MODULE: TALKING ABOUT "NOW"
Lesson Overview
Subject : English as a Second Language (ESL) / English Stage /
Grade : Stage 5 / 6 (Age 10–12 years old)
Duration : 60 Minutes
Topic : Actions Happening Now (Present Continuous)
Cambridge Framework References:
Grammar: Use the present continuous forms to describe actions happening at the time
of speaking.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this 60-minute lesson, students will be able to:
- Identify the 3 core functions of the Present Continuous (Now, Temporary
States, Trends).
- Formulate positive structures using am/is/are + Verb-ing.
- Apply accurate Cambridge spelling rules (dropping '-e', doubling consonants)
to verbs.
- Produce accurate sentences to describe ongoing visual actions.
Materials & Resources
- Whiteboard and colored markers.
- PowerPoint Presentation.
- Flashcards of action verbs (e.g., run, read, cook, swim).
- Printed worksheet for independent practice.
Lesson Plan & Activities
Phase 1: Warm-Up (10 Minutes)
- Greeting & Check: Greet the students cheerfully ("Good morning, class!") ,
ask how they are doing and check the students' attendance.
- Lead-in: Perform a physical action in front of the class without speaking. For
example, pretend to drink water or jump up high.
- Elicitation: Ask the students, "What am I doing right now?". Prompt them to
answer "You are drinking" or "You are jumping", and Share the learning
goals for today's lesson.
Phase 2 : Core Activity/ Presentation (20 Minutes)
Concept Explanation:
1. The Functions (When to use it?)
- Actions happening right now: Something that is in progress at the exact
moment of speaking.
Example: "Look! The teacher is writing on the board."
2. Formula
(+) (Subject + to be(am/is/are) + Verb-ing)
Example: "Look! The teacher is writing on the board."
3. Cambridge Focus: Spelling Rules for Verb-ing
- General Rule: Just add -ing (e.g., walk = walking , eat = eating).
- Verbs ending in '-e': Drop the 'e', then add -ing (e.g., make = making, write
= writing).
- Short verbs ending in Consonant-Vowel-Consonant (CVC): Double the
final consonant (e.g., run = running, swim = swimming).
- State Verbs Exception: Verbs of thinking/feeling (e.g., like, love, know,
understand) are not usually used in the continuous form. (e.g., Incorrect: "I am
knowing the answer." = Correct: "I know the answer.").
Phase 3: Communicative Production (20 Minutes)
- Activity - "The Secret Agent": One student comes to the front of the class and
receives a secret card with an ongoing action (e.g., I am dancing or he is
fishing). (Refer to the appendix- Flash Card)
- Task: The student must mime the action without speaking. The rest of the
class must guess by asking questions: "Are you dancing?", "Is he fishing?".
The student who guesses correctly with the correct sentence structure takes
the next turn.
- "Worksheet Time (Individual): Students are given a short worksheet
containing 9 Cambridge Lower Secondary style questions (fill-in-the-blanks
and error correction)." (Refer to the appendix- worksheet)
Phase 4: Wrap-Up/ Closing (10 Minutes)
Review & Reflection:
- Guide the students to summarize what they have learned today.
- Ask the class: "What tense did we learn today?" and "When do we use it?".
- Prompt students to give one last example of a Present Continuous sentence.
Nusawungu, June 4, 2024
Prepared by:
Musriyati, [Link].
English Teacher