Speaking:
What Happened Before?
Grouping:
Time:
Pairs → Whole class discussion
15 minutes
Aim
Students will practice forming past perfect sentences by discussing past events and their consequences.
Materials
• Picture prompts showing a sequence of events (e.g., a missed flight, a burnt meal).
• Sentence starter cards (e.g., “By the time she arrived…”).
Preparation
• Write examples on the board:
• “By the time I arrived, the movie had already started.”
• “She had never seen the sea before her vacation.”
Activity Breakdown
1. Students choose a picture prompt and describe what happened before the event.
2. They take turns forming sentences in pairs using the past perfect.
3. The class discusses different outcomes for each situation.
Instructions
1. Look at the picture.
2. Think about what happened before it.
3. Say a sentence using “had + past participle.”
4. Listen to your partner’s sentence.
5. Discuss with the class.
Concept Checking Questions
• “Which action happened first?” (Past perfect action).
• “What verb form do we use with had?” (Past participle).
Examples
• “By the time I got home, my parents had already eaten.”
• “She had never driven before she moved to the city.”
Extensions/Varations
• Harder: Remove sentence starters; students create their own.
• Easier: Provide sentence frames for students to complete.
Error Correction
• Teacher listens for errors and reviews them after the activity.
Writing:
My Unlucky Day
Grouping:
Time:
Individuals → Pairs
20 minutes
Aim
Students will write a short personal story using past perfect to describe past events.
Materials
• A model story about an unlucky day (e.g., missing a bus, spilling coffee).
• A worksheet with past perfect sentence starters (e.g., “Before I left home, I…”).
Preparation
• Provide a checklist for self-correction.
Activity Breakdown
1. Students complete past perfect sentence starters.
2. They write a short story about an unlucky day.
3. They swap papers with a partner for peer feedback.
Instructions
1. Complete the sentence starters.
2. Write a short story using past perfect.
3. Check your sentences.
4. Exchange papers with a partner.
5. Give feedback.
Concept Checking Questions
• “What verb form do we use after had?” (Past participle).
• “Does past perfect describe earlier or later actions?” (Earlier).
Examples
• “Before I left home, I had forgotten my keys.”
• “She had already studied before the test started.”
Extensions/Varations
• Harder: Students write about a funny/unlucky experience.
• Easier: Use fill-in-the-blank templates.
Error Correction
Error Correction & Feedback:
• Teacher provides feedback on tense usage and sentence structure.
Listening:
Before or After?
Grouping:
Time:
Individuals → Pairs
15 minutes
Aim
Students will listen to short stories and identify which action happened first.
Materials
• Audio recordings of short past events.
• A worksheet with numbered actions (students order them).
Preparation
• Write example sentences on the board:
• “He had left the office before the meeting started.”
• “They had never met before the party.”
Activity Breakdown
1. Students listen to a short story.
2. They write numbers next to each event in the correct order.
3. They compare answers with a partner.
Instructions
1. Listen to the story.
2. Read the sentences.
3. Number the sentences in order.
4. Check with your partner.
5. Discuss with the class.
Concept Checking Questions
• “Does past perfect describe the first or second action?” (First).
• “What word helps us recognize past perfect?” (Had).
Examples
• “I had finished my work before my boss arrived.”
• “She had never flown before she went to Spain.”
Extensions/Varations
• Harder: Students retell the story using past perfect.
• Easier: Provide a timeline with the correct sequence.
Error Correction
• Teacher asks students to justify their choices and correct errors together.
Reading:
The Missing Clues
Grouping:
Time:
Pairs
15 minutes
Aim
Students will read short texts and infer what happened earlier using past perfect.
Materials
• A story missing key details (e.g., “John arrived late, but why?”).
• A set of possible past perfect sentences students must choose from.
Preparation
• Underline past perfect examples in the story.
• Provide a word bank with past participles.
Activity Breakdown
1. Students read the short text.
2. They infer what happened before by choosing past perfect sentences.
3. They discuss their choices with a partner.
Instructions
1. Read the text.
2. Find missing information.
3. Choose the correct past perfect sentence.
4. Check with your partner.
5. Share your ideas with the class.
Concept Checking Questions
• “Which event happened first?” (Past perfect event).
• “How do we form past perfect?” (Had + past participle).
Examples
• “John arrived late because his alarm hadn’t gone off.”
• “She was wet because it had rained earlier.”
Extensions/Varations
• Harder: Students rewrite the story adding past perfect details.
• Easier: Provide matching sentences to fill in gaps.
Error Correction
• Teacher highlights correct past perfect examples and clarifies errors.