THE ELH GUIDE TO CELTA
Take time to read through the ELH guide to CELTA. It will help you identify what is expected, how you might feel during the course and how you can cope with the workload.
Teaching Practice
Trainees must complete 6 hours of supervised teaching practice (TP) at two different levels.
TP often begins on the second day of the course (or the 2nd week of the part-time course) and usually on the first day of TP all the trainees in your TP group will teach. There may be four, five or six members in a TP group and all members of the group need to be able to work together well as a team. On the first day of TP each trainee usually teaches for fifteen or twenty minutes. These short slots are all planned by the tutor to fit together to make a complete lesson for the students. As the course progresses the length of teaching slots increases and trainees may not be required to teach every day. The amount of assistance given by the tutor also diminishes and more independence is given to trainees. At the end of the second week ( week 10 of the part time course) there is a changeover and each TP group changes to a new level and group of students and a may change to a new TP tutor. Trainees usually find this changeover rather unsettling but it is important for trainees to get experience teaching at more than one level.
Feedback
Feedback is daily after TP. It is important for everyone in a TP group to observe the others teaching and to take notes. In feedback the day’s TP is discussed and trainees should be prepared to comment intelligently and constructively on the lessons they have observed. Most trainees find it difficult at first to criticise each other’s teaching but it is vital to comment gently on bad points as well as to praise good ones. The ability to reflect on and criticise your own successes and failures in TP as well as those of the other members of your group is considered part of your overall assessment.
Observation of qualified teachers
It is a Cambridge English requirement that each candidate should complete a total of six hours classroom observation of experienced teachers. These could be a combination of 3hrs hours of video lessons and 3 hours of observation of experienced teachers at ELH . Trainees are expected to make brief notes on these lessons. These observations will be arranged by the centre and attendance by candidates is vital.
Written Work
There are 4 written assignments set over the course. These must be submitted punctually and be written in grammatically correct English, be essentially free of spelling mistakes and be neatly presented. Word-processed or hand-written work is equally acceptable, provided it is legible.
Assessment
The detailed criteria for passing the CELTA can be found in your CELTA 5. You must meet these criteria in three areas: written work (including your file); classroom teaching and professional development. Assessment is continual and based on the judgement of your course tutors. All candidates are expected to participate as fully as possible in all areas of the day. Each course is visited for a day by an external assessor sent by Cambridge English. The assessor moderates the files and written work and confirms the judgement of the course tutors.
The grading of the final certificate from Cambridge English is Pass, Pass B or Pass A. The vast majority of successful candidates are awarded a Pass, a few highly successful candidates are awarded a pass B, occasionally, exceptional candidates are awarded a Pass A.
ELH also issues a CELTA Reports, which is a written report on each candidate’s progress during the course. The ELH CELTA Report draws a distinction between those Pass candidates who were stronger or weaker, and divides the Pass grade into Pass C and Pass C+. A pass C+ indicates a candidate who showed promise but did not quite manage to fulfil the criteria for Pass B during the course.
Trainees must complete 6 hours of supervised teaching practice (TP) at two different levels.
TP often begins on the second day of the course (or the 2nd week of the part-time course) and usually on the first day of TP all the trainees in your TP group will teach. There may be four, five or six members in a TP group and all members of the group need to be able to work together well as a team. On the first day of TP each trainee usually teaches for fifteen or twenty minutes. These short slots are all planned by the tutor to fit together to make a complete lesson for the students. As the course progresses the length of teaching slots increases and trainees may not be required to teach every day. The amount of assistance given by the tutor also diminishes and more independence is given to trainees. At the end of the second week ( week 10 of the part time course) there is a changeover and each TP group changes to a new level and group of students and a may change to a new TP tutor. Trainees usually find this changeover rather unsettling but it is important for trainees to get experience teaching at more than one level.
Feedback
Feedback is daily after TP. It is important for everyone in a TP group to observe the others teaching and to take notes. In feedback the day’s TP is discussed and trainees should be prepared to comment intelligently and constructively on the lessons they have observed. Most trainees find it difficult at first to criticise each other’s teaching but it is vital to comment gently on bad points as well as to praise good ones. The ability to reflect on and criticise your own successes and failures in TP as well as those of the other members of your group is considered part of your overall assessment.
Observation of qualified teachers
It is a Cambridge English requirement that each candidate should complete a total of six hours classroom observation of experienced teachers. These could be a combination of 3hrs hours of video lessons and 3 hours of observation of experienced teachers at ELH . Trainees are expected to make brief notes on these lessons. These observations will be arranged by the centre and attendance by candidates is vital.
Written Work
There are 4 written assignments set over the course. These must be submitted punctually and be written in grammatically correct English, be essentially free of spelling mistakes and be neatly presented. Word-processed or hand-written work is equally acceptable, provided it is legible.
Assessment
The detailed criteria for passing the CELTA can be found in your CELTA 5. You must meet these criteria in three areas: written work (including your file); classroom teaching and professional development. Assessment is continual and based on the judgement of your course tutors. All candidates are expected to participate as fully as possible in all areas of the day. Each course is visited for a day by an external assessor sent by Cambridge English. The assessor moderates the files and written work and confirms the judgement of the course tutors.
The grading of the final certificate from Cambridge English is Pass, Pass B or Pass A. The vast majority of successful candidates are awarded a Pass, a few highly successful candidates are awarded a pass B, occasionally, exceptional candidates are awarded a Pass A.
ELH also issues a CELTA Reports, which is a written report on each candidate’s progress during the course. The ELH CELTA Report draws a distinction between those Pass candidates who were stronger or weaker, and divides the Pass grade into Pass C and Pass C+. A pass C+ indicates a candidate who showed promise but did not quite manage to fulfil the criteria for Pass B during the course.
TERMINOLOGY
English teaching, like most professions has a lot of jargon which may seem obscure and daunting to the outsider. However, it has simply grown up as a quick way of referring to common subjects.
Below is a list of basic terminology which it would be useful to learn before starting a CELTA course.
1. TP - Teaching Practice
2. structure - a grammar item
3. function - The reason for speaking: for example complaining, or making an excuse
4. target language - the main aim of your lesson e.g. the past tense or ways of describing people.
5. L1 - the student’s mother tongue
6. TTT - Teacher Talking Time
7. STT - Student Talking Time
8. elicitation - bringing out from the student what he/she already knows
9. drills - students practising a new word or sentence to practise pronunciation.
10. choral drills - students repeating a word or sentence together led by the teacher
11. skills - here are four skills: reading; writing; listening and speaking
12. receptive skills - listening and reading
13. productive skills - speaking and writing
14. lexis/vocabulary - words and phrases
15. phonology - pronunciation
The above definitions are very basic but it is helpful to become familiar with them. As the course progresses their meanings will become clearer.
English teaching, like most professions has a lot of jargon which may seem obscure and daunting to the outsider. However, it has simply grown up as a quick way of referring to common subjects.
Below is a list of basic terminology which it would be useful to learn before starting a CELTA course.
1. TP - Teaching Practice
2. structure - a grammar item
3. function - The reason for speaking: for example complaining, or making an excuse
4. target language - the main aim of your lesson e.g. the past tense or ways of describing people.
5. L1 - the student’s mother tongue
6. TTT - Teacher Talking Time
7. STT - Student Talking Time
8. elicitation - bringing out from the student what he/she already knows
9. drills - students practising a new word or sentence to practise pronunciation.
10. choral drills - students repeating a word or sentence together led by the teacher
11. skills - here are four skills: reading; writing; listening and speaking
12. receptive skills - listening and reading
13. productive skills - speaking and writing
14. lexis/vocabulary - words and phrases
15. phonology - pronunciation
The above definitions are very basic but it is helpful to become familiar with them. As the course progresses their meanings will become clearer.
LESSON PREPARATION
Being able to plan a lesson and a sequence of lessons is one of the essential criteria for passing a CELTA course. Lesson planning is extremely time consuming and you should expect to spend about three hours planning a forty minute lesson.
Before beginning to plan your lesson you should first think what type of lesson it is. Is the focus on teaching structure, practising a skill, teaching new lexis or a function, or is it a mixture? If the focus of the lesson is structural you should then analyse the structure you will teach and be sure you understand it yourself.
Next decide what you hope the students will be able to do at the end of your lesson then decide how you will help them to do it. Your lesson should be divided into stages each one with a different activity, and each stage should lead to the students having more confidence in using the target language or skill. Variety in a lesson helps to keep students’ attention. You should also think about the balance of interaction between the students and the teacher. In a good lesson the students should speak to each other and practise independently of the teacher. Written practice is important but is often reserved for homework.
Timing is very important. You must try to anticipate how long each activity will take. It is always advisable to do all exercises and readings yourself, and then if you double the time it took you, that is a reasonable amount of time to allow students to do the exercise.
Writing a lesson plan helps the teacher gain an overview of the lesson, the timing of each activity and the interaction between the students. On a training course candidates must always submit their lesson plan to their tutor before teaching. Filling in the lesson plan form should not simply be looked upon as a chore. By filling in all the sections on the form you should understand if your lesson is well balanced and well timed. A lesson plan form normally consists of a front page followed by pages for procedure. All the relevant spaces on the front page should be filled in and the procedure pages should be clear and easy to follow. Any teacher picking up your plan should be able to go into your classroom and teach the lesson.
It is essential for trainee teachers to understand the rationale behind each activity they ask students to do and this is why it is important to fill in the “aims” column on the form.
GRAMMAR
Some trainees have only a very sketchy idea of English grammar before starting a CELTA course. It is not possible to learn all the rules of English grammar in four weeks but it is vital that you learn to research grammar points thoroughly before teaching them. Students need to feel confident that their teacher knows his/her subject. As a native speaker you may know that something “sounds” right or wrong, but you must help your student know what is right and wrong and that means providing the student with some framework of rules for guidance.
PRE-LESSON LANGUAGE ANALYSIS
A Checklist:
Before you begin to plan a lesson in which you will present or practise a structural point it is important for you to thoroughly analyse the language you are going to teach, to understand its complexities from the students’ point of view. You must look at the language from several viewpoints.
1. Context
Think of a situation where the language you are going to teach would be commonly used, preferably more than once. For example if you are telling a friend what you did on your last holiday you would naturally use the past simple tense. If you were talking about your next holiday you would probably use the “going to” form of the future.
You should try to make your situations as natural as possible and teach students the kind of English which is used in everyday life.
You then need to choose a Model Sentence. This is the first example of the new structure which you will practise. It should not be too long or complicated or contain any new vocabulary as these would distract from the new structure.
2. Concept
This is the exact grammatical meaning of the language form. For example the concept of the past simple as exemplified in the Model Sentence “I went to Paris on holiday last year” is: a completed action which took place at a finished time in the past.
Or, the concept of the present continuous as exemplified in the sentence “I’m having a cup of tea at the moment” is: an action in progress at the time of speaking. It is important for you as the teacher to be clear about the underlying concept of language you are teaching so that you can clarify it for your students.
3. Form
How the language is made up in the positive, negative and question form.
Being able to plan a lesson and a sequence of lessons is one of the essential criteria for passing a CELTA course. Lesson planning is extremely time consuming and you should expect to spend about three hours planning a forty minute lesson.
Before beginning to plan your lesson you should first think what type of lesson it is. Is the focus on teaching structure, practising a skill, teaching new lexis or a function, or is it a mixture? If the focus of the lesson is structural you should then analyse the structure you will teach and be sure you understand it yourself.
Next decide what you hope the students will be able to do at the end of your lesson then decide how you will help them to do it. Your lesson should be divided into stages each one with a different activity, and each stage should lead to the students having more confidence in using the target language or skill. Variety in a lesson helps to keep students’ attention. You should also think about the balance of interaction between the students and the teacher. In a good lesson the students should speak to each other and practise independently of the teacher. Written practice is important but is often reserved for homework.
Timing is very important. You must try to anticipate how long each activity will take. It is always advisable to do all exercises and readings yourself, and then if you double the time it took you, that is a reasonable amount of time to allow students to do the exercise.
Writing a lesson plan helps the teacher gain an overview of the lesson, the timing of each activity and the interaction between the students. On a training course candidates must always submit their lesson plan to their tutor before teaching. Filling in the lesson plan form should not simply be looked upon as a chore. By filling in all the sections on the form you should understand if your lesson is well balanced and well timed. A lesson plan form normally consists of a front page followed by pages for procedure. All the relevant spaces on the front page should be filled in and the procedure pages should be clear and easy to follow. Any teacher picking up your plan should be able to go into your classroom and teach the lesson.
It is essential for trainee teachers to understand the rationale behind each activity they ask students to do and this is why it is important to fill in the “aims” column on the form.
GRAMMAR
Some trainees have only a very sketchy idea of English grammar before starting a CELTA course. It is not possible to learn all the rules of English grammar in four weeks but it is vital that you learn to research grammar points thoroughly before teaching them. Students need to feel confident that their teacher knows his/her subject. As a native speaker you may know that something “sounds” right or wrong, but you must help your student know what is right and wrong and that means providing the student with some framework of rules for guidance.
PRE-LESSON LANGUAGE ANALYSIS
A Checklist:
Before you begin to plan a lesson in which you will present or practise a structural point it is important for you to thoroughly analyse the language you are going to teach, to understand its complexities from the students’ point of view. You must look at the language from several viewpoints.
1. Context
Think of a situation where the language you are going to teach would be commonly used, preferably more than once. For example if you are telling a friend what you did on your last holiday you would naturally use the past simple tense. If you were talking about your next holiday you would probably use the “going to” form of the future.
You should try to make your situations as natural as possible and teach students the kind of English which is used in everyday life.
You then need to choose a Model Sentence. This is the first example of the new structure which you will practise. It should not be too long or complicated or contain any new vocabulary as these would distract from the new structure.
2. Concept
This is the exact grammatical meaning of the language form. For example the concept of the past simple as exemplified in the Model Sentence “I went to Paris on holiday last year” is: a completed action which took place at a finished time in the past.
Or, the concept of the present continuous as exemplified in the sentence “I’m having a cup of tea at the moment” is: an action in progress at the time of speaking. It is important for you as the teacher to be clear about the underlying concept of language you are teaching so that you can clarify it for your students.
3. Form
How the language is made up in the positive, negative and question form.
Taking the example of the past simple:
Positive :
I |
went |
to |
Paris |
subject |
past simple verb |
preposition |
object |
Negative:
I |
didn't |
go |
to |
Rome. |
subject |
didn't |
base form verb |
preposition |
object. |
Question :
Did |
you |
go |
to |
Madrid? |
Did |
subject |
base form verb |
preposition |
object |
It is usual only to focus on the part of the sentence which contains the new structure. These boxes may seem confusing at first but they help to establish a pattern and should help you answer students’ questions, such as “Why can’t I say “I didn’t went”?” From the table you can see that after the auxiliary verb “did” we always use the base form of the verb which in this case is “go”.
4. Function
Certain grammatical structures may be used for various reasons when we speak. When we present a new structure it is often advisable to stick to using one function of the structure only. For example: your tutor has asked you to teach the first conditional. You have chosen a context: two children in a playground swapping items in their lunchbox.
You have decided that the concept of the first conditional is: one action in the future that is dependent on another one.
You have broken down the form:
Certain grammatical structures may be used for various reasons when we speak. When we present a new structure it is often advisable to stick to using one function of the structure only. For example: your tutor has asked you to teach the first conditional. You have chosen a context: two children in a playground swapping items in their lunchbox.
You have decided that the concept of the first conditional is: one action in the future that is dependent on another one.
You have broken down the form:
If |
subject |
present simple |
sybject |
will |
base form verb |
You have chosen a model sentence:
“If you give me your Twix I’ll give you an apple and a banana.”
Now you have to decide what the function of the sentence is. What are the children doing with the language?
In this case they are bargaining or negotiating.
The first conditional can be used to express different functions:
“If you give me your Twix I’ll give you an apple and a banana.”
Now you have to decide what the function of the sentence is. What are the children doing with the language?
In this case they are bargaining or negotiating.
The first conditional can be used to express different functions:
- threatening –If you do that again I’ll hit you.
- making provisional plans – We’ll go if the weather is nice.
- warning – You’ll be sick if you eat any more.
5. Pronunciation
What problems might students have pronouncing your model sentence? Which words are stressed? Is there a natural contraction? Do any of the words naturally run together when we speak? For example, in the sentence: “Give me an apple”. Where at normal speed “an apple” becomes “a napple” or in the sentence “ That’s the end” The word “the” changes from its usual pronunciation and is pronounced “thee”. This only happens when it is followed by a vowel sound. Another important feature of English pronunciation is the use of contractions. If a student says “I have got” rather than the more usual “I’ve got” he will sound stilted and “foreign”.
6. Areas of confusion
Can you think of any similar words or structures to the one you are teaching which students could become confused by? For example “say” and “tell”, and if you can think of any, how can you help the students to understand the difference? If the teacher thoroughly understands the areas of difficulty him/herself and has tried to anticipate student problems he/she will be less likely to become flustered when questioned by the students.
7. Appropriacy
Is the new language you are teaching appropriate to any situation? This question may not always be relevant especially in structural lessons but could be more important in lexical or functional lessons. For example if you were teaching various ways of making requests you may teach such phrases as:
a) Would you mind opening the window?
b) Could you possibly open the window?
c) Can you open the window please?
All these different ways of making a request are polite but not appropriate to every situation. A & B are much more formal than C. You would not usually use A & B to talk to a close friend or family member.
Considering every point on this checklist is essential if you are to write an adequate lesson plan.
PARTS OF SPEECH
As an English teacher you should be able to identify the basic parts of speech and your students will expect you to be able to do so. Unfortunately the British education system to a large extent neglects this area. Here is a basic list to help you if this is a weak area for you:
1. Give that book to me.
1. that = demonstrative adjective
2. What a lovely child!
2.. lovely =adjective
3. It’s a boy
3. a = indefinite article
4. It’s the truth.
4. the = definite article
5. He ran quickly
5. quickly = adverb of manner
6. He always gets up early.
6. always = adverb of frequency
7. It’s on the table.
7. on = preposition (of place)
8. Give it to me.
8. me = object pronoun
9. I like it.
9. I = subject pronoun.
10. It’s my book.
10. my = possessive adjective
11. It’s not yours.
11. yours = possessive pronoun
12. I need to go home.
12. to go = infinitive form of verb
13. I must go home now
13. go = base form (bare infinitive)
14. Have you forgotten ?
14. forgotten = past participle
15. I saw him last night
15. saw = past simple
16. I’d like to but I can’t.
16. but = linker/conjunction
17. What do you want?
17. do = auxiliary verb
18. I may tell you.
18. may =modal auxiliary
19. I’m walking to school.
19. walking = present participle
20. Walking is good for you.
20. walking = gerund
NB. The present participle and the gerund look exactly the same and are formed generally by taking the base form of the verb and adding
-ing. The gerund is used whenever a verb stands in the place of a noun either as the subject or object of a sentence,
What problems might students have pronouncing your model sentence? Which words are stressed? Is there a natural contraction? Do any of the words naturally run together when we speak? For example, in the sentence: “Give me an apple”. Where at normal speed “an apple” becomes “a napple” or in the sentence “ That’s the end” The word “the” changes from its usual pronunciation and is pronounced “thee”. This only happens when it is followed by a vowel sound. Another important feature of English pronunciation is the use of contractions. If a student says “I have got” rather than the more usual “I’ve got” he will sound stilted and “foreign”.
6. Areas of confusion
Can you think of any similar words or structures to the one you are teaching which students could become confused by? For example “say” and “tell”, and if you can think of any, how can you help the students to understand the difference? If the teacher thoroughly understands the areas of difficulty him/herself and has tried to anticipate student problems he/she will be less likely to become flustered when questioned by the students.
7. Appropriacy
Is the new language you are teaching appropriate to any situation? This question may not always be relevant especially in structural lessons but could be more important in lexical or functional lessons. For example if you were teaching various ways of making requests you may teach such phrases as:
a) Would you mind opening the window?
b) Could you possibly open the window?
c) Can you open the window please?
All these different ways of making a request are polite but not appropriate to every situation. A & B are much more formal than C. You would not usually use A & B to talk to a close friend or family member.
Considering every point on this checklist is essential if you are to write an adequate lesson plan.
PARTS OF SPEECH
As an English teacher you should be able to identify the basic parts of speech and your students will expect you to be able to do so. Unfortunately the British education system to a large extent neglects this area. Here is a basic list to help you if this is a weak area for you:
1. Give that book to me.
1. that = demonstrative adjective
2. What a lovely child!
2.. lovely =adjective
3. It’s a boy
3. a = indefinite article
4. It’s the truth.
4. the = definite article
5. He ran quickly
5. quickly = adverb of manner
6. He always gets up early.
6. always = adverb of frequency
7. It’s on the table.
7. on = preposition (of place)
8. Give it to me.
8. me = object pronoun
9. I like it.
9. I = subject pronoun.
10. It’s my book.
10. my = possessive adjective
11. It’s not yours.
11. yours = possessive pronoun
12. I need to go home.
12. to go = infinitive form of verb
13. I must go home now
13. go = base form (bare infinitive)
14. Have you forgotten ?
14. forgotten = past participle
15. I saw him last night
15. saw = past simple
16. I’d like to but I can’t.
16. but = linker/conjunction
17. What do you want?
17. do = auxiliary verb
18. I may tell you.
18. may =modal auxiliary
19. I’m walking to school.
19. walking = present participle
20. Walking is good for you.
20. walking = gerund
NB. The present participle and the gerund look exactly the same and are formed generally by taking the base form of the verb and adding
-ing. The gerund is used whenever a verb stands in the place of a noun either as the subject or object of a sentence,
TENSES
The Present Simple Tense
When a student begins learning English for the first time he/she will probably begin with the present of the verb to be.
Singular
I am
you are
he/she/it is
Plural
we are
you are
they are
Most course books begin with the verb “to be” used for introductions:
“Hello, I’m Pierre. This is my friend Marie”
When the present of the verb “to be” has been practised in question, positive and negative form, the next verb that may be introduced is the present of the verb “to have.” In British English the verb to have in the present tense normally comes with “got” to denote possession. This has probably grown up because of the British love of the contracted form such as I’ve and he’s, which could be confused with he is.
“Got” is only used with “have” when “have” is a stative verb and not when “have” is a dynamic verb and describes an action e.g. “I usually have a shower before breakfast”. In this sentence “have” could be replaced by another verb “take”.(see page 13)
When “have” is a stative verb it describes a situation, that of ownership.
Singular
I have
you have
he/she/it has
Plural
I have we have
you have you have
he/she/it has they have
The Present Simple Of Other Verbs
Most beginner course books next introduce the present simple to talk about everyday habit.
Form
In the positive the present simple is the same as the base form of the verb with the addition of “s” or “es” to the third person singular: he/she/it
Singular
I speak
you speak
he/she/it speaks
Plural
we speak
you speak
they speak
The form for the question and negative is more complicated and presents students with more problems as the auxiliary verb “do” is used.
Question Form
Do you speak? Does she speak?
Do/Does + subject + base form of verb
Negative Form
Singular
I don’t speak
you don’t speak
he/she/it doesn’t speak
Plural
we don’t speak
you don’t speak
they don’t speak
subject + don’t/doesn’t + verb base form
At beginner and elementary level the present simple is introduced to students with the function of speaking about everyday habit. A character is usually introduced and sentences about his everyday routine are practised.
There are, however, other functions of the present simple:
- to talk about timetabled or scheduled events in the future.
e.g. “My train leaves at five on Friday”
- to tell jokes or stories with a sense of immediacy.
e.g. “So this man walks into a pub with a crocodile and says……”
- In commentaries.
e.g. “ and Giggs passes to Sheringham and it’s a goal!”
These less frequently used functions are not usually introduced until Upper Intermediate level.
The Present Continuous
After the present simple has been practised many course books move on to introduce the present continuous.
Singular
I am learning
you are learning
he/she/it is learning
subject + am/is/are + present participle
Plural
we are learning
you are learning
they are learning
subject + are + present participle
Question Form
The question form is formed by inverting the subject and the appropriate part of the verb “to be”.
Negative Form
The negative form is made by adding “not” to the verb “to be”.
The form of the present continuous is not usually problematic for students.
The function of the present continuous which is normally introduced at Elementary levels is that of an action which is in progress at the moment of speaking.
e.g. She is riding her bicycle now.
Two other functions of the present continuous are:
- to speak about definite personal arrangements in the future.
e.g. I’m meeting Fred on Tuesday.
When we use the present continuous as a future tense we can speak about the near or distant future but we always include or imply a future time reference.
As this is a very common way to express the future it is taught to students at Elementary or Pre-Intermediate level.
- to express irritation with bad habits.
e.g. My flatmate is always leaving dirty dishes in the sink.
This use requires the inclusion of the adverb “always” between the verb “to be” and the present participle. This function of the present continuous is normally taught at Upper Intermediate level.
PROBLEMS WITH PRESENT TENSES
Stative and Dynamic Verbs
One possible problem for students when using the present continuous is that of stative and dynamic verbs. Stative verbs are those which describe a state or situation, not an action and cannot be used in a continuous form. Unfortunately the difference between stative and dynamic verbs is not fixed, and some verbs can cross the line from time to time. For example the verb “to be” is normally stative: we say “I’m cold now” not “I’m being cold”. However, we can say “You’re being silly” which describes behaviour in progress at the present, and if we say “You are silly” we are referring to a more permanent state or habitual behaviour. Some other stative verbs are: love, hate, like, believe, hear, see. These verbs are not usually used in any continuous form. The verb “to have” may be problematic. When “have” denotes possession it is a stative verb. It is not possible, for example to say “I’m having a new car”. But when “have” denotes an activity it is a dynamic verb and is used in the continuous form so we can say “I’m having my breakfast”. In British English this problem is simplified a little because when “have” denotes possession it is normally accompanied by “got”. Students can remember that “have got” never becomes continuous.
Simple v Continuous
Another problem for students when learning the present tenses is the fact that English has two present tenses while many languages do not. Students normally learn both tenses separately then the two are contrasted. This is usually done by contrasting a character’s everyday habit with what he’s doing today.
For example: Suzie is a nurse. She wears a uniform and she works in a hospital. She looks after sick children. Today is her day off. She isn’t wearing her uniform, she’s wearing jeans. She isn’t working, she’s cooking. Students can ask and answer questions about Suzie to contrast the two tenses“ What does she do every day?” “What’s she doing now?” This contrast between the two tenses is normally made at Elementary level.
THE PRESENT PERFECT
The Present Perfect Simple
The Present Perfect tense is one which is generally considered to be difficult for foreign learners. It has a variety of uses in British English and the rules that govern its use are subtle and not always clear cut. Most confusingly for students its use in American English is not exactly the same as in British English.
Form
subject + have/has + past participle
For example:
He has visited several countries.
or
I have had a cold recently
Use
There are three basic situations when we use the present perfect simple: -A recent event in the past with visible, emotional or tangible effect now.
e.g. “I’ve eaten too much.”-(and n ow I feel uncomfortable)
- To speak of previous experiences where the exact time is not mentioned and is probably not important.
e.g. “I’ve done this kind of thing before.”
-When an action or state which began in the past continues to the present. e.g. “She’s had that sore throat since Monday.”
This latter use is often found in conjunction with phrases which denote an unfinished time period such as: since, for, this week, so far, up to now.
Student Problems
1) Students have problems with the form of the tense as they have to memorise the irregular past participles. These can be found in the irregular verb tables at the back of course books and dictionaries. There may be some confusion with the past participle “been” which is generally considered to be the past participle of the verb “to be” but in fact is also used as one of the past participle of the verb “to go”.
If you look at these two sentences:
A “Where is Susan?”
“She’s gone out”
B “Have you been to Paris?”
“Yes I have. I went there last year”
You can see that in sentence A the past participle of the verb “to go” is “gone” and that in sentence B the past participle of the verb “to go” is “been”. We use “gone” when the person we are talking about is still away, and “been” when the person has returned. We can help students understand this with questions like: “Where is Susan now?” “In Paris” “Am I in Paris now?”. This problem is addressed in very few books. It is, however, mentioned in Raymond Murphy’s “English Grammar In Use”.
2) Students frequently fail to use the present perfect correctly when speaking about a past event with present effect, and use the past simple instead. This is natural enough as the event took place in the past. It is up to the teacher to emphasise the aspect of the present effect. For example, the student says “I lost my pen.” The teacher can ask, “Have you got your pen now? Is it still lost?”
This problem is compounded by the American usage where the present perfect is not used so much in this situation.
3). Students often want to substitute the present simple or continuous for the present perfect when talking about an action or situation which began in the past and continues up to the present. In this case the student is concentrating too much on the fact that the action or state is still in progress now. A typical student mistake is: “I am in London for six months” when the student means he has been in London for six months.
The teacher can help here by emphasising the period of time. Saying things like: “ When did you come to London? and “How can we talk about a period of time that started six months ago and continues now?”
4). When talking about a previous experience where an exact time is not stated, students may mistakenly use the past simple - saying something like: “Did you eat snails?” rather than “Have you eaten snails?”. Again this is quite logical for the student as the action referred to is in the past. The teacher can help the student to correct himself by saying: “Do we know exactly when it happened?” or “Is it important when it happened?”
5). Another problem with the present perfect when used to speak about an unfinished action or state is the overlap between the simple and continuous form.
The Present Perfect Continuous
Form
subject + have/has + been + present participle
I’ve been living in London for six months.
In this example and in others either the simple or continuous form are correct.
Both the above sentences are grammatically correct but the second one emphasises the ongoing nature of the action.
There are several problems for students when learning the present perfect continuous:
The Present Simple Tense
When a student begins learning English for the first time he/she will probably begin with the present of the verb to be.
Singular
I am
you are
he/she/it is
Plural
we are
you are
they are
Most course books begin with the verb “to be” used for introductions:
“Hello, I’m Pierre. This is my friend Marie”
When the present of the verb “to be” has been practised in question, positive and negative form, the next verb that may be introduced is the present of the verb “to have.” In British English the verb to have in the present tense normally comes with “got” to denote possession. This has probably grown up because of the British love of the contracted form such as I’ve and he’s, which could be confused with he is.
“Got” is only used with “have” when “have” is a stative verb and not when “have” is a dynamic verb and describes an action e.g. “I usually have a shower before breakfast”. In this sentence “have” could be replaced by another verb “take”.(see page 13)
When “have” is a stative verb it describes a situation, that of ownership.
Singular
I have
you have
he/she/it has
Plural
I have we have
you have you have
he/she/it has they have
The Present Simple Of Other Verbs
Most beginner course books next introduce the present simple to talk about everyday habit.
Form
In the positive the present simple is the same as the base form of the verb with the addition of “s” or “es” to the third person singular: he/she/it
Singular
I speak
you speak
he/she/it speaks
Plural
we speak
you speak
they speak
The form for the question and negative is more complicated and presents students with more problems as the auxiliary verb “do” is used.
Question Form
Do you speak? Does she speak?
Do/Does + subject + base form of verb
Negative Form
Singular
I don’t speak
you don’t speak
he/she/it doesn’t speak
Plural
we don’t speak
you don’t speak
they don’t speak
subject + don’t/doesn’t + verb base form
At beginner and elementary level the present simple is introduced to students with the function of speaking about everyday habit. A character is usually introduced and sentences about his everyday routine are practised.
There are, however, other functions of the present simple:
- to talk about timetabled or scheduled events in the future.
e.g. “My train leaves at five on Friday”
- to tell jokes or stories with a sense of immediacy.
e.g. “So this man walks into a pub with a crocodile and says……”
- In commentaries.
e.g. “ and Giggs passes to Sheringham and it’s a goal!”
These less frequently used functions are not usually introduced until Upper Intermediate level.
The Present Continuous
After the present simple has been practised many course books move on to introduce the present continuous.
Singular
I am learning
you are learning
he/she/it is learning
subject + am/is/are + present participle
Plural
we are learning
you are learning
they are learning
subject + are + present participle
Question Form
The question form is formed by inverting the subject and the appropriate part of the verb “to be”.
Negative Form
The negative form is made by adding “not” to the verb “to be”.
The form of the present continuous is not usually problematic for students.
The function of the present continuous which is normally introduced at Elementary levels is that of an action which is in progress at the moment of speaking.
e.g. She is riding her bicycle now.
Two other functions of the present continuous are:
- to speak about definite personal arrangements in the future.
e.g. I’m meeting Fred on Tuesday.
When we use the present continuous as a future tense we can speak about the near or distant future but we always include or imply a future time reference.
As this is a very common way to express the future it is taught to students at Elementary or Pre-Intermediate level.
- to express irritation with bad habits.
e.g. My flatmate is always leaving dirty dishes in the sink.
This use requires the inclusion of the adverb “always” between the verb “to be” and the present participle. This function of the present continuous is normally taught at Upper Intermediate level.
PROBLEMS WITH PRESENT TENSES
Stative and Dynamic Verbs
One possible problem for students when using the present continuous is that of stative and dynamic verbs. Stative verbs are those which describe a state or situation, not an action and cannot be used in a continuous form. Unfortunately the difference between stative and dynamic verbs is not fixed, and some verbs can cross the line from time to time. For example the verb “to be” is normally stative: we say “I’m cold now” not “I’m being cold”. However, we can say “You’re being silly” which describes behaviour in progress at the present, and if we say “You are silly” we are referring to a more permanent state or habitual behaviour. Some other stative verbs are: love, hate, like, believe, hear, see. These verbs are not usually used in any continuous form. The verb “to have” may be problematic. When “have” denotes possession it is a stative verb. It is not possible, for example to say “I’m having a new car”. But when “have” denotes an activity it is a dynamic verb and is used in the continuous form so we can say “I’m having my breakfast”. In British English this problem is simplified a little because when “have” denotes possession it is normally accompanied by “got”. Students can remember that “have got” never becomes continuous.
Simple v Continuous
Another problem for students when learning the present tenses is the fact that English has two present tenses while many languages do not. Students normally learn both tenses separately then the two are contrasted. This is usually done by contrasting a character’s everyday habit with what he’s doing today.
For example: Suzie is a nurse. She wears a uniform and she works in a hospital. She looks after sick children. Today is her day off. She isn’t wearing her uniform, she’s wearing jeans. She isn’t working, she’s cooking. Students can ask and answer questions about Suzie to contrast the two tenses“ What does she do every day?” “What’s she doing now?” This contrast between the two tenses is normally made at Elementary level.
THE PRESENT PERFECT
The Present Perfect Simple
The Present Perfect tense is one which is generally considered to be difficult for foreign learners. It has a variety of uses in British English and the rules that govern its use are subtle and not always clear cut. Most confusingly for students its use in American English is not exactly the same as in British English.
Form
subject + have/has + past participle
For example:
He has visited several countries.
or
I have had a cold recently
Use
There are three basic situations when we use the present perfect simple: -A recent event in the past with visible, emotional or tangible effect now.
e.g. “I’ve eaten too much.”-(and n ow I feel uncomfortable)
- To speak of previous experiences where the exact time is not mentioned and is probably not important.
e.g. “I’ve done this kind of thing before.”
-When an action or state which began in the past continues to the present. e.g. “She’s had that sore throat since Monday.”
This latter use is often found in conjunction with phrases which denote an unfinished time period such as: since, for, this week, so far, up to now.
Student Problems
1) Students have problems with the form of the tense as they have to memorise the irregular past participles. These can be found in the irregular verb tables at the back of course books and dictionaries. There may be some confusion with the past participle “been” which is generally considered to be the past participle of the verb “to be” but in fact is also used as one of the past participle of the verb “to go”.
If you look at these two sentences:
A “Where is Susan?”
“She’s gone out”
B “Have you been to Paris?”
“Yes I have. I went there last year”
You can see that in sentence A the past participle of the verb “to go” is “gone” and that in sentence B the past participle of the verb “to go” is “been”. We use “gone” when the person we are talking about is still away, and “been” when the person has returned. We can help students understand this with questions like: “Where is Susan now?” “In Paris” “Am I in Paris now?”. This problem is addressed in very few books. It is, however, mentioned in Raymond Murphy’s “English Grammar In Use”.
2) Students frequently fail to use the present perfect correctly when speaking about a past event with present effect, and use the past simple instead. This is natural enough as the event took place in the past. It is up to the teacher to emphasise the aspect of the present effect. For example, the student says “I lost my pen.” The teacher can ask, “Have you got your pen now? Is it still lost?”
This problem is compounded by the American usage where the present perfect is not used so much in this situation.
3). Students often want to substitute the present simple or continuous for the present perfect when talking about an action or situation which began in the past and continues up to the present. In this case the student is concentrating too much on the fact that the action or state is still in progress now. A typical student mistake is: “I am in London for six months” when the student means he has been in London for six months.
The teacher can help here by emphasising the period of time. Saying things like: “ When did you come to London? and “How can we talk about a period of time that started six months ago and continues now?”
4). When talking about a previous experience where an exact time is not stated, students may mistakenly use the past simple - saying something like: “Did you eat snails?” rather than “Have you eaten snails?”. Again this is quite logical for the student as the action referred to is in the past. The teacher can help the student to correct himself by saying: “Do we know exactly when it happened?” or “Is it important when it happened?”
5). Another problem with the present perfect when used to speak about an unfinished action or state is the overlap between the simple and continuous form.
The Present Perfect Continuous
Form
subject + have/has + been + present participle
I’ve been living in London for six months.
In this example and in others either the simple or continuous form are correct.
- I’ve worked here since 1995
- I’ve been working here since 1995
Both the above sentences are grammatically correct but the second one emphasises the ongoing nature of the action.
There are several problems for students when learning the present perfect continuous:
- Stative verbs cannot take the continuous form. That is verbs like “to be” “believe” “like” and “love”. These are verbs which describe a situation not an action. You cannot say “How long have you been being a teacher?” even though the action is ongoing. The present perfect simple must be used.
- The present perfect continuous is not always used to describe actions that are still ongoing at the moment of speaking. It may be used to speak about an action that was ongoing recently and has some present effect/visible result. e.g. “You’ve been sunbathing, haven’t you?” would be said to someone who had a visible suntan.
- The present perfect continuous is not used to speak about repeated completed actions. So although it is perfectly correct to say “I’ve been eating a lot of pizzas recently.” It is not correct to say “I’ve been eating five pizzas recently” This is a difficult point for students.
THE PAST
Past Simple
The first introduction for students to the past simple is usually the past of the verb “to be”.
Singular
I was
you were
he/she/it was
Plural
we were
you were
they were
This is dealt with in various ways by different course books but one situation which can be used is to introduce a police interview situation. This provides ample question and answer practice such as: “Where were you yesterday?” “I was at home”. Another very clear way of introducing the past simple is to revise the days of the week and teach “Today is Tuesday” “Yesterday was Monday”.
When students are comfortable with manipulating the past simple of the verb “to be”, other verbs can be introduced. When introducing the past simple of other verbs the teacher must decide whether to introduce a limited number of common regular and irregular verbs, or to introduce regular verbs first and then irregular verbs.
The difference between the two types of verbs is that the past simple of regular verbs is formed by taking the base form of the verb and adding –ed or-d whereas irregular verbs have to be memorised individually e.g. “forget – forgot “ Tables of irregular verbs can be found at the back of most course books.
Form
Positive
subject + past simple
I went
Negative
subject + did + not + verb base form
I didn’t go
Question
did + subject + go
Did you go?
Use
The past simple is mainly used to talk about completed actions, which took place at a completed time in the past.
e.g. I saw him yesterday.
Pronunciation
Regular verbs in the past simple pose a pronunciation problem for students because the “ed” ending is pronounced as a “t” with verbs whose base form ends with an unvoiced consonant such as “wash” and “bath” and as a “d” with verbs whose base form ends with a voiced consonant sound such as “clean” and “arrive”. Those regular verbs whose base forms end with “t” “d” or “de” have the final “ed” pronounced as “id”. These are verbs such as “wait”, “paint” and “mend”.
The Unreal Past
The simple past is not always used to speak about the past. It can be used to talk about the present or future, especially when the event we are talking about is unlikely to happen or imaginary.
1. With “wish” to express dissatisfaction with the present e.g. “I wish I lived in Paris”. The speaker wishes he/she lived in Paris now. The use of the past tense shows that the speaker doesn’t live in Paris.
2. It’s time + past simple e.g. “It’s time you grew up”.
Again the speaker is referring to the present but the sentence implies a lack of hope of any change in behaviour, and also a feeling that the appropriate time for growing up in this situation is past.
3. Would rather + past simple
subject + would + rather + new subject + past simple
I’d rather you stayed at home.
Again the speaker is using the past simple to speak about the present. The use of the past simple makes the speaker more removed and distant and therefore more formal than if the speaker had said “Please stay at home”
4. Second Conditional
If + subject + past simple + subject + would + verb base form
If I had a lot of money, I’d buy a car.
Here the speaker is talking about the present but the situation is imaginary. The speaker cannot buy a car.
These occasions, when the past simple is used to talk about the present, are not normally taught until Intermediate level or above.
Past Simple
The first introduction for students to the past simple is usually the past of the verb “to be”.
Singular
I was
you were
he/she/it was
Plural
we were
you were
they were
This is dealt with in various ways by different course books but one situation which can be used is to introduce a police interview situation. This provides ample question and answer practice such as: “Where were you yesterday?” “I was at home”. Another very clear way of introducing the past simple is to revise the days of the week and teach “Today is Tuesday” “Yesterday was Monday”.
When students are comfortable with manipulating the past simple of the verb “to be”, other verbs can be introduced. When introducing the past simple of other verbs the teacher must decide whether to introduce a limited number of common regular and irregular verbs, or to introduce regular verbs first and then irregular verbs.
The difference between the two types of verbs is that the past simple of regular verbs is formed by taking the base form of the verb and adding –ed or-d whereas irregular verbs have to be memorised individually e.g. “forget – forgot “ Tables of irregular verbs can be found at the back of most course books.
Form
Positive
subject + past simple
I went
Negative
subject + did + not + verb base form
I didn’t go
Question
did + subject + go
Did you go?
Use
The past simple is mainly used to talk about completed actions, which took place at a completed time in the past.
e.g. I saw him yesterday.
Pronunciation
Regular verbs in the past simple pose a pronunciation problem for students because the “ed” ending is pronounced as a “t” with verbs whose base form ends with an unvoiced consonant such as “wash” and “bath” and as a “d” with verbs whose base form ends with a voiced consonant sound such as “clean” and “arrive”. Those regular verbs whose base forms end with “t” “d” or “de” have the final “ed” pronounced as “id”. These are verbs such as “wait”, “paint” and “mend”.
The Unreal Past
The simple past is not always used to speak about the past. It can be used to talk about the present or future, especially when the event we are talking about is unlikely to happen or imaginary.
1. With “wish” to express dissatisfaction with the present e.g. “I wish I lived in Paris”. The speaker wishes he/she lived in Paris now. The use of the past tense shows that the speaker doesn’t live in Paris.
2. It’s time + past simple e.g. “It’s time you grew up”.
Again the speaker is referring to the present but the sentence implies a lack of hope of any change in behaviour, and also a feeling that the appropriate time for growing up in this situation is past.
3. Would rather + past simple
subject + would + rather + new subject + past simple
I’d rather you stayed at home.
Again the speaker is using the past simple to speak about the present. The use of the past simple makes the speaker more removed and distant and therefore more formal than if the speaker had said “Please stay at home”
4. Second Conditional
If + subject + past simple + subject + would + verb base form
If I had a lot of money, I’d buy a car.
Here the speaker is talking about the present but the situation is imaginary. The speaker cannot buy a car.
These occasions, when the past simple is used to talk about the present, are not normally taught until Intermediate level or above.
The Past Continuous
Form
subject + was/were + present participle
I was having a bath.
Use
The past continuous is used to speak about an action which was in progress at an exact point in the past. In other words, the action had started before the point in the past and was going on at that precise moment.
e.g. “I was having dinner at 8p.m.”
In this situation the speaker started dinner some time before 8pm. and at 8pm dinner was not over. This tense can easily be clarified by a time line.
____________________I____________I___________________________________
Past dinner started 8pm Future
The dotted line shows that dinner may or may not have continued after 8pm.
The Past Continuous is often used to show that an action was in progress when something else happened. This is usually referred to as the Interrupted Past Continuous e.g. “I was having dinner when the bomb exploded”
Form
subject + was/were + present participle + when + subject + past simple
The sentence is equally correct with the clauses reversed.
“When the bomb exploded I was having dinner”
Also “when” can change positions without changing the meaning.
“The bomb exploded when I was having dinner”
“While” may replace “when” without changing the meaning of the sentence but it can only be used in front of the clause with the past continuous, not the clause with the past simple.
“The bomb exploded while I was having dinner”
NOT
“While the bomb exploded I was having dinner.”
“While” is commonly used when the past continuous is used to talk about two actions which were in progress simultaneously.
“While the police were defusing the bomb I was having dinner”
The past continuous is vital for any kind of narrative and is usually taught at late Elementary/Pre-Intermediate level.
Form
subject + was/were + present participle
I was having a bath.
Use
The past continuous is used to speak about an action which was in progress at an exact point in the past. In other words, the action had started before the point in the past and was going on at that precise moment.
e.g. “I was having dinner at 8p.m.”
In this situation the speaker started dinner some time before 8pm. and at 8pm dinner was not over. This tense can easily be clarified by a time line.
____________________I____________I___________________________________
Past dinner started 8pm Future
The dotted line shows that dinner may or may not have continued after 8pm.
The Past Continuous is often used to show that an action was in progress when something else happened. This is usually referred to as the Interrupted Past Continuous e.g. “I was having dinner when the bomb exploded”
Form
subject + was/were + present participle + when + subject + past simple
The sentence is equally correct with the clauses reversed.
“When the bomb exploded I was having dinner”
Also “when” can change positions without changing the meaning.
“The bomb exploded when I was having dinner”
“While” may replace “when” without changing the meaning of the sentence but it can only be used in front of the clause with the past continuous, not the clause with the past simple.
“The bomb exploded while I was having dinner”
NOT
“While the bomb exploded I was having dinner.”
“While” is commonly used when the past continuous is used to talk about two actions which were in progress simultaneously.
“While the police were defusing the bomb I was having dinner”
The past continuous is vital for any kind of narrative and is usually taught at late Elementary/Pre-Intermediate level.
The Past Perfect
Form
subject + had + past participle
I had visited Paris.
Use
The past perfect is used to recount a series of events which happened in the past to indicate which of two events happened first.
e.g. 8.00am The robbery took place.
8.15 am The police arrived.
To express this sequence of events in one sentence in one sentence the past perfect is used to show which event happened first.
“The robbery had taken place when the police arrived.”
OR
“When the police arrived the robbery had taken place.”
So the past perfect is normally used in a sentence with more than one clause and in conjunction with the past simple.
Form
subject + had + past participle
I had visited Paris.
Use
The past perfect is used to recount a series of events which happened in the past to indicate which of two events happened first.
e.g. 8.00am The robbery took place.
8.15 am The police arrived.
To express this sequence of events in one sentence in one sentence the past perfect is used to show which event happened first.
“The robbery had taken place when the police arrived.”
OR
“When the police arrived the robbery had taken place.”
So the past perfect is normally used in a sentence with more than one clause and in conjunction with the past simple.
The Past Perfect Continuous
Form
subject + had been + present participle
I had been waiting.
Use
This tense is used to describe an action or state which started in the past and continued up to a point in the past.
This tense can also be clarified by a time line:
~~~~~~~~ past__________I_____________I_________I__________________________
future my father started work my father retired now
When my father retired he’d been working for the same company for thirty years.
The past perfect continuous and simple are useful narrative tenses but should not be taught before Intermediate level as students tend to overuse them.
Used to
Form
subject + used to + verb base form
I used to live in the country.
Question form
did + subject + use to + base form
Did you use to smoke?
Negative form
subject + didn’t use to + base form
I didn’t use to have a beard
Use
We use this form to talk about a discontinued past habit or state. Something we did or experienced more than once in the past but do no longer.
Form
subject + had been + present participle
I had been waiting.
Use
This tense is used to describe an action or state which started in the past and continued up to a point in the past.
This tense can also be clarified by a time line:
~~~~~~~~ past__________I_____________I_________I__________________________
future my father started work my father retired now
When my father retired he’d been working for the same company for thirty years.
The past perfect continuous and simple are useful narrative tenses but should not be taught before Intermediate level as students tend to overuse them.
Used to
Form
subject + used to + verb base form
I used to live in the country.
Question form
did + subject + use to + base form
Did you use to smoke?
Negative form
subject + didn’t use to + base form
I didn’t use to have a beard
Use
We use this form to talk about a discontinued past habit or state. Something we did or experienced more than once in the past but do no longer.
THE FUTURE
The many different ways to talk about the future makes this a very difficult area for students. The choice of future form in English does not depend on when we are speaking about, but also on the situation and the attitude of mind of the speaker. Whether the speaker is predicting, speculating, making a plan or talking about a definite arrangement affects which future form we subconsciously choose. The order in which the future forms are taught may vary and different teachers may have firm views about the correct order but generally the first form taught is the “going to” form of the future because it can be used in more everyday situations without sounding so “foreign” as “will” when it is incorrectly used.
Going to
Form
subject
am / is / are
going
to
verb base
form
I’m going to cook tonight.
Question form
am / is / are
subject
going
to
verb base
form
Are you going to call him?
Negative form
subject + am / is / are + not + going + to + base form
I’m not going to go there again.
Use
This form has two uses:
1. To speak about plans and intentions.
2. To speak about predictions which we feel are inevitable from present evidence. For example if we see two cars driving towards each other at high speed we would probably say “There’s going to be an accident”.
The many different ways to talk about the future makes this a very difficult area for students. The choice of future form in English does not depend on when we are speaking about, but also on the situation and the attitude of mind of the speaker. Whether the speaker is predicting, speculating, making a plan or talking about a definite arrangement affects which future form we subconsciously choose. The order in which the future forms are taught may vary and different teachers may have firm views about the correct order but generally the first form taught is the “going to” form of the future because it can be used in more everyday situations without sounding so “foreign” as “will” when it is incorrectly used.
Going to
Form
subject
am / is / are
going
to
verb base
form
I’m going to cook tonight.
Question form
am / is / are
subject
going
to
verb base
form
Are you going to call him?
Negative form
subject + am / is / are + not + going + to + base form
I’m not going to go there again.
Use
This form has two uses:
1. To speak about plans and intentions.
2. To speak about predictions which we feel are inevitable from present evidence. For example if we see two cars driving towards each other at high speed we would probably say “There’s going to be an accident”.
The Present Continuous
This tense can be used to speak about the future as well as the present. When it is used as a future tense it is used to speak about definite and usually personal future arrangements. For example “I’m meeting Fred for dinner tonight.”
As it is first and foremost a present tense when we use it to speak about future arrangements there must be some stated or implied future time reference.
The Future Simple
Form
subject
will
verb base form
I’ll see you later.
Question form
will
subject
verb base form
Will you come?
Negative form
subject
will not (won’t)
verb base form
He won’t come.
Use
The future simple is the one future form that foreign learners usually find easy and remember. This leads them to overuse it and sound unnatural. The future simple is not the most commonly used future form but it does have many uses.
1. Spontaneous decisions. “I know, I’ll go to the party as Snow White!”
2. Simple predictions. “He’ll go far in life!”
3. Promises and warnings. “I’ll write” / “You’ll be sick!”
4. Offers. “I’ll help!”
5. In the first Conditional “If you do that again, I’ll bop you.”
The Future Continuous
Form
subject
will
be
present participle
I’ll be having dinner.
Use
1. It is used to speak about an action which will be in progress at a particular point in the future. For example when discussing a good time for a friend to phone you may say “Don’t phone at six because we’ll be having dinner.”
2. To make a prediction about the present or future based on what generally happens. For example if you are on holiday and thinking about the wage slaves you have left behind you might say “They’ll be opening the post in the office now”.
The Future Perfect Simple
Form
subject
will
have
past participle
I’ll have finished by then.
Use
To speak about an action, series of actions, or a state which will be completed before a point in the future.
The Future Perfect Continuous
Form
subject
will
have
been
present
participle
I’ll have been working here 20 years in February.
Use
To speak about an action, series of actions or state which continues from a point in time either past present or future which will continue up to a point in the future.
“In February I’ll have been working here for twenty years”
This tense can be used to speak about the future as well as the present. When it is used as a future tense it is used to speak about definite and usually personal future arrangements. For example “I’m meeting Fred for dinner tonight.”
As it is first and foremost a present tense when we use it to speak about future arrangements there must be some stated or implied future time reference.
The Future Simple
Form
subject
will
verb base form
I’ll see you later.
Question form
will
subject
verb base form
Will you come?
Negative form
subject
will not (won’t)
verb base form
He won’t come.
Use
The future simple is the one future form that foreign learners usually find easy and remember. This leads them to overuse it and sound unnatural. The future simple is not the most commonly used future form but it does have many uses.
1. Spontaneous decisions. “I know, I’ll go to the party as Snow White!”
2. Simple predictions. “He’ll go far in life!”
3. Promises and warnings. “I’ll write” / “You’ll be sick!”
4. Offers. “I’ll help!”
5. In the first Conditional “If you do that again, I’ll bop you.”
The Future Continuous
Form
subject
will
be
present participle
I’ll be having dinner.
Use
1. It is used to speak about an action which will be in progress at a particular point in the future. For example when discussing a good time for a friend to phone you may say “Don’t phone at six because we’ll be having dinner.”
2. To make a prediction about the present or future based on what generally happens. For example if you are on holiday and thinking about the wage slaves you have left behind you might say “They’ll be opening the post in the office now”.
The Future Perfect Simple
Form
subject
will
have
past participle
I’ll have finished by then.
Use
To speak about an action, series of actions, or a state which will be completed before a point in the future.
The Future Perfect Continuous
Form
subject
will
have
been
present
participle
I’ll have been working here 20 years in February.
Use
To speak about an action, series of actions or state which continues from a point in time either past present or future which will continue up to a point in the future.
“In February I’ll have been working here for twenty years”
TEN THINGS WHICH MIGHT HAPPEN TO YOU ON A COURSE AND HOW TO REACT
1. You felt your interviewer was nit-picking. You were accepted but with many warnings.
A. The interviewer warns you about the course for your own good. It’s not good for you or the centre if you fail or drop out half way through. They have accepted you which means they think you have a good chance of passing. The “nit-picking” was to alert you to areas for you to concentrate on to make the course a success for you.
2. You arrive on the first day and find that nearly everyone else has previous teaching experience of one kind or another. You have none.
A. Don’t worry. Previous teaching experience does help with the initial nervousness of standing up in front of a class, but it can, sometimes, be a disadvantage. Old habits may be hard to change and experienced teachers may find it hard to take criticism from their tutors.
3. You are divided into TP groups of 4, 5 or 6. You have to work quite closely with the other trainees but one of them is quite a difficult character.
A This situation could be to your advantage. The ability to work as part of a team is considered very important on a CELTA course. If you show your tutor that you are making an effort to liaise with this character and help the group pull together this will count favourably in your final assessment.
4. The trainee due to teach before you is absent.
A. In this situation your tutor may offer to fill in for the missing trainee. More likely you, and the other trainee teaching that day, will be asked to extend your sessions. Your tutor will help you to extend your lesson and you will gain credit for being flexible and helpful.
5. A member of your TP group gives a dreadful lesson and you are asked to lead feedback.
A. Despite any feelings of loyalty or solidarity you may feel for the other trainee you mustn’t say you thought it was all right if it wasn’t. Try to pick out some of the worse points and phrase them as questions. For example “Do you think the students were clear about what they had to do?”
OR
“Do you think there was enough student involvement?”
Then let the trainee who taught and the tutor decide what was right and wrong. It is very important to speak up in feedback.
6. You do a dreadful lesson and the assessor is there.
A. Don’t panic. The course is continually assessed and nobody passes or fails on one lesson. As soon as you have finished teaching, sit down and make notes on why you think the lesson was unsuccessful and how it could be improved if you had to teach it again. It is not enough to say “It was a disaster!”. You will gain credit for being able to analyse your lesson and pinpoint your mistakes. You could give your notes immediately to your tutor or wait until feedback and ask to speak first. Don’t worry about the assessor. It is your tutor who decides your final grade.
7. You are giving a listening skills lesson but the tape recorder breaks or you lose the place on the tape.
A. Try not to panic. You should have a copy of the tape script with you. It will appear at the back of the course book or in the Teachers’ book. If you haven’t got the tape script with you, delegate one of the observers to nip out and fetch the appropriate books. Then simply read the tape script yourself.
8. You think your tutor has taken a personal dislike to you.
A. You are probably imagining it. We all think that we can take criticism but in practice it is very hard. From your tutor’s point of view he/she sees you making mistakes and wants to help you get it right. However, if there is a real clash of personalities feel free to mention it to your other tutor and he/she should be available to mediate.
9. You leave your lesson plan on the bus.
A. Serious but not terminal. Go somewhere quiet and try to retrieve as much as possible from your memory and scribble it down. Tell your tutor what has happened as soon as possible. We are all human, but try not to get a reputation for disorganisation.
10. Your bag, with your Candidate Record Booklet - CELTA 5, is stolen.
A. In theory this should never happen because your Candidate Record Booklet - CELTA 5 should never be in your bag. It should never leave the building. This is a serious situation but the centre should have copies of your feedback from TP and so long as your written assignments have been marked and the result recorded it should be OK. However, this will require approval from Cambridge English. Any unmarked written work will have to be re-done.
Anne Candan
© ELH Teacher Training June 2000
1. You felt your interviewer was nit-picking. You were accepted but with many warnings.
A. The interviewer warns you about the course for your own good. It’s not good for you or the centre if you fail or drop out half way through. They have accepted you which means they think you have a good chance of passing. The “nit-picking” was to alert you to areas for you to concentrate on to make the course a success for you.
2. You arrive on the first day and find that nearly everyone else has previous teaching experience of one kind or another. You have none.
A. Don’t worry. Previous teaching experience does help with the initial nervousness of standing up in front of a class, but it can, sometimes, be a disadvantage. Old habits may be hard to change and experienced teachers may find it hard to take criticism from their tutors.
3. You are divided into TP groups of 4, 5 or 6. You have to work quite closely with the other trainees but one of them is quite a difficult character.
A This situation could be to your advantage. The ability to work as part of a team is considered very important on a CELTA course. If you show your tutor that you are making an effort to liaise with this character and help the group pull together this will count favourably in your final assessment.
4. The trainee due to teach before you is absent.
A. In this situation your tutor may offer to fill in for the missing trainee. More likely you, and the other trainee teaching that day, will be asked to extend your sessions. Your tutor will help you to extend your lesson and you will gain credit for being flexible and helpful.
5. A member of your TP group gives a dreadful lesson and you are asked to lead feedback.
A. Despite any feelings of loyalty or solidarity you may feel for the other trainee you mustn’t say you thought it was all right if it wasn’t. Try to pick out some of the worse points and phrase them as questions. For example “Do you think the students were clear about what they had to do?”
OR
“Do you think there was enough student involvement?”
Then let the trainee who taught and the tutor decide what was right and wrong. It is very important to speak up in feedback.
6. You do a dreadful lesson and the assessor is there.
A. Don’t panic. The course is continually assessed and nobody passes or fails on one lesson. As soon as you have finished teaching, sit down and make notes on why you think the lesson was unsuccessful and how it could be improved if you had to teach it again. It is not enough to say “It was a disaster!”. You will gain credit for being able to analyse your lesson and pinpoint your mistakes. You could give your notes immediately to your tutor or wait until feedback and ask to speak first. Don’t worry about the assessor. It is your tutor who decides your final grade.
7. You are giving a listening skills lesson but the tape recorder breaks or you lose the place on the tape.
A. Try not to panic. You should have a copy of the tape script with you. It will appear at the back of the course book or in the Teachers’ book. If you haven’t got the tape script with you, delegate one of the observers to nip out and fetch the appropriate books. Then simply read the tape script yourself.
8. You think your tutor has taken a personal dislike to you.
A. You are probably imagining it. We all think that we can take criticism but in practice it is very hard. From your tutor’s point of view he/she sees you making mistakes and wants to help you get it right. However, if there is a real clash of personalities feel free to mention it to your other tutor and he/she should be available to mediate.
9. You leave your lesson plan on the bus.
A. Serious but not terminal. Go somewhere quiet and try to retrieve as much as possible from your memory and scribble it down. Tell your tutor what has happened as soon as possible. We are all human, but try not to get a reputation for disorganisation.
10. Your bag, with your Candidate Record Booklet - CELTA 5, is stolen.
A. In theory this should never happen because your Candidate Record Booklet - CELTA 5 should never be in your bag. It should never leave the building. This is a serious situation but the centre should have copies of your feedback from TP and so long as your written assignments have been marked and the result recorded it should be OK. However, this will require approval from Cambridge English. Any unmarked written work will have to be re-done.
Anne Candan
© ELH Teacher Training June 2000