Grammar Lesson Plan

Using Future Time Clauses to Express What One Will Be Doing in the Future.

Background Information

Grammar Level 3 (Advanced) at the BYU English Language Center.
The students have worked on future time for two days and have good knowledge of how to use this construction. This lesson will expand and reinforce the student's prior knowledge of future time to include future time clauses and words that indicate chronology of events.
Note**This is intended to be a "no frills" lesson plan, expanding and reinforcing the student's knowledge of future time usage. It is designed simply so that the teacher may present the material in a straightforward manner and the students may learn it quickly. The material presented here is intended to fill a 60-minute class period.

Text:Focus on Grammar Unit 10: Future Time Clauses

Materials

Chalk and chalkboard
paper and pen or pencil for each student
dictionaries (optional)
letter handout.

Objectives

Students will be able to express future actions using clauses such as will be going to, and "be" going to. They will be able to express chronology in the future using words like as soon as, before, and by the time.

Review/ Warm-up

(5 min.)
Ask students: "What is future time?" Anticipated response: Grammar constructions and conjugations that express what will happen in the future. Ask each student to express one thing using future time construction. Write a few of their examples on the board and discuss as a class.

Presentation and Explanation

(10 min.)
Create a chalkboard presentation of future time clauses. It is my philosophy that examples should be authentic, using the actual student's names and situations they find themselves in. This means the teacher will have to spend some time generating examples, but it will bring the learning one step closer to home for the students and simplify their task. Some authentic examples relevant to the students and what they will be doing in the future: returning home, taking the TOEFL, attending BYU, getting married, working, moving to a different place, etc. Explain that for the sake of time and space, the examples you will write on the board will all use the first person, but that corresponding second and third person examples are found on page 85 of the text.

(On Board)

Statements: I will return to Brazil when I finish at the ELC.
Yes/ No Questions: Will I return to Brazil when I finish at the ELC?
Short Affirmative Answers: Yes, I will.
Short Negative Answers: No, I won't.
Wh- Questions: Where will I go when I finish at the ELC?

NOTE: When a sentence about the future has two clauses, the verb in the main clause is often in the future (will or be going to) and the verb in the time clause is often in the present

Practice

(10 min.)
Working with partners, have students explain to each other the basics for future clause formation (as you presented and explained on the board). Then have students model the examples on the board (and in the text) to create their own original statements, questions, and answers.

Expansion

(5 min.)
On the board or on a transparency, list some common time expressions that can be used to begin future time clauses. To help the students understand the chronology associated with each expression, use the "timeline" on page.

(On Board or Transparency)

when
after (introduce events that happen first)
as soon as
before
until (introduce events that happen second)
by the time
while (introduces an event that will happen at the same time as another event)

Practice

(10 min.)
Read sentences containing common time expressions used to begin future time clauses. Call on one student at a time to answer one of the following questions about the sentences: Which event will happen first? Which even will happen second? Which events will happen at the same time?
Examples:Juan will return to Mexico after he finishes at the ELC.
Yoshiko is going to study English until she passes the TOEFL.
Carla will work at Sears while she goes to school.

Practice

(10 min.)
Working with a partner, have the students interview each other about their future plans. Have them take notes to record their findings. During the interview, allow them to refer to notes they have taken from the board, and if necessary give them more "tools" to work with by writing additional examples and ideas on the board. If time allows (try to stop interviews after 7 or 8 minutes), have one or two students share their findings from the interview with the entire class.

(On Board) Examples:What will you do when...?
Where will you go after...?
Will you... while you...?
find a job...turn (age)
get married
return to (country)
miss his/ her family
continue studying English

Evaluation

(10 min.) Have the students complete a letter using the correct forms of the verbs in parentheses. A sample letter that can be photocopied for use in class follows.

Application

Outside of class, have students interview someone and ask what they will be doing in the future. Write down the future time clauses (or other phrases indicating the future) that the person you interview uses. The following phrases can be used in the questions the students ask, but they will also need to create some of their own.
What will you be doing (Where will you be going etc.)...
...in five years?
...after they graduate?
...this coming summer?