Let’s Teach the Simple Present Tense Smart

 

The simple present tense is one of the most essential verb tenses in English, used to describe actions happening right now, habitual occurrences, or general truths. Mastering the simple present is crucial for expressing everyday routines and facts. Here, we have gathered resources into a collection to teach the tense more smartly.

Let’s show the video and ask students to find basic features of the Simple Present Tense:

Discuss following facts after the Simple Present Tense Song:

• The simple present is a verb tense two main uses. Use the simple present tense when an action is happening right now or when it happens regularly.
• Use the root form of the verb for most subjects in the simple present tense. Add s or es for the third-person singular. Examples: He writes. She goes.
• To form negatives in the simple present, use do/does + not + [root verb] or contractions like don’t or doesn’t. Examples: I don’t like coffee. He doesn’t watch TV.
• For questions in the simple present, use the formula do/does + [subject] + [root verb]. Examples: Do they play soccer? Does she enjoy reading?
• The simple present describes habitual actions or general truths, while the present continuous describes actions happening now. Example: She writes daily. vs. She is writing now.

 

Summarize with examples:

• Used to express habits, routines, or general truths. Ex: I eat vegetables every day.  
• Describe permanent situations or states. Ex: She works at a bank.
• Make comments about facts, laws of nature, or universal truths. Ex: The sun rises in the east, Water boils at 100°C.
• Give instructions or directions. Ex: This answer goes to this blank.

 

Addressing Common Mistakes Comes Handy in Understanding the Usage of the Tense:

Student often get confused of the usage of the verb tense. Therefore, it is vital to give a better understanding of where they can go wrong which help them to use the tense more confidently. Teacher can show a video like below or a different one showing where they can go wrong:

After the video have a discussion on the common mistakes:

1. Forgetting to add “s” or “es” for the third-person singular

• Emphasize the importance of this rule through repetition and examples.
• Have students identify the third-person singular subjects (he/she/it) in sentences.
• Practice adding the correct verb endings (-s/-es) for those subjects.
• Provide opportunities for peer correction and feedback.

 

2. Mixing verb tenses unnecessarily

• Explain the concept of verb tense consistency within a sentence/paragraph.
• Show examples of incorrect tense shifts and how they affect meaning.
• Have students identify and correct tense errors in sample texts.
• Encourage them to read their own writing aloud to catch tense shifts.

 

3. Overusing the simple present for actions happening now

Clarify the difference between the simple present (habits/routines) and the present continuous (actions happening now).

• Use visuals or role-play to contrast the two tenses.
• Provide examples of incorrect usage and have students correct them.
• Practice exercises focused on distinguishing between the two tenses.

 

Practice Exercises:

After establishing the concept, it is necessary to practice extensively to master the tense or any grammar point. We have collected example resources from the web, you can use the link to download the worksheets and use them. Be mindful that use them for education purposes, we have no responsibility towards the external resources.

• Fill in the blanks with the correct verb forms.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/simple-present-tense-worksheet-free-esl-printable-worksheets-made-by-teachers--619315386271496871/

 

• Identify and correct mistakes in sample sentences.

https://www.photocopiables.com/resources/present-simple-common-mistakes

 

• Rewrite sentences in the simple present tense.

https://worksheetspdf.com/simple-present/rewrite-the-sentences-simple-present

 

• Dictation exercises to practice listening and writing.

Teaching using fun activities make it more fun and engaging

Sometimes teaching the simple present can sometimes feel repetitive or dry. To keep students engaged, it’s important to incorporate fun and interactive activities into your lessons. Exploring some effective and entertaining strategies to teach the simple present tense in a way that keeps learners motivated and excited.

For example, check this online game which is really interactive and helps the students to revise the tense and its basic features: You can click on the link and directly play it in the browser.

https://www.gamestolearnenglish.com/present-simple/

 Teaching the simple present tense doesn’t have to be boring or repetitive. By incorporating games, real-life examples, songs, technology, and hands-on activities, you can make learning grammar enjoyable and memorable for your students. The key is to make the learning experience interactive and relevant to their lives, while also encouraging them to practice speaking, listening, reading, and writing in fun and engaging ways. Keep the atmosphere positive and supportive, and your students will soon be confident in using the simple present tense.

You can make use of above facts to create a presentation for easy use. Please share your experiences in teaching grammar and tenses using the comment section to make this post more interesting. Please share the post if you find it useful to others.  

 

Sources:

https://elttguide.com/teaching-the-simple-present-tense/

https://www.grammarly.com/blog/grammar/simple-present/?msockid=021f1654924c69da12aa029093f468d9

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