TEFLonline Module Seven Course

Teaching Grammar

Table of Contents
7.1 Introduction

7.2 What is Grammar?

7.3 Language Awareness, Grammar Self-test

7.4 Survey of the Basics of English Grammar

7.5 Teaching Grammar and Guided Discovery

7.6 Conclusion

Assignment

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7.1 Introduction

I don't want to talk grammar.

I want to talk like a lady.
G.B. Shaw Pygmalion

Our discussion of grammar describes the structure of English: the way it fits together to
communicate meaning. This module reviews some of the topics and terminology which are needed
for clear communication with your students. It also provides several quizzes for self-evaluation,
allowing you to make a realistic assessment of your current needs and abilities.

While many new teachers of EFL are comfortable teaching speaking, vocabulary-building, and
other aspects of English, grammar is an area with which many are a bit uneasy. Some doubt their
competence at explaining why one form is correct and another incorrect in a particular sentence.
Others are not sure how much new terminology is needed. These reactions are completely natural
since many native speakers have not studied English grammar since middle school. In addition,
the areas of concern for a second language learner can be different than those of a native student.
These special concerns include such subjects as count/non-count nouns, the use of modals, the
use of phrasal verbs and many others.

No wonder teachers new to teaching EFL/ESL are nervous about this subject. However, there are
some factors that should help to put the novice's mind at ease.

Number 1: As a native or expert speaker, you'll probably know what the correct form is even if you
don't know the rule.

Number 2: You don't need to know all the grammar of the English language to teach it.

Number 3: It's generally easy to find out what you don't know in a good grammar reference book if
your text (or the teacher's book) doesn't already explain it.

Number 4: You will learn by doing. As you gain experience, your grammar teaching will improve.

Number 5: Some effective grammar teaching techniques, such as Guided Discovery, help
students uncover the rules and patterns of English for themselves. These techniques encourage
your students’ active engagement in learning and replace traditional grammar lecturing.

Take heart! There are many reasons to believe that with some effort and enthusiasm you can
become an excellent grammar teacher. You may find that this review and its opportunities for self-
evaluation are all you need to begin successfully. If, on the other hand, you decide a more
comprehensive look at grammar is needed to reach your particular goals, consider Grammar
Advisor, our new BridgeTEFL course.

This is the end of this section. Click on the next module section in the table of contents

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7.2 What is Grammar?

Grammar is the study of how words fit together to form meaningful sentences. There are two ways
to define grammar. First, native speakers of any language learn its grammar naturally as they
absorb speech patterns during their early years. The structures children learn through observation
and their own trial-and-error efforts at communication are called descriptive grammar rules
Second, people then standardize and simplify the patterns of a living language into rule books,
defining their language’s prescriptive grammar.

Linguists, the scientists who study language, are usually concerned with the descriptive rules.
These are the rules that a speaker of a language must know about in defining the total picture of a
language: sentence structure, word order or syntax, pronunciation and word formation. Noam
Chomsky, perhaps the leading linguist in the U.S., estimates that there are approximately 500,000
such rules for any language. Native speakers acquire these rules naturally by imitation and by
experimentation.

In contrast, prescriptive grammar consists of the patterns and rules that you learn in grammar
classes and reference books. It helps us define and produce Standard English in our speaking and
writing. Those red marks on your school essays were there to help you learn prescriptive grammar,
and it will be the concern of the rest of this module. However, as we consider the best way to
communicate these patterns of English to our students, it is helpful to remember that standards
vary in different decades, countries, settings, and communication forms.Often we consider one
form standard grammar for formal written communication and another standard for casual
conversation. For example, which of these sentences is correct?

         The person to whom I would send your request would be Mary.

         The person I’d send it to is Mary.

Most teachers would say that the first sentence is Standard English, but wouldn’t the second one
be more appropriate for many conversations? We make judgments about our communication that
don’t always follow the rules of prescriptive grammar. Perhaps at these times, we are listening to
those models we learned in childhood.

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7.3 Language Awareness, Grammar Self-test

In this teacher training course, we stress the concept of language awareness. As a native speaker,
you already know how to form correct sentences, but you may not know how to explain them to
others. To reach that goal requires new thinking about the nature of the English language. Taking
this course is one way to encourage this increased awareness. The following English Grammar
Self-Evaluation will help you examine what you already know and what you need to review. If you
find this test and the following ones challenging, don’t worry. There is more information provided
after each quiz. Also, remember that these self-evaluations are not part of your module grade.

English Grammar Self-Evaluation Test 1

  1. I have gone …is an example of

a. present perfect tense.

b. past tense.

c. past perfect tense.

2. Tom is traveling today...is an example of

a. simple present tense.

b. present continuous tense.

c. future continuous.

3. Mary had studied English before she came here…is an example of

a. present perfect tense.

b. past tense.

c. past perfect tense.

4. We’re going skiing this weekend…is an example of

a. future prediction.

b. future plan.

c. willingness to do something.

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5. (The phone rings.) Tom: I’ll get it…is an example of

a. future prediction.

b. future plan.

c. willingness to do something.

6. Close your books...is an example of

a. the subjunctive.

b. the conditional.

c. the imperative.

7. If I had a million dollars, I´d go to Mexico…is an example of

a. the subjunctive.

b. the conditional.

c. the imperative.

8. The house on the hill is beautiful…is an example of

a. a demonstrative pronoun.

b. an adjective.

c. a noun.

9. What a beautiful sight!…is an example of

a. a demonstrative pronoun.

b. an adjective.

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 c. a noun.

10. This is more important than you realize…is an example of

a. a demonstrative pronoun.

b. an adjective.

c. a noun.

11. You’ll need to go quickly if you want to get there on time…is an example of

a. a noun.

b. an adjective.

c. an adverb.

12. I wonder what time it is ...is an example of

a. an indirect question.

b. a question.

c. a phrase.

13. He’s the one who will be your new teacher…is an example of

a. an independent clause.

b. an adjective clause.

c. a phrase.

14. That she is late is unimportant…is an example of

a. an adjective clause.

b. a noun clause.

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 c. an adverb clause.

15. He turned off the TV when the news came on…is an example of

a. an adjective clause.

b. a noun clause.

c. an adverb clause.

16. Lettuce is sold in supermarkets…is an example of

a. a non-countable noun.

b. a countable noun.

c. both a non-countable noun and a countable noun.

17. The chairs will be painted tomorrow…is an example of

a. a non-countable noun.

b. a countable noun.

c. both a non-countable noun and a countable noun.

18. Skiing is always fun…is an example of

a. an infinitive.

b. a gerund.

c. an article.

19. The car next to the curb is mine…is an example of

a. an infinitive.

b. a gerund.

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 c. an article.

20. We prefer to swim…is an example of

a. an infinitive.

b. a gerund.

c. an article.

21. You shouldn’t drive so fast…is an example of

a. a modal asking for permission.

b. a modal giving advice.

c. a modal describing ability.

22. May I go with you?…is an example of

a. a modal asking for permission.

b. a modal giving advice.

c. a modal describing ability.

23. Can you swim?…is an example of

a. a modal asking permission.

b. a modal giving advice.

c. a modal describing ability.

24. I’ll have to look up his number in the directory…is an example of

a. a phrasal verb.

b. an expression.

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 c. slang.

25. That table was built by my grandfather over 50 years ago…is an example of

a. active voice.

b. passive voice.

c. the subjunctive.

This is the end of this section. Click on the next module section in the table of contents

7.4 Survey of the Basics of English Grammar

In this section, you will have the opportunity to become acquainted with some of the major aspects
of grammar that are usually encountered in the typical ESL/EFL classroom situation:

Form and Function, the Metalanguage of Grammar

The Verb System of English

Passive Voice

The Conditional

Clauses

Modals

In addition, you will find a quiz after each of these six sections for a total of sixty questions. Feel
free to check in our Resource Center, use other grammar books and references, ask
knowledgeable friends, and look in Grammar Advisor to find the answers. As you develop these
resources, your skill and self-confidence will grow. You can find many helpful resources in the
Resource Center.

Form and Function, the Metalanguage of Grammar

One of your first jobs in preparing to teach grammar is to become aware of the metalanguage, the
language about language, which teachers use when they are talking about grammar. Here are
some examples of the metalanguage you will encounter:

Nouns
 A noun is the name of a person, place, or thing: The dog chased the ball into the pond.

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Count & Non Count Nouns
Some things can not be counted. These include liquids (water), some foods (butter), substances
(dirt), abstract nouns (anger), categories (jewelry), and some others. These non-count nouns
follow different patterns than the nouns that designate something that can be counted: boats, cans,
elephants. Differences include plural forms, articles, and modifiers.

Proper Nouns
A proper noun represents a name. Proper nouns are capitalized: John played with his dog, Blue, in
Washington Park.

Pronouns
A pronoun usually substitutes for a specific previously mentioned noun, its antecedent. John called
his boss and told him that he would be 10 minutes late. There are two pronouns in this sentence,
the subject pronoun he which represents John and the object pronoun him which represents boss.

Demonstrative Pronouns
These pronouns are used to identify or point to a noun: this, that, these, those. Give me those
(coat hangers). Notice that these pronouns can also function as adjectives. Which coat hangers?
Those coat hangers.
Verbs
A verb expresses the action of a sentence. It may be one word or may contain one or more
auxiliary verbs. The dog caught the ball in the air. He has caught over half the balls so far.

Phrasal Verbs
A phrasal verb is a multi-word verb which contains a word that is usually a preposition: stand up,
come in. However, in these cases the “preposition” is part of the verb and changes its meaning.
The “preposition” in a phrasal verb does not begin a prepositional phrase: When his boss came in,
John stood up.

Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

Transitive verbs take direct objects. Intransitive verb do not take direct objects. An example of a
transitive verb is tell: John told a funny joke. An example of an intransitive verb is talk: Money talks.
Words that follow intransitive verbs are adverbs or phrases which do not function as objects; they
do not receive the action on the verb: Johns talks quietly.

Adjectives
This is a word used to describe (modify) a noun: a small sandwich, a delicious sandwich, three
sandwiches. Adjectives usually answer the one of these questions: Which? What kind? How
many?

Adverbs
An adverb modifies a verb, adjective, or adverb: John quickly chews his sandwich; John eats a
fairly small sandwich; John eats his sandwich fairly quickly. An adverb often answers one of these
questions: How? Where? When? How often?

Articles
The words a, an and the are articles. A and an are called indefinite articles. The is the definite
article.

Conjunctions
This is a joining word. It shows the relationship between the words it joins: addition (and), contrast
(but), or result (so).
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Conjunction, Correlative
These are two-part coordinating conjunctions: either…or, neither…nor, both…and, not only…but
also, not…but, and whether…or. Each night John either works or studies.

Prepositions
This is a word placed before a noun to form a modifying phrase. A preposition shows the
relationship between its object and the part of the sentence which is modified. The dog found the
ball under the thorny bush. The preposition under describes the relationship between its object
bush and the word that is modified ball.

Subject
The subject of the sentence is the word or word group that tells what the sentence is about. It is
usually before the verb. The coffee bar where John works stays open late. In this example, bar is
the simple subject, and the coffee bar where John works is the complete subject. A subordinate
clause also needs a subject. The subject of the adjective clause where John works is John.

Direct Objects
This is the noun or noun phrase that receives the action of the verb: John studies the complex
physics of tidal movements. In this sentence physics is the simple direct object and the complex
physics of tidal movements is the complete direct object.

Indirect Object
An indirect object is the noun or pronoun that tells to whom or for whom the action is done. The
indirect object always precedes the direct object: I gave the dog the ball. In this sentence, the ball
is the direct object, and the dog is the indirect object.

Verbals
These three forms are derived from verbs but don’t function as verbs: infinitives (I want to buy an
ice cream cone), gerunds (He enjoys hiking in the mountains) and participial adjectives (The
disappointed runner finished in 23rd place).

Tag Questions
 In this form, a question is added at the end of a statement: You’re coming to the party, aren’t you?

Practicing Word Order with a Sentence Scramble

Another important issue in English grammar is word order. Why is “She is a very pretty girl” a
correct sentence while “She is a pretty very girl” is incorrect? In the accompanying video, students
work on correct placement of adverbs through a word scramble. This technique can be adapted to
provide practice in many aspects of word order – the structural underpinning of English grammar.

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 English Grammar Self-Evaluation Test 2

Look at the sentences below and identify the word in bold [underlined].
1. He is an excellent actor.

a. Pronoun as direct object

b. Pronoun as subject

c. Verb

2. Give me the ball.

a. Noun as direct object

b. Noun as subject

c. Noun as indirect object

3. The President spoke for an hour.

a. Verb

b. Subject

c. Direct object

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4. Did you get Joan a napkin?

a. Indirect object

b. Direct object

c. Pronoun

5. Skiing is a lot of fun.

a. Gerund as subject

b. Infinitive as subject

c. Adverb

6. This is a lovely house!

a. Adverb

b. Adjective

c. Noun

7. He runs fast.

a. Adverb

b. Adjective

c. Noun

8. Look at that bird! What kind is it?

a. Adverb

b. Noun

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 c. Pronoun

9. Did they do it themselves?

a. Adverb

b. Noun

c. Pronoun

10. Whose book is this? It’s mine.

a. Adverb

b. Noun

c. Pronoun

11. Neither the man nor his wife agreed.

a. Article

b. Conjunction

c. Demonstrative adjective

12. He wanted to go with us.

a. Gerund

b. Infinitive

c. Adverb

13. This is the best party ever!

a. Adverb

b. Demonstrative pronoun

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 c. Conjunction

14. Could I ask for a glass of water, please?

a. Adverb

b. Conjunction

c. Article

15. Look at that!

a. Article

b. Preposition

c. Participial Adjective

16. Feeling a little frustrated, I spoke to the manager.

a. Noun

b. Preposition

c. Participial Adjective

17. Jon told me his parents were from Germany.

a. Proper noun

b. Adjective

c. Common noun

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The Verb System of English

The verb system of English is based on tenses. The form of the tenses usually tells the listener
when the sentence's action took place. Verbs often contain an auxiliary in addition to the main
verb. Auxiliary verbs in English are various forms of to be, to do, and to have.
I am going. Do you study much? Have you ever gone?
Another kind of auxiliary verb, modals, will be discussed later. Verbs always have the following
forms: the infinitive or simple form, present participle, simple past and past participle:

infinitive simple present participle simple past past participle

to go go going went gone

12 Basic Tenses
In English there are 12 basic tenses. In the active voice, they are formed as follows:

Present Simple: I eat. (base form of the verb)

Present Continuous: I am eating. (be + present participle)

Present Perfect: I have eaten. (have + past participle)

Present Perfect Continuous: I have been eating. (have + been + present participle)

Past Simple: I ate. (past simple form of verb)

Past Continuous: I was eating. (past of ‘be’ + present participle)

Past Perfect: I had eaten. (had + past participle)

Past Perfect Continuous: I had been eating. (had + been + present participle)

Future Simple: I will eat. (will + base verb)

Future Continuous: I will be eating. (will + be + present participle)

Future Perfect: I will have eaten. (will + have + past participle)

Future Perfect Continuous: I will have been eating. (will + have + been + present participle)

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 English Grammar Self-Evaluation Test 3
  Bottom of Form
Identify the following verbs. Tell what tense the verb is and what the meaning is.

18. You can count on me. I won't fail.

Tense: 1. simple future

2. future continuous

3. future perfect

Meaning: A. future prediction

B. willingness to do something

C. determination/promise

19. We´re going to the school party Saturday night.

Tense: 1. present continuous

2. simple future

3. future continuous

Meaning: A. future prediction

B. future plan

C. willingness to do something

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20. She is eating dinner with friends at her apartment.

Tense: 1. simple present

2. present continuous

3. simple present

Meaning: A. future prediction

B. action is taking place now

C. habitual action

21. Tom works out every Thursday after he gets off from work.

Tense: 1. simple present

2. present continuous

3. future continuous

Meaning: A. action is taking place now

B. habitual action

C. future plan

22. Mary is much better now.

Tense: 1. simple present

2. present continuous

3. future continuous

Meaning: A. habitual action

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 B. present condition

C. action is taking place now

23. The Browns saw that film last week and didn’t like it.

Tense: 1. simple present

2. simple past

3. past continuous

Meaning: A. habitual past action

B. definite past completed action

C. indefinite past action

24. We were working on the report throughout the night.

Tense: 1. simple past

2. present continuous

3. past continuous

Meaning: A. past action that took place over a period of time

B. indefinite past action

C. action is taking place now

25. Mike was sleeping while Maria was washing the dishes.

Tense: 1. both verbs simple past

2. both verbs present continuous

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 3. both verbs past continuous

Meaning: A. 1st. past action took place before the 2nd past action

B. 2nd past action took place before the 1st past action

C. both actions took place simultaneously over a period of time

26. We were eating when the phone rang.

Tense: 1. both verbs simple past

2. verb simple past, past continuous

3. 1st verb past continuous, 2nd verb simple past

Meaning: A. 1st past action began before the 2nd action

B. 2nd past action took place before the 1st action

C. both past actions took place simultaneously over a period of time

27. The school has completed its plans for the new building.

Tense: 1. simple past

2. past perfect

3. present perfect

Meaning: A. The action finished at a specific time in the past.

B. The action finished at an undefined past time.

C. The action will be done at a specific time in the future.

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28. He has been working here since 1955.

Tense: 1. present perfect

2. present perfect continuous

3. past perfect continuous

Meaning: A. The man retired.

B. The man is still working there.

C. The man will retire.

29. Shirley’s been to Paris.

Tense: 1. present perfect

2. present perfect continuous

3. past perfect continuous

Meaning: A. Shirley was in Paris sometime in the past.

B. Shirley is in Paris now.

C. Shirley went to Paris many times.

30. We’ll have arrived in Paris by the time you finish work in New York today.

Tense: 1. 1st verb future, 2nd verb simple present.

2. 1st verb future perfect, 2nd verb simple present.

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 3. 1st verb future, 2nd verb simple future.

Meaning: A. two events taking place simultaneously

B. one event will be completed at a specific time in the future

C. both events have been completed

31. Yuki had studied English so it wasn’t a problem by the time she got here.

Tense: 1. 1st verb past perfect, 2nd verb simple past.

2. 1st verb simple past, 2nd verb past perfect.

3. both verbs are past perfect

Meaning: A. Yuki’s study took place before she arrived.

B. both happened at the same time.

C. Yuki arrived and then she studied English.

32. Our class had been studying Shakespeare when the teacher decided to
include some of Milton’s work to the program.

Tense: 1. both verbs are simple past

2. 1st verb past perfect continuous, 2nd verb simple past.

3. 1st verb past perfect, 2nd verb past continuous.

Meaning: A. both actions took place over the same periods of time

B. 1st action took place over a period of time, then the 2nd action
occurred.

C. both times are indefinite

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 Passive Voice

All English sentences are in either the active or passive voice. “Voice” does not refer to a tense but
the structure of the sentence. Look at the examples below:

Martha raised an important question at the meeting.

An important question was raised by Martha at the meeting.

The first sentence is active: the subject (Martha) performs the action (raises). The second
sentence is passive: the subject (question) does not perform the action (raise). Instead, it receives
the action. These differing relationships of subject and verb are what we mean by the terms active
and passive voice. Notice the phrase in the second sentence ”by Martha”. Some sentences in the
passive voice use “by phrases” to convey who performed the action. However, not all sentences in
the passive voice contain a “by phrase”. See the example below:

My shirt was made in China.

Who made the shirt? Who performed the action? The sentence does not convey that information
because it is unknown or unimportant.

Only transitive verbs (those that can work with objects) can form sentences in the passive voice.
Sentences with intransitive verbs (such as become or sit) have no corollary in the passive voice.
Look at these two examples:

Active voice: He became tired. (intransitive verb, no object)

Active voice: I ate a sandwich. (transitive verb, sandwich is the object)
Passive voice: The sandwich was eaten by me.

The sentences above are in the simple past tense. Notice that the passive voice forms this tense
using “was” a form of the verb “to be” and a past participle. Most tenses in the active voice have a
corollary form in the passive voice. Read the examples below in the present perfect tense:

Has the commission decided the route of the new highway?

Has the route of the new highway been decided by the commission?

Can you tell which one is in the active voice? In the first sentence the subject performs the verb
(the commission decides), so that sentence is in the active voice. Compare the verbs in the two
sentences: active voice (has decided) and passive voice (has been decided).

In the exercise below, decide whether the sentence is in the active or passive voice. Then identify
the tense. Hint: Tenses in the active voice and passive voice use different forms. All passive voice

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tenses use some form of the verb to be and a past participle. Notice the differences in these two
sentences in the past continuous tense:

Gabe was waiting for an important letter. (active voice)

The letter was being forwarded to him from his previous address. (passive voice)

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 English Grammar Self-Evaluation Test 4 Active-passive

33. James drew the picture for Emily.

 

Type: 1. Active.

2. Passive.

Opposite
: A. The picture was drawn for Emily by James.

B. The picture has been drawn by James for Emily.

C. James has drawn the picture for Emily.

34. Janet raised the flag before school began.

Type: 1. Active.

2. Passive.

Opposite
: A. The flag has risen.

B. The flag has been raised by Janet.

C. The flag was raised by Janet.

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35. Hasn’t this topic already been discussed in our meeting?

Type: 1. Active.

2. Passive.

Opposite
: A. Didn’t we already talk about this topic?

B. Haven’t we already discussed this topic ?

C. Hadn’t we already discussed this topic?

36. Where will this be manufactured?

Type: 1. Active.

2. Passive.

Opposite
: A. Where will Sony manufacture this?

B. Where will Sony be manufacturing this?

C. Where will this have been manufactured by Sony?

37. It could be announced as soon as next week.

Type: 1. Active.

2. Passive.

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Opposite
: A. Someone could announce it as soon as next week.

B. Someone could be making the announcement as soon as next week.

C. Someone will make the announcement as soon as next week.

38. A lot of people have seen this movie already.

Type: 1. Active.

2. Passive.

Opposite
: A. This movie was seen by a lot of people.

B. This movie has seen a lot of people.

C. This movie has been seen by a lot of people.

39. Has this letter been answered yet?

Type: 1. Active.

2. Passive.

Opposite
: A. Has anyone answered this letter yet?

B. Did anyone answer this letter?

C. Have you already answered this letter?

40. Someone reviewed this, didn’t they?

Type: 1. Active.

2. Passive.

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 Opposite
: A. This has been reviewed, hasn’t it?

B. This was being reviewed, wasn’t it?

C. This was reviewed, wasn’t it?

The Conditional in English

The conditional allows us to express degrees of uncertainty based upon conditions.

1st conditional
If the weather is nice, we will go.
(If clause is in simple present, 2nd clause is in future tense)
Meaning: This form is used to express things that are probably true in the present or future.
We'll probably go if it doesn't rain.

2nd conditional
If the weather were nice, we would go.
(If clause is in simple past ['to be' takes 'were' form], 2nd clause takes would or could and the
simple form of the verb)
Meaning: This form is used to express things that are not true in the present or future. It frequently
is used for imaginary, hypothetical, or unlikely conditions.
The weather isn't nice so we won't go.

3rd conditional
If the weather had been nice, we would have gone.
(If clause takes past perfect, 2nd clause takes would or could plus have plus past participle)
Meaning: This form is used to express things that are untrue about the past. We use it when
imagining a past event that didn't happen.
The weather wasn't nice so we didn't go.

Always true or present conditional

If you heat water to 100 degrees Celsius at sea level, it boils.
Meaning: There is no uncertainty. In this case the word "when" can be substituted for "if" with no
change in meaning.

Conditionals are an excellent example of an area of grammar in which native speakers select the
correct form almost instinctively, but English learners can quickly become lost. For example,
consider these two sentences:
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If you get the job, I'll buy you a new computer.
If you got the job, I'd buy you a new computer.

One of these statements is a promise while the other is a daydream. Can you see how difficult
distinguishing between the two forms would be for a student?

Look at the example. Identify the form of the conditional.

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 English Grammar Self-Evaluation Test 5: Conditional

41. He’ll come to the party if you invite him.

Conditional
: 1st.

2nd.

3rd.

Meaning: A. Just invite him and he’s sure to come.

B. It’s doubtful he’s coming.

C. He’ll come with some persuasion.

42. I wish he were here now.

Conditional
: 1st.

2nd.

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 3rd.

Meaning: A. He’ll be here.

B. He was here.

C. He isn’t here now.

43. Had I known Tom was here, I would have invited him to dinner.

Conditional
: 1st.

2nd.

3rd.

Meaning: A. I didn’t invite Tom.

B. I invited Tom.

C. I will invite Tom.

44. George would drive you to the airport if he were free.

Conditional
: 1st.

2nd.

3rd.

Meaning: A. George will take you.

B. George is too busy to take you.

C. George doesn’t want to take you.

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45. If I were there, I’d take the job offer.

Conditional
: 1st.

2nd.

3rd.

Meaning: A. The speaker is there.

B. The speaker isn’t there.

C. The speaker was there.

46. If I didn’t have plans, Jim, I’d be happy to accept your offer.

Conditional
: 1st.

2nd.

3rd.

Meaning: A. The speaker doesn’t have plans.

B. The speaker has plans.

C. The speaker will accept the offer.

47. I’d have learned to speak Chinese if I’d been born in China.

Conditional
: 1st.

2nd.

3rd.

Meaning: A. This person speaks Chinese.

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 B. This person was born in China.

C. This person wasn’t born in China and doesn’t speak Chinese.

Clauses in English Grammar

If you look at the sentences in the examples above, you'll notice the use of adverb clauses. All
clauses have a subject and a verb. Some, if they can stand alone, are called independent clauses.
However, when a subordinator (such as if, when, or because) is followed by a subject and verb, it
sounds incomplete. These clauses are called subordinate or dependent clauses because they
must be accompanied by a main (independent) clause. In addition to the adverb clauses, there are
also noun clauses and adjective clauses. Look at the following examples:

When it began raining, he closed the windows.

They're flying because they don't have a car.

The underlined clauses are both adverb clauses that begin with the subordinators 'when' and
'because'. They are subordinate clauses and modify the verbs.

The subject that I like the most is history.

The old woman to whom you were speaking is my grandmother.

The underlined clauses are adjective clauses that describe 'subject' and 'woman', respectively.
"The subject is history" and "The old woman is my grandmother" are the main clauses. The
adjective clauses are subordinate.

I heard what he was saying.

That I have so little time seems unimportant to her.

The underlined clauses are noun clauses. Like all nouns, a noun clause can be the subject or
object of a sentence. The noun clause is subordinate. Noun clauses usually begin with a question
word (who, what, where, how, etc.) or 'that'.

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Look at the following clauses in bold [underlined] . Decide what kind each is.

48. That he is from another country is completely irrelevant to the issue.

A. Adverb clause

B. Adjective clause

C. Noun clause

49. The new teacher that has so much experience in Japan will be the new student
advisor.

A. Adverb clause

B. Adjective clause

C. Noun clause

50. Whenever I see her, I say hello.

A. Adverb clause

B. Adjective clause

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 C. Noun clause

51. I know what they want.

A. Adverb clause

B. Adjective clause

C. Noun clause

52. The person to whom you were speaking is our senior most staff member.

A. Adverb clause

B. Adjective clause

C. Noun clause

53. We´ll have to find out what they want in order to negotiate the best deal.

A. Adverb clause

B. Adjective clause

C. Noun clause

Modals in English

Modals are a kind of auxiliary in English. Words like 'can', 'could', 'may', 'might', 'must' etc. have
specific meaning and are used with the simple form of verbs in a present/future idea and 'have'
plus the past participle in the past. Sometimes these have many different meanings and this is
usually the biggest difficulty your students will have with them as in the following:

I could go.
He could have gone.
Could you please pass the salt?
If you told me the problem, perhaps I could help.

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Look at the modals with their verbs in the sentences below and choose the modal's meaning in
each sentence.

Modals Choose the modal's meaning in each sentence.

54. Could you please pass the salt?

A. Describes possibility.

B. A polite request.

C. Asks permission.

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55. It must have rained last night.

A. Expresses obligation.

B. Expresses uncertainty.

C. Expresses certainty about the past.

56. You must reconsider!

A. Expresses a demand.

B. Expresses obligation.

C. Expresses certainty.

57. You don´t have to do it.

A. Expresses obligation.

B. Expresses ability.

C. Expresses lack of necessity.

58. Martha really ought to take the job offer.

A. Expresses obligation.

B. Expresses lack of necessity.

C. Expresses advice.

59. We might help out if we have time.

A. Expresses certainty.

B. Expresses ability.

C. Expresses willingness.

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60. He could ride a horse when he was younger.

A. A polite request.

B. Expresses past ability.

C. A suggestion.

…that the 2 longest one-syllable words in English are 'stretched' and 'screeched'; that no word in
English rhymes with 'month', 'orange', 'silver'; that 'dreamt' is the only word in English that ends in
'mt'; or that there are only four words in English ending in 'dous': 'tremendous', 'horrendous',
'stupendous' and 'hazardous'?

1. Teaching ESL/EFL grammar will require the new teacher to acquaint himself/herself with
some new terms he/she likely never studied in school before, such as "non-count nouns"
and "modals".

2. One of the native speaker´s greatest advantages in working with grammar is that he/she
should already know most of the rules.

3. One of the native speaker´s greatest advantages in working with grammar is that he/she
should probably know what is the right form.

While we're on the subject: What is Grammar? & Language Awareness

1. Describe your experience in school learning grammar. How much preparation will you
need to be ready to teach in the ESL/EFL classroom? Or, do you prefer to 'learn as you go'?

2. How could knowledge of the basic rules of grammar work to your advantage?

3. Were there any surprises that you encountered in this module? Describe them and what
they will mean to your future as a teacher.

4. You saw many examples of 'metalanguage', or, language about language, (noun, verb,
clause, etc.) in the test. How important will this be to you as a teacher?

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Language is a process of free creation; its laws and principles are fixed, but the manner
in which the principles of generation are used is free and infinitely varied. Even the
interpretation and use of words involves a process of free creation.
Noam Chomsky

This is the end of this section. Click on the next module section in the table of contents

43
7.5 Teaching Grammar and Guided Discovery

Grammar is the structure of English; it is fundamental to clear communication. Yet, the diagrams
and memorization of tables of irregular verbs which many people experience when learning the
grammar of second languages constitute a deadly one-two punch: both dull and ineffective. Here is
the overriding goal to keep in mind when teaching grammar: Always integrate form, meaning, and
use. This section offers approaches to that goal.

Broadly, teachers communicate language structure in two ways. One approach is to cover
grammar points methodically, one at a time, following an established order provided in a grammar
text or curriculum. The second approach is to expose students to a variety of language activities
and explore the grammar aspects of those activities as students’ needs warrant and questions
arise. Both of these approaches can work. However, we believe that tying grammar points to
authentic language and encouraging active student participation are crucial for several reasons:

The presumption that students are blank slates is in most cases wrong. Most students come
to class with certain information about English and are therefore capable of contributing to
the exploration process. Among a group of 10 to 15 intermediate students, there are almost
always one or two or more who have some information to share on any topic introduced into
class.

Therefore, nothing is entirely new for a class. If you're discussing the present perfect tense,
for example, your students have probably seen the form elsewhere; some may have an idea
of what it means; others have maybe even used it. Those who are unfamiliar with it should
be able to catch on quickly with the examples the others can make.

Exploration of language that contains many aspects, perhaps even some at levels slightly
above that of your students' level, really entices your students, energizes the class and
reinforces the fact that students really can learn on their own!

Identification of the Grammar Point

Some of the most effective grammar lessons spring from other communicative language activities.
While students are discussing a news article or watching a brief video, interesting grammar points
present themselves. New teachers need the background and confidence to identify the teaching
point and develop it with their students. Here is one way to categorize grammar points:

Structural patterns - These are the combinations of words that provide meaning. Look at the two
sentences below which show examples of the third conditional and the
causative structural patterns. Notice that it is the combination of words which
provides the meaning. Simply looking up each separate word in a dictionary
would not give a clear picture:
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 Conditionals: If you hadn’t come to dinner, I would have eaten leftovers.

Causatives: My co-worker made me finish the report alone.

Word order – Do you wear blue jeans or jeans blue? Which sentence below is correct?
When Mary wanted the map, she asked John for it.
When Mary wanted the map, she asked for it John. X
When compared to many other languages, word order in English is relatively
inflexible. These patterns are not at all universal and require attention.
Structural words  – Some words work with certain structures but not others. Notice that in the
following sentences the meaning is similar but the underlined words cannot
be interchanged.
While we were talking, Jorge walked in.
During our talk, Jorge walked in.

These brief examples indicate the kind of grammar points teachers can find throughout their
English classes. Often the problem is selecting one issue and working with it clearly for an
adequate but not excessive length of time. Avoid overworking the variables. For example, if a class
was working with the sentence in the third conditional mentioned above, the teacher might decide
to illustrate the impact of various modals on the sentence’s meaning.

If you hadn’t come to dinner, I would have eaten leftovers.

If you hadn’t come to dinner, I could have eaten leftovers.
If you hadn’t come to dinner, I might have eaten leftovers.

However, an effective teacher would not change the order of the clauses, the negation pattern, and
the modals all at once. Identify your grammar point and avoid distractions.

Grammar Practice

After identifying the grammar point and clarifying its form, meaning, and use through your models
and context, the next step is to guide student practice. At times, drill can be beneficial, especially
with beginners. Repeated, correct use of the target form encourages retention of new information.

Drill work usually takes the form of repetition drills, question drills and substitution drills. Here
are some examples of these in a lesson where the teacher is working with the present
continuous tense.

Here's an example of a repetition drill:

Holding a picture of someone walking, the teacher says: "He's walking. Repeat!"

Note: Words like "Repeat" add to TTT, and can be communicated just as clearly with a hand
gesture. When you begin with a new class, you can say the word "Repeat" while using a gesture to
signify that you want students to repeat after you. Soon students will recognize the gesture and
you will not need to use the word. One gesture is to hold out your hand, palm up, and curl your
fingers towards you. Any similar gesture will do, as long as you are consistent with its use.

Students: "He's walking."

Teacher: "She's walking." ("repeat" gesture)

45
 Students: "She's walking."

Teacher: "Great!"

The teacher continues until he/she is satisfied that the students have practiced using this form a bit
and are at least able to pronounce all the words.

Then the teacher may change forms to introduce more challenge and to make sure the students
are beginning to understand by demonstrating that they can differentiate meaning with a yes/no
question drill:

Holding up a picture to elicit a positive response the teacher asks, "Is he walking?"

Students: "Yes, he's walking."

Teacher: "Is she walking?"

Students: "Yes, she's walking."

Teacher: "Very good!"

Then holding up another picture to elicit a negative response, "Is he walking?"

Students: "No, he isn't walking."

Teacher: "Is she walking?"

Students: "No, she isn't walking."

Teacher: "Great!"

Then you can mix these to get both 'yes' and 'no' responses, ask the full group (choral responses),
ask individuals, ask pairs of students and very importantly get students to take the role of the
teacher and ask the questions to other students!

Another step would be to begin adding even more differentiation, by adding a drill with 'wh'
questions in addition to the yes/no questions as in the steps below:

Teacher (again with a series of pictures shown to the students to elicit the responses that the
teacher wants): "Is he walking?"

Students: "Yes, he's walking."

Teacher: "Is he walking?"

Students: "No, he isn't walking."

Teacher: "What's he doing?"

Students: "He's running.

Teacher: "That's right"

Teacher: "What's she doing?"

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 Students: "She's running."

Teacher: "Very good!"

An example of a substitution drill is the following:

Teacher: "He's walking."

Students: "He's walking."

Teacher: "She"

Students: "She's walking."

Teacher: "They"

Students: "They're walking."

Teacher: "We"

Students: "We're walking."

Teacher: "I"

Students: "I'm walking."

Again, as with the other drills, vary the procedure asking the group, individuals, etc. and then by
having students take the role of the teacher leading the drill

TEFL Video – A Mingle for the Present Perfect

Drills and other restricted practice activities can take many forms. Think of strategies that
encourage your students to write or say the exact structures repeatedly that they need to practice.
On the accompanying video, a teacher uses a mingle which asks people to interview each other.
When you listen carefully, you will hear that all the sentences used to ask and answer questions
use the same structure: the present perfect. With a little pre-planning, the teacher has created a
personalized, stimulating context for a restricted grammar practice.

Guided Discovery

A great alternative to teacher-driven explanations in the Presentation section of a grammar lesson

is a technique called Guided Discovery. This method helps students unravel the patterns in
English by stressing their observations of real language. It is especially effective in responding to
those spontaneous grammar questions that arise during other learning activities. Guided
Discovery encourages your students’ active engagement and avoids ineffective memorization of
rules.

Here is an example of how a teacher could use Guided Discovery  to address a grammar point. A
student asks, “I wake up in 5 o’clock or I wake up at 5 o’clock? Which is right?” In response, the

47
teacher elicits sentences with various times. For example, he could say, “Jorge, give me a
sentence with the word morning.” He writes the students’ sentences on the board, forming a chart:

        I go to bed at 11:00.                   She calls me in the afternoon.

        John called her at 7:30.               I woke up in the morning.
        I usually wake up at 6:00.           You go home in the evening.

Next, the teacher says, “From our examples, which word do we use with specific times like 7:30?
Which word do we use with general times like afternoon?” Students clearly see the pattern in these
sentences and discover the rule for themselves. In order to reinforce this newly discovered pattern,
students should then use it in their writing or speech. For example, the teacher could write these
times on the board:

        11:30          midnight        evening         9:15             night

He could ask students to work in pairs to invent stories of five or six sentences describing
something surprising that happened in their neighborhood last night using the words on the board
with the correct prepositions. Then students could share their stories with the class.

The Guided Discovery grammar instruction technique deemphasizes the role of the teacher as
the source of all knowledge and encourages students to look actively for patterns in English. It can
be applied to many grammar points and is useful with all levels of students except very low
beginners.

The rule about double negatives is not a natural English rule. It was devised by an amateur
eighteenth-century grammarian named Robert Lowth. In his 1762 book, "A Short Introduction to
English Grammar", he reasoned that in language, as in mathematics, two negatives make a
positive.

Up to this time, the use of a double negative to intensify an idea was perfectly acceptable in
English - as it still is in many other languages. But today, thanks to Lowth, we can't use no double
negatives and still be accepted in the right crowds.

Lowth also decided that splitting an infinitive and ending a sentence with a preposition were bad
English. (What was he thinking about?)

In addition he outlawed 'ain't' from polite English and decided that the form "you was" (singular and
acceptable before 1762) was not logical when the plural for it was "you were"; therefore he wrote
the rule to make the form the same for both.

These are all rules that we still follow down to today !

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While we're on the subject: Survey of the Basics & Teaching Grammar

1. Describe how you would drill the past tense (or another grammar point) with a repetition
drill, a yes-no question drill and a substitution drill.

2. Explain how you would teach the difference between active and passive verbs (or another
grammar point) using Guided Discovery.

3. Determine what the most likely grammar point will be in each of the following and
summarize or define it.

I would go if I had the time.

What have you done with your hair?
That sign was just painted.
He could have phoned but I doubt it.
She'll have finished by the time we arrive.

This is the end of this section. Click on the next module section in the table of contents

49
7.6 Conclusion

This module has provided a brief review of many grammar topics. We have stressed the need for
new teachers to develop self-awareness of just what grammar is all about in the ESL/EFL
classroom. There are many strengths that you, a native speaker, will bring to your lessons
including a natural "ear" for correct English. Moreover, there are strategies you can use to make
grammar more approachable: buying a good grammar reference book, using the grammar
information in your teacher's book and employing "Guided Discovery" techniques to engage
students' active participation in the grammar work in class. If, after completing this module, you
decide that you would have more confidence in your grammar teaching with more work in this
area, consider enrolling in Bridge’s Grammar Advisor.

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51
Look over the questions. You are free to go back over the Module to research the question
and its answer. Choose one answer. You can change your answers at any time before you
push "Submit". Once you have submitted your answers, changes are not possible.

1. Native speakers

A. inherently know the descriptive grammar of their native language.

B. inherently know the prescriptive grammar of their language.

C. study descriptive grammar in school.

2. New teachers of ESL/EFL who are also native speakers of English

A. know more than they realize in English grammar.

B. know all of the important rules.

C. are weak in the area of descriptive grammar.

3. A typical example of grammar that the native speaker most likely won’t know about in
the ESL/EFL classroom at first is

A. a question about whether ‘hair’ is a count or non-count noun.

B. a question about past tense.

C. a question about sentence word order.

4. One way to overcome fear of teaching grammar is

A. to use Guided Discovery.

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 B. to get a good grammar reference book and just start teaching grammar since we learn by
doing.

C. both A and B.

5. Language awareness refers to

A. becoming familiar with language.

B. knowing the absolute minimum of language to get by in class.

C. becoming an expert in English.

6. "Hurry up!" is an example of

A. the conditional.

B. the imperative.

C. the subjunctive.

7. "I have gone" is an example of

A. the present perfect tense.

B. the past tense.

C. the past perfect tense.

8. The best way to describe a noun

A. is that it describes an action.

B. is that it is a name of a thing or a person.

C. is that it is an action or shows a relationship.

9. A verb

A. is the name of a thing or person.

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 B. is often an action.

C. describes an adjective or adverb.

10. In the following, "I used to jog every morning", the grammar point most likely is

A. past tense in "used".

B. infinitives with nouns.

C. past habitual action in "used to".

11. In the following, "Do you know the person to whom you were speaking ?", the grammar
point most likely is

A. question formation in present tense.

B. past tense in "were".

C. use of the adjective clause ‘to whom you were speaking’.

12. In the following, “He was sleeping when the phone rang” the grammar point most likely
is

A. a comparison of two past actions.

B. the spelling of an "f" sound with "ph".

C. the use of "was" with "he" in past.

13. Students almost always

A. bring with them at least some experience in English to the ESL/EFL class.

B. are blank slates in terms of ESL/EFL.

C. are better than their teachers in the classroom.

14. The prescriptive rules of English

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 A. prevent language acquisition.

B. are the standards often applied to academic writing and tests.

C. can’t be overemphasized in EFL teaching.

15. Guided Discovery

A. allows the teacher to explain grammar more clearly.

B. allows the students to try to come up with an explanation for grammar or another topic
themselves with teacher assistance as needed.

C. requires that students research their questions independently.

55