am not
eating now.
-Change the sentence
using Simple Present
tense into negative form: I
dont eat breakfast every
day.
-Ask students to observe
what I have done when
creating a negative
statement using the
Simple Present tense.
They may say that I add
dont (the auxiliary
verb) in the sentence.
-Ask students to change
the sentenceI am eating
nowinto question form.

He goes to school at 8.
I watch TV before
dinner.
She watches TV before
dinner.
Students may discover that
the verb form is different.
2. Ask students to provide
more verbs and write down
these verbs on the
blackboard in their third
person singular forms.
Put verbs using the s
form together: wants,
drinks, etc.
Put verbs using the
es form in a group:
goes, catches, etc.
Put verbs ending with
a consonant before y
together: studies,
hurries, etc.
Put verbs ending with
a vowel before y in a
group: plays, buys,
says, etc.
Put the irregular verb
in a group: has, does.
-Ask students to figure out
how these verbs are
grouped.
3. Ask students how to
change the sentenceI go
to school at 8into
negative form. They may
reply: I dont go to school
at 8.

I always get up at
7:00.
I usually eat breakfast
at 7:30.
I often go to school at
8:00.
I am always sad.
I am usually hungry.
Ask students to analyze
these sentences by finding
where the Subject, Adverb
of Frequency and Verb are.
Ideally, they will come up
with the following
structures:
Subject + adv. + Verb
Subject + be + Adv.

1.1 Ask students to make

two or three sentences
using these adverbs to
describe their daily routine.
1.2 Ask several students to
write their sentences on the
blackboard.
1.3 Ask everyone to check
whether all sentences on
the blackboard are correct.
If there are some mistakes,
ask students how to correct
them.
2. The Question Form
2.1 Change the sentences
into question form.
Do you always wake
up at 7:00?

analyze the structure of

these sentences.
Ideally, they may come
up with the following
model:
What + do + S + V?
How often + does +
S + V?
3. Ask students to
analyze the structure of
Wh- Questions using Be
Verbs.
They may come up with
the following model:
Where is he from?
Where + be V + S?
How are you?
How + be V + S?
What are you doing?
What + be V + S +
Ving?
4. Ask students to
compare these two
question forms. They
may find that when
the auxiliary verb is
used, the base form of a
verb will also appear. In
contrast, when the Be
Verb is used, we may
add the ing form of a
verb, but we will never
add the base form of a
verb.

in the morning
in the afternoon
in the evening
in January
in spring
at 7:30
at noon
at night
every Monday
every week
every year
on Sundays
on weekends
on May 12th
-Ask students, What
days do you have PE
class?
They may reply: We
have PE class every
Friday. Or We have PE
class on Fridays.
-Ask students What
time do you finish
class?
They may reply: We
finish class at 4:30.
2. Other Frequency
Expressions
-Ask students How
often do they brush their
teeth?
-List their answers on the
blackboard.
once a day
twice a day
three times a day
Pei-Ching Chen

They may say: Am I

eating now? or Are you
eating now?
-Change the sentence
using Simple Present
tense into question form:
Do I eat breakfast? or Do
you eat breakfast?
-Ask students to observe
what I have done when
creating question form
using the Simple Present
tense. They may say that I
add Do in the beginning
of the sentence.
-Organize subjects that
use the auxiliary verb
do with students. These
subjects include: I, you,
we, and they.
I, you, we, they +
dont V.
Do + I, you, we, they
+ V?

-Change the sentence into

the third person singular
form and ask students to
observe what I have done.
He doesnt go to school
at 8.
They may find that I use
doesnt rather than
dont in the sentence.
4. Ask students to change
the same sentence into
question form. They may
state: Do I go to school at
8? or Do you go to school
at 8?
-Change the sentence into
third person singular
question form and ask
students to observer what I
have done.
Does he go to school at
8?
They may find that I use
Does rather than Do
in the sentence.
-Organize the rule with
students on the blackboard:
I, you, we, they dont +
V.
Do I, you, we, they +
V?
He, she, it doesnt + V.
Does he, she, it + V?

Are you always sad?

2.2 Ask students to
observe the structure of
the sentence by finding
the places of auxiliary
verb or Be verb, subject
and the frequency adverb.
2.3 Ideally, they will come
up with the following
model:
Do + S + adv. + V?
Be V + S + adv. +
adj.?
2.4 Ask students to
analyze how the question
form is different from the
affirmative statement.
They may reply: in a
question, frequency
adverbs come directly
after the subject no matter
whether the auxiliary verb
or Be Verb is used.

3. Expressions of
agreement
3.1 Ask students if you
agree with someones
opinion, what will you
say?
I totally agree with
you.
Yes, you are right.
Good idea!
I think that would be
perfect!
3.2 Ask students if you
disagree with someones
opinion, what will you
say?
I dont think so.
Im sorry, but I cant
agree with you.
I am not with you.
I cant be along with
you.
I wouldnt say that.
3.3 Ask students if
someone says, I play
video games every day,
and you also do this
activity every day, what
will you say?
Me too!
So do I.
3.4 Ask students if
someone says, I dont
study on weekends, and
you dont do this
activity on weekends,
what will you say?
Pei-Ching Chen

I dont, either.
Neither do I.

Guided Practice
-Ask students to create at
least three sentences using
the Simple Present tense
and then ask some of
them to report what they
have written.
-Write their sentences on
the blackboard.
-Ask students how to
change these sentences
into negative and question
forms. Write down their
responses on the
blackboard.

-Ask students to use the

sentences that they made
yesterday and transform
these sentences into third
person singular forms.
-Ask some students to
write their sentences on the
blackboard and check
whether they use the
correct verb forms with
everyone in the class.

1. Give each student a

worksheet with twelve
sentences. Use students
names in these sentences.
2. Keep the models that
students previously induce
on the blackboard.
Subject + adv. + Verb
Subject + be + Adv.
3. Do the first two
exercises with students.
3.1 Ask students where I
should place the adverb of
frequency in the first
sentence. They may reply:
before the Verb go. Under
students instruction, write
the whole sentence on the
blackboard: Jim and Helen
often go to the movies.
3.2 Ask students where I
should place the adverb of
frequency in the second
sentence. They may reply:
after the Be Verb. Under
students instruction, write
the whole sentence on the
blackboard: Tom is often
ill.

-Ask students to create at

least four WhQuestions.
-Next, ask some students
to write their sentences
on the blackboard. Ask
everyone to check
whether these sentences
are correct. If they have
some mistakes, ask
students how to correct
the errors.

-Ask students to create

at least four questions.
-Next, ask some students
to utter their sentences.
-Ask everyone in class
how he/she may reply
these questions.

-Students need to ask at

least four different
classmates the questions

-Ask students to work in

pairs. They need to
create a 3-minute

Less Guided Practice

-Ask students to work in
pairs. They need to ask
and respond to questions

-Ask students to work in

pairs. They need to first
listening to and then report

1. Give students 10
minutes to complete the
worksheet.

Pei-Ching Chen

using the Simple Present

tense with their partners.
(15 minutes)
-If they are not able to
create a dialogue right
away, ask them to write
more affirmative
statements describing
their daily activities.
Next, they can exchange
information, so their
partners can create
questions based on the
information.
-Walk around to see if
anyone needs help.

their partners hobbies in

class.
-Remind them that when
they change the subject
from I to He or She,
the verb also needs to be
changed into an
appropriate form.
-Each student should
report at least two
activities that his or her
partner does. (15 minutes)

1.1 They may work in

pairs. If they are not sure
of their answers, they may
ask their partner first.
1.2 Check whether
everyone has finished the
exercise. Next, ask
students to tell me what
they have written. If some
students give me wrong
answers, I will ask
everyone to figure out how
to correct these mistakes.

that they have just

created. They also need
to write down the
answers that they obtain
from their classmates if
they cant memorize
their answers. (15
minutes)
-Students need to report
their classmates
answers. (10 minutes)

dialogue discussing their

daily routines or hobbies.
(15 minutes).

2. Change sentences into

the Question Form
2.1 Ask students to change
all sentences into question
form.
2.2 Next, students need to
ask and reply these
questions with their
partners in turn.
3. Give students a rubric of
grammar and two works
written by previous
students for their reference.
3.1 Ask students to analyze
these two works based on
the rubric.
3.2 Ask students to mark
these two works and
discuss with their partners
why they give a certain
mark to a certain work.
3.3 Ask them to follow the
good example when
Pei-Ching Chen

writing their own

paragraph.
Assessment & Homework
-Students will complete
exercise 1 on pages 54 in
the textbook.

-Students will complete

exercise 3 on page 55 in
the textbook.

-Students will write a short

paragraph describing their
daily routines using the
adverbs that they have
learnt today.

-Students will complete

exercise 37 on pages 82
and 83 in the textbook.

-Students will perform

their dialogue in class.

Pei-Ching Chen