Exploring Verb Tenses: Past, Present, and Future
Exploring Verb Tenses: Past, Present, and Future Objective: Students will be able to identify and use past, present, and future verb tenses correctly in sentences, enhancing their understanding of how verb tenses show time.
Learning Objectives
- Recognize the difference between past, present, and future verb tenses.
- Use verbs correctly in past, present, and future tenses in simple sentences.
- Explain why verb tense is important for telling when something happens.
Materials Needed
- Whiteboard or paper
- Markers or crayons
- Verb tense flashcards
- Worksheet with sentences to identify and fill in verb tenses
Key Vocabulary
- Verb
- A word that shows an action or state of being.
- Past tense
- A verb form that shows an action happened before now.
- Present tense
- A verb form that shows an action is happening now.
- Future tense
- A verb form that shows an action will happen later.
Detailed Activities
Introduction to Verb Tenses
- Begin by explaining what verbs are and why verb tense matters.
- Write simple examples of past, present, and future tense verbs on the board.
- Have the student repeat the verbs aloud to hear the difference.
Verb Tense Sorting Game
- Prepare flashcards with verbs written in past, present, and future tense.
- Ask the student to sort the flashcards into three groups: past, present, future.
- Discuss each card together to reinforce understanding.
Fill-in-the-Blank Worksheet
- Give the student a worksheet with sentences missing verbs.
- Ask them to choose the correct verb tense to complete each sentence.
- Review answers together and explain any mistakes.
Parent & Instructor Notes
- Encourage your child to use everyday examples when talking about activities to practice verb tenses naturally.
- Be patient and praise efforts to build confidence in using different verb tenses.
- Use simple and clear language when explaining concepts.
Assessment Questions
- Can you tell me a sentence about something you did yesterday using a past tense verb?
- What verb tense do you use when talking about what you are doing now?
- How would you say you will eat lunch tomorrow using a future tense verb?
Extension Ideas
- Have your child write a short story using verbs in past, present, and future tenses.
- Create a daily journal where your child writes one sentence about yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
- Play a game where you say a verb and your child says it in past, present, and future tense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Use daily activities as practice by asking your child to describe what they did, what they are doing, and what they will do, highlighting the verb tense each time.
This is normal when learning. Gently correct and provide examples. Repetition and practice will help improve accuracy.
Teacher’s Guide
Common Misconceptions:
- Children may think all verbs look very different in each tense; some verbs change only slightly or not at all.
- Students might confuse future tense verbs with present tense because of similar wording like ‘will’ plus a verb.
Scaffolding Ideas:
For Struggling Students:
- Focus on just two tenses at a time, such as present and past, before introducing future tense.
- Use more visual aids like pictures showing actions in different times.
For Advanced Students:
- Introduce irregular verbs and their different past tense forms.
- Challenge students to write sentences using multiple tenses correctly in one story.
Pacing Recommendations:
- Spend about 10 minutes on introduction and examples.
- Allocate 15 minutes to hands-on sorting and discussion.
- Use remaining 20 minutes for worksheet practice and review.
Standards
- 6.L.2 — Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
Printable Worksheet
Plan Your Own Lesson
Looking for a custom lesson plan? Try our Lesson Planning Generator — create standards-based plans for any topic, instantly!
Common Core Aligned Lesson Plans
Looking for another common core lesson? See all of the lesson plans here.
More Free Lesson Plans
We’re adding more every week! Check back soon or explore all our lesson plans here.
Leave a Reply