CELTA pre interview task.

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Mairi

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Hi everyone.

I am preparing for my phone interview in a few days and have been working on my pre interview task. I am having a little trouble explaining the reasons for certain tenses. If anyone has any advice or corrections I would love to hear them. The pre interview task is as follows... (my answers are in pink)

Look at the following sentences said by students.
a. Correct the mistake
b. Name the tense used to correct it
c. Say in simple terms how you would make that correction clear to the student.

1. I'm getting up early every morning to catch the bus.
a. should be 'I get up...'
b. correct tense is present simple. Student has used present continuous which is in-correct.
c. The present continous tense 'I'm getting up' indicates an action that is happening now (show with gesture). Present simple tense used with the time aspect 'every morning' indicates general habitual time, and the implication is that the action will happen again.
'I got up' - is past tense, indicating that the action has finished and will not happen again.

2. I have seen 'Star Wars' last week.
a. should be 'I saw...'
b. correct tense is past simple. (student has used present perfect)
c. Time governs the verb tense needed. In this sentence a single action has taken place in one moment of time in the past. Therefore, the simple form of the past tense is needed.

3. Can you come out tonight?
No, sorry. I will see 'Hamlet' at the National Theatre.
a. Should be 'I am going to see...'
b. correct tense is future simple.
c. Future simple tense indicates the near future. Prospective aspect of this sentence expresses intention. 'I will...' doesn't always refer to the future and expresses determintaion. In the context of the conversation, 'I will..' is not suited. 'I am going..' indicates the present intention of a future situation.

4. I'm living here for six years.
a. should be 'I have lived..'
b. correct tense is present perfect.
c. 'I'm living..' is to be used when referring to the present moment. In the context of the sentence, 'for six years' which indicates an action that has happened in the past and up to the present moment - present perfect tense is needed. Again, when time is indicated in a sentence; the aspect of the verb has to change.

Honest comments and constructive criticism will be taken on board and appreciated. :)
 

Ulybin

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c. Say in simple terms how you would make that correction clear to the student.

Your explanations might be too difficult for pre-intermediate students (looks like pre-int mistakes). Think of other ways of explaining - drawing a timeline on a board, asking simple questions to help students figure out the correct tense.
Some useful CCQ tips: TEFL Forums • View topic - Concept check questions
 

5jj

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Your explanations might be too difficult for pre-intermediate students.
They might indeed.

However, Mairi, the person who is interviewing you almost certainly just wants to know if you have a reasonable understanding of the grammar of your own language, the ability to spot errors, and some idea of how to go about correcting them.

That being so, your answers seem fine to me.

Ulybin's link will probably be useful to you on the course, but nobody expects you to be perfect before you start the course.
 

Mairi

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Thank you both.

I have re-written my explanations for each answer and I feel they are much better suited. However, whilst working through my answers again I noticed that for question 4. I'm living here for six years - can be corrected with the use of two tenses. One being the present perfect tense - I have lived here for six years. The other being the present perfect continuous - I have been living here for six years.

Both indicate an action that started in the past and continued to the present moment - both also indicate that the action could be continuous. How can I explain this or am I missing the obvious here? :oops: I don't think a time line would be suited, would writing the structure/form of each sentence suffice?
 

Tdol

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We can often use the present perfect in the simple or progressive form to describe the same action/state and often the difference is one of emphasis. In your example, I could use the progressive, for example, if I were thinking possibly of leaving.
 

Ulybin

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If a student struggles with use of the present continuous you probably should leave out the present perfect continuous, and just correct to the present perfect simple.
But the interviewer will be pleased to hear you understand that both can be used. :)
 
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