English lesson plan · 3rd grade (Year 4 in England) · 45 minutes
Present perfect (has/have + past participle)
Grammar
CCSS L.3.1.EEngland: Y3 GPS (present perfect)
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Present perfect (has/have + past participle).
- I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
- I can explain each step and say why it works.
- I can check my answer and spot a mistake.
Before and after
Needs first: Past tense (regular and irregular verbs)
Leads to: Perfect tenses (past, present, future)
Materials: Sentence strips, Highlighters, Mini whiteboards, Mini whiteboards, A short model text on the board, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 5 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Past tense (regular and irregular verbs)). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Write the past tense of "go". (Today I go. Yesterday I ___.) → wentPrompt: This is an irregular verb: it does not add -ed.
- Choose the past tense verb. This morning the boys ___ (smile) before school. (smileded / smiles / smiled / smiling) → smiledPrompt: The sentence is about the past. Which word shows that?
- Write the past tense of "tear". (Today I tear. Yesterday I ___.) → torePrompt: This is an irregular verb: it does not add -ed.
Hook · 5 min
- Show a sentence with the grammar point used wrongly and ask what sounds odd.
- Share the objective: Present perfect (has/have + past participle). Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 10 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: Choose the correct present perfect form. She ___ to France three times.
- Step 1: The present perfect (has/have + past participle) links the past to now.
- Step 2: The subject is he/she/it or one person or thing, so we use 'has'.
- Step 3: Put it back into the sentence and read it aloud: "She has been to France three times."
- Step 4: So the answer is: has been
- Answer: has been
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 10 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- Choose the correct present perfect form. I ___ my homework, so now I can play. (have finished / have finish / finished have / has finished) → have finishedPrompt: Use has with he, she, it; use have with I, you, we, they.
- Choose the correct present perfect form. I ___ never ___ a camel. (has, ridden / have, rode / have, ridden / have, ride) → have, riddenPrompt: Use has with he, she, it; use have with I, you, we, they.
You do: independent practice · 10 min
- Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
- Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.
The 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.
Exit ticket · 5 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- Choose the correct present perfect form. We ___ that film already. (has seen / have saw / have see / have seen) → have seenPrompt: Use has with he, she, it; use have with I, you, we, they.
- Choose the correct present perfect form. The bus ___ yet. (hasn't arrived / hasn't arrive / not has arrived / haven't arrived) → hasn't arrivedPrompt: Use has with he, she, it; use have with I, you, we, they.
Watch out for
- Naming the feature but not using it in their own sentences.
- Thinking a sentence is right because it sounds right when spoken casually.
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: Past tense (regular and irregular verbs).
- Use concrete materials: sentence strips.
- Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
- Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.
Stretch
- Move on to: Perfect tenses (past, present, future).
- Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
- Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.
Homework and more practice
Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/english/grade-3.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder