Present Continuous Tense Part 1 & 2

Present Continuous TensePart 1 & 2

Language Learning | Second Language English

September 2010

www.teachersofindia.orgTEACHERS OF INDIA

2September 2010 | Teachers of India | Azim Premji FoundationPresent Continuous Tense | Nivedita Bedadur

Present Continuous TenseSubject and Grade/Level:

English – Second Language for Grade 5-7

Duration: 4 hours (Part 1 - 2 hours & Part 2 - 2 hours)

Curricular Connection: State syllabus, Government of Karnataka. Applicable to all syllabi.

Introduction:

(i) The Need: Grammar is often taught in a vacuum as a set of rules to be memorized. It is often accompa-

nied by drill and practice. Neither the rules, nor the examples have anything to do with real life situations

and common every day usage. Drilling and practice of grammar is still sentence based and the context

is often missing. This is why even when the children do well in the exams they do not necessarily have

the confidence or the ability to speak or write in everyday situations. There is therefore a need to take

up grammar in an everyday context with examples from daily usage.

(ii) Importance: It is important for us to understand that we must open the doors of the class room to

look at the world of sign boards, hoardings, advertisements where grammar stares at us, signals us

and beckons us with an urgency of a hungry child. Only when this outside world is brought into the class

room or the class room is taken to the outside world that the marriage of the content and context takes

place and meaning is constructed. Then the grammar of language is revealed through everyday usage

resurrecting the missing link.

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About the Author:

Nivedita Bedadur works as a Specialist, Academics and Pedagogy at Azim Premji Foundation, Bangalore.

Nivedita holds an M.Phil in English Language and Literature. She has worked for 27 years as a teacher,

Vice Principal and Principal in Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan and as Principal of Dr D. Y. Patil Academy’s

Shantiniketan, Kolhapur. In recognition of her services she was given the Incentive Award for Teachers

in 2004 by the Human Resources Ministry.

Nivedita has contributed articles and poems for ‘Sangam’, the in-house magazine of Kendriya Vidyalaya

Sangathan. She has also written workbooks for the Maharashtra State Board syllabus and is presently

writing a structural and communicative grammar book for Class VII to be published by Encyclopedia

Britannica. Her areas of interest are ELT, teacher training and research.

Contribute! E-mail in your articles, resources, thoughts & reflections or innovative ideas for teaching and learning to [email protected] or post to Teachers of India at the address given beside. Both, hardcopy as well as softcopy will be accepted!


You can use the space below to take your notes!

Present Continuous TensePart 1

Objectives:1. The students will recognize the present continuous tense

2. The students will illustrate with examples the use of the present

continuous tense

3. The students will use the present continuous tense while role playing

‘The Hungry Wolf’

4. The students will sequence the events of the story and discuss it.

5. The students will use the present continuous tense to list a variety of

actions.

Support Material:Keep the following material ready before starting the session.

• Copies of Resource 1

• Copies of Reading 1

Steps:Step 1: Generating Interest

Start the session with the song ‘Brother John’. First sing it for them: “Are you

sleeping, Brother John? Morning bells are ringing ding, dang, dong.” Ask the

students to sing along with you.

Step 2: Activity | Dramatization (40 minutes for a class of 16 children):

1. Divide the class into groups of four. Give the text of the lesson to each

group. Let them chose the roles and rehearse for a while. Practice dra-

matization.

2. Start the performance group-wise: While one group does the drama the

members of the other groups act as judges. They award marks out of 10.

You may use the following grid:

2 hours

You can also create your own nursery rhymes.

Choose familiar topics. What do children love? What do they do? Here

are some topics: My red ball, my blue kite, Banu

is my friend, My Papa, My teacher, my mama………


Criteria/group

Correct

Dialogue:

4 marks

Clarity of

speech:

2 marks

Acting:

2 marks

Overall

presentation:

2 marks

Total:

Out of 10

marks

Group 1

Group 2

Group 3

Group 4

I am

speakingyou are

he / she/it is

we are

they are

They will also write down the name of the best actor/actress – with the name

of the character. (This will help them to settle down while the other groups

are presenting and not create indiscipline.)

Step 3: Recapitulation | Chain story (40 minutes for a class of 20 children):

1. Print out two copies of the dialogues from the lesson on cards as given in

Resource 1

2. Divide the class into two groups and ask them to sit around in two circles.

3. Place the cards in the midst of each group and ask the students to sequence

them. Then join the two circles and ask them to tell the story without referring

to the text. Each student should tell one sentence of the story. They should tell

it in a dialogue form (in present continuous tense as far as possible).

Teacher’s Note:

Form: The present continuous tense is formed in the following way: form of

the verb to be according to person + base form of the verb + ing = is singing

E.g.: The roof is leaking.

This activity can be done before or after teaching the lesson. If done before the

lesson, it becomes a trigger for discussion and questions and can be structured to help critical and creative thinking.

The story is entirely in present continuous tense. Therefore the objective of the drama is

to practice this tense.

Do not penalize the students if the dialogues

are not in present continuous tense. The objective is to get the students to use the

language without much conscious effort.

Function: The present continuous tense is used for:

a. Describing present action b. Describing future action

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Assessment: Mime, a game

Step 1:

Ask the students to sit down such that they are all facing you. Instruct the

class to stay quiet while you mime five actions. After each mime give them

time to note down your action.

Step 2:

Now ask the students to discuss which action you are going to do next. Write

their responses on the blackboard.

As mentioned above, the present continuous tense is

used for describing an action which is happening. It is also

used to describe an action in the future usually with the structure Verb to be + go +

ing. e.g. I am going to brush my teeth. If your students

are ready for it you can also discuss the concept of tense and time. Tense is a gram-

matical category while time is a functional category.


Fox: Good morning Mr. Wolf.

Wolf: Good morning.

Fox: Why are you looking so dull, sir?

Wolf: I’m looking dull because I haven’t eaten anything for three days.

Fox: Not eaten for three days! Why? There are so many animals for you in the forest.

Wolf: There are. But, you see, I’ve grown old. I can’t kill big animals. And small animals run away from me easily.

Fox: Oh, poor Mr. Wolf! What do you do now for your food?

Wolf: I’m going to the village to try my luck.

Fox: Wish you all the best.

Role play cards/chain dialogues cards:

1 of 4RESOURCE 1


Wolf: Thank you. Are you coming with me to the village?

Fox: No, sorry, I’m going to the lake to drink water.

Wolf: (knocking at the farmer’s door)

Farmer: Why are you standing here?

Wolf: I’m very hungry. Bring me food. Be quick.

Farmer (standing still)

Wolf: What are you waiting for?

Farmer: I’m just wondering what I should give you. I have a lot of rice, vegetables, bread and fruits in the house.

Wolf (shouting): Don’t be silly. Don’t you know that I don’t eat rice, bread, vegetables or fruits? I eat only meat. Go and get some.

RESOURCE 1 2 of 4


Farmer: I’m sorry Mr. Wolf. There isn’t any meat in my house. I don’t eat meat.

Wolf: Kill your fattest goat and bring me all the meat.

Farmer (Thinking)

Wolf (shouting): Why are you standing there like an idiot? Go quickly and get me the meat.

Farmer: I don’t have any goat or sheep on my farm. (thinking) But I have a big fat horse. He is tied to the mango tree. If you want you can kill him and eat his meat.

(The horse was surprised)

Horse: Who are you? What are you doing here?

Wolf: “I’m very hungry. I’m going to eat you. Get ready. Your master who is standing there has permitted me to eat you. He’s a fine man.”

(The horse looked at his master. He understood why his master had sent the wolf to him.)

RESOURCE 1 3 of 4


Horse: Yes, My master is a fine man and a clever man too. ( to the Wolf )You see, Mr. Wolf, I’m eating this grass now. I’ll finish it in a few minutes. Can you wait for some time, please?

Wolf: No I can’t wait. I’m very hungry now.

Horse: If you are so hungry, you please stand behind me and start eating me from the tail. After that you can kill me and eat all my meat.

Wolf: Thank you, you are very kind. (It went behind the horse and caught his tail in his mouth)

The horse jumped up at once and gave the wolf a hard kick on his mouth. The wolf fell on the ground and started howling in pain. Then he got up with great difficulty and ran back to the forest with pain added to his hunger.

RESOURCE 1 4 of 4


READING 1The Hungry Wolf

Text of the Lesson: Lesson 5, Class 7: Karnataka State Board Text Book

“Good morning Mr. Wolf,” said the Fox.

“Good morning,” said the Wolf.

“Why are you looking so dull, sir?” asked the Fox

“I’m looking dull because I haven’t eaten anything for three days”, said the Wolf.

“Not eaten for three days! Why? There are so many animals for you in the

forest,” said the fox.

“Yes, there are. But, you see, I’ve grown old. I can’t kill big animals. And small

animals run away from me easily,” cried the wolf.

“Oh! Poor Mr. Wolf! What do you do now for your food?” asked the Fox.

“I’m going to the village to try my luck,” said the Wolf.

“Wish you all the best,” said the Fox.

“Thank you.” “Are you coming with me to the village?” asked the Wolf.

“No, sorry, I’m going to the lake to drink water,” said the Fox and went away.

The wolf went to the village and stood in front of the farmer’s house. The

farmer saw the strange visitor, came out of his house and asked him, “Why are

you standing here?”

The Wolf replied, “I’m very hungry. Bring me food. Be quick.”

But the farmer just stood still. The Wolf got angry and shouted, “What are you

waiting for?”

The farmer replied, “I’m just wondering what I should give you. I have a lot of

rice, vegetables, bread and fruits in the house.”

“Don’t be silly,” shouted the wolf. “Don’t you know that I don’t eat rice, bread,

vegetables or fruits? I eat only meat. Go and get some.

“I’m sorry Mr. Wolf,” said the farmer. There isn’t any meat in my house. I don’t

eat meat.”

“Kill your fattest goat and bring me all the meat,” ordered the wolf.


READING 1The farmer stood there thinking. The wolf shouted. “Why are you standing

there like an idiot? Go quickly and get me the meat.”

The farmer said, “I don’t have any goat or sheep on my farm”. He thought for a

while and continued. “But I have a big fat horse. He is tied to the mango tree. If

you want you can kill him and eat his meat.”

The Wolf was very pleased. He went near the horse. The horse was surprised

to see the Wolf. The horse asked him, “Who are you? What are you doing here?”

The Wolf replied, “I’m very hungry. I’m going to eat you. Get ready. Your master

who is standing there has permitted me to eat you. He’s a fine man.”

The horse looked at his master. He understood why his master had sent the

wolf to him.

“Yes, said the horse, “My master is a fine man and a clever man too.”

Then turning to the Wolf the horse said, “You see, Mr. Wolf, I’m eating this grass

now. I’ll finish it in a few minutes. Can you wait for some time, please?”

“No I can’t wait,” replied the wolf. “I’m very hungry now.”

“If you are so hungry,” said the horse. “You please stand behind me and start

eating me from the tail. After that you can kill me and eat all my meat.

“Thank you, you are very kind,” said the wolf and went behind the horse and

caught his tail in his mouth.

The horse jumped up at once and gave the wolf a hard kick on his mouth. The

wolf fell on the ground and started howling in pain. Then he got up with great

difficulty and ran back to the forest with pain added to his hunger.



Present Continuous TensePart 2

Objectives:1. The students will respond to questions in the present continuous tense.

2. The students will make sentences using the structure for the present

continuous tense

3. The students will give a running commentary of a cricket match

4. The students will describe pictures in the present continuous tense

Support Material:• Resource 1: Copies of the cartoon / blow up of the cartoon.

• Drawing sheets, one for each child.

• Video clipping of a cricket match (with the sound on mute).

Steps:Step 1: Generating Interest

Start the session with the song ‘Brother John’. First sing it for them: “Are you

sleeping, Brother John? Morning bells are ringing ding, dang, dong.” Ask the

students to sing along with you.

Step 2: Activity | Dramatization (40 minutes for a class of 16 children)

Word Map: Say the word ‘CRICKET’. Ask the students to say anything that

comes to their mind while thinking of the word 'cricket.' Build the word map

as the students provide the words. The students will require the map.

Cricket Commentary:

Total time : 2 hours

CRICKET

Fill in word here

Fill in word here


a. Pair the students. Tell them that they will watch a video clipping of a cricket

match.

b. Before showing the video clip tell the students that they have to speak two

sentences describing what is happening on the screen like a commentary

while the match is on. Write the following questions on the board to guide

them. Who is batting? Who is bowling?

c. Let the students watch the clipping once or twice. Let them discuss the

vocabulary and target structure. Go around and help them with the target

structure.

d. Show the video clipping again. Now they come up in pairs and give a com-

mentary. Write the sentences on the blackboard.

Debrief:

Form and Function of the present continuous tense

Ask the students these questions:

• How is the present continuous tense formed?

• What are the uses of the present continuous tense?

Teacher’s Note:

Form: The present continuous tense is formed in the following way: form of

the verb to be according to person + base form of the verb + ing = is singing

E.g.: The roof is leaking.

Function: The present continuous tense is used for:

a. Describing present action b. Describing future action

Step 3: Recapitulation Activity:

Show or distribute copies of this cartoon and ask the questions given below

the cartoon. Except for the last question, in all the others the function of the

present continuous tense is to describe action in the present.

I am

speakingyou are

he / she/it is

we are

they are

Except for the last question, in all the others the function

of the present continuous tense is to describe action in

the present. The last question asks for an answer which talks about the future time

using the present continuous tense. Usually this function of the present continuous structure is limited to the

verb ‘go’. The structure is as follows: Verb ‘to be’ + go + ing.

E.g. I am going to school.

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1. Where is Suresh sitting? What is Suresh doing?

2. Where is Ramesh sitting? What is Ramesh doing?

3. Who is the teacher talking to? What is she asking?

4. What is the girl sitting next to Suresh doing?

5. Is the teacher aware of what Suresh and Ramesh are doing? Who is aware

of what they are doing?

6. What is going to happen next?

Assessment: Mime, a game

Step 1:

Divide the class into two groups.

Group 1: Give a sheet of drawing paper to each child and ask this group to

draw a picture of a class. All of them will sit together and decide what to draw.

After that each one will draw the picture.

Group 2: Ask the other group to bring something they like, from the grounds to

the class. The group which has gone out will come back with their treasures

in their pockets. Give a sheet of paper to each member of that group.

Step 2:

Making a pair with one member from group 1 and the other from group 2:

Make a pair with one member from each group.

Step 3:

The pairs work together: giving instructions – drawing a class. The child who

has drawn the scene of a class will describe the scene without showing the

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paper to the child who had gone out. The child who had gone out will draw

the scene according to the description.

E.g. the teacher is standing near the board. She is writing on the board. The

students are talking to each other.

Then ask them to compare the drawings and mark the differences.

What are you going to do with the treasure you have brought?

The child who gave the instructions will now ask the child who went out to

show what he brought. He will ask him what he is going to do with it. The child

will show the object and tell what he is going to do with it.

Debrief:

The two functions of the present continuous tense.


1. Where is Suresh sitting? What is Suresh doing?

2. Where is Ramesh sitting? What is Ramesh doing?

3. Who is the teacher talking to? What is she asking?

4. What is the girl sitting next to Suresh doing?

5. Is the teacher aware of what Suresh and Ramesh are doing?

Who is aware of what they are doing?

6. What is going to happen next?

RESOURCE 1: CARTOON

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Present Continuous Tense Part 1 & 2

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