Timeline Presentation
grammaraccuracymainwhole-classnone prep10-15 min
The teacher draws a horizontal line on the board representing time, with past on the left and future on the right. Moments, durations, and relationships between events are marked. Makes tense-aspect relations spatial rather than just grammatical.
Procedure
- Draw the timeline: a horizontal line with NOW marked at the middle, past ← left, future → right.
- Introduce the target structure in a sample sentence: I have been studying English for three years.
- Place the events:
- Start of study: an X on the far left (labelled 3 years ago).
- Continuous bar: a wavy line from that X to NOW.
- Possible continuation arrow: dashed line continuing right past NOW.
- Ask Concept Checking Questions: Did she study before now? Does she study now? Will she probably continue?
- Students replicate the timeline on paper for a different example sentence.
- Drill the structure; follow with controlled practice.
Core Timeline Conventions
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| X | A point event (finished moment) |
| ~~~~~~ | A duration or continuous action |
| ------► | Continuation beyond NOW |
| X...X | Repeated events |
| Vertical bar | | A reference point (e.g., "by the time") |
Timelines for Common Structures
- Past simple — single X in the past
- Present perfect simple — X in past connected by arrow to NOW
- Present perfect continuous — wavy line from past to NOW, extendable
- Past perfect — X further past, then vertical reference bar
- Will vs going to — arrow pointing right from NOW (plan vs prediction)
- Used to — series of Xs in past that stop before NOW
Why It Works
- Abstract-to-visible: tense and aspect are notoriously hard to explain verbally.
- Self-service reference: students copy the timeline into notebooks for later.
- Cross-linguistic bridge: Vietnamese and other tense-light L1s benefit especially — tense relations become spatial.
Tips
- Always draw NOW first and the new structure second — grounds the structure in relation to the present.
- Use consistent conventions all year. Mixing symbols confuses more than the grammar.
- Combine with Concept Checking Questions: the CCQ verifies the timeline is being read correctly.