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Investigation Project Topic: Teaching Simple Present through Reading Comprehension Student: Brayner Antonio Rodríguez Fernández Professor: Lic. Swad Dalen Ulate Due date: 12/12/2015
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Contenido I Chapter.............................................................................................................................................3 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................4 Background ..................................................................................................................................5 Justification ...................................................................................................................................6 Hypothesis ....................................................................................................................................7 Thesis Statement.........................................................................................................................7 Terminal Objective ......................................................................................................................7 Enabling Objectives ....................................................................................................................7 II Chapter ..........................................................................................................................................8 Theorical Framework ......................................................................................................................8 The Simple Present Tense .........................................................................................................9 Negative Sentences in the Simple Present Tense................................................................13 Negative Contractions...............................................................................................................14 Word Order of Negative Sentences ........................................................................................14 Examples of Negative Sentences with Don't and Doesn't: ..................................................15 Questions in the Simple Present Tense .................................................................................15 Word Order of Questions with Do and Does .........................................................................16 WH questions with simple present tense ...............................................................................18 Applying the Simple Present in short readings ......................................................................20 Teaching Simple present through longer readings ...............................................................21 III Chapter .......................................................................................................................................28 Conclusion and Recommendations ............................................................................................28 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................29 Recommendations ....................................................................................................................29 IV Chapter ......................................................................................................................................30 References .....................................................................................................................................30
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I Chapter
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Introduction A verb indicates the time of an action, event or condition by changing its form. Through the use of a sequence of tenses in a sentence or in a paragraph, it is possible to indicate the complex temporal relationship of actions, events, and conditions. There are many ways of categorizing the twelve possible verb tenses. The verb tenses may be categorized according to the time frame: past tenses, present tenses, and future tenses. This work applies the uses of simple present and their respective characteristics. Reading comprehensions is the capacity to read a text and try to understand it; in this work simple present is used in reading comprehension because it gives the perspective in order to improve our reading skills and also the simple present can be used making inferences from a text, paragraph, or any written material we need to read. Simple Present in this work will show how we can use it better not just in daily life, not just in the school or High school, or when there is a conversation; also the simple present in this work will apply for complicated readings like essays, letters, emails, etc. Simple present is not as simple as we think, it is not just to talk about present, in this work you will know the simple present tense better applying it to reading comprehension. We will know better simple present tense in reading comprehension through this work because when we read it, we will comprehend that in readings simple present is essential.
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Background As teachers we can find a lot of material about the simple present in a given reading through many media resources like the internet. But there are not research papers that we can find about how to teach simple present through reading comprehension, this kind of works are very original and limited. At least we could find a lot of material of readings that present the use of the simple present in the respective texts so it means that there is a lot of resources we can find for teach simple present in reading comprehension. Many materials are provided from reading comprehension regarding simple present tense but this material is not just about simple readings some ones are about skimming, others for scanning, some of them are short stories, some others are daily life readings like e-mails, letters, etc. This project will start from the basic part of explaining what is the simple present and his usage for then explaining how can we apply it for reading comprehension.
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Justification Verb tense is the form of the verb that indicates time. A verb tense not only indicates past, present, and future action, but also indicates whether the action is ongoing or complete. There are many verb tenses like simple present, simple past, simple future, past continuous, present continuous, future continuous, past perfect, present perfect, etc. This work will introduce you to simple present tense forms and show you how to use it. Learning simple present tense is important nowadays because people can apply it at the time when they are reading, listening, writing and speaking. In readings people can apply it when there are readings for example a newspaper or some other material from daily live. It is necessary to know and understand why simple present can help us to improve it in reading comprehension.
“I don’t know with what weapons
World
War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.” – Albert Einstein
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Hypothesis How to teach Simple present tense in English through reading comprehension?
Thesis Statement Verb tense is the form of the verb that indicates time. A verb tense not only indicates past, present, and future action, but also indicates whether the action is ongoing or complete. There are many verb tenses like simple present, simple past, simple future, past continuous, present continuous, future continuous, past perfect, present perfect, etc. This work will introduce you to the most common rules of simple present forms and show you how to use them through reading comprehension. All verb tenses are derived from a few basic forms of the verb called the principal parts. Learning Verb tenses is important nowadays because people can apply them at the time when they are reading.
Terminal Objective -
Explain simple present tense through reading comprehension.
Enabling Objectives -
Specify simple present rules.
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Give reasons about how to use the simple present in reading comprehension.
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II Chapter Theorical Framework
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To start this topic We need to be clear first what is a verb and then verb tenses fo introduce the simple present tense. A verb indicates the time of an action, event or condition by changing its form. Through the use of a sequence of tenses in a sentence or in a paragraph, it is possible to indicate the complex temporal relationship of actions, events, and conditions There are many ways of categorising the twelve possible verb tenses. The verb tenses may be categorised according to the time frame: past tenses, present tenses, and future tenses. The Simple Present Tense We use the simple present to describe an action, an event, or condition that is occurring in the present.. The simple present is when we have a daily action like washing clothesm events. Each of the highlighted verbs in the following sentences is in the simple present tense and each sentence describes an action taking place in the present: The sun sets in the west. We produce lasers for cosmetic surgery. They move into their new home next week. So, I go to Mr. D and say “I deserve a better mark in this class”.
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Jones stops in mid-court and passes the ball to Schuster. The simple present is used to express general truths such as scientific fact, as in the following sentences: My teacher always arrives early. Water boils at 100 celsius. Doctors study for many years. The sky isn’t green. The word smart means “intelligent”. The simple present is used to indicate a habitual action, event, or condition, as in the following sentences: I play golf every Monday. They often travel to China. She gets up at 8:00 every day. I don’t walk to school. She doesn’t love him. Do you smoke? How often do you study?
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The simple present is also used when writing about works of art, as in the following sentences. Lolly Willowes is the protagonist of the novel Townsend published in 1926. One of Artemisia Gentleschi's best known paintings represents Judith's beheading of Holofernes. The Lady of Shallot weaves a tapestry while watching the passers-by in her mirror. The play ends with an epilogue spoken by the fool. The simple present can also be used to refer to a future event when used in conjunction with an adverb or adverbial phrase, as in the following sentences. The doors open in 10 minutes. The premier arrives on Tuesday. Classes end next week. The publisher distributes the galley proofs next Wednesday. The lunar eclipses begins in exactly 43 minutes. We form the present tense using the base form of the infinitive.
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In general, in the third person we add 'S' in the third person. Subject
Verb
The Rest of the sentence
I / you / we / they
speak / learn
English at home
he / she / it
speaks / learns
English at home
The spelling for the verb in the third person differs depending on the ending of that verb: 1. For verbs that end in -O, -CH, -SH, -SS, -X, or -Z we add -ES in the third person. go – goes catch – catches wash – washes kiss – kisses fix – fixes buzz – buzzes 2. For verbs that end in a consonant + Y, we remove the Y and add -IES. marry – marries study – studies carry – carries
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worry – worries NOTE: For verbs that end in a vowel + Y, we just add -S. play – plays enjoy – enjoys say – says Negative Sentences in the Simple Present Tense To make a negative sentence we use Don't or Doesn't with all verbs Except To Be and Modal verbs (can, might, should etc.). Affirmative: You walk every morning Negative: You don't walk every morning. You will see that we add don't between the subject and the verb. We use Don't when the subject is I, you, we or they. Affirmative: He walks evey morning. Negative: He doesn't walk every morning. When the subject is he, she or it, we add doesn't between the subject and the verb to make a negative sentence. Notice that the letter S at the end of the verb in the affirmative sentence (because it is in third person) disappears in the negative sentence. We will see the reason why below.
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Negative Contractions Don't = Do not Doesn't = Does not I don't like meat = I do not like meat. There is no difference in meaning though we normally use contractions in spoken English. Word Order of Negative Sentences The following is the word order to construct a basic negative sentence in English in the Present Tense using Don't or Doesn't. Subject
don't/doesn't
Verb*
The Rest of the sentence
I / you / we / they
don't
have / buy / like etc.
cereal for breakfast
he / she / it
doesn't
have / buy / like etc.
cereal for breakfast
* Verb: The verb that goes here is the base form of the infinitive = The infinitive without TO before the verb. Instead of the infinitive To have it is just the have part. Remember that the infinitive is the verb before it is conjugated (changed) and it begins with TO. For example: to have, to eat, to go, to live, to speak etc.
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Examples of Negative Sentences with Don't and Doesn't: You don't speak Arabic. John doesn't speak Italian. We don't have time for a rest. It doesn't move. They don't want to go to the party. She doesn't like fish. Questions in the Simple Present Tense To make a question in English we normally use Do or Does. It has no translation in Spanish though it is essential to show we are making a question. It is normally put at the beginning of the question. Affirmative: You speak English. Question: Do you speak English? You will see that we add DO at the beginning of the affirmative sentence to make it a question. We use Do when the subject is I, you, we or they. Affirmative: He speaks French. Question: Does he speak French? When the subject is he, she or it, we add DOES at the beginning to make the affirmative sentence a question. Notice that the letter S at the end of the verb in the
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affirmative sentence (because it is in third person) disappears in the question. We will see the reason why below. We DON'T use Do or Does in questions that have the verb To Be or Modal Verbs (can, must, might, should etc.) Word Order of Questions with Do and Does The following is the word order to construct a basic question in English using Do or Does. Do/Does
Subject
Verb*
The
Rest
Do
I / you / we / they
have / need / etc.
a new bike?
Does
he / she / it
have / need / etc.
a new bike?
of
the
sentence
*Verb: The verb that goes here is the base form of the infinitive = The infinitive without TO before the verb. Instead of the infinitive To have it is just the have part. Remember that the infinitive is the verb before it is conjugated (changed) and it begins with TO. For example: to have, to eat, to go, to live, to speak etc. Examples of Questions with Do and Does: Do you need a dictionary? Does Mary need a dictionary? Do we have a meeting now?
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Does it rain a lot in winter? Do they want to go to the party? Does he like pizza? Short Answers with Do and Does In questions that use do/does it is possible to give short answers to direct questions as follows: Sample Questions
Short Answer (Affirmative) Short Answer (Negative)
Do you like chocolate?
Yes, I do.
No, I don't.
Do I need a pencil?
Yes, you do.
No, you don't.
Do you both like chocolate?
Yes, we do.
Do they like chocolate?
Yes, they do.
Does he like chocolate?
Yes, he does.
Does she like chocolate? Yes, she does. Does it have four wheels? Yes, it does.
No, we don't. No, they don't. No, he doesn't. No, she doesn't. No, it doesn't.
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WH questions with simple present tense The "wh-questions" are a group of questions that begin with an interrogative pronoun (a "wh-word"): what, which, who, Whom, Whose,when, where, why, and also questions that begin with "how", that while it is obvious that doesn't begin with "wh", belongs to this group because the word is behaving the same way. this questions have the intention of ask specific information. What? - actions, things Where - places When - dates, day, months, year Who - people Whom - people whose - people which - things, kinds Why - reasons, answer What time - time, hours How - way, maneers Grammar Structure: Wh question + Aux do/does + subject + verb + complement + ?
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Example: what do you do i the morning? where does Claudia work? when do they present the exam? who plays soccer? / who does he play with ? whom do you invite? whose cell phone keeps ringing? which is your favorite sopping mall? why do ypu have to come in the school? what time does sergio study? how do you feel today?
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Applying the Simple Present in short readings After we are clear what is the simple present we need to apply it to the reading comprehension, but first, before we introduce long texts with the simple present we need to begin with sort exercises like: Filling in the blanks 1. Every Monday, Sally (drive) ________ her kids to football practice. 2. Usually, I (work) ________ as a secretary at ABT, but this summer I (study) _________ French at a language school in Paris. That is why I am in Paris. 3. Shhhhh! Be quiet! John (sleep) _________ 4. Don't forget to take your umbrella. It (rain) __________ 5. I hate living in Seattle because it (rain, always) __________ 6. I'm sorry I can't hear what you (say) _________ because everybody (talk) ________ so loudly. 7. Justin (write, currently) ________________ a book about his adventures in Tibet. I hope he can find a good publisher when he is finished. 8. Jim: Do you want to come over for dinner tonight? Denise: Oh, I'm sorry, I can't. I (go) ___________ to a movie tonight with some friends.
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9. The business cards (be, normally) __________ printed by a company in New York. Their prices (be) __________ inexpensive, yet the quality of their work is quite good. 10. This delicious chocolate (be) _________ made by a small chocolatier in Zurich, Switzerland. Then when we had applied to students the use of simple present in short reading like short tasks, they need to get in to the world of longer reading comprehension. Teaching Simple present through longer readings
We are about to see a series of examples of how to introduce practices through reading comprehension. First is important to include some specific readings and their respective practices;
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Read the text.
The Rosales Lifestyle The Rosales family lives on a farm in Alajuela and they work at a coffee plantation. It is 5:00 a.m., Mrs. Rosales and the children are in the kitchen preparing breakfast. Mr. Rosales is in the yard feeding the animals. Everybody eats breakfast at 5:15. Later in the day, they take their baskets and go to the farm because the coffee beans are ready to be picked. They arrive there around 6:30 in the morning. At 11:00 a.m. everybody sits on the ground to eat lunch, and at 12 noon they start picking up coffee again until 3:00 p.m. Because they don’t own a car or a horse, they use an oxcart to transport the coffee sacks to the front gate, and then, a truck takes the sacks to the receiving. Then they go back to their house, and at 4:00 p.m. they eat tortillas and drink coffee. Later in the day, they help with the chores and eat dinner at seven. At 8:00 p.m., everybody goes to bed because they are very tired and sleepy, and they have to wake up so early the following day. On Sunday, everybody takes a bus to church, and they take a taxi back home. They also visit their grandparents in the afternoon.
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Choose the appropriate alternative to answer each question from the previous text.
1 When does Mrs. Rosales breakfast_____________________. A) B) C) D) 2 A) B) C) D)
have
She
eats
her
at the same time as her family earlier than her husband earlier than her children later than her children When does Mr. Rosales give food for the animals? In the middle of the morning In the early morning At night At noon
3 What time does the family lunch____________________________. A) B) C) D)
breakfast?
eat
lunch?
They
eat
before twelve o’clock in the afternoon at eight o’clock at noon
4 How do the Rosales carry the coffee sacks to the front gate? They use a (n) ____________. A) B) C) D)
car taxi truck oxcart
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5 A) B) C) D)
How does this family return home from church? By_______________. oxcart truck taxi bus
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We can use also comparison texts in order students compare readings. Read the text and choose the correct option to complete each idea. Anthony Durán Telephone Operator As a directory assistance operator, I give out hundreds of telephone numbers every day. I sort of like talking to people all day. I earn around $20,000 a year. But I don’t feel very secure, because a lot of operators are losing their jobs because of automation. Computers do everything these days, so, I’m studying to be a computer programmer at night school.
Kimberly Evans Physical Therapist In my job, I mainly work with athletes who have sports injuries. Sometimes the athletes are famous, and that’s always exciting. My salary is good - $38,000 a year – and I always have a lot of patients. Doctors are too busy to do physical therapy these days, and they’re happy to give the work to specialists like me.
1 One problem that Anthony _________________________________. A) B) C) D)
he can be fired at night school his company is buying computers he is studying for a secure position he does not have a chance to study
faces
is
that
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2
Kimberly’s salary is ____________ Anthony’s. A) B) C) D)
as low as as high as lower than higher than
3 Anthony studies in ___________________________. A) B) C) D)
a
night
because
he
wants to become computer programmer wants to be a therapist earns $ 30,000 a year is losing automation
4 Kimberly thinks ________________________________________. E) F) G) H)
school,
have plenty of time hate famous athletes don’t like to deal with therapists don’t have time to give the patients therapy
that
doctors
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When we as teachers understand that teaching the simple present through reading comprehension is important because our students someday are going to face a standardized test by the MEP for obtain a bachelor degree in standard education we will be conscious they need this kind of reading an not just this a lot of readings with different verb tenses.
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III Chapter Conclusion and Recommendations
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Conclusion In conclusion simple present has their different rules and ways of use and this lead us how to apply it to reading comprehension. Simple present indicates routines, facts and some other habitual things we usually do or don’t. With this work an glad you know more about how you can see the simple present through reading comprehension.
Recommendations - Improve your learning by reading texts, books, news, newspapers, etc.. - Keep practicing simple present because it will help you to understand better. - Make practices your own self about simple present used in readings. - Improve your reading skills practicing the simple present.
I never teach my pupils. I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn. – Albert Einstein
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IV Chapter References
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Material taken from: Arias, M. (2014). Simple Present. In Challenge for 8th (1st ed., Vol. 1, pp. 138140). San José, San José: Litografía e Imprenta Everyday Life. (2008). In Touchstone (5th ed., Vol. 1, pp. 35-42). Avenue of the Americas, New York: Cambridge University Press. Goodman, B. (2003). Literature for English. Chicago: McGaw-Hill/Wright Group. Simple Present Tense. (2015, November 10). Retrieved December 8, 2015, from http://www.grammar.cl/Present/Simple.htm TIL English Grammar. (2009). Retrieved December 10, 2015, from http://www.tuninst.net/ENGLISH/TIL-Gram/TIL-Gram-indx.htm#HyperGrammar
