ESL Lesson Plan - Present Perfect Simple and Continuous

ESL Lesson Plan - Present Perfect Simple and Continuous Students often confuse the present perfect and present perfect continuous. This lesson employs an imaginary biography to get students asking questions and speaking about completed accomplishments (present perfect) and duration of activity (present perfect continuous). The main difference between the present perfect and present perfect continuous that students need to acquire is the difference between the amount of time the current activity has been in progress, and the amount of activity that has been done. In the first case, we use the present perfect continuous to express how long the current activity has been going on. In the second case, use the present perfect to express how many or how much has been accomplished. These guides on how to teach the present perfect continuous and how to teach the present perfect can help with further exercises and teaching suggestions. Aim Correct use of present perfect and present perfect continuous, contrasted with simple past Activity Use of an imaginary chart of life events to elicit questions and answers using both the present perfect and present perfect continuous, as well as the simple past Level Intermediate Outline Review the present perfect and present perfect continuous with the class. Focus on the difference between present perfect to express an amount finished up to the present moment (Ive read three books by Hemingway), and the present perfect continuous to express the duration of the current activity (Shes been reading for three hours).Ask students to take a look at the sentences in exercise 1 and decide if they are correct or incorrect.Make a point of discussing the use of BOTH the present perfect and present perfect continuous with common verbs such as live, work, play, drive, etc.Ask students to read the life chart of John Anderson.Have students pair up and use the question cues. Ask students to use the present perfect continuous when asking about the duration of an activity.To check if students are doing the activity correctly, ask the students to write out the questions once they have finished. John Anderson: VIP 0Born 1954 6Started school 12Started magazine delivery service 13Started playing tennis 15Hired four other boys for magazine delivery service 17Sold magazine delivery service for $20,000 17Went to Harvard Business School 18Won New York State tennis championship 19Started Supersoft software company with roommate 20Sold Supersoft for $400,000 21Graduated with honors from Harvard 22Received Masters of International Business from Yale 23Started work for Brown and Bran Inc. in New York City 25Married first wife, Josine 26First son born, Josh 26Promoted to Vice President of International Sales 27Won New York Business Clubs International Businessman Award 28Left Brown and Bran Inc. 28Started New Media Associates Inc. in New York City 29Divorced Josie 30Won New Business Innovation award 31Met and married second wife, Angela 32Second son, Philip, born 33Won over-thiry tennis tournament of New York City