Verb Tenses – Present Simple vs. Present Continuous

📝 1. Warm-Up (10 minutes)

Objective: Activate prior knowledge and set the context.

Activity:

• Ask students:

  • «What do you do every day?»

  • «What are you doing right now?»

• Write their answers on the board in two columns: Daily routines vs. Actions now.

• Highlight the difference: One talks about habits, the other about what is happening now.

📚 2. Presentation: Grammar Explanation (15 minutes)

✅ Present Simple Tense

Usage:

• Habits and routines

• Facts and general truths

• Scheduled events (especially timetables)

Structure:

• Affirmative: Subject + base verb (add -s for he/she/it)

• Negative: Subject + don’t / doesn’t + base verb

• Question: Do / Does + subject + base verb?

Examples:

• I play soccer every Saturday.

• She drinks coffee in the morning.

• We don’t eat lunch at school.

• Do they go to the park?

🔄 Present Continuous Tense

Usage:

• Actions happening right now

• Temporary actions

• Future arrangements

Structure:

• Affirmative: Subject + am/is/are + verb-ing

• Negative: Subject + am not/isn’t/aren’t + verb-ing

• Question: Am/Is/Are + subject + verb-ing?

Examples:

• I am studying English now.

• They are not watching TV.

• Is she doing her homework?

🔍 3. Comparison Table (5 minutes)

💬 4. Practice: Guided Examples (10 minutes)

Write sentences and ask students to convert them:

1. He (go) to school every day. → He goes to school every day.

2. I (eat) lunch now. → I am eating lunch now.

3. They (watch) a movie now? → Are they watching a movie now?

4. Maria (not like) broccoli. → Maria doesn’t like broccoli.

🤝 5. Group Exercises (20–25 minutes)

Divide students into groups of 4–5. Assign one activity per group, then rotate.

🟢 Exercise 1: “Daily or Now?” Sorting Game

Materials: Sentence cards
Instructions: Each group sorts sentences into two piles: Present Simple or Present Continuous.

Examples:

• “She is reading a book.” → Present Continuous

• “We go to school by bus.” → Present Simple

🔵 Exercise 2: “Act It Out!” Charades

Instructions: A student acts out an activity while others guess using Present Continuous:

• “You are dancing!”

• “Are you washing the dishes?”

🟡 Exercise 3: “Interview a Classmate”

Instructions:

• One student is the interviewer. Ask questions using both tenses:

  • “What do you usually do on weekends?”

  • “What are you doing after school today?”

• Switch roles and take notes.

🔴 Exercise 4: “Sentence Builders”

Materials: Word cards (Subject, Verb, Time)
Instructions: Each group assembles sentences using the correct tense.

Examples:

• “They / play / soccer / every Saturday.” → Present Simple

• “I / study / English / now.” → Present Continuous

📘 6. Wrap-Up and Recap (5 minutes)

• Quick quiz: Ask students to identify the tense in a few oral sentences.

• Ask: “What’s the difference between Present Simple and Present Continuous?”

📄 7. Homework (Optional)

Task: Write 5 sentences in Present Simple and 5 in Present Continuous about your life. Example:

• “I walk to school.”

• “I am wearing a blue jacket today.”