Present Perfect for Change

Posted on March 28, 2008
Filed Under grammar, present perfect, verb tenses |

Present Perfect
(Change)

Preparation: Sets of drawn pictures showing people who have changed. For example: A picture of a man, a young long haired hippie, and the same man 20 years older, conservative and bald. Or a Harley Davidson-riding biker and the same man as a monk. Or old and new pictures of celebs, Michael Jackson then and now, for example.

1. Show the class the 1st picture of a set, maybe the hippie. Elicit adjectives, age, when this “photo” was taken . . .

2. Then show the second picture, the hippie as matured individual. Ask:
When is this “photo”? A: Now.
Is this the same person? A: Yes.
Is he the same now? A: No.
How is he different? A: He cut his hair…became an accountant…quit smoking pot…
WHEN did he cut his hair? A: Oh, we don’t know that. Is the present changed because of that action? A: Yes, he looks different.
What’s more important, WHAT he did or when he did it? A:What he did. The change is important. It changes the present.

3. Elicit sentences in the present perfect form. Drill the sentences with the students. Why this form? Why not simple past? Because we don’t know when it was done. But we can easily see that there is a change. The change is important, not the time.

4. Follow steps one and two using other pictures, slowly drilling sentences but not boarding anything.

5. Have Ss board rush the sentences.

6. Highlight the form.

7. Elicit and board negative and question forms for present perfect.

8. Have Ss ask and answer questions about the pictures.

9. Give students each a small card with false information about the character in the pictures to read out loud: Jed has moved to Florida. The class answers with negatives to correct the information “Jed hasn’t moved to Florida, he’s moved to England.”

10. Drill the sentences.

Alternate presentation for those who can’t draw: Using props, act out the individuals and their changes.

Follow Ups:

1.Revise past participles.
Use those past participles to have students, in groups, make a few sentences about how they’ve changed and stand as a “mixer” to tell all other students, or how Istanbul has changed (and write on card), or how Turkey has changed…

2. Ask students to bring an old photo of themselves to class, they use the photo as a visual and tell others how they’ve changed.

3. Give students a card with a change that they must act out for other students to guess, for example:

You’ve joined the army.
You’ve had a sex change.
You’ve got married.
You’ve had a baby.

The student mimes ”army” actions to have other students guess or board the sentences.

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