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GRAMMAR LESSON: REVIEW OF THE SIMPLE PAST TENSE (IRREGULAR AND REGULAR VERBS)

LEVEL: Elementary

OBJECTIVES: The students should be able to:

1. distinguish between the past tense of irregular verbs and that of regular verbs
2. write a very simple event that happened in the past

MATERIALS: Grammar Worksheet on Past tense of Regular and Irregular Verbs, flash cards of selected regular and irregular verbs in plain form, scratch paper, bell

TIME FRAME: Around 45 minutes

PROCEDURE:

1.) Since this is a review lesson, it is assumed that the students already have a working knowledge of the past tense of some irregular and regular verbs.

2.) Form groups of four. Give each group scratch paper where the group’s scribe will write the group’s answers. Tell the class that you will give them five seconds to write their answers and then you will ring the bell to signal them to stop writing.

3.) Flash the selected regular and irregular verbs one at a time and read each one aloud. Tell them to write the past tense of the word being flashed. You have to say “Go” before the students start writing the answer. Flash the verbs randomly. The winning team will receive a prize in whatever form you decide to use (e.g. additional point, food prize, stickers, etc.).

Sample Verbs:

eat, is, are, do, go, buy, drink, tell, see, hear, give (irregular)
watch, play, visit, listen, dance, paint, erase, shout (regular)

4.) Distribute the worksheet and let the students answer it. Give a time limit. Give the correct answers afterwards and let the students check their own answers.

5.) As stated in the second part of the worksheet, the students need to write a very short narration of a past experience using the verbs in the worksheet or using their own choice of verbs. Explain how to do this by giving examples of past experiences. They can follow some of the structures seen in the worksheet, especially if they find it a bit hard.

Sample Past Experiences with a Friend:

attending a party
going to the beach
going to the mall
playing a favorite sport
going to the cinema

6.) Give the students enough time to write their ideas. Move around to help them.

7.) Pair off the students and tell them to exchange paper with their partner. Ask the students to read the work of their partners and to check the past tense of the verbs used by their partners if they can.

8.) Collect the very short written work.

GRAMMAR LESSON: COMPARATIVE DEGREE OF ADJECTIVES

LEVEL: Elementary

OBJECTIVES: The students should be able to:

1. compare two objects/persons
2. give the correct comparative degree of adjectives

MATERIALS: “Grammar Worksheet: Comparative Degree of Adjectives”, any object you can bring to class that can be used for comparison, bag or basket to hide the objects, pieces of scratch paper, pencils, bell, incomplete sentences for the game

TIME FRAME: Around 45 minutes

PROCEDURE:

1.) Bring out the objects you will use for comparison two at a time. Ask the students questions that will make them choose between the two objects. For example, ask them, “Which one is bigger? Which one is smaller? Which one is taller? Which one is more colorful?”, etc.. It is assumed that the students know what an adjective is and have enough vocabulary to understand this activity and the succeeding activities.

2.) Distribute the Grammar Worksheet (or your own worksheet if you like) and let the students answer it. Give them a time limit. Ring the bell when the time is up.

3.) Tell the students to find a partner to whom they can share their answers. Their partners should check if their answers fit the description and vice versa. Move from pair to pair to help out and check the answers as well.

4.) Discuss the target grammar point. Tell them that the use of “more,” “less,” “better,” “worse,” and “-er” shows the comparative degree of adjectives. In other words, they are comparing any two living or non-living things. The words “more” and “less” are usually used when the adjective has more than two syllables (e.g. more intelligent, less colorful). Otherwise, the suffix “-er” is used (happier, nicer). More often than not, the words “more” and “less” can be used before two-syllable adjectives (e.g. more happy, less easy).

5.) Ask the class to form groups of four. You can have more than two groups, depending on the class size. Provide pieces of scratch paper for each group. There should be a group representative who will share the answer of the group. The scratch paper is needed as evidence of the group’s answer.

6.) Prepare enough sentences to be read aloud twice and to be completed by each group. The students should make a comparison using the given object. Give them around 1 minute to write their answers and then ring the bell. Group members should help one another. The representative of each group will read the answer aloud. Accept logical answers, even if they are funny (e.g. A pig is more smelly than an armpit.) and check the scratch paper for changes. Don’t worry too much on spelling since the focus of the game is on the grammar point and not the spelling. Just point out the misspelled words, but accept all logical answers. Tell them to avoid using “better” or “worse” if it doesn’t show a specific comparison because anything can be better or worse, generally speaking. The group with the most number of points wins. It is up to you as the teacher to think of what reward you would like to give the winning group.

Sample incomplete sentences (use objects the students are familiar with):

1. A notebook is_____________________.
2. The door is__________________.
3. The teacher is________________.
4. TV is ________________.
5. A watch is_________________.
6. Boys are __________________.
7. Girls are ________________.
8. Chocolate is______________.
9. A storm is_______________.
10. The sun is___________________.

7.) As a recap, ask each student to compare two objects and two persons of your choice and to write their answers on 1/4 sheet of paper. Make sure that the objects or persons have not been used in the game or in the motivation activity or in the worksheet. For example, ask them to compare a volcano and a mountain (for objects), and two famous persons that they also know.