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Present simple: Questions with do

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Low-resource ESL lesson plan
Beginner+/A1
Low-resource ESL lesson plan
Grammar
Low-resource ESL lesson plan
45-60 min
Low-resource ESL lesson plan
Low-Resource
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Overview

As part of this beginner-level ESL lesson, students will learn to form basic questions using the simple present tense and the auxiliary verb "do." This skill will enable them to communicate more effectively, inquire, and exchange information comfortably, making significant progress in their language learning journey.

To start, we will present an example on the board to explain the use of "do" in forming questions with the simple present tense. After that, there are several low-resource activities where students will work collaboratively on speaking exercises and practice these question structures. Finally, we conclude the lesson by playing a fun classroom game that reinforces the key concepts learned during the session.

Lesson Outline
Activities
Low-resource ESL lesson plan
Boardwork
1Board questions
2Present simple interview
3My partner and I
Games
1No, I don't
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Classroom activities

Low-resource ESL lesson plan

Use of the board

Students look at a visual representation of the grammar and work through some examples on the board.

Start by adding the grammar representation, focusing on how the verb 'do' changes depending on the pronoun. When you have enough examples on the board, start to elicit some questions along with sample answers (negative and positive). Also, if you can, have the students give you L1 translations for each example.

Low-resource ESL lesson plan
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Low-resource ESL activity

Board questions

The students use the target language for the lesson to answer questions about their classmates.

Low-resource ESL lesson plan
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Low-resource ESL activity

Present simple interview

For this writing activity, students have to make four questions that they will use to interview a partner.

Low-resource ESL lesson plan
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Low-resource ESL activity

My partner and I

The students use the target grammar to compare and contrast themselves with their partner from the previous activity.

Low-resource ESL lesson plan
This lesson plan is exclusive to TEFLHandbook members. Join today and get instant access to our expanding library of teaching resources.

Classroom games

Low-resource ESL activity

No, I don't

Players attempt to elicit a given response by asking the other team questions using the target grammar. 

Low-resource ESL lesson plan
This lesson plan is exclusive to TEFLHandbook members. Join today and get instant access to our expanding library of teaching resources.

More ESL lesson plans for beginners

Our suggested next lesson is on prepositions of place. If you've found these materials helpful, be sure to check out our complete list of ESL lesson plans for upper-beginners, as well as our entire selection of ESL lesson plans. 

Additionally, if you use an iOS or Android device, have a look at the TEFL Handbook app. An ESL lesson planner for English teachers. It has a lot more content and gives you faster access to our ESL resources, making it easier to use in class.