Lesson Plan

Lecturer : Somchay Makesavanh

Subject : General English
Time : 120 minutes
Unit 3 : What a story!
Topic : Narrative tenses.
Learning objectives:
- Students (Ss) will be able to practice Past Simple, Past Perfect, and Past Continuous.
- Ss will be able to practice narrative tense.
- Ss will be able to practice time expressions
Learning outcomes:
- Ss can understand deeply in using present Past Simple, Past Perfect, and Past
Continuous.
- Ss can identify of using narrative tense.
- Ss can identify of using time expression correctly.

Content Teacher’s activities Students’ activities Teaching

aids
I. Greeting (3’) - T says ‘Good morning everyone’ - Ss say ‘Good morning Name list
to Ss teacher’ sheet
- T check attendance - Ss listen and answer.
- call Ss’ names one by one.

Collecting homework (5’) - ask Ss to hand in their homework. - Ss hand in homework to

- do the correction for the whole the teacher.
class. - take note some mistakes.

II. Introduction (7’) - write the topics on the board - make a copy. White
- introduce the topics - listen and take note. board
- point the topics and lead Ss to - look and read the topics. Marker
read.

III. Procedure - post some questions to the class - Ss listen and answer the Textbook
Activity 1: Narrative tense about Past Simple and Past Perfect questions. White
(20’) to help Ss recall the lessons have - open the textbook to board
1

Somchay Makesavanh Tel: +85620 28641115 Email: keakms@hotmail.com

Faculty of Languages, Souphanouvong University
13 Northern Road, Luang Prabang, Lao PDR
 1) Irregular verbs: learnt before. page 18. Marker
Complete the - ask Ss open the textbook to do - listen and ask some
sentences with the exercise on page 18. unclear points.
irregular verb in the - explain the direction of exercise. - fill in the blank of each
box in either the Past - ask Ss fill in the blank of each sentence carefully.
Simple or the Past sentence using a verb provided. - reread each sentence
Perfect. Then, tick - ask Ss reread each sentence to individually.
the verbs which have recheck the answers. - say out the answer of
the same form for - ask Ss to share the answers. each sentence.
the Past Simple and - write the answers on the board to - share the idea of some
the Past Participle. discuss for the whole class. different answers to get
Page, 18. - give feedback. the correct one.
- listen and take note.

fall 
1. Harry _______________ in love with a Greek girl while he was working in Athens.
2. He ________________ in love before, but this was different. He wanted to marry her.
tear 
3. Johann saw Camilla’s trousers and asked how she _____________ them.
4. While she was hiking in the Alps, she ________________ her trousers on a rock.
cost 
5. It ______________ an awful lot to have our car fixed.
6. Ted told me his new car _____________ a fortune.
fly 
7. When I went to Australia, I was nervous because I ______________ (never) before.
8. The plane took off and _______________ into the clouds.
catch 
9. Suzy wondered how she _______________ a cold in the middle of her summer holiday.
10. She ________________ a taxi outside the restaurant, and went back to her hotel.
be 
11. Talks _______________ held in New York last week to discuss global warming.
12. When the politicians left the talks, no decisions ________________ reached.

Activity 2: Narrative tense - lead Ss to review the use of Past - follow the teacher.
(30’) Simple or Past Continuous. - discuss with class White

Somchay Makesavanh Tel: +85620 28641115 Email: keakms@hotmail.com

Faculty of Languages, Souphanouvong University
13 Northern Road, Luang Prabang, Lao PDR
2). Past Simple or Past
Continuous?
Choose the correct tense.
Page,18.
- discus for the whole class to actively. board
identify of these two tenses. Then, - take note into the Marker
write the brief summary on the notebook. textbook
board. - do the exercise in pairs.
- ask Ss copy to their notebook. - do the correction.
- ask Ss to work in pair to do
exercise in the textbook on page,
18.
- check the answer.

Grammar explanation

Past simple

The past simple shows us that an action was in the past. Regular past simple verbs have -ed at the end
(e.g. called, played, arrived). Irregular verbs have a different form, usually with a different vowel sound
(e.g. wake → woke, break → broke, feel → felt).

Example:

My parents called me yesterday.

I woke up early this morning.
Sam played basketball when he was at university.

Past continuous

The past continuous shows us that the action was already in progress at a certain time in the past.

Example:

What were you doing at 8 p.m. last night? I was studying.

This means that I started studying before 8 p.m. and I continued after 8 p.m.

The past continuous can also show that an activity was in progress for some time, not just for a moment.

Example:

We were cleaning the house all morning.

Past continuous and past simple

When we use these two tenses together, it shows us that the past simple action happened in the middle of the

Somchay Makesavanh Tel: +85620 28641115 Email: keakms@hotmail.com

Faculty of Languages, Souphanouvong University
13 Northern Road, Luang Prabang, Lao PDR
past continuous action, while it was in progress.

Example:

While I was studying, I suddenly felt sleepy.

We often use these tenses to show an action interrupting another action.

Example:

I broke my leg when I was skiing.

As I was going to work, I saw an old friend.
We were watching television when the power went off.

Exercise: Choose the correct tense.

1. I lived / was living in Eastbourne when I met / was meeting my husband.
2. Our team played / was playing really well. We won / were wining at half time, but in the end we lost /
were losing 3-2.
3. I didn’t think / wasn’t thinking of having a birthday parry, but now I’m glad I had / was having one.
4. I’m so tired. The baby next door was coughing / coughed all night long and we weren’t getting / didn’t
get any sleep.
5. Roger sunbathed / was sunbathing by the hotel pool when he heard / was hearing a strange sound. An
enormous insect appeared / was appearing and landed / was landing on his leg.
6. It was snowing / snowed when I got up / was getting up this morning. The children next door made /
were making a snowman, so I quickly put / was putting on some warm clothes and raced / was racing
outside to help them.
7. Jack was playing / played happily in the snow when his big brother hit / was hitting him on the head
and made / was making him cry.

Activity 3: Narrative tense
(25’)
Complete the article with
the verbs in the box. Page,
19.
- ask Ss read through the article - Ss read the article
quickly. quickly.
- write new vocabulary on the - take note new
board with the meaning in Lao vocabulary.
language. - complete the article.
- ask Ss complete the article with - share the answer with
the verbs in the box. classmates.
- check the answer of each number - do the correction.
in article and give feedback. - volunteer to read the
- ask a volunteer to read the article.
article. - translate the article into
- lead Ss to translate the article Lao language.
into Lao language together.
4

Somchay Makesavanh Tel: +85620 28641115 Email: keakms@hotmail.com

Faculty of Languages, Souphanouvong University
13 Northern Road, Luang Prabang, Lao PDR
 Past Past Past Past Present Perfect
Simple Continuous Perfect Simple Perfect Continuous
heard reached was standing had been knocked Had been swimming has been
shouted said was trying had taken Had been surfing have been
called wasn’t were getting had just finished
went back in managed was recovering had hit
had to felt had moved
was swam
pulled

The blind sea hero

Sightless swimmer saves a surfer
Alec Munroe (1) __had been swimming__ in the sea off the coast near his house in St Ives, Cornwall, and
(2)____________ on the beach when he thought he (3) ________________ cries for help.
Despite being totally blind, Mr. Munroe (4) ________________ the sea to rescue the person in difficulties.
‘I (5) _______________ just in the right place at the right time to help somebody,’ the 51-year-old (6)
_________________ yesterday.
Mr. Munroe, who (7) _________________ blind for 22 years, (8) _________________ to reach Matthew
Slade by using the drowning man’s cries to guide him. Mr. Slade (9)______________ but (10) ______________
off his surfboard by a huge wave and (11) __________________ his head on a rock. Mr. Munroe (12)
________________ through rough sea to find him, then (13) _________________ Mr. Slade and his surfboard
back to shore.
Mr. Munroe explained, ‘I (14) _______________ drying myself, when someone (15) _____________ ‘Help’.
I (16) _________________ back to him to keep on shouting. I (17) _______________ think about the direction
of the wind, too. While I (18) ______________ to find him, the wind and the waves (19) ______________
stronger and stronger. But I just kept going until I finally (20) _______________ him and got him back to the
shore. It (21) ______________ a long time to fight through the high waves, and we (22) ____________
completely exhausted.’ Last night Mr. Slade (23) _______________ in hospital from shock and a broken arm.
What was even more remarkable was that Mr. Munroe (24) ______________ familiar with the coastline.
He and his wife (25) _______________ to St Ives only two weeks before.
‘Fortunately, I (26) ________________ a good swimmer all my life,’ he said.

Activity 4: Time expressions
(15’)
Match the lines and time
expressions. Use each
expression once only.
- introduce the use (position) of - listen and take note.
time expression in sentences. - do the exercise.
- give examples. - read the answers to
- ask Ss to do the exercise in the class.
textbook. - do the correction.

Somchay Makesavanh Tel: +85620 28641115 Email: keakms@hotmail.com

Faculty of Languages, Souphanouvong University
13 Northern Road, Luang Prabang, Lao PDR
 - correct answers.

1. I’ve been working in the same bank a.  10 years ago.

2. I started this job b.  before my first poem
3. I didn’t want to get married c.  by the time I was 40.
4. I had had two children d.  until I was 30.
5. I’d been writing poetry for many years e.  for years.
6. I didn’t stay in that job f.  since six o’clock.
7. I’ve been waiting here g.  until I arrived.
8. They didn’t start ordering the meal h.  when he finally arrived.
9. The train pulled out of the station i.  for long.
10. I’d been waiting over an hour j.  a minute ago.
11. I haven’t been feeling well k.  until it was too late.
12. They got on the plane l.  until late.
13. I’d never seen him m.  lately.
14. I was watching TV n.  at the last minute.
15. He didn’t hear the attacker o.  before.

IV. Conclusion: (3’) - conclude and write some of the - listen and take note White
Summary the lessons have main points on board. board
learned. - invite questions - ask questions Marker
- answer questions - take note

V. Giving homework: (7’) - write the homework on the - make a copy to do at White
Complete the sentences, board. home. board
using past tenses only and - ask Ss make a copy and do it at - say good bye. maker
the prompts in brackets. home
- say good bye.
1. Two years ago, while I ___________________________________________.
(work / Paris / grandfather / die)
2. As soon as I ____________________________________________________.
(feed / cat / do / homework)
3. First, I _________________________________________________________.
(shower / then / dressed)
4. Since I was a child I ______________________________________________.
(always / want / visit / Australia / finally / go / last year)
5. As he _________________________________________________________.
(post / letter / realize / not put / stamp)

Somchay Makesavanh Tel: +85620 28641115 Email: keakms@hotmail.com

Faculty of Languages, Souphanouvong University
13 Northern Road, Luang Prabang, Lao PDR