Lesson Plan | Traditional Methodology | Verbs: Simple Past Regular and Irregular Verbs

Objectives

Duration: 10 - 15 minutes

The purpose of this stage is to establish the foundations for understanding the simple past in English, both for regular and irregular verbs. By clearly defining the objectives, students will know what to expect from the lesson and what skills should be developed by the end of it. This will also help the teacher keep the focus and direction of the content to be addressed.

Main Objectives

1. Understand the formation of the simple past of regular verbs in English.

2. Identify and differentiate regular and irregular verbs in the simple past.

3. Apply the knowledge of the simple past in practical examples and exercises.

Introduction

Duration: 10 - 15 minutes

The purpose of this stage is to establish the foundations for understanding the simple past in English, both for regular and irregular verbs. By clearly defining the objectives, students will know what to expect from the lesson and what skills should be developed by the end of it. This will also help the teacher keep the focus and direction of the content to be addressed.

Context

To start the lesson on the simple past of verbs in English, it is essential to contextualize students about the importance of this verb tense in everyday communication. Explain that the simple past is used to describe actions that happened and were completed in the past. Highlight that whether in informal conversations about what they did over the weekend or in more elaborate narratives, the correct use of the simple past is fundamental for clarity and precision in communication.

Curiosities

Did you know that many irregular verbs in English have historical roots that date back to Old English and the influences of other languages, such as Latin and French? For example, the verb 'go' has its past form 'went,' which originally was a completely different verb, 'wend.' These curiosities show how language evolves over time.

Development

Duration: 50 - 60 minutes

The purpose of this stage is to provide a detailed and practical understanding of the formation and use of the simple past in English, both for regular and irregular verbs. By explicitly addressing the structure of sentences and providing concrete examples, students will be able to better assimilate the rules and exceptions, applying this knowledge in practical exercises that reinforce learning.

Covered Topics

1. Formation of the Simple Past for Regular Verbs: Explain that regular verbs in the simple past are formed by adding the suffix -ed to the base verb. Provide examples such as walk which becomes walked, and play which becomes played. Highlight the importance of spelling rules, such as the doubling of consonants in monosyllabic verbs ending in consonant-vowel-consonant (e.g., stop → stopped). 2. Irregular Verbs in the Simple Past: Detail that irregular verbs do not follow a fixed rule for past formation and must be memorized. Exemplify with common verbs like go which becomes went, and see which becomes saw. Explain that practice and memorization are essential to mastering these verbs. 3. Use of the Simple Past in Affirmative, Negative, and Interrogative Sentences: Explain how to construct affirmative sentences in the simple past, using both regular and irregular verbs. Then, show the formation of negative sentences using the auxiliary did not (or didn't) followed by the base form of the verb. For example, I did not (didn't) go. For questions, explain the inversion of the subject with the auxiliary did. Exemplify: Did you go?.

Classroom Questions

1. Conjugate the regular verb to jump in the affirmative, negative, and interrogative forms in the simple past. 2. Transform the sentence She writes a letter to the simple past using the irregular verb to write. 3. Complete the sentence in the simple past: Yesterday, we ___ (to eat) at a new restaurant.

Questions Discussion

Duration: 20 - 25 minutes

The purpose of this stage is to review and consolidate the knowledge acquired during the lesson, ensuring that students fully understand how to form and use the simple past, both for regular and irregular verbs. By discussing the answers and reflecting on the content, students can clarify doubts, reinforce learning, and apply knowledge practically.

Discussion

• 1. Conjugate the regular verb to jump in the affirmative, negative, and interrogative forms in the simple past.

• Affirmative: He jumped over the fence.

• Negative: He did not (didn't) jump over the fence.

• Interrogative: Did he jump over the fence?

• 2. Transform the sentence She writes a letter to the simple past using the irregular verb to write.

• Sentence in the simple past: She wrote a letter.

• *3. Complete the sentence in the simple past: Yesterday, we ___ (to eat) at a new restaurant.

• Completed sentence: Yesterday, we ate at a new restaurant.

Student Engagement

1.  Question 1: Why is it important to know the difference between regular and irregular verbs in the simple past? 2.  Question 2: How can you more easily remember irregular verbs? 3.  Question 3: What is the function of the auxiliary did in negative and interrogative sentences in the simple past? 4.  Reflection 1: Think of a situation in your daily life where you would use the simple past to tell a story. How would you structure your sentences? 5.  Reflection 2: What strategies can you use to practice and memorize irregular verbs?

Conclusion

Duration: 10 - 15 minutes

The purpose of this stage is to recap and consolidate the knowledge acquired during the lesson, ensuring that students have a clear and comprehensive understanding of the content covered. By summarizing the main points and discussing the practical relevance of the topic, students reinforce learning and better prepare to apply this knowledge in everyday situations.

Summary

• Understanding the formation of the simple past of regular verbs by adding the suffix -ed to the base verb.
• Identification and memorization of irregular verbs, which do not follow a fixed rule for the formation of the simple past.
• Construction of affirmative, negative, and interrogative sentences in the simple past, using both regular and irregular verbs.

The lesson connected theory with practice by providing clear and detailed examples of how regular and irregular verbs are conjugated in the simple past. Additionally, students were guided in constructing complete and meaningful sentences, applying the rules learned in practical exercises and interactive discussions.

Knowledge of the simple past is fundamental for communication in English, allowing students to describe completed actions in the past clearly and precisely. Knowing how to differentiate between regular and irregular verbs enriches vocabulary and facilitates comprehension of texts and conversations. Curiosities, such as the historical origin of some irregular verbs, make learning more interesting and contextualized.