Simple Past Tense Structure English Grammar JSS 1 Second Term Lesson Notes Week 3

Subject: English Grammar
Class: JSS 1
Term: Second Term
Week: 3
Age (in years): 12-14
Topic: The Simple Past Tense
Sub-topic: Formation and Use of the Simple Past Tense
Duration: 40 minutes

Behavioural Objectives:

By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:

1. Define the simple past tense.
2. Identify sentences in the simple past tense.
3. Convert sentences from the present tense to the past tense.
4. Use the simple past tense correctly in their own sentences.

Keywords:

Tense, Simple Past, Action, Yesterday, Verb, Auxiliary Verb, Regular Verbs, Irregular Verbs, Past Form.

Set Induction:

Start by asking students to reflect on something they did yesterday or last weekend. For example:

• “What did you do yesterday?”
• “Can anyone tell me something fun they did last weekend?”

These personal examples will help introduce the concept of past actions, which are expressed using the simple past tense.

Entry Behaviour:

Students should have a basic understanding of the present tense, which will aid them in understanding the difference between the present and past tenses. A quick review of the simple present tense from the previous lesson will help set the stage.

Learning Resources and Materials:

1. Whiteboard and markers
2. Flashcards with examples of verbs in the past tense
3. Worksheets for tense conversion exercises
4. Projector (optional for visual aids)

Building Background/Connection to Prior Knowledge:

The teacher will review the present tense by asking students to share examples from their previous lesson. Then, the teacher will explain how actions that happened in the past are expressed differently using the simple past tense.

Embedded Core Skills:

• Critical Thinking: Recognizing patterns in verb changes from present to past.
• Communication: Using the simple past tense in sentences.
• Collaboration: Working in groups to complete exercises and share examples.

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 regular and irregular verbs
• Worksheets for tense conversion exercises

Content:

1. Definition of the Simple Past Tense:
   • The simple past tense is used to describe actions that happened and were completed in the past. It tells us what happened at a specific time in the past.
2. Formation of the Simple Past Tense:
   • The simple past tense is formed by adding -ed to regular verbs (e.g., “play” becomes “played”).
   • Irregular verbs do not follow this rule and have different forms (e.g., “go” becomes “went,” “eat” becomes “ate”).
   • The auxiliary verb did is used for negative and question forms (e.g., “I did not go”).
3. Examples of Simple Past Tense:
   • John drove to Lagos on Monday. (Regular verb)
   • Yesterday, I ate rice. (Irregular verb)
   • I was at work yesterday. (Irregular verb, auxiliary verb “was”)
   • We watched a movie last night. (Regular verb)
   • She sang a song at the concert. (Irregular verb)

Evaluation Questions:

1. The simple past tense is used to describe actions that ________.
   a) are happening now
   b) happened in the past
   c) will happen tomorrow
   d) happen every day
2. “I ________ to the park yesterday.”
   a) go
   b) going
   c) went
   d) goes
3. The past form of “eat” is ________.
   a) ate
   b) eaten
   c) eats
   d) eating
4. “He ________ a book last night.”
   a) read
   b) reads
   c) reading
   d) readed
5. “They ________ to school yesterday.”
   a) go
   b) goes
   c) went
   d) going
6. “I ________ my homework last night.”
   a) did
   b) do
   c) doing
   d) done
7. The sentence “She watched TV yesterday” is in the ________ tense.
   a) present
   b) past
   c) future
   d) progressive
8. “We ________ the movie last week.”
   a) see
   b) seen
   c) sees
   d) saw
9. The simple past tense of “sing” is ________.
   a) singed
   b) sang
   c) sung
   d) singing
10. “They ________ to the beach last weekend.”
    a) went
    b) go
    c) gone
    d) going
11. “She ________ a letter yesterday.”
    a) write
    b) wrote
    c) written
    d) writing
12. “I ________ a sandwich for lunch.”
    a) eat
    b) eaten
    c) ate
    d) eats
13. “He ________ a car last year.”
    a) buys
    b) buying
    c) bought
    d) buyed
14. “They ________ the meeting on Monday.”
    a) attend
    b) attended
    c) attending
    d) attends
15. “I ________ my friend at the party.”
    a) meet
    b) met
    c) meeting
    d) meets

Class Activity Discussion (FAQs):

1. What is the simple past tense used for?
   • The simple past tense is used to describe actions that happened in the past and are now completed.
2. How do we form the simple past tense for regular verbs?
   • For regular verbs, we add -ed to the base verb (e.g., “play” becomes “played”).
3. How do we form the simple past tense for irregular verbs?
   • Irregular verbs do not follow the -ed rule and have different forms (e.g., “go” becomes “went,” “eat” becomes “ate”).
4. What auxiliary verb do we use in negative sentences in the past tense?
   • We use did for negative sentences (e.g., “I did not go”).
5. How do we form questions in the simple past tense?
   • We use did in questions (e.g., “Did you go to the party?”).
6. Can we use the simple past tense for actions that are still happening?
   • No, the simple past tense is only for actions that happened and were completed in the past.
7. What is the difference between regular and irregular verbs in the past tense?
   • Regular verbs add -ed to the base form, while irregular verbs change completely (e.g., “eat” becomes “ate”).
8. What is an example of a regular verb in the past tense?
   • “Walk” becomes “walked” in the past tense.
9. What is an example of an irregular verb in the past tense?
   • “Go” becomes “went” in the past tense.
10. When do we use “did” in the simple past tense?
    • “Did” is used to form negative sentences and questions (e.g., “Did you eat?” or “I did not eat.”).
11. How do we know if a verb is regular or irregular?
    • Regular verbs follow the -ed rule, while irregular verbs do not.
12. What are some examples of irregular verbs in the past tense?
    • “Run” becomes “ran,” “eat” becomes “ate,” “see” becomes “saw.”
13. How do we say something that happened just once in the past?
    • We use the simple past tense (e.g., “I visited the zoo last week”).
14. Can we use time expressions like “yesterday” and “last week” with the simple past tense?
    • Yes, these time expressions often go with the simple past tense to show when the action happened.
15. Why is the simple past tense important?
    • It helps us talk about events that are finished and helps us tell stories.

Teacher’s Activities:

1. Greet the students and revise the previous lesson.
2. Introduce the new topic of the simple past tense, explaining the rules and providing examples.
3. Write examples on the board and explain the changes from present to past tense.
4. Lead students through the evaluation questions and class activities.
5. Provide feedback and corrections to ensure understanding.

Learners’ Activities:

1. Participate in the class discussion and ask questions.
2. Complete the tense conversion exercises on worksheets.
3. Answer evaluation questions and participate in the class activity discussion.

Assessment (Evaluation):

Provide 10 short-answer questions where students write sentences in the simple past tense. The answers will be reviewed by the teacher for accuracy.

Conclusion:

The teacher will check the students’ work, provide feedback, and emphasize the importance of using the simple past tense correctly. A brief summary of the lesson will be given, and the class will be encouraged to practice by forming their own sentences in the simple past tense.

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