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B1 Tutor Session Plan

Lesson 1 · Grammar · Threshold

6 curriculum stages115 curriculum topics · 115 available nowA0–C1 one coherent path

Printable one-to-one lesson plan

Present perfect continuous

Learn the present perfect continuous (have been + -ing) for activities that started earlier and continue now: “I’ve been checking the list since noon.” Free exercises.

Open learner lessonAdd to quick review
Course positionB1 · Lesson 1 of 20

The independent-user threshold. Learners deal with most situations while traveling, produce connected text on familiar topics, and explain their opinions, plans and experiences.

Level evidenceB1 End-of-Level Diagnostic

Use after the complete B1 sequence, not as a lesson quiz.

Open diagnostic →
Core and extension55–65 minutes core

15–20 minutes optional: Tutor-read ongoing activity, completed quantity, repeated attempt, recent evidence, duration question, and negative-pattern listening check · Next-day state meaning, time marker, and recently stopped activity retrieval

Derived from this lesson’s source

Lesson-specific teaching brief

This is not a second lesson registry. The plan reads the same native content that produces the learner page.

Observable outcome

What the learner should do

Learn the present perfect continuous (have been + -ing) for activities that started earlier and continue now: “I’ve been checking the list since noon.” Free exercises.

Core decision

What must become clear

Can-do: By the end, you can form positive, negative, and question patterns; connect an earlier activity to now; distinguish an activity that continues from one that has just stopped; report repeated attempts and recent evidence; choose for, since, all day, lately , or recently ; contrast present perfect continuous with present perfect simple, present continuous, and past continuous; handle common state and dynamic meanings; hear reduced U.S. forms; and give a clear status update.

Watch and repair

High-value friction points

  1. She has been checking the list since noon.The perfect auxiliary is has, been creates the continuous bridge, and checking names the activity.
  2. I’ve been waiting since three o’clock.Since introduces a starting point. For would need a duration such as for thirty minutes.
  3. They’ve known Ava for six years.Use present perfect simple for the continuing state know: have known, not have been knowing.
Practice route

Protect these lesson moments

  1. Three foundations from A2
  2. Discovery check: identify the speaker’s viewpoint
  3. Form check: build the complete chain
  4. Meaning check: choose the activity that explains now
  5. Contrast check: what does the update need to foreground?
Final production

Learner production

Continuing activity: The setup began at 1:00 and is still underway at 3:30. Explain what the team has been doing and for how long.

  • Repeated attempt: Jordan called support at 3:00, 3:10, and 3:20, but no one has answered. Report the pattern and result.
  • Recent evidence: Maintenance stopped one minute ago. The floor and mop are still wet. Explain the evidence without claiming the activity continues.
  • Process and result: The team worked on chairs all morning and completed 60. Use one continuous sentence and one simple sentence.
Next retrieval

Carry this language into the next session

Retrieve Present perfect continuous in one true sentence at the next lesson.

Tutor-only contrastive support

L1 Transfer Lens

Test a pattern. Do not label a learner. Use this only after the learner’s actual production gives you evidence.

Select a first language to reveal only the contrasts relevant to this lesson.

Use while teaching

Operational teaching notes

Choose a route before class, but change it when the learner’s production gives you better evidence.

Guided discovery

Ask before explaining

  1. Which examples in “Three foundations from A2” express the same core meaning?
  2. How would you explain this decision in your own words: Can-do: By the end, you can form positive, negative, and question patterns; connect an earlier activity to now; distinguish an activity that continues from one that has just stopped; report repeated attempts and recent evidence; choose for, since, all day, lately , or recently ; contrast present perfect continuous with present perfect simple, present continuous, and past continuous; handle common state and dynamic meanings; hear reduced U.S. forms; and give a clear status update.
  3. What needs to change in this repair, and why: She has been checking the list since noon.
Correction timing

Correct for the stage

  • Controlled work: correct immediately, then require the complete repaired sentence.
  • Fluency building: note repeated errors and reformulate after the learner finishes the thought.
  • Communication: interrupt only when meaning breaks down or the target decision is the lesson’s main evidence.

Short, core, or extended

Choose the route

All three routes end in learner production. More time means more contrast and transfer, not a longer explanation.

35 minutes

Short route

Retrieve for 3 minutes. Notice and discover for 8. Use the two most diagnostic tasks from Three foundations from A2 and Discovery check: identify the speaker’s viewpoint for 12. Protect 9 minutes for Learner production, then reflect for 3.

55–65 minutes

Core route

Follow the six-stage sequence below. Reduce repeated controlled items when accuracy is already stable, but keep the nearest useful contrast and final production.

Extended

Stretch route

Add Tutor-read ongoing activity, completed quantity, repeated attempt, recent evidence, duration question, and negative-pattern listening check · Next-day state meaning, time marker, and recently stopped activity retrieval, then repeat the communication task with a new situation or stricter success criteria.

55–65 minutes core working plan

Session sequence

Protect the final communication and reflection time. If the learner needs more support, reduce the number of controlled items instead of removing production.

  1. 5 min

    Retrieve

    Activate what the learner already controls and check any prerequisite language.

    Teacher move: Open with the first practice route: Three foundations from A2 · Discovery check: identify the speaker’s viewpoint · Form check: build the complete chain.

  2. 6–8 min

    Notice

    Let the learner observe meaning and form in a small sample before naming the rule.

    Teacher move: Keep the noticing conversation anchored to this decision: Can-do: By the end, you can form positive, negative, and question patterns; connect an earlier activity to now; distinguish an activity that continues from one that has just stopped; report repeated attempts and recent evidence; choose for, since, all day, lately , or recently ; contrast present perfect continuous with present perfect simple, present continuous, and past continuous; handle common state and dynamic meanings; hear reduced U.S. forms; and give a clear status update.

  3. 8–10 min

    Discover

    Connect form, meaning, use, word order, and the nearest useful contrast.

    Teacher move: Test the learner’s explanation against this repair: She has been checking the list since noon. The perfect auxiliary is has, been creates the continuous bridge, and checking names the activity.

  4. 12–15 min

    Build + drill

    Move from accurate choices to faster retrieval and sentence construction.

    Teacher move: Prioritize these lesson tasks: Three foundations from A2 · Discovery check: identify the speaker’s viewpoint · Form check: build the complete chain · Meaning check: choose the activity that explains now. Reduce repetitions if needed, but keep the final production time.

  5. 12–15 min

    Communicate

    Use the target language for a real adult purpose the learner cannot complete by copying.

    Teacher move: Learner production: Continuing activity: The setup began at 1:00 and is still underway at 3:30. Explain what the team has been doing and for how long.

  6. 3–5 min

    Reflect

    Make progress visible and choose one specific next use.

    Teacher move: Retrieve Present perfect continuous in one true sentence at the next lesson.

Tutor-only source

Listening scripts

Read these lines from the tutor plan while the learner lesson remains on screen. Each clip names the learner item it supports.

Tutor-read ongoing activity, completed quantity, repeated attempt, recent evidence, duration question, and negative-pattern listening check

  1. Clip 1

    Read: I’ve been reviewing the list since TEN. I’m on the LAST page now.

    Supports: What timeline does the reviewer report?

  2. Clip 2

    Read: I’ve reviewed THIRTY applications, so those records are complete.

    Supports: Which result matters in the second line?

  3. Clip 3

    Read: I’ve been calling Leo every HOUR, but I still haven’t reached him.

    Supports: What does the third line report?

  4. Clip 4

    Read: The brushes are wet and there’s blue paint on my sleeve. I’ve been PAINTing the signs.

    Supports: What explains the evidence in the fourth line?

  5. Clip 5

    Read: How LONG have you been WAITing?

    Supports: What information does the linked question request?

  6. Clip 6

    Read: I HAVEN’T been sleeping WELL lately.

    Supports: What does the last line mean?

Keep only useful evidence

After-lesson notes

These notes are for deliberate tutor records or printing. Nothing is stored in the learner’s browser.

The learner can now…

Write one observable use of the target language.

Still needs support with…

Record one repeated error, contrast, or point of hesitation.

Next retrieval prompt

Write one short prompt the learner will answer at the next session.

Anonymous live-lesson evidence

Learner pilot worksheet

B1 · Present perfect continuous

Pilot 1 of 30 recorded · 3 remaining
Date
Approximate starting level
Core lesson time
Before explaining

Starting evidence

What did the learner already control? What was the first misconception, hesitation, or contrast that mattered?

Core decision

Did the principle become clear?

Can-do: By the end, you can form positive, negative, and question patterns; connect an earlier activity to now; distinguish an activity that continues from one that has just stopped; report repeated attempts and recent evidence; choose for, since, all day, lately , or recently ; contrast present perfect continuous with present perfect simple, present continuous, and past continuous; handle common state and dynamic meanings; hear reduced U.S. forms; and give a clear status update.

Feedback test

Did the first hint help?

Record the first item that caused difficulty and whether the contextual hint led to self-correction before the full repair appeared.

Independent production

Could the learner do the outcome?

Learn the present perfect continuous (have been + -ing) for activities that started earlier and continue now: “I’ve been checking the list since noon.” Free exercises.

Listen for: The learner uses the target language independently for a real purpose.

Later retrieval

What remained available?

If possible, check before rereading in the next session. Record what returned independently and what still required a cue.

Editorial decision

Keep, revise, or investigate?

Note any explanation the tutor still had to supply, the smallest useful revision, and whether another pilot should test the same issue.

Current canonical state: editorial-review.

Review focus: Activity viewpoint, duration, repetition, recent evidence, simple-continuous contrast, state and dynamic meanings, U.S. spoken form, listening, privacy, production, and retrieval were audited; three pilots remain.

After a real completed session, update the lesson’s canonical qualityReview count and status. Never backfill evidence from memory or mark a lesson reviewed before 3 pilots and tutor sign-off.