Present and Past Tenses Structure English Grammar JSS 1 Second Term Lesson Notes Week 6
Subject: English Grammar
Class: JSS 1
Term: Second Term
Week: 6
Age (in years): 12-14
Topic: Making Sentences with the Present Tense and Past Tense
Sub-topic: Differences and Formation of Present and Past Tenses
Duration: 40 minutes
Behavioural Objectives:
By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:
- Define the present tense and the past tense.
- Identify the use of the present tense in daily activities.
- Identify the use of the past tense to describe completed actions.
- Form sentences using both the present and past tenses correctly.
Keywords:
Present Tense, Past Tense, Habitual Action, Completed Action, Sentence Formation, Regular Verbs, -ed, Action, Events, State.
Set Induction:
Ask the students:
- “What do you usually do every morning?”
- “What did you do yesterday?”
This will lead them into understanding the difference between actions that happen regularly (present tense) and actions that happened in the past (past tense).
Entry Behaviour:
Students should already know about basic actions and verbs, which will help them understand how sentences are formed in the present and past tenses.
Learning Resources and Materials:
- Whiteboard and markers
- Flashcards with examples of sentences in the present and past tenses
- Worksheets for practice
- Projector (optional)
Building Background/Connection to Prior Knowledge:
The students should recall sentences in the present tense (e.g., “I eat rice”) and the past tense (e.g., “I ate rice”). Review these forms and explain their differences.
Embedded Core Skills:
- Critical Thinking: Differentiating between actions happening now and actions that happened before.
- Communication: Forming and using sentences in the correct tense.
- Collaboration: Pairing up to create sentences in both tenses for better understanding.
Learning Materials:
- Lagos State Scheme of Work for JSS 1 (English Grammar)
- Teacher’s Guide on Tenses (if available)
Reference Books:
- Lagos State Scheme of Work for Junior Secondary Schools (English Language)
- Oxford English Grammar Course by Michael Swan
Instructional Materials:
- Flashcards with examples of present and past tense sentences
- Worksheets for sentence formation
Content:
- The Present Tense:
- The present tense is used to describe actions that happen regularly, habits, or general truths.
- It can describe actions happening at the moment of speaking or routine activities.
- Examples of Present Tense Sentences:
- She goes to the market every day.
- Dr. Audu usually gets to the hospital at 9 o’clock.
- We play football on Saturday mornings.
- The Past Tense:
- The past tense is used to describe actions, events, or states that happened before the present time.
- Regular past tense verbs are formed by adding -ed to the base verb (e.g., “look” becomes “looked”).
- Examples of Past Tense Sentences:
- My grandfather died last year.
- He lived in Canada in 1991.
- You called Lanre yesterday.
Evaluation Questions:
- What is the present tense used for?
a) Describing actions that happened in the past
b) Describing actions that happen regularly or habits
c) Describing actions that will happen in the future
d) Describing a state of being - Which of the following is an example of the present tense?
a) She plays tennis every Sunday.
b) She played tennis yesterday.
c) She will play tennis tomorrow.
d) She has played tennis. - Which of these is the correct past tense form?
a) He go
b) He gone
c) He went
d) He going - The past tense is used to describe actions that ________ in the past.
a) Are happening
b) Will happen
c) Have happened
d) Are still happening - “I ________ to the store yesterday.”
a) go
b) going
c) went
d) goes - “She ________ a book every evening.”
a) read
b) reads
c) reading
d) readed - “We ________ football last weekend.”
a) play
b) played
c) playing
d) plays - Which of these sentences is in the past tense?
a) She walks to school every day.
b) She walked to school yesterday.
c) She will walk to school tomorrow.
d) She is walking to school now. - “My parents ________ at home last night.”
a) was
b) were
c) is
d) are - “I ________ a letter to my friend yesterday.”
a) write
b) wrote
c) writes
d) writing - “He ________ to the park every weekend.”
a) go
b) gone
c) goes
d) went - “We ________ lunch at 1 p.m. yesterday.”
a) eat
b) ate
c) eats
d) eating - “She ________ her homework last night.”
a) does
b) did
c) doing
d) done - “I ________ to the market yesterday.”
a) goes
b) going
c) went
d) go - Which of these sentences is in the present tense?
a) I will play football tomorrow.
b) I played football yesterday.
c) I play football every day.
d) I was playing football.
Class Activity Discussion (FAQs):
- What is the difference between the present and past tense?
- The present tense is used to describe actions that are happening now or regularly, while the past tense describes actions that have already happened.
- How do we form the past tense of regular verbs?
- Regular verbs are formed by adding -ed to the base verb (e.g., “work” becomes “worked”).
- Can the present tense describe an action happening now?
- Yes, the present tense can describe actions happening at the moment of speaking (e.g., “I am talking”).
- Can we use the past tense to describe habitual actions in the past?
- Yes, we can use the past tense to describe actions that were habitual in the past (e.g., “He played football every Sunday”).
- How do we make negative sentences in the present tense?
- We use “do not” or “does not” with the base verb (e.g., “She does not play tennis”).
- How do we make negative sentences in the past tense?
- We use “did not” (e.g., “They did not go to the park yesterday”).
- Can we use the past tense to talk about specific past events?
- Yes, the past tense is used to talk about events that happened at a specific time in the past.
- Are all verbs regular in the past tense?
- No, some verbs are irregular and do not follow the -ed rule (e.g., “go” becomes “went”).
- What is the difference between “I play” and “I played”?
- “I play” is in the present tense, used for current or habitual actions, while “I played” is in the past tense, used for completed actions.
- How can we practice using the present and past tenses?
- By creating sentences about our daily habits (present tense) and past activities (past tense).
- When do we use the present tense in English?
- We use the present tense for actions that are happening regularly, habits, and general truths.
- Can we use the present tense for future actions?
- Yes, sometimes the present tense is used for future actions, especially with scheduled events (e.g., “The train leaves at 5 p.m.”).
- Is there a difference between “I eat” and “I am eating”?
- “I eat” is the present tense, used for habits or routines, while “I am eating” is the present continuous tense, used for actions happening right now.
- How do we form questions in the present tense?
- We use “do” or “does” before the subject (e.g., “Do you play football?” or “Does she play tennis?”).
- How do we form questions in the past tense?
- We use “did” before the subject (e.g., “Did you eat lunch yesterday?”).
Teacher’s Activities:
- Greet the students and introduce the lesson on present and past tenses.
- Explain the difference between the present and past tenses using examples.
- Write examples of sentences in both tenses on the board.
- Lead the class through the evaluation and class activity questions.
- Guide students in making their own sentences in both tenses.
Learner’s Activities:
- Listen to the teacher’s explanation.
- Participate in discussions about the present and past tenses.
- Create their own sentences using both the present and past tenses.
- Complete the evaluation and class activity questions.
Assessment:
- Assess students’ understanding by reviewing their sentences during class discussions.
- Evaluate their ability to correctly form sentences in both tenses.
Conclusion:
- Summarize the key differences between the present and past tenses.
- Reinforce the idea that the present tense is for habitual actions and the past tense is for completed actions.
- Mark and review students’ work from the class activity and evaluation questions.