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.

• Present Perfect for Beginners
• Simple Activities for Present Perfect
• Games for Present Perfect