ESL EFL Grammar Activities
The Present Perfect Tense Capsule
The Production Process
The first step is to understand the use of The Present Perfect
Tense for natural, real life communication. This can be done with the help of websites, grammar books, newspapers,
magazines and books. Samples of real use can be collected from these sources and then a selection could be made as
to which aspect should be introduced in the class.
Scope of the Present Perfect
The present perfect tense refers to an unfinished period of time
starting from the past to the present and mostly extending to the future. It cannot be used with definite
expressions like, yesterday, five minutes ago and at three o'clock. But it can be used with since and for. Since
refers to the beginning time period and for refers to the period covering from the past to the present and
continues into the future. If time adverbs like today and this week are used with the present perfect,
they should describe unfinished time period. To talk about an experience of the
past which has relevance to the present and the focus of interest is on what happened, and not on when it happened
this tense is used. In this situation it is used to describe an action that can still happen, or can happen
again.
So we say:
I have been to the library twice already today.
[today is still not over and I may go to the library again before the end of the day.]
I went to the library before the classes began. [finished
activity with a definite point of time]
The final example above shows why it is not possible to use the
present perfect with an adverb of finished time (such as 'yesterday'):
I went to the bank yesterday.
I went to the shops
today. (But the shops are
now closed...)
This tense is used to describe the duration of a
state which is true now. ('How long...')
I've taught in this school for eight years.(I continue to teach
in the same school.)
I have taught in this school since 1998.(I continue to teach in
the same school.)
I taught in this school for two years. (I
don't teach in this school now.)
I taught in this school since
1998. (This is a wrong sentence, cannot be used.)
The Simple Past is necessary as one cannot still do something yesterday
(!)
Even with an adverb of unfinished time, if the action can no longer happen, the Simple Past is used.
I went to the shops
today. (But the shops are
now closed...)
This tense is used to describe the duration of a
state which is true now. ('How long...')
I've taught in this school for eight years.(I continue to teach
in the same school.)
I have taught in this school since 1998.(I continue to teach in
the same school.)
I taught in this school for two years. (I
don't teach in this school now.)
I taught in this school since
1998. (This is a wrong sentence, cannot be used.)
The post hasn't arrived
yet.
(It might still arrive.)
I've spent 200 rupees
today.
(I can still spend money.)
To talk about an activity which is finished and cannot happen
again, the Simple Past is used.
The post didn't
arrive. (The time is over, it
can't arrive now)
I spent 200 rupees this morning. ('this morning' is over, I can't
spend any more money 'this morning')
Having understood the scope of the Present Perfect it would be
useful to find out how it is naturally used in newspapers, magazines and books.
Samples of Natural Use
If samples are taken from newspaper articles and books the
following uses can be identified.
Use
The authors refer to an unspecified period of time in the
past which has relevance to the topic under discussion at present.
By using since, a beginning time which extends to a period is
referred to.
The other grammar items used along with the Present Perfect in
this context is the Simple Present and the Present Continuous.
Website Samples
The following websites give a detailed explanation of the use of
the Present Perfect Tense and contrast it with other tenses like the Simple Past and the Present Perfect
Continuous. There are exercises for practise and use in class, worksheets and lesson plans.
http://www.uazone.org/friends/esl4rus/index.html#grammar
http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/2527/teachinggrammar.html
http://esl.about.com
http://www.chompchomp.com/
Selection
Having understood the scope of the Present Perfect from grammar
books and websites and the way it is used in real life contexts from the authentic materials like
newspapers and books, it is time to select a specific aspect of the tense to be introduced in class at a particular
level. At the advanced classes the activities could start with reading, watching or listening to authentic
materials and picking up the discussion of the use of the tenses in that context. At the beginners level simple
sentences which can be contextualized within the classroom context can be thought of. It should be
possible to link more than one grammar item and expose the students to a natural chunk of language.
The activities may begin with grammar and lead to developing
fluency or begin with fluency tasks and lead on to grammar focus. The main point to be kept in mind is to provide
natural exposure to the students and create a need in class wherein students feel motivated and get personally
involved to interact with the teacher and the other students. They should develop the confidence to use English for
this interaction and should know how to get help if they are not able to do it in English. They should get the
feeling that they are interacting for some real purpose in life rather than to give a chance for the teacher to
test how much they have learnt.
The class could also begin with a language game and there could
be discussions about the grammar item at a series of levels, as the game is repeated. For example, the
teacher can introduce a guessing game and then introduce a couple of questions with which guesses are to be made.
After playing the game for a few minutes she can take up a bit of discussion and introduce a bit more
language and then continue to play the game. This would help in maintaining variety in class by catering to
learners with different preferences. It will also help in keeping the class under control while playing some of the
more noisy games.
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