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Unit four introduces the present tenses. Though linguists believe that there are only two tenses (that is the past and present tense), the EFL teachers state that there are twelve tenses which could be found in course books and referenced material that they use. The tenses which are considered by EFL teachers are three different tenses: the past, present and future tense. Each of these tenses have four aspects; simple, continuous, perfect and perfect continuous.
This unit is focused on the present simple, past continuous, present perfect and present perfect continuous. It looks into their form how they are used in grammar, as well as typical errors students may make and teaching ideas which could be used when teaching theses tenses in the class room.
The basic form of the present simple is the same as the base form of the verb (subject + base form(+s/es), unless the subject is third person singular, in this case “s/es” is added to the base form (ex: sit[s], pass[es]). Each present tense either comes in its affirmative, negative or question form. Note should be taken forming the third person singular verbs ending o,s,z,x,ch and sh add es, verbs ending in y should be changed to ies. Again, in its negative form (subject + auxiliary verb (do) + no + base form) doesn’t has the s so the main verb doesn’t need an s. The present simple tense can be used in sentences that talk about habitual or routine actions, commentaries, present stories etc. The type of activities that can be used to teach students the present simple tense is: the use of questionnaires, information-gap etc.
The present continuous tense is made with the present simple test of the auxiliary verb to be and the present participle of the main verb (subject + aux verb [be] + ing). The present continuous comes in its contracted for which is not always easy for beginners to pronounce. Teachers are advised to do drilling and constant reminders in order to get them used to it (subj + aux verb [be] + not + verb + ing) ex: You’re learning. It should be noted that there is form of asking questions in the contracted form. Most non-progressive or non-action verbs are not normally used in the continuous form. These groups include: verbs of mental activity, verbs of possession, verbs of the senses etc. (Ex: like, love, hate, wish, mean etc.) The present continuous can be used when talking about an action that is in progress at the time of speaking, to emphasis very frequent action, to describe developing situations etc. In order to teach the present continuous tense, teachers can use mime, picture of actions, Pictionary, graphs charts and tables etc.
The present perfect tense relates the past to the present (I/you/we/they have or he/she/it has + past participle). The present perfect is used to communicate an incomplete and on-going activity, when we ate talk of something that happened in the past and is till true now, at the time of speaking, when we describe a past action results. In the present perfect contractions are used with past participle verbs like gone and been, since and for with the present perfect. Irregular past participles are also used in the present perfect tense. Since they do not have any pattern they have to be memorized (ex: eat – eaten, read – read, say - said). Activities used to teach the present perfect could be role play, change the room, where a student leaves the class while students in the class move objects around so that the student outside enters the class, he has to guess what has been moved.
The present perfect continuous relates past activities to the present. It implies that the activity is likely to continue in the future, or that the activity was in progress for some length of time, or both. ( subject + auxiliary verb [have] + been + verb + ing). The present perfect can be used to communicate an incomplete and on going activity, when we want to say how long it has continued (ex: I’ve been dieting for the last twenty years). It can also be used to describe a recently finished, uninterrupted activity which has a present result. It should be noted that the difference between present perfect and present perfect continuous lies on the activity/action and not the result or completed action. A teacher may ask students write surveys during the action stage in order to help students act out what they have learned about the present perfect continuous tense.
