Choosing and Using Past, Present and Future Tenses in Context for Primary 4

Class: Primary 4
Term: Third Term
Week: 6
Age: 9 years
Duration: 45 minutes
Subject: English Studies
Curriculum Theme: Grammatical Accuracy
Focal competence: Appropriately using verbs (in various tenses), nouns and adjectives

Skills:

• Using past, present and future tenses in sentences

Previous Lesson: Narrative writing for a stated purpose and audience
Topic: Past, Present and Future Tenses: Integrated Use
Subject Matter: Choosing and using appropriate tense according to time/context

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

• Identify past, present and future tenses.

Psychomotor Domain

• Use past, present and future tenses correctly in statements and sentences.

Reference Materials

The following resources were used in planning this lesson:

• 2025 Revised 9 Years Basic Education Curriculum
• Relevant State Unified Scheme of Work
• Macmillan Primary English for Primary 4
• The HeadTeacher Scheme of work

Instructional Materials

The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:

• A short poem on a cardboard
• Flash cards showing key words (e.g., yesterday, every day, tomorrow)
• Simple poetry books
• Charts displaying examples of tenses
• Course books
• Whiteboard/Blackboard and markers/chalk

Rationale for the Lesson

Understanding and correctly using tenses is fundamental for clear and effective communication in English. This lesson helps pupils grasp how verb forms change with time, enabling them to express actions and events accurately. Mastering tenses builds a strong foundation for more complex sentence structures and improves overall grammatical accuracy.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils should have a basic understanding of verbs as action words and be able to recognise simple sentences.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Past, Present and Future Tenses: Integrated Use

Understanding Tenses

Tenses show when an action happens. There are three main tenses:

1. Past Tense: Shows an action that happened before now.
2. Present Tense: Shows an action that is happening now or happens regularly.
3. Future Tense: Shows an action that will happen later.

Identifying Past, Present and Future Tenses

We can identify tenses by looking at the verb and sometimes by special words in the sentence.

1. Past Tense: Often uses verbs ending in ‘-ed’ (e.g., walked, played) or irregular forms (e.g., ran, ate).

Keywords: yesterday, last week, an hour ago, in 2023.

2. Present Tense: Often uses the base form of the verb (e.g., walk, play) or ‘-s’ for singular subjects (e.g., walks, plays).

Keywords: every day, now, always, often, usually.

3. Future Tense: Often uses ‘will’ or ‘shall’ before the verb (e.g., will walk, will play).

Keywords: tomorrow, next week, later, soon, in 2025.

Using Tenses Correctly in Sentences

It is important to choose the correct tense to match the time of the action.

1. Past Tense Examples:
1. I played football yesterday.
2. She visited her grandmother last week.
3. They ate rice for lunch an hour ago.
2. Present Tense Examples:
1. I play football every day.
2. She visits her grandmother often.
3. They eat rice for lunch now.
3. Future Tense Examples:
1. I will play football tomorrow.
2. She will visit her grandmother next week.
3. They will eat rice for lunch later.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

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

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Activating prior knowledge

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and asks them to name some action words (verbs). The teacher then asks what these words tell us about when an action happens (e.g., “What did you do yesterday?” “What are you doing now?” “What will you do tomorrow?”).

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond by naming action words and discussing when actions happen.

Learning Point: Introduction to tenses

Step 2: Explanation of Past Tense

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explaining/Illustrating

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains the past tense, its meaning, and common keywords like “yesterday,” using flashcards and chart examples. The teacher provides simple sentences in the past tense and asks pupils to identify the verb.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, observe the flashcards, identify past tense verbs, and repeat examples.

Learning Point: Past tense identification

Step 3: Explanation of Present Tense

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explaining/Illustrating

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains the present tense, its meaning, and common keywords like “every day.” The teacher provides simple sentences in the present tense and asks pupils to identify the verb.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, observe, identify present tense verbs, and repeat examples.

Learning Point: Present tense identification

Step 4: Explanation of Future Tense

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explaining/Illustrating

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains the future tense, its meaning, and common keywords like “tomorrow.” The teacher provides simple sentences in the future tense and asks pupils to identify the verb.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, observe, identify future tense verbs, and repeat examples.

Learning Point: Future tense identification

Step 5: Guided Practice – Choosing Tenses

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher writes incomplete sentences on the board with options for different tenses (e.g., “She _____ to school every day. (go/goes/went/will go)”). Pupils, in groups, discuss and choose the correct tense based on the context or keyword.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils work in groups to choose the correct tense forms to complete sentences.

Learning Point: Contextual tense choice

Step 6: Application – Creating Sentences

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Application

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher gives pupils different keywords (e.g., “yesterday,” “tomorrow,” “now”) and asks them to create their own sentences using the appropriate tense for each keyword.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils create sentences using various tenses with given keywords.

Learning Point: Tense usage in sentences

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. What does past tense tell us?
2. Give an example of a sentence in the present tense.
3. Which word often tells us an action will happen in the future?
4. Complete the sentence: “I ____ a book last night.” (read/reads/will read)

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.

Learning Point: Tense understanding assessed

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 Past, Present, and Future Tenses into their notebooks.

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

Learning Point: Tense notes recorded

Step 9: Conclusion

Time: 1 minute

Teaching Skill: Summarising

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher briefly reminds pupils that using the correct tense helps them speak and write clearly about when things happen. The teacher encourages them to practice using different tenses in their daily conversations.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and acknowledge the importance of using correct tenses.

Learning Point: Tense importance reinforced

Continuous Assessment/Further Study

Type: Homework

Instruction: Complete the following sentences by choosing the correct tense of the verb in brackets.

1. My mother (cook) _____ dinner every evening.
2. We (visit) _____ our grandparents last weekend.
3. The children (play) _____ in the park tomorrow.
4. She (sing) _____ a beautiful song now.
5. They (travel) _____ to Lagos next month.

Lesson Keywords

• Past Tense – describes actions that have already happened.
• Present Tense – describes actions happening now or regularly.
• Future Tense – describes actions that will happen later.
• Verb – an action word.
• Keywords – words that help identify the tense (e.g., yesterday, every day, tomorrow).

Differentiation

For weaker learners, provide simpler sentences and more direct guidance in identifying keywords. Use visual aids like colour-coded flashcards for each tense. For faster learners, challenge them to write short paragraphs using all three tenses or identify tenses in a short story from their reader.

Suggested Lesson Videos

For further understanding of tenses, pupils can search on YouTube for: “Past Present Future Tense for Kids Primary 4”

Teacher Guide for Using This Lesson Plan

Before the lesson, ensure you have prepared all instructional materials, especially the flashcards with keywords and chart examples of sentences in different tenses. Begin by engaging pupils with questions about daily activities to naturally introduce the concept of time and action. Follow the teaching sequence by clearly explaining each tense, its keywords, and providing multiple examples. Encourage active participation through guided practice where pupils choose and create sentences. During the note-taking stage (Step 8), ensure pupils copy the Board Summary accurately. Pay close attention to common errors, such as mixing up keywords or incorrect verb forms, and provide immediate, constructive feedback. For pupils struggling, offer individual support and simplified exercises. Challenge advanced learners with more complex sentence construction or by asking them to explain the rules in their own words. Always check for understanding throughout the lesson before moving to the next stage.