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ESL Lesson Plan · CEFR A1

Past Simple ESL Lesson Plan (A1, 60 Minutes)

A complete 60-minute A1 lesson on Past Simple, built round the theme "Last Weekend".

  • CEFR A1
  • 60 minutes
  • Teenagers and adults
  • Grammar
  • Past Tenses
  • Past Simple

About this lesson

Who it is for. Beginners who can use the present simple for routines and know common activity verbs. They have heard was/were and some past forms but cannot yet form past simple sentences, negatives or questions.

Everything the lesson needs is on this page: the language analysis, the timed stages with the teacher's own words and instruction-checking questions, the differentiation, the printable handouts and the answer key.

At a glance

Level
CEFR A1 (Beginner)
Learners
Teenagers and adults
Length
60 minutes. For 45 minutes, run "Freer practice" once through without the second round and cut "Feedback and wrap-up" to board-based error correction.
Skills
Speaking
Language focus
Grammar: Past Simple
Framework
PPP (presentation, practice, production)
Materials
Handout 1 (Sunil's diary), Handout 2 (practice), Handout 3 (Find someone who ...), irregular verb flashcards (go/went, have/had, see/saw, eat/ate, get/got, buy/bought, make/made, do/did).
Preparation
About 10 minutes: print Handouts 1 to 3, one per learner, and read the language analysis. The answer key is for you, not the class.

Aims

Main aim. To present and practise the past simple of be and of regular and common irregular verbs to talk about last weekend.

Learning outcome. By the end of the lesson, students can say and write 6 sentences about their last weekend and ask a classmate Did you ...? questions.

  • Subsidiary aim. To practise the pronunciation of -ed endings.
  • Subsidiary aim. To develop speaking (asking and answering about past activities).

Language analysis

What to know before the lesson: the meaning, form and pronunciation of the target language, and the problems learners usually have with it.

Form: be

PositiveNegativeQuestion
I / He / She / ItI was at home.She wasn't tired.Was he happy? Yes, he was. / No, he wasn't.
You / We / TheyThey were at the beach.We weren't late.Were you at school? Yes, I was. / No, I wasn't.

Form: other verbs (the same for all persons)

Example
Regular positiveI played cricket. She visited her aunt.
Irregular positiveWe went to Galle. He had lunch. They saw a film.
NegativeI didn't (did not) go out. He didn't watch TV.
QuestionDid you go out? Yes, I did. / No, I didn't.
Wh- questionWhere did you go? What did you do?

Form: other verbs (the same for all persons): notes

Spelling of regular verbs:

  • Most verbs add -ed: play → played, watch → watched.
  • Verbs ending in -e add -d: like → liked, dance → danced.
  • Consonant + y → -ied: study → studied (but play → played).
  • One vowel + one consonant: double it: stop → stopped, plan → planned.

Meaning and use

We use the past simple for finished actions at a finished time in the past: last weekend, yesterday, on Saturday, last night, two days ago.

Pronunciation of -ed

  • /t/ after voiceless sounds: walked, watched, cooked, danced
  • /d/ after voiced sounds: played, cleaned, listened, stayed
  • /ɪd/ after /t/ or /d/: visited, wanted, needed, started

Concept-checking questions

  • For I played cricket on Saturday. · Is Saturday now or in the past? (In the past.) · Is it finished? (Yes.) · For I didn't go out. · Did I go out? (No.) · After didn't, is the verb go or went? (Go.)

Anticipated problems and solutions

ProblemSolution
Regularising irregular verbs (goed, eated).Flashcard drill in the presentation; irregular verb list on Handout 2.
Past form after didn't or did (Did you went?).Board: did + base verb. Gesture: hold up one finger for "only one past".
Pronouncing every -ed as /ɪd/ (play-id).Three-column sound sort; drill minimal examples.
Using was with other verbs (I was go).Contrast I was at home (place/feeling) with I went home (action).

Board plan

Left: time wordsCentre: grammarRight: sounds
yesterday · last night · last weekend · on Saturday · two days ago
I was at home. They were tired. · I played / went / had. · I didn't go. · Did you go? Yes, I did.
/t/ walked, watched · /d/ played, cleaned · /ɪd/ visited, wanted

CEFR A1 · 60 minutes · Teenagers and adults

Procedure: Past Simple, step by step

Warm-up5 minutes · T → Ss, whole class

Aim: To engage students and set the context of last weekend.

Write Saturday and Sunday on the board and draw an arrow pointing backwards. Say: "Last weekend. Not this weekend. Last weekend."

Tell the class three things you did, with mime: "On Saturday, I cleaned my house. I went to the market. On Sunday, I watched a film."

Ask: "Did I watch a film?" (Yes.) "Did I go to the beach?" (No.) Students just answer yes or no.

Transition: "Now read about Sunil's weekend."

Presentation20 minutes · Individual, pairs, whole class

Aim: To present the language in context. To clarify meaning, form and pronunciation.

Part A: Context (8 minutes)

Give out Handout 1. Say: "Read Sunil's diary. Tick the things he did. Three minutes."

ICQs: "Do you tick things he did or didn't do?" (Did.)

Students read and tick. Pairs compare. Check answers by asking "Did Sunil go to the beach?" and modelling "Yes, he did."

Students answer the three comprehension questions.

Part B: Language clarification (12 minutes)

was/were. Board from the text: I was very tired. The beach was beautiful. My cousins were there. Elicit: was for I/he/she/it; were for you/we/they.

Regular verbs. Students underline verbs ending in -ed in the diary. Board: visited, played, walked, cooked, watched, stayed. Elicit the rule: add -ed. Show the spelling rules.

Irregular verbs. Ask: "Is there an -ed on went?" (No.) Board go → went. Use flashcards: show the base form; students call out the past form. Repeat quickly three times.

Negatives. Board I didn't go to the cinema. CCQ: "Did he go?" (No.) "Is it went or go after didn't?" (Go.)

Questions. Board Did you have a good weekend? Yes, I did. and Where did you go? Highlight did + subject + base verb.

Pronunciation. Say walked, played, visited. Ask: "Are the endings the same?" Draw three columns. Students sort the six verbs from the text. Drill chorally and individually.

Controlled practice10 minutes · Individual, then pairs

Aim: To practise the form accurately.

Students complete Handout 2, Exercise A (gap fill) and Exercise B (irregular verbs) alone (6 minutes).

Pairs check. Nominate students to read sentences aloud; correct pronunciation of -ed as you go.

Oral drill: say a sentence; students make it negative. T: "I went to the beach." Ss: "I didn't go to the beach." Then: T: "You / go out?" Ss: "Did you go out?"

Freer practice18 minutes · Mingle, then whole class, then individual

Aim: To use the language in a personalised speaking task.

Give out Handout 3. Model the first item with a strong student: "Did you watch a film last weekend?" "Yes, I did." "What did you watch?" Write the name in the box.

Say: "Stand up. Ask your classmates. Find one name for each box. Ask one more question. You have eight minutes."

ICQs: "Do you ask one person or many people?" (Many.) "What do you write?" (Names.)

Students mingle. Monitor and note errors with Did you ...? and past forms.

Students sit down. Ask several students to report: "Kasun watched a film. He watched an action film." (4 minutes.)

Writing: students write 6 sentences about their own weekend at the bottom of Handout 3 (4 minutes).

Feedback and wrap-up7 minutes · Whole class

Aim: To give feedback and consolidate.

Board four sentences from your notes, two correct and two incorrect. Students correct them in pairs.

Quick irregular verb review with the flashcards.

Set the homework.

Homework Write 6 sentences about your last weekend. Include one sentence with was/were, two irregular verbs and one negative.

PPP (presentation, practice, production). Stage times add up to 60 minutes.

Differentiation

Support
Give weaker students the verb list with past forms during the mingle. Allow them to answer Yes, I did / No, I didn't without follow-up questions.
Stretch
Stronger students add time phrases (in the morning, after lunch, at night). They ask two follow-up questions with Where? / Who with? / What?

Adapting the lesson

ForWhat to change
A large class (40 or more)Keep the pairwork in "Freer practice" in fixed pairs rather than a mingle, and take feedback from four or five pairs instead of the whole room. Run "Writing" once, with two pairs reporting, rather than hearing every pair. Monitor one half of the room during "Controlled practice" and the other half during "Freer practice".
A class with no photocopierPut the exercises from Handout 2: Practice on the board for learners to copy into their notebooks, and read any text aloud twice instead of printing it. The board plan above is this lesson's minimum - with that on the board, it runs on no paper at all.
An online classSend Handouts 1 to 3 in the chat before the lesson and put the board plan on a shared slide. Use breakout rooms for "Writing" and visit each room once. Have learners type the controlled answers in the chat, so you see every answer at once instead of nominating.
A different age groupWith young learners, cut the writing at the end and give that time to the speaking task; keep the drilling short, and let them draw or mime where the plan allows it. With adults, keep the writing and ask for a short spoken summary in place of anything drawn or mimed.

Checking learning

Students use correct past forms in 5 of 6 written sentences. Students form Did you ...? questions correctly during the mingle. Students pronounce at least the /ɪd/ endings correctly.

Teacher's reflection

Which irregular verbs caused the most problems? Did the mingle give enough speaking practice for everyone?

Handout 1: Sunil's Diary

Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________

Read Sunil's diary. Tick (✓) the things he did last weekend.

Saturday In the morning, I visited my grandmother in Galle. We had lunch together: she cooked my favourite fish curry. In the afternoon, my cousins and I went to the beach. The beach was beautiful, and the water was warm. We played volleyball and walked along the beach. I was very tired in the evening, so I stayed at home and watched TV.

Sunday I got up late, at 10 o'clock! I didn't have breakfast. I studied English for two hours, and then I helped my father in the garden. In the evening, my friends wanted to go to the cinema, but I didn't go. I finished my homework and went to bed at 9.

Answer the questions.

  • Where did Sunil go on Saturday morning? ______________________________
  • What did he and his cousins do at the beach? ______________________________
  • What time did he get up on Sunday? ______________________________
Activity✓ / ✗
visit his grandmother
go to the cinema
play volleyball
have breakfast on Sunday
study English
help his father

Handout 2: Practice

Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________

A. Complete the sentences with the past simple of the verb in brackets.

B. Write the past simple form.

C. Put the verbs in the correct sound column: walked · played · visited · cooked · cleaned · wanted · watched · stayed · needed

  • I ______________ (visit) my grandmother on Saturday.
  • We ______________ (go) to the beach.
  • She ______________ (not / watch) TV.
  • ______________ you ______________ (have) a good weekend?
  • They ______________ (be) very happy.
  • My brother ______________ (study) for his exam.
  • I ______________ (be) tired on Sunday.
  • We ______________ (not / go) to the cinema.
  • What ______________ you ______________ (eat) for dinner?
  • He ______________ (stop) the car and ______________ (get) out.
VerbPastVerbPast
gobuy
havemake
seedo
eatget
comewrite
/t//d//ɪd/

Handout 3: Find Someone Who ...

Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________

Ask your classmates: "Did you ... last weekend?" Write a name. Ask one more question.

Now write 6 sentences about your weekend.

..........................................................................................

..........................................................................................

..........................................................................................

..........................................................................................

..........................................................................................

..........................................................................................

Find someone who ... last weekendNameExtra information
watched a film
went shopping
played a sport
visited family
cooked a meal
didn't get up early
saw a friend
studied English

Answer Key

Handout 1

Handout 2, Exercise A

Handout 2, Exercise B

went · had · saw · ate · came · bought · made · did · got · wrote

Handout 2, Exercise C

Common errors to watch for

  • ✓ visit his grandmother · ✗ go to the cinema · ✓ play volleyball · ✗ have breakfast on Sunday · ✓ study English · ✓ help his father
  • He went to Galle / visited his grandmother. 2. They played volleyball and walked along the beach. 3. At 10 o'clock.
  • visited · 2. went · 3. didn't watch · 4. Did ... have · 5. were · 6. studied · 7. was · 8. didn't go · 9. did ... eat · 10. stopped ... got
  • /t/: walked, cooked, watched
  • /d/: played, cleaned, stayed
  • /ɪd/: visited, wanted, needed
ErrorCorrection
I goed to the shop.I went to the shop.
Did you went out?Did you go out?
I no played football.I didn't play football.
I was go to Galle.I went to Galle.

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About this lesson plan

Written by RCF English to the RCF English international standard: levelled by the CEFR, original throughout, and suitable for classrooms in any country. Last reviewed 22 September 2026.

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