"Been there. Done that" - Present Perfect / Past Simple Contrast + Game

You are going to

• practise the present perfect to talk about things you have done in your life
• use the past simple to give extra details about when / where / why you did it
• play a game to practise the present perfect / past simple

1) Discuss
A) How do we make the present perfect?
Answer - highlight below
The present perfect  = Have / Has  (‘ve / ‘s ) + Participle


B) Look at these verbs.
What are the participles?

 

Answers - highlight below
been  broken  caught  dressed  eaten  failed  found  flown  lost  met  played  ridden  sailed  seen  sung  skied  slept  swum  visited  won 



C) Present Perfect and Past Simple. What's the difference?

1. Which tense do we use to talk about something we have done in our lives (but when is not important)?
2. Which tense do we use to give extra information about the action (when / where / why...)?

Answers. Highlight below
Present Perfect - I have run in a marathon.
Past Simple - I ran in the marathon last year.






2) Speak
A) Look at the presentation and make and answer the questions in the present perfect.
You can answer the follow-up questions in the past simple

Have you ever...? - Present Perfect from David Mainwood

B) Now do the matching exercise

4) Speak / Play a game
What have you done?

1. Think of some things you have done in your life.
2. Write 8 sentences in the present perfect about things you have done. Can you think of anything that (in your class) ONLY YOU have done.

For example;
I've been to New York.
I've swum 400m
I've run in a marathon

Play the  "I'm the only one" game. 

1. Everyone says a sentence in the present perfect. You win a point if you have done something that no one else in the class has done.
2. Win another point if you say when or where you did it in the past simple.

The person or pair with the most points is the winner.





More
Past Continuous / Past Simple (Revison Quiz) Elementary, gifs, Intermediate, Past Continuous, Past Simple, Pre-Intermediate, Quizzes  

Present Perfect Simple Intermediate, Present Perfect Simple

Mystery Person Game Elementary Games, Kids, Past Simple, Speaking, Young Learners
 
Rolling Question Game Elementary, Games, Pre-Intermediate, Kids, Speaking, Young Learners

Rolling Word Game Elementary, Games, Intermediate, Kids, Speaking, Young Learners

The most boring man in Britain?

You are going to

• listen to a radio clip about a man with a "boring" hobby
• do some comprehension actiivities
• practise the present perfect

1) Discuss

• What things do you find interesting?
• Do you have any hobbies?
• Do you know anyone with any strange hobbies?

2) Listen
Peter Willis has been called the most boring person in Britain.
Listen and find out why. What's his hobby?

listen to ‘'Boring' man's postbox passion ’ on Audioboo

3) Quiz
Do you think Peter's hobby is boring?
How much did you understand?
Try this quiz

4) Present Perfect / Past Simple

A) Which is correct in these sentences?

Present Perfect practice
When do we use the present perfect?

Present Perfect Simple from David Mainwood

B) Which is correct in these sentences?

Printable versions here

Reading

Daily Mirror article on Peter Willis
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/retired-postman-to-photograph-every-postbox-827564

More 

Games with the present perfect
http://www.eslgamesworld.com/members/games/grammar/perfectpast/present%20perfect%20hangman.html

http://www.eslgamesworld.com/members/games/grammar/perfectpast/spin%20wheel%20present%20past%20tenses.html

Present Perfect Coninuous 
http://efllecturer.blogspot.com.es/2011/04/present-perfect-continuous-progressive.html

Your City - Past and Present (a powerpoint project)

This is a student activity project which can be done with all levels and practises various grammar points including present and past tenses and the language of comparing and contrasting.

Teacher's notes

1. Find some old photos of your city or town from 50 -100 or more years ago
2. Go out and have students take photos of the same locations today
3. Students then prepare a powerpoint (see below) to compare and contrast the photos
4. Students should write a short descriptive paragraph describing each pair of photos (present and past). See below for structures to practise.
5. The powerpoint can then printed and turned into a booklet (ie a  souvenir for foreign students on a summer course) or class posters. It could also done as a presentation in class.
6. Students can also research online and write an introduction outlining some local history and points of interest.
7. Students can also write a conclusion stating whether they think there have been many changes and improvemets.

Language to practise

Elementary > Pre-intermediate 

• Adjectives
• Using present simple and continuous tenses and past simple and continuous tenses
• There is / are / was / were (n't)
• Some / any
• Countable nouns
• Articles
• Comparatives

Intermediate > Upper Intermediate

• Same as above plus
• Expressions to compare and contrast - both / also / however / on the other hand / although / moreover...
• Present perfect
• Passive
  
• Descriptive adjectives
• Stating opinions

Powerpoint Template

Here is a powerpoint template I prepared for a project on Southampton in the UK with a pre-intermediate class. The contemporary photos were mostly taken by the students on a group excursion (however google supplied one or two) and are occasionally a little dark but you get the idea...

• It's probably best to use google to find historic photos of your area but here is a site which is good for the UK http://grumpystumpy.com/
• If you can't get students to take photos then contemporary UK photos can be found here  http://www.geograph.org.uk/
• BBC's Turn Back Time is a similar idea and can be seen here

Southampton - Past and Present from David Mainwood

Discussion Ask students which photos they prefer - the past or the present. Why?
Is there anything good that we have lost from the past?
Would they like to travel back in time? When? Why?
What would they miss from the present?  





Writing (IELTS) - People nowadays work hard to buy more things. This has made our lives generally more comfortable but many traditional values and customs have been lost and it is a pity. To what extent do you agree or disagree?





Now try this post
Describe a city - Superlative Southampton Comparatives and Superlatives, Describing a place, Intermediate, Reading, Southampton, Upper Intermediate, Webquest 

Present Perfect Simple

You are going to practise the present perfect simple



Discuss
How do we make the present perfect simple?
When do we use it?


Look at the presentation and follow the instructions

Present Perfect Simple from David Mainwood