ESL EFL Grammar Activities

The Present Perfect

Simple and Useful Activities

Classroom Activities to Teach the Present Perfect

1.      Talk to the students about their regular work using the Present Perfect naturally.

         For example,

 Have you done your homework?

What was the homework? Show me what you have done.

Have we finished lesson 5? Have we completed all the exercises?

Which lessons have we completed?

Who has read all the lessons in the English book?

Have you watched an English film?

2.  Teach them to use since, for, never, ever, yet and already with the Present Perfect. First tell them about yourself, for example, “I have worked in this school for 5 years.” Ask them to tell each other something about themselves.

      Example,

I have studied in this school for 5 years.

I have studied here since 1998.

I have already seen the film Jungle Book.

I have not yet visited the Kankaria Zoo.

3.      Ask them to do a number of activities like opening the window, closing the door, switching on the fan, etc. While the activity is in progress the class makes sentences like, S/he is closing the door and after the activity is completed they say, S/he has closed the door. Ask the class to give five instructions to be completed within 5   seconds. After 5 seconds ask them to tell you which activities have been completed and which have not been completed.

4. Place a number of things like coins, pens, etc. on a table. Divide the class into groups and ask two students from two different groups to come running to the table and  count the coins/pens. Tell them, “Come here and count the coins/pens. Let me see how many you can count in 5 seconds.” After 5 seconds ask one of them, “How many have you counted?” If she says, “Six”, ask the other student, “Have you counted more than him?”. He might say, “No. Five.” Ask the class, “Class! Has he counted six?” and get the reply, “No. He has counted only five.” Finally ask them, “So who has won?” and ask them to clap for the winner. Award points to the winner’s group.

5. The class can decide on  a list of  5 activities which are written on the blackboard.

      Example:              

Þ     Clean the blackboard.

Þ     Switch on the fan.

Þ     Pick up the dust bin and leave it near the door.

Þ     Place the duster on the blackboard.

Þ     Place the teacher’s chair upside down on the table.

The blackboard is cleaned and volunteers who can remember all the 5 instructions are asked to come to the front of the class and perform the activities. The class decides whether the activities were performed as per the instructions. While the instructions are being followed they should say, “He is cleaning the blackboard.” After that is completed, “He has cleaned the blackboard. He has completed one activity. Four more to go.” If somebody forgets an activity, the others can point out and say, “He has cleaned the  blackboard, placed the duster on the blackboard and switched on the  fan. He has not picked up the dustbin and he has not placed the teacher’s chair on the table.”

6. The class is divided into groups. One student from each group is asked to mime a series of  activities, for example, eating a banana, finishing eating, throwing  away the skin, washing hands, etc. Students of the next group should watch the actions and give a  running commentary, “You are eating a banana. You have finished eating. You are   throwing the skin away. You are washing your hands.” The person miming will ask, “What have I done?” And any one person in the next group will say, “You have eaten a banana.” They will get marks for the commentary and the correct answer.

7.      The students are divided into groups and are asked to write as many meaningful words as they can from a long word. For example, ‘administrational’ is given to them and they are asked to use the letters in this word and make a list of  as many words as possible within 5 seconds. At the end of the activity ask them, “How many words have you written?” and get the response as, “We have written ...words.” Then you can ask the next group, “Have you written more than them? Or Who has written more than this?’ etc. You can also ask them to read aloud the words and check with the others.   Finally you can ask, “Has anybody written any other word which nobody else has    written?”

8.      The class is given an activity called ‘Find Someone Who’. A list of things are written on the blackboard and the students are asked to go round the class and identify people who could fit in with the descriptions. Example:

Find Someone Who

            has never travelled by plane      ……………...

            has never slept in class  ……………...

            has killed a snake                      ………………

            has not eaten his breakfast        ………………

The students are to ask each other questions like, “Have you ever travelled by  plane?”     If  somebody says, “No, I have never travelled by plane” that persons name is  written against the sentence. Finally whoever completes the list and gets at least one name against the descriptions or ensures that there is nobody in class who fits and writes ‘none’ against that sentence is the winner. He reports to class. While he reports, example, ‘X has never slept in class’, you can ask, “Is there anybody else who has never slept in class?” and get the class to participate.