Lesson Plan

Verb Tenses: Past, Present, Future

Help your English language learners master effective communication with this lesson, which covers the past, present, and future verb tenses. From reading to writing, kids will get the practice they need to communicate here.
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Learning Objectives

  • Students will be able to identify the verb and tense in a sentence by circling and labeling.
  • Students will be able to write a sentence using the past, present, or future tense.

Introduction

(5 minutes)
  • Start by showing the students the enlarged Verb Tense Chart, with past, present and future simple tense definitions, descriptions and examples.
  • Tell students to take a moment with their partners and discuss what’s on the chart. This is meant for students to have an opportunity to make observations and discuss things that they might already know, and things they don't.
  • Have students share their observations whole class. This will help you set the stage for the objective and essential question.
  • Explain that verb tense tells us when an action takes place. The past tense tells what has already happened, the present tense tells us what is happening, and the future tense tells what will happen.
  • Tell students that by the end of the lesson, they will be able to identify the past, present, and future tenses, and write a sentence using a tense.
  • To set the purpose for the lesson, introduce the essential question: How does knowing the past, present and future tense of verbs help us communicate? Have this on the board with the objectives. You will revisit this question at the end of the lesson when students complete the exit ticket.