Ha e states, I the lass oo e ill a t to eate the sa e ki d
of information- gap if e a e to e ou age eal o
u i atio .
23
Based on the citations above, the writer sees that the advantages of applying information-gap activities in the classroom are it can stimulate and
motivate students in interesting teaching learning process, and also it can encourage students by real communication strategies.
5. The Disadvantages of Information-Gap Activities
Legutke and Thomas see that information-gap activities help learners to appreciate that they use the target language to communicate without the direct
intervention of the teacher.
24
From this citation, the writer underlines the ph ase o
u i ate ithout the di e t i te e tio of the tea he as the unstated weakness of information-gap activity. Without direct intervention of
the teacher, it means that the teacher will not be involved in such information- gap activity to prevent the mistakes or errors done by the students or even to
help them. In line with this idea, Joycey points out that such group work in an
information- gap a ti it do ot al a s o plete the lea e s a ilit to
communicate in the target language.
25
The writer may infer that at least there are two disadvantages of using information-
gap a ti it i the lass oo . Fi st, tea he s ole is passi e, so that the students need to be active and independent in doing this activity. Second,
information-gap activity in group work may not be sufficient to give the learners complete ability to communicate in the target language.
23
Jeremy Harmer, The Practice of English Language Teaching,..., p. 48
24
Michael Legutke and Howard Thomas, Process and Experience in the Language Classroom, London: Longman, 1991, p.96.
25
Ed Joycey, Modern English Teacher: Group work, The Information gap, and The Individual, Vol. X, No. 1, September 1982.
B. Simple Past Tense
6. The Understanding of Simple Past Tense
A o di g to Close, The “i ple Past Te se is a sig al of specification of past ti e, just as the is a sig al ea i g that the speake is efe i g to a
spe ified o je t.
26
I li e ith this idea, Lee h a d “ta t ik state, The Past Te se efe s to a definite time in the past which may be identified by a past-time adverbial in
the same sentence, the preceding language context or the context outside la guage.
27
Based o Woods a d Coppiete s opi io i the Communicative Grammar of English Workbook, The Simple Past Tense refers to a definite time
in the past and is identified by a past time adverbial, the preceding language context or the context outside language.
28
Hu fo d states, The Past Te se of a e is a fo t pi all i di ati g that the event or state of affairs expressed by the verb took place or existed
efo e the p ese t.
29
Da esi fu the highlights, “i ple Past Te se, also k o as p ete it,
allows you to refer to actions that occurred in the past without reference to the p ese t.
30
The writer sees The Simple Past Tense is defined as The Tense refers to the event dealing with a past time that is expressed by past verb form, past time
adverbial, preceding language context, or even context outside language.
26
R.A. Close, A Teachers Grammar: An Approach to the Central Problems of English, London: Language Teaching Publication, 1998, p.57.
27
Geoffrey Leech and Jan Svartvik, A Communicative Grammar of English, Essex: Pearson Education Limited, 2002, 3
rd
ed., p.69.
28
Edward Woods and Rudy Coppieters, The Communicative Grammar of English Workbook, London: Pearson, 2002, p.48.
29
James R. Hurford, Grammar: A Student’s Guide, Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press, 1994, p. 160.
30
Marcel Danesi, Basic American Grammar and usage : An ESLEFL Handbook, New York: Barron‟s Educational Series, 2006, p. 139.
7. The Form of Simple Past Tense
A o di g to Joh East ood, I the “i ple Past Te se, a egula past form ends in ed
, so e e s ha e a i egula past fo . ….We use did and also
were and was i egati es a d uestio s.
31
Table 2.1 Regular Verb
V1 V2
Study Studied
Listen Listened
Walk Walked
Dance Danced
Look Looked
Table 2.2 Irregular Verb
V1 V2
Teach Taught
Speak Spoke
Sing Sang
Write Wrote
Draw Drew
The formula in Simple Past Tense contains three parts: affirmative, negative, and interrogative.
a. Affirmative 1 The verb other than be:
Examples: - I rose my hand.
- You walked to the door.
31
John Eastwood, Oxford Practice Grammars With Answers, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999, 2nd ed., p.18.
S + V2 + .....
