Guided Discovery is an alternative to traditional grammar presentations. Instead of the teacher explaining the rule and providing all of the examples, the teacher provides context and asks a series of leading questions to help "guide" learners to discover the rules for themselves.

Thornbury outlines seven key functions of the teacher's questions and prompts in a Guided Discovery activity. Read the list below.  

You will read a transcript of a grammar presentation given using the Guided Discovery technique. As you read, pay attention to the teacher comments that are marked with a number. For each one, decide which of the seven functions it serves and mark your answers. Be aware that leading questions can be used to perform several of these functions so you may find that some of these have multiple possible answers.

Teacher: (1) Now I'm going to dictate some sentences and I want you to write them down. Are you ready?

Number one: I have been teaching for twelve years now. [pause]
Number two: Before that I was a student teacher. [pause]
Number three: I have been living in Cartago for a year now. [pause]
Number four: Last year I was living in Puntarenas. [pause]
Number five: At present, I am living in a friend's apartment. [pause]

I am going to repeat the sentences then I want you to check in pairs to see if you both have the same.

Ok, All those sentences are about me, but some are true and some are false. Can you guess which is which? I'll give you a clue. Only one of them is false. Yes, Andres...?

Teacher: ...Ok. Well done, Andres. You guessed it correctly. Last year I was living in San Jose not Puntarenas. (2) Now I'd like you to tell me how many of those sentences talk about NOW and how many talk about the FINISHED PAST...

That's right. So we have two sentences about the finished past and three sentences about now. (3) How do you know they are about now?

Student 1: It says "now".

Student 2: "At present"

Teacher: Good, 'I have been teaching for tweleve years NOW. I have been living in Cartago for a year NOW. AT PRESENT, I am living in a friend's apartment.' (4) Ok, now let's look at these last two sentences. 'I have been living in Cartago / I am living in a friend's apartment'. (5) Can you see the difference?

Student 1: Have been...

Teacher: Have been living, and ...

Student 2: Am living...

Teacher: So what's the difference?

Student 1: 'Have been living' is finished

Teacher: (6) Is it? Are you sure? 'I have been living in Cartago for a year NOW.' Is that finished? (7) When did I start living in Cartago?

Student 2: One year ago.

Teacher: Good. 'I have been living in Cartago for a year now.' Am I still living in Cartago?

Students: Yes.

Teacher: Right! 'For a year now.' I startied living here a year ago and I am still living here. From the past to the present. So what about 'I am living at a friend's apartment.' Do we know when it started?

Students: No.

Teacher: (8) 'I am living at a friend's apartment.' Are we talking about the past only, or the present only, or from the past to the present?

Student 1: The present only.

Teacher: (9) Exactly!

Teacher: But what about 'I have been living in Cartago for a year'?

Students: Past and present.

Teacher: Good. From past to present. (10) Do you remember what we call this tense: I am living?

Student 1: Present continuous.

Teacher: Good. So what do we call this one. 'Have been living'.  [pause]  'Have been..." What is that called?

Student 2: Present perfect.

Teacher: Yes. (11) So, 'have been living'?

Student 1: Present continuous perfect?

Teacher: Not quite. The other way around.

Student 2: Present perfect continuous.

Teacher: Excellent. (12) So what we have seen here is that we can use this this structure, the present perfect continuous, as a way of connecting the past to the present....