Objective:
To practice forming and using the Present Perfect Continuous tense by describing activities that different characters have been doing.
Activity Plan:
Introduction (10 minutes):
Start by briefly explaining the Present Perfect Continuous tense. Emphasize how it is used to talk about actions that started in the past and are still continuing or have recently stopped, often with a focus on the duration.
Provide examples using some of the characters from the poster (e.g., "Jane has been studying for three hours").
Character Pairing (10 minutes):
Divide the class into small groups and assign each group one or two characters from the poster. If possible, print copies of the poster or project it onto a screen for everyone to see.
Ask the groups to select activities from the list that their assigned characters might have been doing.
Sentence Creation (15 minutes):
Each group should create sentences using the Present Perfect Continuous tense to describe what their characters have been doing. Encourage them to use the time expressions provided in the poster.
Example: "Agatha has been reading since lunchtime," or "Mark has been painting for the past two hours."
Interactive Follow-up (15 minutes):
After each group shares, ask follow-up questions to encourage further practice. For instance, "Why has Agatha been reading?" or "What book do you think Kate has been studying?"
You can also encourage other students to ask questions or add more sentences using different time expressions.
Reflection and Reinforcement (10 minutes):
Conclude the lesson by summarizing the key points about the Present Perfect Continuous tense.
Ask students to write a short paragraph as homework about what one of the characters has been doing, using at least three different time expressions from the poster.
Additional Suggestions:
Role-Playing: Turn this activity into a role-playing game where students act out the characters and describe their recent activities.
Creative Writing: Have students write a short story or diary entry from the perspective of one of the characters, focusing on what they have been doing recently.
