E6 G - Choose the right familiar tense

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E6 G - Choose the right familiar tense

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E6 G - Choose the right familiar tense

Mini description: Choose the right familiar tense in short everyday situations: simple present, present progressive, simple past or the going-to pattern.

Your route: Notice → understand → practise → use → feedback → use again.

Look at the picture. What do students usually do at school? What are they doing now?

Try English first: “They usually …” / “They are … now.”

Hint: Look at the time idea: routine or now?

Deutsch-Hilfe: Gewohnheit oder gerade jetzt?

Example: They usually work in class. They are writing now.

I can …

1. I can understand short sentences about routines, actions now, finished past events and plans.
2. I can use time words such as every day, now, yesterday, tomorrow.
3. I can choose a familiar tense because of the meaning.
4. I can say and write a few clear sentences about my day.
5. I can check my own sentence with a short help list.

Quick media start

Situation A: It is 7:15 every school day. Mia eats breakfast.

Situation B: Look! The children are playing football now.

Situation C: Yesterday it rained. Sam stayed at home.

Situation D: The family has a plan for Saturday. They are going to have a picnic.

Think: Which situation is routine? Which is now? Which is finished? Which is a plan?

Before you start: What do you already know?

Read the four mini-sentences.

1. I walk to school every day.
2. I am waiting for the bus now.
3. We played a game yesterday.
4. I am going to visit Leo tomorrow.

Try English first: Find the time word in each sentence.

Hint: every day – now – yesterday – tomorrow

Deutsch-Hilfe: Das Zeitwort hilft Dir zuerst bei der Bedeutung.

Example: “now” means gerade jetzt.

Solution: routine – action now – finished past – future plan.

Notice: Four time ideas

You do not need a long rule. First ask: When?

Meaning	Helpful clue	Familiar form	Example
routine / often	every day, usually	simple present	I play after school.
happening now	now, look, listen	present progressive	I am playing now.
finished past	yesterday, last Saturday	simple past	I played yesterday.
plan	tomorrow, this weekend	going-to pattern	I am going to play tomorrow.

One useful question: Is it a routine, happening now, finished, or planned?

= Simple present: routines

Use it for things that happen regularly.

Mia: I get up at seven. I walk to school. I often play basketball after school.

Key idea: This is Mia’s normal routine.

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Video focus: Listen for short routine sentences. You do not need to understand every word.

Try English first: What is one routine you hear?

Deutsch-Hilfe: Höre nur auf eine regelmäßige Handlung.

= Present progressive: happening now

Use it for an action happening now.

Ben: Look! I am waiting for the bus. Mia is talking to Leo. We are standing near the school.

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Notice: am / is / are + verb-ing

Example: She is reading now.

One central check: Do not forget am / is / are.

= Simple past: finished

Use it for a finished event in the past.

Leo: Yesterday I walked home. I watched a film. Then I played a game.

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Notice: yesterday tells you that the event is finished.

Hint: Some past forms end in -ed. Some common verbs are different: go → went, have → had.

Deutsch-Hilfe: Hier geht es nur um eine abgeschlossene Vergangenheit. Kein Vergleich mit dem present perfect.

= Going-to pattern: a plan

Use it for a plan you already have.

Mia: My bag is ready. I am going to visit my cousin tomorrow.

Leo: We are going to play football on Saturday.

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Notice: am / is / are + going to + verb

Example: We are going to watch a film.

One central check: After “going to”, use the basic verb: play, visit, watch.

Audio input: Four small moments

Ask a teacher or partner to read the text two times at a moderate speed. You can also read it to each other. No recording is needed.

Speaker 1: Hi, I’m Mia. I walk to school every day.

Speaker 2: Hi, I’m Ben. I’m waiting for Mia now.

Speaker 1: Yesterday we played basketball after school.

Speaker 2: Tomorrow we’re going to meet at the park.

Listen 1: Which four time ideas do you hear?

Listen 2: Write only four clue words: routine – now – past – plan.

Solution check: walk every day – am waiting now – played yesterday – are going to meet tomorrow.

Words in context

Use a small word bank.

Time words	Everyday verbs
every day	get up
usually	go
now	wait
today	eat
yesterday	play
last Saturday	watch
tomorrow	visit
this weekend	help

Mini-task: Make one true sentence with a time word and a verb.

Sentence starters: I usually … / I am … now. / Yesterday I … / Tomorrow I am going to …

Pronunciation: Clear is the goal

You do not need a special accent. Speak so that another person can understand you.

Say these short chunks slowly, then naturally:

I play. – I’m playing. – I played. – I’m going to play.

Stress the useful clue when it helps:

EVERY DAY – NOW – YESTERDAY – TOMORROW

With a partner, say one sentence. Your partner points to the time idea: routine, now, past or plan.

Practise: Choose by meaning

Read the situation first. Then choose the form.

1. Every Monday, Ava ___ tennis. Word bank: plays / is playing / played / is going to play

Hint: Every Monday = routine.

Solution: plays

2. Look! Ava ___ tennis now. Word bank: plays / is playing / played / is going to play

Hint: Look + now = happening now.

Solution: is playing

3. Yesterday Ava ___ tennis with Noor. Word bank: plays / is playing / played / is going to play

Hint: Yesterday = finished past.

Solution: played

4. Ava has a plan for Saturday. She ___ tennis with Noor. Word bank: plays / is playing / played / is going to play

Hint: A plan = going-to pattern.

Solution: is going to play

Read

A short school-day message

Hi Leo, I usually take the bus to school. Today I am walking because the weather is nice. Yesterday I missed the bus, so I walked too. Tomorrow I am going to leave home earlier. See you, Mia

Check understanding:

1. How does Mia usually go to school?
2. What is she doing today?
3. What happened yesterday?
4. What is her plan for tomorrow?

Hint: Find one time clue in each sentence.

Deutsch-Hilfe: Ordne jede Aussage einer Zeitidee zu.

Solution: usually by bus – walking today – missed the bus yesterday – going to leave earlier tomorrow.

Speak

Work with a partner. Use fictional names if you prefer.

A asks: What do you usually do after school?

B: I usually …

A asks: What are you doing now?

B: I am …

A asks: What did you do yesterday?

B: Yesterday I …

A asks: What are you going to do this weekend?

B: I am going to …

Help ladder: Try English first → use the sentence starter → look at the word bank → ask for German help → check the example.

Privacy: Speaking in class is enough. A recording is voluntary and should stay private unless your teacher has agreed another safe way.

Write

Write a four-line mini-message.

Line 1: I usually …

Line 2: Right now I am …

Line 3: Yesterday I …

Line 4: Tomorrow I am going to …

Word bank: play – watch – visit – help – walk – eat – read – meet

Check: Does every line match its time idea?

Optional mediation

Your German-speaking friend asks what Mia says:

“I usually walk to school. Yesterday I took the bus. Tomorrow I’m going to cycle.”

Explain the main message in simple German. Do not translate every word.

Goal: Gewohnheit, gestern, Plan erkennen und sinngemäß wiedergeben.

Feedback: Check three things

1. Meaning: Does the sentence match routine, now, finished past or plan?
2. Time clue: Is there a helpful word such as now, yesterday or tomorrow?
3. Small form check: present progressive needs am/is/are; going-to needs am/is/are + going to + basic verb.

Peer feedback starter: “I understand your sentence. I think the time is …”

If something is unclear: “Check the clue word.”

Use again

Change one sentence into a new situation.

Start: I play football every Friday.

Now: I am playing football now.

Past: I played football yesterday.

Plan: I am going to play football tomorrow.

Then use a different verb from the word bank.

Interaktive Aufgaben

Quiz: Teste Dein Wissen

Which sentence talks about a routine? (I walk to school every day.) (!I am walking to school now.) (!I walked to school yesterday.) (!I am going to walk to school tomorrow.)

Which sentence talks about something happening now? (She is eating breakfast now.) (!She eats breakfast every day.) (!She ate breakfast yesterday.) (!She is going to eat breakfast tomorrow.)

Which time word often points to the simple past? (yesterday) (!now) (!usually) (!tomorrow)

Which sentence is a plan? (We are going to visit Sam tomorrow.) (!We visit Sam every Friday.) (!We are visiting Sam right now.) (!We visited Sam yesterday.)

Which form completes the sentence: Look! Ben ___ football. (is playing) (!plays) (!played) (!is going to play yesterday)

Which form completes the sentence: Mia ___ her grandma every Sunday. (visits) (!is visiting now) (!visited yesterday) (!is going to visit last week)

Which form completes the sentence: Yesterday we ___ a film. (watched) (!watch every day) (!are watching now) (!are going to watch yesterday)

Which sentence has the correct going-to pattern? (I am going to play tennis.) (!I going to play tennis.) (!I am going to playing tennis.) (!I played going to tennis.)

What is the best first question when you choose the tense? (When does it happen?) (!How long is the verb?) (!How many letters are in the sentence?) (!Is the sentence difficult?)

Which clue fits the present progressive best? (right now) (!every Monday) (!last Saturday) (!tomorrow morning plan)

Memory

every day	simple present
right now	present progressive
yesterday	simple past
future plan	going-to pattern
routine	gets up at seven
action now	is eating breakfast

Drag and Drop

Ordne die richtigen Begriffe zu.	Thema
routine	every school day
happening now	look at this moment
finished past	yesterday after school
future plan	tomorrow with a clear plan
time clue	helps you choose the meaning

Kreuzworträtsel

routine	What word means something you do regularly?
progressive	Which word completes the tense name present ...?
yesterday	Which time word often points to a finished past event?
tomorrow	Which time word can point to a future plan?
planned	A going-to action is often already what?
finished	A simple past event is normally what?

Lückentext

Vervollständige den Text.

For a routine, a useful tense is the . For an action happening now, use the . A finished event with “yesterday” often uses the . For a clear future plan, use the . In the present progressive, remember a form of . After “going to”, use the .

Offene Aufgaben

Leicht

1. Time-word cards: Make four small cards: every day, now, yesterday, tomorrow. Add one short English example to each.
2. Picture speaking: Choose one Commons picture on this page. Say two simple sentences about it with a partner.
3. Mini dialogue: Write a four-line dialogue with “usually” and “now”.
4. Tense traffic lights: Mark four sentences with your own symbols for routine, now, past and plan. Explain your choices.

Standard

1. My four moments: Write four fictional or real sentences: routine, now, yesterday, plan.
2. School-day interview: Ask a partner four supported questions. Take only short notes and do not publish personal data.
3. Picture sequence: Draw four simple scenes for every day, now, yesterday and tomorrow. Add one English sentence to each.
4. Private audio practice: If you want, record four sentences only for yourself, listen once and improve clarity. Recording is voluntary.

Schwer

1. Mini report: Write a six-sentence report about a fictional school day. Use at least three of the four familiar time ideas.
2. Dialogue repair: Create four sentences with one clear tense mistake each. Exchange them with a partner and correct them.
3. Meaning challenge: Write two short situations where the time clue is not at the start. Ask a partner to choose the tense from the meaning.
4. Micro comic: Create a four-panel comic with fictional characters. Panel 1 routine, panel 2 now, panel 3 past, panel 4 plan. Keep all data fictional.

Lernkontrolle

1. Situation und Zeitform: Read four short everyday situations without tense labels. Choose a suitable familiar tense and explain your choice with one time idea.
2. Meaning before form: Rewrite one routine sentence as an action happening now, then explain what changed in the meaning.
3. Past to plan: Turn a short finished event from yesterday into a plan for tomorrow. Keep the main activity the same.
4. Message check: A fictional student mixes up “now” and “every day”. Correct the message and explain the two meanings.
5. Transfer task: Write a short four-sentence message about a school club: one routine, one action now, one finished event and one plan. Add helpful time clues.

Can-do check

Tick what fits you.

1. I can find a clue for routine.
2. I can find a clue for now.
3. I can understand a short finished past sentence.
4. I can understand a short future plan.
5. I can choose a familiar tense in a supported everyday situation.
6. I can make a short sentence that another person understands.

If one point is difficult: Go back to “Four time ideas” and practise with only one verb first.

Repeat later

Come back after one or two days.

Use the verb play first, then choose your own verb.

1. every day → I …
2. now → I am …
3. yesterday → I …
4. tomorrow → I am going to …

Then check meaning before spelling.

Follow-up course

Next step: E6 G - Use familiar tenses in short messages.

You will use the same four familiar time ideas in short dialogues, messages and mini-reports. No new advanced tense is needed first.

Lernnachweis

For a learning record, you should be able to:

1. understand the four meanings routine, now, finished past, plan
2. use the clues every day, now, yesterday, tomorrow
3. choose simple present, present progressive, simple past or the going-to pattern in strongly supported everyday situations
4. speak a few understandable sentences with sentence starters
5. write a short supported message
6. check the two central form points: be + -ing and be + going to + basic verb
7. explain one tense choice with the meaning of the situation

No public upload is needed. Use fictional data when a task does not need real personal information.

Verknüpfte Lernbereiche

Englisch Klasse 6 Simple Present Present Progressive Simple Past Going-to-Future Zeitangaben im Englischen Englisch sprechen Englisch schreiben