How to teach present perfect without tears

Level: Pre-intermediate Time: 60- 90 minutes Language Focus: Present perfect, including questions and negatives. Skills: Speaking, listening, reading and writing

1. Start by writing these two sentences on the board or flipchart: 1) I have called him. 2) I called him yesterday. Ask the learners to say what is different and the same about the two sentences. Same: in both there is I, called, him Different: in sentence 1) there is have and in sentence 2) there is no have. In 2) we have the word yesterday and in 1) we dont. 2. Tell them that both sentences are talking about the same thing in the past, but in number one we say when it was and in number two we dont. Ask them if they can think of a reason why we would say when something happened. If they are unsure, guide them towards an answer along the lines of: sometimes when something happened is important, or more specifically, sometimes the speaker thinks that the time something happened is important, other times they dont see it as important. Finally ask them which sentence 1 or 2 is the present perfect. Say that they should go for it and suggest an answer even if they are unsure because they have a 50/50 chance of being correct! Once the present perfect has been identified and sentence two has also been identified as the past simple, ask them what is the difference between past simple and present perfect in terms of the language used. They should recognize that have is used before the verb in sentence one, but not in sentence two. 3. Give them another sentence: I have worked at (insert the name of the participants company) for 10 years. Ask the learners: Do I work there now? The response youre most likely to get is no, which is fine. In response say that it could be that I no longer work there and Im at a job interview for a new job and I want to talk about my experience (this may be an unfamiliar word/ concept so, if it is, elicit or explain what it means), but it could also be that I work there now and Im telling you how long Ive worked there. Point out that we can know for sure that you still work there if you use since and then give the time point in the past when you started working. As a memory aid, tell the learners that since has a point in it on the letter i, so since is for a time point. For, on the other hand, has no point in it and its not for a time point, but a time period. Copyright Claire Hart- Business English Lesson Plans (2011)

4. We can summarise the use of the present perfect in quite a simple way as: 1. Talking about an action in the past without a time in the past. 2. In answer to questions about how long where you use for or since (giving a time period or one time point in the past*). * This is a contrasting point with the past simple since we can also use the past simple to talk about how long we did something, but then, if were not using for- e.g. I lived in Barcelona for two years- we would give two time points in the past- e.g. I lived in Barcelona from 2002 to/ until 2004. 5. Before you move onto the language production phase, ensure that the learners feel comfortable with negatives in the present perfect too. Tell them that negatives can be formed simply by putting a not between have and the verb. Point out that we can also use never in the place of not to make a negative, e.g. I have never spoken to him. 6. To see how much they have understood write out the following six sentences on the board/ flip chart or put them together in a hand-out. Draw the learners attention to the fifth and sixth sentences, which contain has instead of have, and elicit from them the reason for this difference. Ask the learners to translate the sentences from English into their first language and then to translate the sentences in their first language back into English (without looking at the original English, of course). Tell them that the reason why you are asking them to do this is so that they will produce sentences with the present perfect and also to make them think about the differences between how to say these things in their first language and how to say it in English. They may talk to each other in their first language while they are doing the translations. 1. I have always lived in (insert the name of a place where your learners live). 2. I have worked at (insert the name of the company where your learners work) for fifteen years. 3. I have never been to England. 4. I have seen the first Star Wars films, but I havent seen the new ones. 5. Joseph has taken responsibility for organisation. 6. It has rained every day this week. 7. When they are finished, ask them if they have have or has in every sentence- if they have, this will tell you that they are, at least, on the right track. They might struggle with the word order (my group put time phrases in the middle rather than at the end of the sentences), but this is not such a big problem, as long as they write have/ has and the verb together and in the correct order. Sentence six could cause the most problems since it presents a slightly different perspective to sentences one to five. Explain that the words this week put the time you are talking about into the now: this week is not finished, just like your time working in the company is not finished when you say: I have worked at X since 2000. This in combination Copyright Claire Hart- Business English Lesson Plans (2011)

with week, month, year or quarter is in an indicator of the need for present perfect in the same way that since is. 8. Look at the verbs in the sentences with the learners. First ask the learners to identify them and then ask them to say what the original verb is. Go through the three forms of the verbs with them as this seems to stick in learners memories, e.g. live, lived, lived. Tell them that some verbs have an ed ending when used in the present perfect and others have different endings, often with an n or en ending, e.g. been, seen, taken. I would avoid using the term past participle, as this can result in some confusion. Personally I prefer to say form 1 (which would be do) form 2 (did) and form 3 (done). 9. Finally go back to the sentences and turn them into questions which you can ask the learners (sentence five does not really lend itself to this exercise though, so just leave it out). This also exposes them to how to form and respond to questions in the present perfect. Conduct this activity orally and as a group. 1. How long have you lived in your city/town/ village? 2. How long have you worked in your company? 3. Have you ever been to England? 4. Have you seen any of the Star Wars films? 5. How has the weather been this week? 10. I would then give these questions to the learners, either on the other side of the first hand-out with the sentences to translate, or by writing them on the board for them to copy down or sending them in an email. As a homework activity, they could then write out their answers to these questions in the present perfect, adding more detail if they wish. These questions and answers could then be repeated at the start of the next lesson as a review activity.

Copyright Claire Hart- Business English Lesson Plans (2011)