Verb Usage – Using Past Simple and Future Tenses

Grade 11 · English Grammer

Semester 1 | Period 3 | Week 14

Download the Lessonotes Mobile Liberia app for faster lesson access on Android and iPhone.

Subject: English Grammer

Semester: 1

Period: 3

Week: 14


School Name:
Teacher’s Name:
Subject: English Grammar
Grade Level: Grade 11
Period: III
Week & Period: Week 14, Period III

Topic: Verb Usage – Using Past Simple and Future Tenses

Specific Objectives:
By the end of this lesson, learners should be able to:

  1. Use the past simple and future tenses correctly.
  2. Construct grammatically correct sentences expressing completed past actions and planned future actions.
  3. Differentiate between actions that happened in the past and those anticipated in the future.

A – Anticipation (Engage learners):
Starter Questions:

  • What did you do last weekend?
  • What will you do after graduation?

Think-Pair-Share:
Think: Write one sentence each describing something you did yesterday and something you will do tomorrow.
Pair: Share your sentences with a partner.
Share: Volunteers read their sentences. Teacher highlights key past and future time indicators.

B – Building Knowledge (Core Content):

  1. Past Simple Tense:
    • Used for completed actions in the past.
    • Examples: I visited my aunt. / She danced at the party.
    • Structure: Subject + past form of verb (regular/irregular)
  2. Future Tense (with “will” and “going to”):
    • Used to describe actions that will happen.
    • Examples: She will attend the conference. / We are going to travel tomorrow.
    • Structure: Subject + will/shall + base verb OR be + going to + base verb
  3. Signal Words and Comparison:
    Past Simple(yesterday, last week)- They played football yesterday.
    Future(tomorrow, next year)- She will start school next week.
  4. Common Mistakes:
    • Using present tense to describe past: ❌ I go to church yesterday. → ✅ I went to church yesterday.
    • Mixing future with present: ❌ I go to school tomorrow. → ✅ I will go to school tomorrow.

C – Consolidation (Application and Reflection):
Class Activities:

  1. Fill in the blanks using the correct form of the verb:
    a) He ______ (eat) rice last night.
    b) They ______ (visit) their uncle next weekend.
    c) I ______ (complete) the test before lunch.
    d) We ______ (travel) to Monrovia tomorrow.
  2. Rewrite the following sentences correcting verb usage:
    a) She go to the market yesterday. → ______
    b) They will attends the party. → ______
  3. Underline and label the tense of the verb:
    a) My father fixed the radio.
    b) I will buy a new notebook.
    c) He saw the movie last night.

Assignment:

  • Write a paragraph about your last holiday and what you plan to do during your next one. Use at least three verbs in the past simple and three in the future tense. Underline and label each verb.

Teacher’s Reflection:

  • Were students able to distinguish clearly between past and future tense usage?
  • Did they correctly apply both forms in structured writing?
  • Which learners struggled and need more examples or one-on-one support?