Grammar: Expressing Future Actions and Plans for Primary 2

Class: Primary 2
Term: First Term
Week: 9
Age: 7 years
Duration: 45 minutes
Subject: English Studies
Curriculum Theme: Grammatical Accuracy
Previous Lesson: Speech: Oral Comprehension and Story Retelling
Topic: Grammar: Expressing Future Actions and Plans
Subject Matter: Expressing future action and plans with future time adverbial Future actions and plans with future time adverbial: i.e.: Using the present continuous tense in place of shall and will.

Specific Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils/students should be able to:

Cognitive Domain

• Identify sentences that express future actions or plans.
• State how the present continuous tense can be used to express future actions.
• Recall common future time adverbs.

Affective Domain

• Show enthusiasm in discussing their future plans.
• Appreciate the different ways to talk about the future.

Psychomotor Domain

• Form simple sentences using the present continuous tense to express future actions or plans.
• Answer questions about future actions using the learned grammatical structure.

Reference Materials

The following resources were used in planning this lesson:

• 2014 9 Years Basic Education Curriculum
• Relevant State Unified Scheme of Work
• FCT ERC/NAPPS Scheme of work

Instructional Materials

The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:

• Recorder
• Reading text (with examples of present continuous for future)
• Notebook
• Chart showing example sentences
• Flashcards with future time adverbs (e.g., “tomorrow”, “next week”)

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson helps pupils understand a common way to talk about future events in English, which is essential for everyday communication. Mastering this grammatical structure allows them to express their intentions and plans clearly. It builds a foundational understanding of verb tenses and their varied uses.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils should have a basic understanding of the present continuous tense for actions happening now (e.g., “I am eating”) and be familiar with simple future concepts.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Grammar: Expressing Future Actions and Plans

Using Present Continuous Tense for Future Actions and Plans

We can use the present continuous tense (am/is/are + verb-ing) to talk about things we have already planned to do in the future. This is often used instead of ‘shall’ or ‘will’ for definite plans.

The structure is:

1. Subject + am/is/are + verb-ing + (future time adverbial)

Examples of Future Actions and Plans

1. I am visiting my aunt tomorrow.
2. She is travelling to Lagos next week.
3. We are playing football after school.
4. They are coming to my party on Saturday.
5. He is meeting his friend later.

Future Time Adverbs

These words tell us when the future action will happen:

1. Tomorrow
2. Next week/month/year
3. Later
4. Soon
5. This evening/morning/afternoon
6. On Monday/Tuesday (or any day)
7. In the morning/afternoon/evening

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Discussion, Explanation, Question and Answer, Guided Practice, Storytelling, Group Work

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engaging/Activating prior knowledge

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and tells a short, interesting story about a child planning their weekend, emphasizing sentences that talk about future plans (e.g., “On Saturday, I am going to the market. On Sunday, I am visiting my grandmother.”). The teacher then asks pupils what they plan to do later today or tomorrow.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the story and respond to the teacher’s questions about their own plans.

Learning Point: Introduction to future plans

Step 2: Explaining Future Actions with Present Continuous

Time: 8 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Modelling

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains that sometimes we use the “am/is/are + -ing” form (present continuous) to talk about things we have already planned to do in the future. The teacher writes simple examples on the board, like “I am eating lunch soon.” and “She is reading a book this evening.”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen attentively and observe the examples on the board.

Learning Point: Present continuous for future

Step 3: Identifying Future Time Adverbs

Time: 6 minutes

Teaching Skill: Identification/Reinforcement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces flashcards with future time adverbs (e.g., “tomorrow,” “next week,” “later”). The teacher explains that these words help us know when the future action will happen and adds them to the example sentences on the board.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils repeat the adverbs and identify them in the example sentences.

Learning Point: Future time adverbs

Step 4: Guided Practice – Sentence Formation

Time: 8 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher gives pupils simple prompts (e.g., “You / visit / friend / tomorrow,” “They / play / game / later”) and guides them to form sentences expressing future plans using the present continuous tense and appropriate future time adverbs. The teacher writes correct sentences on the board.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils form sentences orally, with teacher guidance, and check their answers on the board.

Learning Point: Forming future plan sentences

Step 5: Reading and Identifying

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Reading/Application

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher reads an interesting passage (from the reading text) that contains several sentences expressing future actions or plans using the present continuous tense. The teacher emphasizes these sentences and asks pupils to identify them.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the passage and identify sentences that talk about future plans.

Learning Point: Identifying future actions

Step 6: Group/Pair Work – Asking and Answering Questions

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Collaborative Learning/Application

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher divides pupils into small groups or pairs. The teacher asks a few simple questions about future actions (e.g., “What are you doing this evening?”, “Where is your family going next Sunday?”). Pupils discuss and answer within their groups/pairs, using the present continuous tense for future plans.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils ask and answer questions about future actions and plans in groups/pairs.

Learning Point: Discussing future plans

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher evaluates the learning by asking the following questions:

1. How do we use “am/is/are” to talk about something you plan to do tomorrow?
2. Give an example of a sentence using the present continuous tense to express a future plan.
3. Name two words that tell us an action will happen in the future.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.

Learning Point: Expressing future actions

Step 8: Note-Taking

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Writing

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils to copy the essential Board Summary notes on expressing future actions and plans into their notebooks.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils copy the notes carefully into their notebooks.

Learning Point: Recording lesson notes

Step 9: Conclusion

Time: 2 minutes

Teaching Skill: Consolidation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher reminds pupils that the present continuous tense is a useful way to talk about definite plans for the future. The teacher encourages them to practice using it in their daily conversations.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and acknowledge the importance of the lesson.

Learning Point: Reinforcing future expressions

Continuous Assessment/Further Study

Type: Homework

Instruction: Complete the following sentences using the present continuous tense to show future plans:

1. I ________ (go) to the park tomorrow.
2. My mother ________ (cook) jollof rice for dinner this evening.
3. We ________ (travel) to the village next month.
4. The children ________ (sing) at the school party on Friday.
5. He ________ (read) a new book later.

Lesson Keywords

• Future – Something that will happen later.
• Plans – Things you have decided to do.
• Present Continuous – The “am/is/are + verb-ing” form.
• Adverbs – Words that tell us when an action happens (e.g., tomorrow, next week).

Differentiation

Support: For pupils who are struggling, provide sentence starters and allow them to choose from a list of verbs. Use visual aids like pictures to represent future actions. Encourage repetition of simple sentences.

Extension: Challenge advanced pupils to create short dialogues with a partner about their weekend plans, ensuring they use the present continuous tense for future actions. They can also be asked to identify future actions in a slightly more complex story.

Suggested Lesson Videos

For further understanding, search on YouTube for:
present continuous for future primary 2