Ss are shown a picture of a childhood birthday celebration. T asks Ss several questions to elicit what is happening in the picture.

Ss will listen to a text about a childhood birthday to introduce the target grammar. Ss listen to the text once and answer four "gist" questions about the text. T nominates S to give answers.

T shares the slide with the transcript of the listening with Ss. T elicits the simple past tense by asking students "When did this birthday take place?" Ss - "Yesterday". T highlights the verb "be" and elicits the first instance of "be" in the simple past in the text. Ss work to find all the instances of the target grammar in the text (eleven) T asks Ss how many simple past "be" verbs they found. T elicits the contractions in the negative "wasn't" and "weren't" and what they mean.

T clarifies the meaning of the simple past by asking CCQs "Did the birthday finish?" - "Yes" "Was he happy then?" - "Yes he was" "Is the boy happy now?" (We don't know, we don't care") T clarifies the use of the present tense in the text using CCQs: "Does the boy live in Bristol now?" "Yes" "Do his brothers live in the USA?" - "Yes" To clarify the form, Ss work to fill in the table on the next slide. Ss share their answers with the class. To clarify the pronunciation, T models three sentences from the text and asks Ss to identify the strong/weak words in each sentence. T drills Ss on the pronunciation of the weak "was" / "wasn't" / "were" / "weren't" On the next slide T models the three sentences and asks Ss to identify the words that link together. T shows the linkage using arrows between the words. T drills Ss on the sound linkage in the sentences.

T shows Ss a new text on the next slide. T asks Ss to read once for gist and answer the question "Was this a fantastic birthday?" - "No" Ss work to choose the correct form of the simple past "be" verbs. Ss take it in turns to read a sentence and give their answers. T provides feedback on form and pronunciation of target language.

T shows Ss the table on the final slide. T introduces the questions and models the answers by filling in the "You" column. Ss are given 2 mins to fill in their own answers. T explains Ss do not need to use full sentences. In breakout rooms, Ss work with a partner/in groups of 3 for 5 mins. Ss interview each other by asking the questions provided. T monitors the groups and makes a note of any language issues. After 5 mins Ss return to the main room and share the information they found out about their partner/group members. T shares any language issues noted down during the speaking and Ss work to improve the sentences.