Present Simple VS.

Present Continuous

LESSON PLAN
Teacher: A Observer: B Date/Time: 2015/02/01 at 6:00 PM
Class Level: Pre-Intermediate Room #: 7 Expected Numbers: 20
Context: Contrast the present simple tense with the present continuous tense
Teaching Aids: Board, chalk, flashcards, worksheets, paper, pens/pencils
Learner Objectives: Personal Aims:
For students to effectively produce language indicating the timing of routine Encourage student
actions and actions currently in process, and to contrast between the present involvement
simple and present continuous tenses.
Anticipated problems for students: Solution:
Confusion when writing questions regarding subject and the auxiliary verb Use example questions and
placing in sentence structure. clarify that the subject and
the auxiliary verb usually
change places (e.g. “They are
waiting for me?” [wrong]
“Are they waiting for me?”
[correct])
Anticipated problems for teacher: Solution:
Student participation Fun student-paired exercise
Procedure Phase Timing Interaction
Ask students: “What do you do every day?” Engage 2 minutes T-S
Open-class discussion about routine actions
List students’ action answers on board (e.g. eat, sleep, walk, run)
Explain ‘Pictionary’ game activity for use with “The Usual Actions” Engage 1 minute T-S
flashcards (located in blue “Engage Activities” bin): Student-pairs
use flashcards to alternate turns acting out and guessing twenty
action vocabulary words to the corresponding pictures
(e.g.: read, work, shop, bathe, sit, drive, swim)
Pair students, Hand out flashcards
-Note: Expect some reluctant student participation. Relax students
by miming “eat” and “sleep” actions during explanation
Allow student-pairs to complete activity Engage 3 minutes S-S
-Note: Observe students from a distance to gauge speed and
accuracy
Feedback for activity Engage 2 minutes S-S
-Note: Add unlisted actions to previous “What do you do every
day?” board list as mentioned by students
Choral pronunciation drill of action vocabulary words Study 2 minutes T-S
Randomly ask students to pronounce action vocabulary words

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Present Simple VS. Present Continuous

Ask students: “In the statement, ‘I like to read novels,’ which word Study 2 minutes T-S
is an example of a non-progressive verb?”
Expected answer: “like”
Randomly elicit review from students: Produce a sentence
containing a non-progressive verb
Sample Expected answers: “I like to eat ice cream.” “I want to learn
English.” “I hate snakes.”
-Note: Ask at least two students to write their produced sentence
on the board.

Elicit review from students: “What are other examples of non- Study 1 minute T-S
progressive verbs?”
Review vocabulary answers: “like, love, hate, understand, want,
believe, hear, owe, own, seem, appear, wish, mean, remember”
-Note 1: List student answers on board, be prepared to mime
“hear” and “love” to get students started
-Note 2: Be prepared to explain any unlisted verbs e.g. understand,
owe, own, believe, seem, appear, remember, mean

Elicit review from students: “Which forms of ‘to be’ are used with Study 2 minutes T-S
each pronoun when using present tense?”
Expected answers: “I am, You are, He/She/It is, You are, They are,
We are”
Elicit review from students: “What are basic present verb forms of
common daily actions?”
Expected answers: “to (verb)”, “(verb) ending in ‘-s’”, “(verb)
ending in ‘-ing’”
Elicit review from students: “How do we form a negative sentence
using present simple tense?”
Expected answer: “We use ‘don’t’ or ‘doesn’t’ after the subject
and before a verb in a sentence.
Elicit review from students: “How do we form present simple
questions?”
Expected answer: “We add ‘do’ or ‘does’ at the beginning of the
sentence to make it a question.”
Elicit from students: “What tense is used to describe routine daily
actions?”
Expected answer: “The present simple tense.”

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Present Simple VS. Present Continuous

Ask students: “In the statement, ‘She walks to school every day,’ Study 1 minute T-S
which words indicate the timing of her walk?”
Expected Answer: “every day”
Randomly elicit from students: Produce a sentence using an
affirmative or negative sentence indicating when they perform a
routine action. E.g.: “I play football every day.” “We work every
day.” “I don’t study every night.”

Elicit from students: “What other adverbs do we use to indicate Study 3 minutes T-S
the timing of a routine action?”
Expected answers: “Every day/week/month/year, every
morning/night/afternoon, often, frequently, half of the time,
usually, in general, as a rule, most of the time, every other day,
etc., most, always, routinely, customarily, normally , sometimes,
occasionally, on occasion, rarely, seldom, hardly ever, not ever ”
-Note 1: List answers on board
-Note 2: Be prepared to explain any unknown adverbs to students
Example: ‘customarily’ – usual practice, ‘occasionally’ – now and
then, ‘seldom’ – not often

Choral pronunciation drill of present simple tense adverb Study 2 minutes T-S
vocabulary words
Randomly ask students to pronounce present simple tense adverb
vocabulary words
Randomly elicit answers from students: “What are you wearing?” Study 1 minute T-S
Expected sample answers: “I am wearing a shirt.” “I am wearing a
dress.” “I am wearing shoes.”
-Note: Ask at least two students to write their produced sentences
on the board.

Elicit review from students: “How do we form present continuous Study 1 minute T-S
sentences?”
Expected sample answers: “Present continuous sentences are
formed by using the present tense of the verb ‘to be’ and the
present participle of the main verb.” “’to be’ and verb + -ing”
Elicit from students: “What tense describes an action currently in
process?
Expected answer: “The present continuous tense.”

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Present Simple VS. Present Continuous

Ask students: “In the statement, ‘They are running behind schedule Study 1 minute T-S
at the moment,’ which words indicate the timing of an action?
Expected answer: “’At the moment’ indicates the action is
currently in process.”
Randomly elicit a statement in the present continuous tense using
an affirmative or negative sentence or question describing an
action currently in process from students. E.g.: “We are learning
English at the moment.” “I am sitting right now.” “The buses are
arriving early this week.” “Are they sitting now?” “The television is
not working at the moment.”
-Note: Ask at least two students to write their produced sentences
on the board.
Elicit from students: “What other adverbs do we use to indicate an Study 2 minutes T-S
action is currently in process?
Expected answers: “at the moment, at this time, at this second,
today, tonight, this day/night, now, for now, just now, right now,
this moment, this second, currently, this
morning/afternoon/evening, presently, this week/weekend, for a
little while, for the time being, this month/(period/semester/year,
as we speak, this decade/century/era”
-Note 1: List answers on board
-Note 2: Be prepared to explain any unknown to students
Example: ‘this century’ – time period of one hundred years, ‘this
decade’ – time period of ten years, ‘presently’ – now

Choral pronunciation drill of present continuous tense adverb Study 2 minutes T-S
vocabulary words
Randomly ask students to pronounce continuous present simple
tense adverb vocabulary words
Elicit review of present simple vs. present continuous tense from Study 2 minutes T-S
students: “What are the differences between the following
sentences?”
Example sentences: 1) “He wears glasses.” 1b) “He is wearing
glasses.” 2a) “She swims in the evening.” 2b) “She is swimming this
evening.”
Expected answers: “Sentence 1a is a present simple tense
sentence that describes a routine action. Sentence 1b is a present
continuous tense sentence that describes an action currently in
process. Sentence 2a is a present simple tense sentence that
describes when a routine action occurs. Sentence 2b is a present
continuous tense sentence that describes the timing of an action
currently in process.”
-Note: Write example sentences on board for open-class

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Present Simple VS. Present Continuous

discussion Study 1 minute T-S

Cont. Cont. Cont.
Explain ‘Fill-in the blank’ activity worksheet for use with “Adverbs Study 1 minute T-S
and Actions in the Present Simple and Present Continuous Tenses
Edition” (located in green “Study Worksheets” folder)
Students fill in the blanks to complete the action verb of each
present simple or present continuous tense aspect and circle the
time indicating adverb of twenty sentences. Examples: 1.) My
sister always ___ (e.g. works) very fast. 2.) We are both ___ (e.g.
learning) to contrast between routine and temporary actions right
now. 3.) They ___ (e.g. wash) the car every week. 4.) She is___ (e.g.
running) in the park now. 5.) Our parents are not ___ (e.g. working)
at this moment. 6.) My mother ___ (e.g. watches) my matches
every Sunday.
Pair students, Hand out worksheet
Student-pairs complete activity worksheet Study 5 minutes S-S
-Note: Be available for student questions during activity, observe
from a distance
Feedback for activity Study 2 minutes T-S
-Note: Ensure each student states one completed sentence and
selected adverb.
Explain ‘Interview Role-play’ Activate 1 minute T-S
“Present Simple and Continuous Edition” (located in red ‘Activate’
folder)
Explain that students will take turns assuming the role of a
celebrity and interviewer. Encourage students to produce present
simple and present continuous questions. Each present simple
tense question should have a present continuous tense answer.
Each present continuous tense question should have a present
simple tense answer. Each sentence should include an action verb
and a time indicating adverb.
Example possibilities: A journalist interviewing a celebrity on their
routines and current projects. Or, a journalist trying to gain a
celebrity interview which is declined and asked for an explanation
on normal routines.
Read aloud the example Interview: “Do you always sell your
concert tickets?” “No, but we are currently selling this tour.” “What
other projects are you working on now?” “I occasionally like to
restore my 1970 Aston Martin.”
Pair students, Hand out paper

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Present Simple VS. Present Continuous

Allow student-pairs to complete activity Activate 15 minutes S-S

-Note: Be available for student questions during exercise, observe
interviews from a distance
Feedback for activity Activate 4 minutes T-S
Sample expected questions and answers: “Are you available for
questioning at this time?” “I am unavailable for questions every
evening.” “Why are you unavailable for questions every evening?”
“I am presently eating dinner.”

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