Resources for Teaching the Present Simple Tense

When it comes time to stand in front of your students and go through the 12 verb tenses, it’s helpful to have some backing resources and friendly reminders as to what you’re trying to communicate. My job is to make your job that much easier. Luckily, teaching the Present Simple is, well, simple. And I’ve found some people who have put together some really marvelous resources for your benefit.

Understanding and Teaching the Simple Present Tense

Perfect English Grammar has put together an excellent  set of articles in first understanding and then using the Simple Present.

This short video helps us understand what the Present Simple is.

This short video helps clarify when to use the Present Simple.

Another comprehensive look at the Present Simple tense, broken down into categories of when the tense is used, verb conjugations and spelling, negative usage and word order, questions, and short answers.

If you’re from England, here’s the British Council’s take on it. Followed by an exceptionally British animation of some teens using the Present Simple in their daily conversations.

EduFind.com has nice boxes with examples.

Practicing the Simple Present Tense

Enough gilding the lily, here’s where we put our knowledge into practice:

Perfect English Grammar again with a collection of online exercises to rock your little grammar socks off.

Here’s an online worksheet to test comprehension. And here’s another.

Some sample questions and answers from English Grammar dot ORG.

An online test of sorts covering the affirmative, negative, and ability to make questions of the Present Simple.

A good slideshare of the Present Simple which opens with a humorous Calvin and Hobbes comic.

E-Grammar printable worksheets.

Games and Activities for the Classroom

Here’s an online game with a monkey who obviously loves grammar as much as he loves bananas.

A flash basketball version of practicing the Present Simple.

And a PIRATE one?! This is too good. You even get to dress up your plank-walker.

Some interactive discussion questions for in the classroom. Thanks again, England.

And these kids top it off with a 20-questions version of Present Simple Tense. Does it have legs? No. Is it an iguana?

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This should get you going on understanding, teaching, and engaging your students with the Present Simple Tense. Please leave comments about which resources are helpful, other gems that you find, or activities you’ve done in class which were successful in teaching the Present Simple Tense.

Go get ’em, Ace.

The Grammar Tenses

1. Simple Present (main verb)
2. Simple Past (past tense of main verb)
3. Simple Future (will or shall + main verb)
4. Present Perfect (have or has + past participle of verb)
5. Past Perfect (had + past participle of verb)
6. Future Perfect (will or shall + have + past participle of verb)
7. Present Progressive (form of “be” verb + “ing” form of main verb)
8. Past Progressive (past tense of form “be” verb + “ing” form of main verb)
9. Future Progressive (will or shall + be + “ing” form of main verb)
10. Present Perfect Progressive (have or has + been + “ing” form of main verb)
11. Past Perfect Progressive (had + been + “ing” form of main verb)
12. Future Perfect Progressive (will or shall + have + been + “ing” form of main verb)