Teacher lesson planTeacher lesson plan
Present perfect vs past simple
Aims
- To give learners practice in reading for specific information.
- To develop fluency in asking follow-up questions in a 'Find someone who' task.
Lesson information
- Level
- B1
- Learners
- Adults, 16 students
- Duration
- 60 minutes
- Lesson type
- Grammar
- Environment
- Face-to-face
- Skills
- Reading, Speaking, Writing
- Topic
- Life experiences: travel, work and new challenges
- Language focus
- Present perfect with ever/never for life experiences vs past simple for finished time; Have you ever…? → When did you…?
- Methodology
- Test-teach-test (guided discovery in the teach stage)
Learning objectives
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
- 1Distinguish life experiences with no stated time (present perfect) from events at a finished past time (past simple).
- 2Use ever and never correctly in present perfect questions and sentences.
- 3Form present perfect questions, short answers and sentences with the correct past participle.
- 4Ask Have you ever…? questions and follow-up questions in the past simple (When / Where / What did you…?).
- 5Talk about their own life experiences with a partner, giving details with the past simple.
Success criteria
- Students can choose between the present perfect and the past simple by asking 'Do we know when?', getting at least seven of the eight items in Exercise 2 right.
- Students can ask Have you ever…? with the correct past participle and answer Yes, I have / No, I haven't.
- Students can ask two past simple follow-up questions (When / Where / What did you…?) after 'Yes, I have' in the mingle.
- Students can tell a partner about one of their own experiences and say when and where it happened.
Target language
- Meaning
- Something happened at some time in your life up to now. We don't say when, because the experience is important, not the time. Your life is not finished, so it can happen again.
- Form
- Affirmative: subject + have/has + past participle (I've been to Japan.)
- Negative: subject + haven't/hasn't + past participle, or have/has + never + past participle
- Question: Have/Has + subject + (ever) + past participle?
- Short answers: Yes, I have. / No, I haven't.
- Pronunciation
- In questions and sentences have is weak: Have you ever…? /həv jʊ ˈevə/. Contractions: I've /aɪv/, she's /ʃiːz/. In short answers have is strong: Yes, I have /hæv/.
- Use
- Often with ever (questions), never, before, once, twice, three times. Not used with finished time expressions such as last year or in 2019.
- Examples
- I've been to Japan twice.
- Have you ever climbed a mountain?
- I've never run more than ten kilometres.
- Meaning
- Something happened at a specific time in the past that is finished. We say or know when it happened. We often use it to give details after a Have you ever…? question.
- Form
- Affirmative: subject + past form (I went to Tokyo in 2019.)
- Negative: subject + didn't + base verb
- Question: (When/Where/What) + did + subject + base verb?
- Pronunciation
- Regular -ed endings: worked /wɜːkt/, lived /lɪvd/, visited /ˈvɪzɪtɪd/. In questions did you is weak and linked: When did you go? /wen dɪdʒə ˈɡəʊ/.
- Use
- With finished time expressions: yesterday, last week/year, in 2019, two years ago, when I was a child, and with When…? questions.
- Examples
- I went back last year.
- When did you run your first marathon?
- I ran it five years ago, in Lisbon.
Materials
- Two or three photos of your own experiences (e.g. a trip, a concert, an unusual food)
- Student lesson handout or the conversation projected on the screen
- Board and markers (two colours for the timelines)
- 'Find someone who' prompts (in the student lesson)
Anticipated problems
- useProblemStudents use the present perfect with finished time (*I've visited Paris last year).SolutionPoint to the 'finished time' box on the board and ask: 'Is last year finished?' (Yes.) 'So which question — Have you…? or Did you…?' Exercise 3 practises this error.
- useProblemStudents ask *When have you been there? as a follow-up question.SolutionShow that When…? always asks about a specific time, so it needs did: When did you go? Drill the three-line exchange on the board.
- formProblemStudents use the wrong participle (*Have you ever ate…? *I've never rode…).SolutionRefer to the participle table in the student lesson. During monitoring, point at the table rather than giving the answer.
- formProblemStudents answer Have you ever…? with Yes, I did.SolutionDrill the question and short answer chorally: 'Have you ever…?' 'Yes, I have.' Then add 'When did you…?' 'Last year.'
- classroom managementProblemIn the mingle, stronger students dominate and quieter students only ask the first question.SolutionSet a clear rule: you must ask two follow-up questions before you write a name. Pair quieter students with a supportive partner for the first round.
Lesson procedure
60 / 60 min| Stage & aim | Time | Teacher | Students | Interaction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Lead-in To create interest in the topic of life experiences and get students talking. | 3′ | Show two or three photos of your own experiences (e.g. a mountain, a concert, a strange dish). Say: 'These are some things I've done in my life. Guess what they are.' Let students guess, then tell one short story using the past simple. Do not explain any language yet. Board: Write 'Life experiences' at the top of the board. | Look at the photos, guess the teacher's experiences and ask the teacher one or two questions. | T-S, Whole class |
Context: reading for specific information To give learners practice in reading for specific information, using a natural conversation that contains both forms, before any focus on language. | 5′ | Set the scene: 'Priya and Tom are new colleagues. They are having lunch together.' Check 'marathon' and 'go back' quickly with gestures. Students read the conversation and answer the true/false questions. Give three minutes. Students compare in pairs, then check answers as a class. Instructions: “Read the conversation. Are the sentences true or false? Work alone for three minutes, then check with your partner.” ICQs
| Read the conversation individually and answer five true/false questions; compare with a partner. ↳ Reading: true or false? | S, Pairs, T-S |
Test 1: diagnostic task To find out what students already know about choosing between the present perfect and the past simple for life experiences, and to make them aware of their own gaps. | 5′ | Ask students to cover everything below Exercise 1 with a sheet of paper until Stage 4. Students do Exercise 1 (choose the right option) alone, then compare in pairs and discuss any differences. Monitor closely and note which items cause problems — do not give the answers yet. Tell students: 'We will check these after we look at the language.' Instructions: “Look at Exercise 1. Cover the rest of the page. Choose the right answer. Work alone. Then compare with your partner. Don't worry if you aren't sure.” ICQs
| Choose the correct option in six sentences, then compare and discuss with a partner. ↳ Exercise 1: Which is right? | S, Pairs |
Meaning discovery To guide learners to work out that the present perfect is used for experiences with no stated time and the past simple when the time is finished or known. | 8′ | Write three sentences based on the conversation on the board: 'I've been to Japan twice.' 'I went to Tokyo in 2019.' 'I've never climbed a mountain.' Pairs answer discovery questions: 'Does Tom say when he went to Japan in the first sentence? Is the time important? In the second sentence, do we know when?' Conduct feedback and draw two timelines: one with crosses somewhere between birth and NOW with a '?', and one with a cross at 2019. Ask CCQs. Then build the rule with students and box the finished-time words: last year, in 2019, ago, yesterday. Finally, students go back to Exercise 1 and change any answers; check as a class. Students then uncover the page and check the rule against the 'Meaning' box and the timelines. Instructions: “Work with a partner. Look at the three sentences on the board. Answer the questions. Then look at Exercise 1 again and change any answers. Three minutes.” CCQs
ICQs
Board: Timeline 1: BIRTH ——✕—?—✕—? —— NOW 'I've been to Japan twice (we don't say when)'. Timeline 2: ✕ 2019 —— NOW 'I went to Tokyo in 2019'. Box: finished time → last year, in 2019, two years ago, yesterday, When…? | Discuss the discovery questions in pairs, help the teacher build the timelines and the rule, then correct their own answers in Exercise 1. ↳ Exercise 1: Which is right? | Pairs, T-S |
Form To clarify the form of present perfect sentences, questions and short answers, and the position of ever and never. | 5′ | Students cover the Form table. Elicit the form from the board sentences and build the table on the board: have/has + past participle, haven't/hasn't, Have you ever…?, short answers, and the past simple follow-up question. Show the position of ever/never between have and the participle. Point out that never is already negative (*I haven't never). Students uncover the table and check. Then pairs cover the Past participle column of 'Useful irregular verbs' and test each other (A says the verb, B says the participle). Remind them that been to means 'went and came back'. Instructions: “Cover the Past participle column. Student A, say a verb. Student B, say the past participle. Then swap.” ICQs
Board: + I've / She's + (never) + been | − I haven't + been | ? Have you + ever + been …? | Yes, I have. / No, I haven't. Then: When / Where did you + go? | Help build the form table on the board, check it against the student lesson, then test a partner on past participles. | T-S, Pairs |
Pronunciation To help students say Have you ever…? naturally with weak forms, and short answers with a strong have. | 3′ | Show the conversation pattern on the board: Have you ever…? → Yes, I have. → When did you…? Model 'Have you ever been…?' as /həv jʊ ˈevə biːn/. Back-chain: 'been' → 'ever been' → 'Have you ever been to Japan?' Drill chorally and individually. Contrast weak /həv/ in the question with strong /hæv/ in 'Yes, I have.' Drill the full three-line exchange in open pairs across the class. Board: Have you ever…? = /həv jʊ ˈevə/ • Yes, I have = /hæv/ • I've = /aɪv/ • Arrow pattern: Have you ever…? → Yes, I have. → When did you…? | Listen and repeat chorally and individually; practise the three-line exchange in open pairs. | T-S, Whole class |
Controlled practice (Test 2) To check progress after clarification and give accurate written practice in choosing and forming the present perfect and the past simple. | 7′ | Students complete Exercise 2 alone, then compare in pairs. Monitor and note problems with participles and with finished time. Nominate students to read the answers; for each one ask 'Do we know when?' to justify the choice. Instructions: “Exercise 2: complete the sentences with the verb in brackets. Think: do we know when? Work alone, then check with a partner.” ICQs
| Complete eight sentences with the correct form of the verb, compare with a partner and justify answers. ↳ Exercise 2: Life stories | S, Pairs, T-S |
Controlled practice: error correction To raise awareness of the most common mistakes, especially finished time with the present perfect and When have you…? | 5′ | Pairs find and correct the mistake in each sentence in Exercise 3. Check as a class; ask pairs to explain each correction in their own words ('last year is finished, so…'). Instructions: “Exercise 3: there is one mistake in each sentence. Find it and correct it with your partner.” ICQs
| Find and correct one mistake in each of six sentences in pairs and explain the corrections. ↳ Exercise 3: Find the mistake | Pairs, T-S |
Personalisation: preparing questions To give students time to prepare questions about real experiences that interest them, so the speaking task is about their own lives. | 3′ | Students choose five 'Find someone who' prompts and write the Have you ever…? question for each one, plus one question of their own. Monitor and check participles. | Write Have you ever…? questions for five prompts and one question of their own about experiences. ↳ Exercise 4: Your questions | Individual |
Freer practice: speaking To use Have you ever…? questions and past simple follow-up questions fluently in a real conversation about their own experiences. | 10′ | Demonstrate with a strong student: 'Have you ever met a famous person?' 'Yes, I have.' 'Who did you meet? When was that?' Students stand up and mingle. When someone says 'Yes, I have', they ask two follow-up questions and write the name and one detail. Monitor, join in conversations and write down good language and errors for feedback. Stop after eight minutes; in the last two minutes pairs tell each other the most surprising thing they found out. Instructions: “Stand up. Ask: Have you ever…? If the answer is 'Yes, I have', ask two more questions — When…? Where…? What…? Then write the name and one detail. Talk to a different person for each line. For the 'never' line, write the name if the answer is 'No, I haven't'.” ICQs
| Walk around asking Have you ever…? questions, answer with short answers, ask and answer past simple follow-up questions, and note names and details; then share the most surprising answer with a partner. Outcome: agree with a partner which classmate has the most surprising experience, ready to report it to the class in feedback. ↳ Speaking: Find someone who… | S-S mingle, Pairs |
Feedback and error correction To respond to the content of the task and correct common errors from the speaking. | 4′ | Ask 3–4 students to report one interesting answer ('Marta has been on TV! She was on a cooking show in 2018.'). Write 4 sentences you heard on the board — some correct, some with errors. Pairs decide which are correct and fix the others. Praise good follow-up questions. Finish with the exit task: one Have you ever…? question and the When / Where did you…? question that follows it. Board: 4 anonymous sentences from the mingle, e.g. *When have you been there? *I've seen him last summer. *Have you ever ate snails? ✓ Have you ever won a prize? | Report interesting answers; correct the sentences on the board in pairs. | T-S, Pairs |
Homework To consolidate the language in a short piece of personal writing. | 2′ | Set the homework and show the success criteria: 100–120 words, at least three sentences with the present perfect and at least three past simple details. | Note the homework task. | T-S |
Support & challenge
Support
For learners who need more help
- Before Exercise 2, tell weaker students to circle any finished-time words (last year, in 2019, ago) first: if a sentence has one, it needs the past simple.
- In Exercise 4, weaker students write questions for four prompts only, using the irregular verbs table for the participles.
- Give weaker students the three-line exchange on a card for the mingle: Have you ever…? → Yes, I have. → When / Where did you…?
Challenge
For stronger learners and fast finishers
- Fast finishers in Exercise 2 write two more pairs of sentences about a friend: one Have you ever…? question and one When did…? follow-up.
- Stronger students write one extra sentence with a typical mistake (e.g. *When have you met him?) for a partner to correct after Exercise 3.
- In the mingle, stronger students also ask How was it? or Would you do it again? and note the answer.
Checking learning
- Test 1 vs Test 2: note which Exercise 1 items caused problems, then check whether the same choice (do we know when?) still causes problems in Exercise 2 — ask the class which items were easier this time.
- Final concept check: write 'I've seen that film last week.' on the board. Is it right? (No — last week is finished: I saw that film last week.)
- Exit task: each student writes one Have you ever…? question and the past simple follow-up they would ask, e.g. 'Have you ever lost your phone?' → 'Where did you lose it?'
Homework
Write a short post (100–120 words) for a team website: 'Three things I've done'.
Write about three interesting experiences from your life. For each one, say what you've done (present perfect), then give details: when, where and what happened (past simple). Finish with one thing you have never done but want to do.
Teacher notes
- Online adaptation: show the photos on screen for the lead-in, run Exercise 1 as a poll, and run the mingle in breakout rooms of 3–4 for 8 minutes.
- If students ask about 'been' and 'gone': She has been to Rome = she went and came back. She has gone to Rome = she is there now.
- This lesson focuses on experiences. Unfinished time periods (today, this week) and the present perfect for news and recent events are not taught here; they can be a separate lesson.
- With 16 students, the mingle works well in two groups of eight if the room is small.