Activities to Teach Students the Simple Past, Present, and Future Tense (Review)
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As an English teacher, one of the most challenging things to teach students is simple past, present, and future tenses. These are considered the most fundamental tenses in English, so it’s essential that students understand them well before moving on to more complicated grammar structures.
To make things easier for both the teacher and the students, here are some activities that can be done to effectively teach these tenses:
Timeline activity
– This is an excellent activity to help students visualize the simple tenses. Draw a timeline on a whiteboard or a piece of paper, and label each line as past, present, or future. Then, pick a situation or an event and ask students to fill in verbs based on the timeline. For example, if the event is “going to school,” students can fill in the verbs as “went to school” (past tense), “go to school” (present tense), and “will go to school” (future tense). This activity will help students to understand and differentiate the different tenses.
Storytelling activity
– Another great activity to teach the simple past tense is storytelling. Ask students to work in pairs and write a short story in the past tense. Afterward, have them read their stories to the class, and the class can discuss the correct usage of verbs in the past tense.
Future predictions activity
– To teach the future tense, an excellent activity is to have the class make predictions about what will happen in the future. For example, ask students to predict what their life will be like in five years. They can then write their answers and share them with the rest of the class using the future tense.
Role play activity
– A fun and interactive way to teach the present tense is through role-play. Decide on a common scenario, such as going to a restaurant, and ask students to act out different roles by using verbs in the present tense. This activity not only teaches about the present tense but also helps students to develop their communication and social skills.
Verb conjugation activity
– To reinforce all three tenses, have students practice conjugating verbs. Start with a simple verb, such as “to eat” and have the students write out the present, past, and future tenses. This activity helps students to memorize verb tenses, so they can apply them more easily in their writing and speaking.
In conclusion, teaching the simple past, present, and future tenses can be challenging for both teachers and students. But with the right activities, it can be an enjoyable and successful experience for everyone. As teachers, we should aim to create engaging and interactive lessons that allow our students to practice and reinforce their grammar skills. Through consistent practice, students will eventually master the different tenses and become confident in their use of the English language.