CEFR A1 · 60 minutes · Teenagers and adults
Procedure: Present Perfect for Experiences, step by step
Warm-up5 minutes · T → Ss, whole class
Aim: To engage students and introduce the idea of life experiences.
Hold up the picture cards one by one: a plane, snow, an elephant, the sea, a mountain, a famous building.
For each, ask: "Who has seen this? Raise your hand!" Students raise hands. Count them: "Ten students have seen the sea!"
Say: "Interesting! Let's read about some teenagers' experiences."
Presentation20 minutes · Individual, pairs, whole class
Aim: To present the target language in context. To clarify the meaning, form and pronunciation of the present perfect for experiences.
Part A: Context (8 minutes)
Give out Handout 1. Say: "Read the speech bubbles. Match each person to an experience." (3 minutes.)
ICQs: "Do you write or match?" (Match.) "Alone or in pairs?" (Alone.)
Pairs compare. Check as a class.
Ask detail questions: "Has Nadia been to India?" Model the answer: "Yes, she has."
Part B: Language clarification (12 minutes)
Meaning. Board I have been to Kandy. Ask the CCQs. Draw a timeline from birth to NOW with a cross somewhere in between and a question mark under it: "When? Not important."
Form. Elicit: have / has + past participle. Highlight has for he/she. Elicit participles from Handout 1 and complete the participle table on the left of the board.
Negative and never. Board I've never flown in a plane and I haven't flown in a plane. Ask: "Same meaning?" (Yes.) Point out: never = no n't.
Questions. Board Have you ever seen snow? Elicit short answers.
The time rule. Board I've been to Galle. I went there last year. Ask: "Which sentence has a time?" (The second.) "Which tense?" (Past simple.)
Pronunciation. Drill: Have you ever been to Jaffna? Yes, I have. / No, I haven't. Use back-chaining: Jaffna – been to Jaffna – ever been to Jaffna – Have you ever been to Jaffna?
Controlled practice10 minutes · Individual, then pairs
Aim: To practise form accurately.
Students complete Handout 2, Exercises A and B (6 minutes).
ICQs: "In Exercise A, do you write have or has?" (Both; look at the person.)
Pairs check. Nominate students to read answers. Drill any difficult participles.
Quick-fire drill: say a base verb; students say the participle (eat → eaten, see → seen).
Freer practice18 minutes · Mingle, then groups, then individual
Aim: To use the language in a personalised speaking task.
Give out Handout 3. Model with a strong student: "Have you ever ridden an elephant?" "No, I haven't." "Have you ever eaten durian?" "Yes, I have." Write the name in the box.
Say: "Stand up. Ask your classmates. Find a name for each question. When someone says yes, ask: When? Use the past simple!" (8 minutes.)
ICQs: "What do you ask when they say yes?" (When?)
Monitor and note errors.
Groups of four compare results and make a class poster: Five students have been to Jaffna. Nobody has flown in a helicopter. (5 minutes.)
Students write five sentences about their own experiences at the bottom of Handout 3 (4 minutes).
Feedback and wrap-up7 minutes · Whole class
Aim: To give feedback and consolidate.
Groups read their posters.
Board four sentences from your notes (two with errors). Pairs correct.
Set homework.
Homework Write 6 sentences about things you have and haven't done. Write one past simple sentence giving more information about one experience.
PPP (presentation, practice, production). Stage times add up to 60 minutes.