30 January 2025

Candidate: Arno Buys

Email: [email protected]
Tutor: Kameesha
TEFL Module 2, assignment 3
Teaching Grammar can be fun
Tenses are an important part of English grammar. It is also one of the most difficult topics to
teach because it can be confusing for students to familiarize themselves with the system of
tenses. It is important to assure students that tenses are nothing to be afraid of. Students
should be encouraged to continue practicing and make mistakes initially so that they can
master them eventually.
There are three main tenses in the English Language:
a) Present
b) Past
c) Future
Each of these tenses are broken down into 4 more categories to create the 12 tenses:
a) Simple
b) Continuous
c) Perfect
d) Perfect continuous
Over the next three lessons, we will go into each of these in more detail to ensure that you are
familiar with and comfortable with the tenses and can use them to strengthen your Grammar.

Present Tense
1. Present Simple Tense:

Explanation: The present tense is an action that takes place at the time that you are
speaking. The tense is mostly used:
a) To describe how often things happen
b) To describe things that happen continuously, daily, weekly etc.
c) To describe things that are scheduled to happen
d) To correctly use this tense, add an -s to the end of the verb when “he”, “she” or “it” is
doing the action
e) Verbs ending in “y” –ies, verbs ending in “o; sh; tch; x” and “ss” -es.
f) If you use “I”; “You”; “They”; “We”, the verb is unchanged.
Examples:

a) James likes swimming.

b) They walk down the street.
c) He reads a book before going to bed.
d) I take a shower when I wake up each morning.

Sentence Form: You can use the present simple tense to form the following sentences:

a) Describing a routine or habit: “I never eat breakfast”

b) Describing a fact or general truth: “Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius”
c) Describing a future event that is planned: “She is meeting John in town this
afternoon”
d) Describing a future event that is conditional on another event: “I’ll come home as
soon as I have finished work"
e) Describing a future event that is predicted or expected: "You will be tired out after
you have been working all night"

Games: All games played in the classroom will take place under the teacher’s supervision to
assist with grammar and pronunciation.

Present Simple things in common: In groups or pairs, students ask Present Simple
questions to find things that are true for both/ all the people in their group such as
“What’s your favorite fruit?” or “Do you watch TV every day?”.
They will then count all the things they have in common (allow students to ask
approximately 10 questions. The group or pair that has the most things in common will
report back to the class with sentences like “We both like grapes” or “All of us watch TV
every day”.

Game Relevance: This game’s objective is for the students to learn and practice
speaking about everyday routines and habits. Students can associate with real life.

2. Present Continuous Tense:

Explanation: The present continuous tense indicates actions happening right now or ongoing
actions. It is essential for expressing events occurring now or temporary situations. The tense
is mostly used for:
a) An action is going on at the time of speaking i.e. She is swimming now.
b) For temporary action that may not actually be happening at the time of speaking, but
may be ongoing i.e. I am learning English now (I am not learning it now).
c) To refer to future events i.e. I am going to the mall tomorrow.

Examples:
a) Steve is reading a book now.
b) It is not raining outside.
c) Who is ringing the bell?
d) She is waiting for her friends.

Sentence Form: The sentence form of the tense can be broken up into three categories:
a) Affirmative form
b) Negative form
c) Interrogative form

Affirmative Negative

Subject + Am/Is/Are Subject + Am/Is/Are

Form + present particple +not+ present particple
( - ing) ( - ing)

She is She is not

Example running running

Games: All games played in the classroom will take place under the teacher’s supervision to
assist with grammar and pronunciation.

Present simple and continuous Stations: Students run and touch one of two walls
depending on what tense they hear or think should be used. For example, they run and
touch the Present Continuous wall if they hear “I’m having a great time” or the Present
Simple one if they hear “I _________ my bed every day” (let the students think of a
topic). Other hints could include expressions in time (“at the moment”, “right now”, “once
a week”, etc.), or blanked sentences held up. To add speaking, you can get students to
also shout out the full sentence as they touch the wall. This game can be used in both
the Present Simple and Continuous tenses.

Game Relevance: It allows the students to use their taught knowledge of the tenses as
well as meaning, comprehension, grammar and pronunciation in a fun and active way.

3. Present Perfect Tense:

Explanation: The present perfect tense is used to describe an action that:

a) Started in the past and ended in the past.
b) Started in the past and continues into the present time.
Example:
a) I have broken the neighbor’s window again playing baseball too close to their house.
b) I have read two chapters of the four assigned up to now.

Sentence Form: Below is a table to clarify

Affirmative Negative

Subject + Have/Has Subject + Have not(Haven't)

Form + past particple /Has not(Hasn't)
+ past particple

I have tried I have not

Example cycling tried cycling

Game: All games played in the classroom will take place under the teacher’s supervision to
assist with grammar and pronunciation.

How have you been: Teacher will make cards with Present Perfect Tense sentences of
recent events on them. Students take turns picking up a card. The teacher then asks
the student 'How have you been?'. The student replies with either 'Pretty good' or 'Not
too good', depending on whether their card represents good news or bad news. After
that, the student mimes the present perfect sentence on their card using actions and
gestures, and the other students try to guess the sentence. The student that correctly
guesses the sentence, gets to keep the card. When all the cards are done, the student
with the most cards at the end is declared the winner.

Game Relevance: This game will greatly increase comprehension and the drilling of the
tense in a real fun and interactive game.

4. Present Perfect Continuous Tense:

Explanation: The Present Perfect Continuous tense is used to describe an action that:
a) Started in the past and ended in the past BUT continues to have some relevant
effect in the present.
b) Started in the past and continues to happen now and into the future.
c) This tense mostly occurs with verbs that describe an activity (e.g. learn, listen, read),
a process (e.g. change, grow, shrink), a bodily sensation (e.g. ache, feel, hurt), a
transitional event (e.g. arrive, leave), or a momentary occurrence (e.g. hit, jump,
kick).

Example:
a) I have been running every day for a month
b) They have been running every day for a month
c) He has been running every day for a month
d) She has been running every day for a month

Sentence Form:

Affirmative Negative

Subject + Have/Has Subject + Have/Has +Not

Form + been + been
V-ing + V- Ing

They have been They have not been

Example learning English learning English
for two years for two years

Game: All games played in the classroom will take place under the teacher’s supervision to
assist with grammar and pronunciation.

What have I been doing: Teacher will draw up cards with actions on them e.g. You
have been painting your house. Divide the students into two groups (A and B). A student
from team A takes a card and stands in front of the class. The other students in team A
ask, “what have I been doing?”. The student in front then acts out the card and the other
students have 2 minutes to get the answer. Student A is not allowed to talk. If the
students in team A guess the answer correctly, they earn two points. Keep in mind that
the sentence must be exactly as per the card. If they answer incorrectly, Team B then
takes their turn to guess the answer and earn one point. The team at the end with the
most points are the winners.

Game Relevance: This is a great exercise for recognition and drilling the Present Perfect
Continuous tense.

Past Tense
1. Past Simple Tense:

Explanation: The simple past is the most basic past tense in English.
a) The simple past is a verb tense used to refer to an action or a series of actions that
were completed in the past.
b) It communicates that the action or state of the verb occurred at a specific time in the
past and then was completed.

Example:
a) We moved here in 1991.
b) When did you move here?
c) They were very pleased.
d) They were not very pleased

Sentence Form: The simple past tense is formed by adding -ed’ to the verb
Affirmative Negative

Subject Subject + Didn't

Form + Verb + Verb in the base form
in the past form

I had my I did not/didn't have my

Example breakfast breakfast

Games: All games played in the classroom will take place under the teacher’s supervision to
assist with grammar and pronunciation.

Hot Seat in the past: Divide the class into two teams. On each turn, one student will
sit with their back on the board, facing their team. The teacher writes a funny past
statement on the board using grammar that the students are familiar with i.e. “The pig
sang a song” or “The dog was driving the car” etc. Use at least ten sentences. The
players must then describe that sentence to the student in front without using any
significant words from the board. The students then identify the Past Simple Tense
word/words in the sentence for points.

Game Relevance: Understanding the simple past tense will make their writing clearer,
with timelines and sequences of events that are easy to follow.

2. Past Continuous Tense:

Explanation: The Past Continuous Tense shows the progress of an action or event at a
specific time in the past and may or may not be completed.
a) This tense is used to talk about actions or behavior that began and ended at some
time in the past
b) The tense indicates that an action or event was incomplete or in progress at a point
in the past

Example:
a) The man was playing guitar
b) My friends were watching
c) Were you not watching?
d) She was watching

Sentence Form: The Past Continuous Tense is formed by using was/were and -ing to a
sentence.
Affirmative Negative

Subject + was/were Subject + was/were + not

Form + verb +ing + the +verb +ing + the rest of
rest of the sentence the sentence
I was listening to I was not listening
the news to the news when the
phone rang.
Example
They were doing They were not doing
it again Today when it again Today
I arrived

Games: All games played in the classroom will take place under the teacher’s supervision to
assist with grammar and pronunciation.

What’s everyone doing? Divide the class into two teams and have one team
leave the classroom. Give each student in the class a card with an action i.e.
Brushing my teeth. Combing my hair. Eating ice cream. One student goes to
the front of the class and one student comes back into the classroom. The
student in front carries out the action and the student from outside guesses what
it is. Once they have guessed, the class can make up a sentence to turn the
action into the past continuous tense i.e. Tom was brushing his teeth when
Amy called. I was combing my hair when the bell rang. They were eating ice
cream when lightning struck.

Game Relevance: This game allows the students to use their own words and vocabulary to
correctly identify and convert those sentences into the past continuous tense. This greatly
assists with tense recognition.

3. Past Perfect Tense:

Explanation: The past Perfect Tense is slightly different in its structure and use from the
simple past tense and the past continuous tense.
a) The past perfect tense is used to represent an event or action that happened in the
past before another event or action that happened in the past.
b) The past perfect tense indicates that one action took place before another action in
the past.
c) The past perfect tense represents a past action that took place in the past.

Example:
a) I had completed my assignment before everyone else even started.
b) She had not completed her assignment.
c) Had he completed his assignment before everyone else even started?
d) Had he not completed his assignment before everyone else even started?

Sentence form: The past present tense is formed by using had + past verb in a sentence.

Affirmative Negative

Subject + had Subject + had + not

Form + past verb +the + past verb + the rest of
rest of the sentence the sentence

I had cleaned the I had not cleaned the

house before my house before my
Example parents came parents came
home home.

Games: All games played in the classroom will take place under the teacher’s supervision to
assist with grammar and pronunciation.

You had messed it up: Teacher gets one student to step out of the classroom,
and all the other students change some things in the room. The student who
stepped out of the room is then tested on which changes happened when, e.g.
“When I came back into the room, you had already…” or “You …. after I
came back into the room”.

Game Relevance: Apart from the students learning the use of the past perfect tense, it also
assists with memory retention as expanding vocabulary on classroom objects that they haven’t
used before.

4. Past Perfect Continuous Tense:

Explanation: The past perfect continuous tense is generally used in a sentence to describe an
action that started at some time in the past and continued until a specific time in the past.
a) It is also called the past perfect progressive tense
b) It refers to an action that had been progressing until a certain point in the past

Example:
a) I had been watching a movie when the power went out.
b) They had not been watching a movie when the power went out.
c) Had he been watching a movie when the power went out.
d) You had been watching a movie when the power went out.

Sentence Form: The past present continuous tense is formed using had + been + present
verb + ing in a sentence.

Affirmative Negative Interrogative

Subject + had + been Subject + had + not Had + subject + not

Form + verb + ing + the + been + verb + ing + the + been + verb + ing
rest of the sentence rest of the sentence + the rest of the sentenc

I had been cleaning I had not been cleaning Had I not been cleaning
the house when my the house when my the house when
Example parents came parents came my parents came
home home. home?

Game: All games played in the classroom will take place under the teacher’s supervision to
assist with grammar and pronunciation.

How does it end: Teacher draws up cards with half sentences including clues
and cards with the complete sentence in the past perfect continuous tense for the
students to match the correct cards i.e.
a) He ……………………… when his mother took him to the Doctor (feel).
Answer is had been feeling.
b) I …………. while I was ill (not/come). Answer is I had not been coming.
In groups, players take turns picking up a card and reading the first half of the
sentence aloud then placing it face-up on the table for everyone in the team to
see. All the players then race to find a matching card from the cards on the
table. The first player to find the correct match picks it up and reads it out for the
group. If the other players agree that the ending matches and is grammatically
correct, the player can keep the card. If not, the player is out and the other
players continue to search for the correct match. The player with the most card
at the end of the game wins.

Game Relevance: This game enables the students to take a sentence in a different tense and
recognize the correct structure and form to turn the sentence into a correct past perfect
continuous sentence.

Future Tense
1. Future Simple Tense:

Explanation: The simple future tense is a tense that is used to represent an action that takes
place in the future
a) A simple future tense action starts and finishes in the future itself.
b) The simple future tense is really only used to write about actions, situations, or
events that will happen at some time from now.

Example:
a) I am going to look for new shoes today.
b) He is going to look for new shoes today.
c) We are going to look for new shoes today.
d) They are going to look for new shoes today.

Sentence form: The future simple tense uses a Subject + Helping verb (will) + base form
of the verb + the rest of the sentence form. Another verb usage of the simple future tense is
the ‘to be’ form of the verb along with ‘going to’.

Affirmative Negative Interrogati

Subject+Helping verb Subject+Helping verb Will+Subject+B

Form +Base form of the verb +Will not/Won't form of the verb
the rest of the sentence +Base form of the verb of the senten
+the rest of the sentence

I will start I will not/wont't start Will I start

Example studying from start studying from studying from tom
tomorrow. tomorrow.

Game: All games played in the classroom will take place under the teacher’s supervision to
assist with grammar and pronunciation.

Paper Chase: Teacher will write a sentence on a flash card for each student with the
future simple tense phrase missing and will then write the answers on separate cards
and hang them all over the class. Each student will then take their flash card and match
it with one of the answers in the classroom. The student will then read the complete
sentence to the class. The class then decides if the student is correct or not (teacher
will supervise). Should the student be correct, they keep the cards and re-write the
sentence in its complete form. Should the student be incorrect, they return the card.
The game continues until all the students have had a turn. Teacher will then restart the
game with the remaining students and answers.

Game Relevance: Even though there is no winner, the object of this game is to give the
students practice time in identifying, visualizing, reading and writing sentences in the correct
tense form. By allowing the students to repeat exercise until they are successful, thus allowing
the students that struggled in the first round to have a smaller choice of answers and from
listening to the answers from the other students and gain a better understanding of how the
future simple tense is used.

2. Future Comprehensive Tense:

Explanation: The future continuous tense is generally used to represent an event or action
that is happening at a certain point in time in the future.
a) The tense is also called the future progressive tense.
b) It is also used to compare the present and the future.
c) It also indicates that there is more than one action taking place at the same point in
time in the future.

Example:

a) I will be writing the letter tomorrow.

b) She will be taking her dog for a walk.
c) Will I be sleeping here?

Sentence Form: The future continuous tense uses a Subject + Helping verbs (will + be) +
present participle form of the verb + the rest of the sentence form.
Affirmative Negative Interrogative

Subject+will be+ Subject+will not/won't+ Will+Subject+Be+

Form past participle form of past participle form of past participle form o
the verb+the rest of the verb+the rest of the verb+the rest of
the sentence the sentence the sentence

I will be singing at the I will not/won't be Will I be singing

Example concert in the park singing at the concert at the concert in the par
in the park

Game: All games played in the classroom will take place under the teacher’s supervision to
assist with grammar and pronunciation.

The perfect point in time: Divide the students into pairs. The first pair stands in front
of the class and then imagine that they will both be on holiday this time next week. The
students then explain exactly what they will be doing and what will be happening around
them at exactly that time attempting to out-boast each other. Examples could be: Jane:
“This time next week the sun will be shining, and my skin will be turning a nice brown”

Alice: “That’s nothing. Where I’m going to be at this tome next week, I drinking juice
from a pineapple with thousands of people dancing in the streets around me.”
Game Relevance: By using a future scenario where the students perform an action, they will
retain the tense easier, and the rest of the class also learns by listening. The fact that students
are using their own actions also assists with form retention.

3. Future Perfect Tense:

Explanation: The future perfect tense is a tense form that can be used to represent an action
or event that will be over within a particular time in the future.

a) The action spoken about in the future perfect tense has an end date or time.
b) It is used to show that an action will have been performed by a particular time.

Example:

a) The plane will have left by then

b) I will have completed my homework by tonight
c) He will have eaten by 5 O clock today
d) She will have left by nightfall.

Sentence Form: The future perfect tense uses a Subject + Helping verbs (will + have) +
Past participle form of the main verb + the rest of the sentence form.
Affirmative Negative Interrogativ

Subject+will have+ Subject+will+not+ have Will+Subject+hav

Form past participle +past participle past participle
+the rest of the +the rest of the +the rest of
sentence sentence the sentence

I will have cleaned I will not have cleaned Will I have clean
Example by the time you by the time you by the time you get
get here get here

Game: All games played in the classroom will take place under the teacher’s supervision to
assist with grammar and pronunciation.

Word Mix: Teacher will make up cards that will build sentences containing the future
perfect tense. These cards will be mixed up and placed on the board. A student will then
go to the front and arrange the words in the correct order to depict the future perfect tense.
If the student gets it correct, they get two points. If the student gets it wrong, another
student can guess for 1 point. At the end of the game, the student with the most points will
be the winner. Examples: Mix: Have train tonight the by left will. Answer: The train will
have left by tonight. Mix: asleep I fallen have ? by will 8 O clock. Answer: Will I have
fallen asleep by 8 O clock?
Game Relevance: The above game really gets the students thinking about the lesson and the
structure of a sentence containing the future perfect tense. This game will also ensure that the
students will identify the tense easier.

4. Future Perfect Continuous Tense: The future perfect continuous tense is a verb tense
that can be used to refer to an action that will be continuing until a certain point of time in
the future.
a) The future perfect continuous tense can also be referred to as the future perfect
progressive tense
b) It expresses an action or event that will progress to a specific time in the future.

Example:

a) By the time you get home, I will have been waiting for you for three hours.
b) How long will you have been fixing the bike?
c) The juggler will have been showing tricks for two hours.
d) By January, he will have been teaching for ten years.

Sentence Form: The future perfect continuous tense uses the subject + Helping verbs (will +
have + been) + Present participle form of the main verb + the rest of the sentence.

Affirmative Negative Interrogativ

Subject+will+have+ Subject+will+not+ have Will+Subject+hav

Form been+ present +been+present+ been+present part
participle+the rest of participle+the rest of the +the rest of
of the sentence sentence the sentence

In March, I will have In March, I will not In March, will I have

Example been living here for have been living here living here for
two years for two years two years?

Game: All games played in the classroom will take place under the teacher’s supervision to
assist with grammar and pronunciation.

By the time: Student go into pairs. Student 1 starts by identifying a future time with the
phrase "By the time..." + an action i.e. finished. S2 completes the sentence with the
main phrase using the future perfect continuous. A complete sentence could be, “By the
time I finished school, I will have been studying for 12 years.

Game Relevance: The benefit of these grammar games is that students associate the
grammar point with real-life situations. Plus, these activities are very easy to organize as they
don't require any additional materials.