Verb Tense Time Warps

When students have inconsistent verb tense, they have a "time warp" in their stories. In this lesson, students learn that verbs tell not only what action takes place, but also when the action takes place. They will learn to identify past, present and future verb tenses and to check sentences and paragraphs for inconsistent verb tense.

A lesson plan for grades 3–4 English Language Arts

By DPI Writing Strategies

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• Learn more about English language arts.

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Learning outcomes

Students will:

• identify past, present, and future tense verbs.
• Students will correct inconsistent verb tenses.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

1 Hours

Materials/resources

• Transparency #1, Past, Present, Future Chart (see attachment: pdf | rtf)
• Transparency #2 Verb Tense Paragraph (see attachment: pdf | rtf)
• One piece of notebook paper and a pencil for each student

Technology resources

Overhead Projector

Pre-activities

None.

Activities

Modeling/Minilesson

1. Use Transparency #1 (PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE chart). Ask the students to place the following events in the correct column. Write the events on the chart as the students suggest where they should go. Students may suggest that some of the events may belong in more than one column (e.g., baseball season).
   
   
   My birth
   December of 2008
   George W. Bush’s presidency
   First manned space flight to Venus
   George Washington’s presidency
   First woman president
   Baseball season
   Discovery of electricity
   The force of gravity
   Class in session
   First man on the moon
   
2. When the students have placed all the events on the chart, ask the students to choose one of the events from one of the columns and compose a sentence about it on the paper you have asked them to place on their desks. Allow time for the students to choose an event and compose a sentence. Ask students to share some of their sentences. As the students read their sentences, write the verbs from the sentences on the board.
3. When a variety of verbs (past, present, and future) have been listed on the board, ask the students to point out the verbs that tell that something happened in the past, the ones that tell that something is happening in the present, and those that tell something will happen in the future.
4. Point out that the verb(s) in a sentence tell, not only what happens, but also when.
5. Ask the students to consider the verb run. Today I run around the field. Yesterday, I ran around the field. Tomorrow, I will run around the field.
6. Point out that past, present, and future are not the only verb tenses. For example, if players want to let the coach know that they have been following his advice about running around the field each day, they can say:
   
   
   We have been running around the field every day for a month.
   
   Explain that the verb (have been running) indicates an on-going process. The words have and been are parts of the verb that help to make the meaning clear. There are many other tenses. For today, focus on past, present, and future.
7. Explain that, writers sometimes confuse their readers by changing verb tenses when they should be consistent (keep the same verb tense). For example, look at the following sentence: (Write the sentence on the board.)
   
   
   I work on my math homework as I talked on the phone.
   
   Ask the students whether the verb work is past, present, or future. (Present)
   Ask the student whether the verb talked is past, present, or future.(Past)
   
   Point out the fact that the verb tenses in this sentence are not consistent (the same), and readers will likely become confused. Did the writer do his/her homework while they were on the phone, before they got on the phone, or after they got off the phone?
8. Show students two versions of the above sentence with consistent verb tense:
   
   
   I worked on my math homework as I talked on the phone.
   I work on my math homework as I talk on the phone.
   
   Discuss how the different verb tenses change the meaning of the sentence.

Guided Practice

8. Consider this paragraph: (Use transparency # 2 for Verb Tense)
   
   
   The dog saw the cat, and he will bark. He runs down the driveway and jumped on the cat’s back. The cat howls and slapped at the dog. The poor old dog gets a big scratch on his nose and will race back home.
   
   Ask the students what is the trouble with this paragraph. Ask them to look at all the verbs in this paragraph. (List the verbs on the board.)
   

   saw	will bark
   runs	jumped
   howls	slapped
   gets	will race

9. Point out that some of the verbs are present, some past, and some future. Ask the students to work in pairs or small groups to re-write the paragraph so that all the verbs are in the same tense. (Have one student in each group take the role of scribe.) Assign some groups to write paragraphs in the past tense, some present, and some future. Allow about 5 minutes for students to complete the task.
10. Allow students to share what they have written. Note the differences in how the paragraphs sound in the past, the present, and the future.

Independent Practice

11. To help students check their own writing for “time warp” inconsistencies, have them highlight the verbs in their writing and check that the verb tenses are consistent.

Followup Activities

12. Have students compare verb tenses in different narrative and expository genres: for example, narrative picturebooks, chapter books, and biographies, expository science books, magazine articles, science reports, recipes.

Assessment

Can students:

• identify the tense of verbs in the sentences and paragraphs?
• correct inconsistent verb tenses?
• identify inconsistent verb tenses in their own writing?

Supplemental information

Transparencies:

1. Past, Present, Future Chart pdf | rtf
2. Verb Tense Paragraph pdf | rtf

Related websites

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