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ESL Lesson Plan · CEFR A2

Present Continuous vs Present Simple ESL Lesson Plan (A2, 60 Minutes)

A complete 60-minute A2 lesson on Present Continuous vs Present Simple, built round the theme "What Are They Doing Now?".

  • CEFR A2
  • 60 minutes
  • Teenagers and adults
  • Grammar
  • Present Tenses
  • Present Continuous vs Present Simple

About this lesson

Who it is for. Elementary students who can use the present simple for routines and know common action verbs. Most have met the present continuous but confuse it with the present simple and often leave out be.

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 A2 (Elementary)
Learners
Teenagers and adults
Length
60 minutes. For 45 minutes, run only "Information gap" of the two tasks in "Freer practice" and cut "Feedback and wrap-up" to board-based error correction.
Skills
Reading
Language focus
Grammar: Present Continuous vs Present Simple
Framework
PPP (presentation, practice, production)
Materials
Handout 1 (text messages), Handout 2 (practice), Handout 3A and 3B (café scene cards for the information gap), a busy photo for the warm-up (any market or street photo projected or printed, or a board sketch).
Preparation
About 10 minutes: print Handouts 1 to 4, one per learner, and read the language analysis. The answer key is for you, not the class.

Aims

Main aim. To clarify and practise the present continuous for actions happening now, contrasted with the present simple for routines.

Learning outcome. By the end of the lesson, students can describe what people are doing at the moment and contrast it with what they usually do, e.g. He usually walks to work, but today he's taking a taxi.

  • Subsidiary aim. To develop fluency in describing scenes.
  • Subsidiary aim. To practise reading for specific information (text messages).
  • Subsidiary aim. To practise -ing spelling rules.

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

PositiveNegativeQuestionShort answer
II'm (am) cooking.I'm not cooking.Am I cooking?Yes, I am. / No, I'm not.
He / She / ItShe's (is) cooking.She isn't cooking.Is she cooking?Yes, she is. / No, she isn't.
You / We / TheyThey're (are) cooking.They aren't cooking.Are they cooking?Yes, they are. / No, they aren't.

Form: notes

Spelling of -ing:

  • Most verbs add -ing: read → reading, play → playing.
  • Verbs ending in -e drop the e: make → making, write → writing.
  • One vowel + one consonant (stressed) doubles the consonant: sit → sitting, run → running, swim → swimming.
  • -ie → -ying: lie → lying, die → dying.

Meaning and use

  • Present continuous: actions happening at the moment of speaking or around now: Look! It's raining. I'm reading a good book this week.
  • Present simple: routines, habits and permanent facts: I take the bus every day.
  • Contrast: He usually walks to work, but today he's taking a taxi.
  • Time words: now, right now, at the moment, today, this week, Look! Listen! vs every day, usually, always, often, on Mondays.

Pronunciation

  • Contractions are normal in speech: I'm /aɪm/, she's /ʃiːz/, they're /ðeə/.
  • -ing is pronounced /ɪŋ/ with no hard /g/ at the end.
  • In questions, are is weak: What are you doing? /wɒt ə jə ˈduːɪŋ/.

Concept-checking questions

  • For Ravi is taking a taxi today. · Is Ravi in the taxi now? (Yes.) · Does he take a taxi every day? (No.) · Is this a habit? (No, it's just today / now.) · For Ravi usually walks to work. · Does he walk most days? (Yes.) · Is he walking now? (We don't know / not necessarily.)

Anticipated problems and solutions

ProblemSolution
Missing be (He reading a book).Board the three parts in separate boxes: subject + be + verb-ing. Use a finger-counting gesture: three fingers for He – is – reading.
Using the continuous for routines (I am going to school every day).Use the timeline contrast and highlight time words. Students sort time words into two columns.
Spelling errors (siting, makeing).Quick spelling race on the board in the presentation; add the spelling rules box to Handout 2.
Students run out of ideas in the café task.Provide the prompt questions on the board: Who? What are they doing? Where?
Info-gap students look at each other's cards.Seat pairs back to back or ask them to hold the card up close and not show it.

Board plan

Left: time wordsCentre: grammarRight: spelling
NOW: now, at the moment, today, this week, Look!, Listen! · EVERY DAY: usually, always, often, every day, on Mondays
Timeline: routine (x x x x) vs NOW (~~~). He usually walks to work. Today he's taking a taxi. subject + am/is/are + verb-ing. Negative: isn't / aren't. Question: Is he ...? Are they ...?
make → making · sit → sitting · lie → lying · play → playing

CEFR A2 · 60 minutes · Teenagers and adults

Procedure: Present Continuous vs Present Simple, step by step

Warm-up5 minutes · T → Ss, then pairs

Aim: To create interest in the topic and get students talking about actions in a scene.

Show a busy market or street photo (or sketch a simple scene on the board: a man on a phone, a girl running, a woman buying fruit). Say: "Look at this photo for 30 seconds."

Hide the photo. Ask: "How many people can you remember? What are they doing?" Accept any answers; do not correct grammar yet.

Ask: "What do you usually do on Saturday morning?" Students tell a partner in one minute.

Transition: "Let's read some messages. What are these people doing right now?"

Presentation20 minutes · Individual, pairs, whole class

Aim: To present the present continuous in context and clarify its meaning, form and pronunciation, contrasted with the present simple.

Give out Handout 1. Reading for gist: "Read the four messages. Where is each person? Write the place. Two minutes."

ICQs: "How many messages?" (Four.) "What do you write?" (The place.)

Students check in pairs, then check as a class.

Reading for detail: students answer the three Find and write questions. Check answers.

Noticing: "Underline the verbs that end in -ing." Elicit: I'm sitting, It's raining, We're having, They're cleaning ...

Meaning. Write on the board: Dilini usually walks to school. Today she's sitting on the bus. Draw a timeline: crosses for every day, a wavy line at NOW. Ask the CCQs from the Language analysis.

Form. Elicit the three parts: subject + am / is / are + verb-ing. Elicit the negative (aren't, isn't) and the question (Is she ...? Are they ...?) from the messages. Write the form table on the board.

Spelling. Write make, sit, lie, play on the board. Students come to the board and write the -ing forms. Elicit the rules.

Pronunciation. Drill chorally and individually with contractions: I'm sitting on the bus. She's taking a taxi. What are you doing? Model the weak form of are.

Transition: "Now let's practise."

Controlled practice10 minutes · Individual, then pairs, then whole class

Aim: To give accurate written practice of the form and the contrast with the present simple.

Give out Handout 2. Say: "Exercise A: put the time words in the right column. Exercise B: circle the correct form. Exercise C: write the -ing form. Seven minutes. Work alone."

ICQs: "In B, do you write or circle?" (Circle.) "Alone or with a partner?" (Alone, then check.)

Monitor and help weaker students by pointing to the time words.

Pairs compare. Nominate students to read answers aloud and explain choices: "Every day, so present simple."

Freer practice18 minutes · Pairs, then groups of three

Aim: To use the target language fluently in a communicative information-gap task and personalised speaking.

Information gap (10 minutes). Give out Handout 3A to Student A and Handout 3B to Student B. Say: "This is a café. You have eight people on your card. Your partner has a different card. Don't show your partner! Tell your partner what the people are doing. Find six differences."

ICQs: "Can you show your card?" (No.) "How many differences?" (Six.)

Monitor and note errors (missing be, wrong tense) and good sentences.

Check the differences as a class.

Personalised speaking (8 minutes). Write on the board: What are you doing this week that is different from usual? Model: "I usually drink coffee, but this week I'm drinking green tea." In groups of three, students tell each other two things they usually do and one thing they're doing differently this week. Each group reports one sentence about a member to the class.

Feedback and wrap-up7 minutes · Whole class

Aim: To give feedback on language from the freer practice and consolidate learning.

Board four sentences heard during Stage 4: two correct, two with errors. Pairs decide which are correct and fix the others.

Board one or two good sentences and praise them.

Quick review: say a time word; students say present simple or present continuous.

Set the homework.

Homework Take or find a photo of a busy place. Write 6 sentences about what is happening, and 2 sentences about what usually happens there. Example: A man is selling mangoes. Two boys are playing. On Sundays, this market is usually very busy.

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

Differentiation

Support
Give weaker students a verb list for the café task: carry, drink, read, talk, eat, write, sleep, wait, pay, laugh. Let them write two sentences before speaking in the personalised task.
Stretch
Stronger students add a reason or a contrast: She's drinking tea because she usually doesn't sleep well after coffee. They write a short message describing what they are doing right now, including one contrast with their routine.

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 "Information gap" 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 4 in the chat before the lesson and put the board plan on a shared slide. Use breakout rooms for "Information gap" 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 are successful if they: use be + verb-ing with the correct form of be in most sentences in the café task; choose the present simple for routines and the continuous for now in Handout 2 (8 out of 10 or better); find all six differences using accurate sentences.

Teacher's reflection

Did students use be consistently by the end of the lesson? Which stage took longer than planned? What will I review next lesson?

Handout 1: Messages

Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________

Read the messages. Where is each person? Write the place.

Dilini, 8.15 am: Hi! I'm sitting on the bus. It's raining and the traffic is terrible! Everyone is looking at their phones. I usually walk to school, but today I'm late.

Kasun, 1.30 pm: We're having lunch in the canteen. Ruwan is eating his third samosa! The teachers aren't here today because they're having a meeting.

Mum, 6.00 pm: I'm in the supermarket. They're cleaning the floor, so it's very slow. Do we need milk? Your father is cooking dinner tonight because I'm working late.

Ashan, 9.45 pm: I'm not watching the match. I'm doing my homework in my room. My brother is playing loud music again. Help!

Find and write:

  • Two things that are happening now in Dilini's message: ______________________________
  • Something Dilini usually does: ______________________________
  • Why is Dad cooking tonight? ______________________________
PersonWhere is he/she?
Dilini
Kasun
Mum
Ashan

Handout 2: Practice

Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________

A. Write the time words in the correct column.

now · every day · at the moment · usually · today · on Mondays · this week · always · Look! · often

B. Circle the correct form.

C. Write the -ing form.

  • Look! The baby sleeps / is sleeping.
  • We go / are going to the beach every Sunday.
  • Shh! I talk / am talking on the phone.
  • Ravi usually drives / is driving to work.
  • Why do you wear / are you wearing a coat today? It's hot!
  • My sister doesn't eat / isn't eating meat. She's vegetarian.
  • Does it rain / Is it raining now? I can't see.
  • They watch / are watching a film at the moment.
  • I play / am playing football on Saturdays.
  • Listen! Someone sings / is singing in the garden.
Present continuous (now / around now)Present simple (routines)
Verb-ingVerb-ing
makeswim
sitwrite
playlie
runread

Handout 3A: The Café (Student A)

Don't show your partner! Tell your partner what the people in your café are doing. Listen to your partner. Find six differences.

Write the differences:

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

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

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

PersonWhat is he/she doing? (Student A)
1. The waiterHe is carrying three cups of tea.
2. The old manHe is reading a newspaper.
3. The two girlsThey are taking a selfie.
4. The woman by the windowShe is talking on the phone.
5. The boyHe is eating an ice cream.
6. The cookHe is making rotti.
7. The man at the doorHe is waiting for a friend.
8. The catIt is sleeping on a chair.

Handout 3B: The Café (Student B)

Don't show your partner! Tell your partner what the people in your café are doing. Listen to your partner. Find six differences.

Write the differences:

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

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

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

PersonWhat is he/she doing? (Student B)
1. The waiterHe is carrying three cups of coffee.
2. The old manHe is reading a newspaper.
3. The two girlsThey are laughing.
4. The woman by the windowShe is writing a letter.
5. The boyHe is drinking a milkshake.
6. The cookHe is making rotti.
7. The man at the doorHe is paying the bill.
8. The catIt is eating fish under a table.

Answer Key

Handout 1

Handout 2, Exercise A

Handout 2, Exercise B

Handout 2, Exercise C

making · sitting · playing · running · swimming · writing · lying · reading

Handouts 3A/3B: the six differences

Common errors to watch for

  • Dilini: on the bus · Kasun: in the school canteen · Mum: in the supermarket · Ashan: in his room
  • She's sitting on the bus; it's raining; the traffic is terrible; everyone is looking at their phones (any two). 2. She usually walks to school. 3. Because Mum is working late.
  • Present continuous: now, at the moment, today, this week, Look!
  • Present simple: every day, usually, on Mondays, always, often
  • is sleeping · 2. go · 3. am talking · 4. drives · 5. are you wearing · 6. doesn't eat · 7. Is it raining · 8. are watching · 9. play · 10. is singing
  • Waiter: tea (A) / coffee (B) · 3. Girls: taking a selfie / laughing · 4. Woman: talking on the phone / writing a letter · 5. Boy: eating an ice cream / drinking a milkshake · 7. Man at the door: waiting for a friend / paying the bill · 8. Cat: sleeping on a chair / eating fish under a table (The old man and the cook are the same.)
ErrorCorrection
He reading a book.He's reading a book.
I am go to school every day.I go to school every day.
She is siting by the window.She is sitting by the window.
Are you understand?Do you understand?

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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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