Teaching Present Simple

Aim: Ss are able to use present simple to talk about habits.

Level: intermediate

Warmer: Whisper race

1. I usually go at weekends.

2. The café opens at 7.30 in the morning.

3. I don’t go away very often.

4. Julie doesn’t drink tea very often.

5. Does she teach English?

1. Divide Ss into groups, give each group a piece of paper or small white board (and marker).
2. Whisper the sentence to the ss at the back.
3. They whisper it to the ss in front of them.
4. The ss at the front write the sentence. The correct answer will get one point.

Lead-in: Pair work

Ss tell their partners about their daily activities.

Present: Present Simple

Note: It’s better to use pictures to pre-teach the vocabulary instead of using words, so if you have the pictures, you can edit the timetable below before you give it to your ss.

Write this on the board (or show it on a PowerPoint)

Henry’s Schedule

	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
9 am	have a shower	go to the park	play football
12 pm	have lunch	tidy up the room	take a nap
6 pm	do the homework	watch movies	prepare for school

1. Pre-teach the vocabulary first, make sure they know the meaning.
2. Ss act as Henry, they need to tell the daily activities to the partner. They do it in turn.
3. To practice the form for singular third person, they need to report the schedule to their friends (or you can do it chorally with the whole class). Example: On Friday at 9 am, he has a shower.

Concept checking questions:

-         When do you use present simple?

-         What do you need to add if you want to tell someone’s habit (s/he)?

-         What do you need to add if you want to make negative statement for yourself? Other person? Other people?

Teacher to students drill: Ring the bell game

1. Divide Ss into two teams.
2. Ask the first persons to read the sentence and complete the gap. (one sentence one slide)
3. If they know the answer they should ring the bell (or if you don’t have a bell, ask them to tap your hand)
4. Correct answer will get one point

Complete the sentences using the following verbs:

cause(s) connect(s) drink(s) Live(s) open(s) speak(s) take(s)

1 Tanya ………… German very well.

2 I don't often …………… coffee.

3 The swimming pool . . …. . ......... at 7.30 every morning.

4 Bad driving …. .. ... .. ........... ....... many accidents.

5 My parents ...... .................. in a very small flat.

6 The Olympic Games … .. ....... .. ...... place every four years.

7 The Panama Canal…. .. . ............ the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Controlled Practice:

Copy the questions for the handout

Use the following verbs to complete the sentences. Sometimes you need the negative:

believe eat        flow                  make                rise                   tell        translate

1 The earth goes round the sun.

2 Rice doesn’t grow in Britain.

3 The sun …… in the east.

4 Bees …… honey.

5 Vegetarians …… meat.

6 An atheist …… in God.

7 An interpreter …… from one language into another.  

8 Liars are people who ……the truth.

9 The River Amazon ……into the Atlantic Ocean.

Communicative Controlled Practice: Info gap activity

Student A

Ralph’s Schedule

	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
9 am		do yoga	walk the dog
3 pm	do projects	go to cinema		play rugby
7 pm			go out

Student B

Ralph’s Schedule

	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
9 am	go to campus			watch cartoons
3 pm			take care of the garden
7 pm	have dinner with family	do homework		study

Freer Practice:

Class Survey

Get to know the family

Names	Hobbies (What’s you hobby?)	How often (How often do you do it?	Parents’ jobs (What do your parents do?)	Parents’ hobbies (What are their hobbies?)	Grandparents (Where do your grandparents live?)