Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
INSIDE
THIS
GUIDE
Section Seven: 66
Grammar Resources
where to learn more
2
Section
1
What is Grammar?
Check all the answers that you feel are true.
If you checked all four responses, you are not alone. This course book is
designed to get you up and running and comfortable with the basics in
just a few weeks. Here we go . . .
3
Section What is Grammar?
1
Different sources define grammar in different ways.
Perhaps the easiest way to get a good grasp of the concept is with the
TOEFL tests use of the word Structure as the name of the grammar
component of the test. Think of grammar as providing the structure
and organization for language.
Exercise 1.1.
Start thinking about a definition of grammar that is simple and useful.
Make it simple enough that you can use it to explain grammar to your
students. Write that definition here:
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
When you finish this book, return to this exercise and see if you wish to
improve your definition, or leave it as it is. If you have improved it,
write it here:
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
4
Section
1
Student Expectations:
Your students will expect you to have an in-depth understanding of
grammar, and will quickly lose confidence in you if you cant deliver.
Confidence:
When you are standing in front of a
classroom of five, ten, or even
twenty or more students, youll be
much more confident when those
grammar questions show up. When
you least expect it, students can ask
you the most obscure questions,
often in front of a large classes.
Wont you feel a lot better knowing
you have put in the effort to
communicate the basics in a
professional and effective manner?
Last of all, remember that EFL students or their parents, often pay what
is for them, a very large amount of money for English lessons.
Do a good job for them and deliver the value and quality education
they deserve.
5
Section
2
Word Classification
accordingtogrammaticalfunction
8
9
10
12
_______________
Find the answers on the bottom of the next page 6
Section
How many parts of speech are there?
It depends on who you ask. Depending on your source, you
2
will find anywhere from eight to nine or even more!
Confused yet? Maybe you should be. But, most of all, dont be intimi-
dated by it. Remember if you write the book, you get to decide how
many parts of speech there are and it is only a matter of classification or
how they are sorted into categories. Some grammarians avoid the
subject altogether by not even addressing the issue.
What is a noun?
A noun is a part of speech that represents the name of a person, animal,
place, thing, quality (such as kindness), action (reading), or
measurement (hour, kilogram).
What is a pronoun?
The most simple forms of pronouns (personal pronouns) substitute for
nouns and noun phrases. They can be further classed as first, second,
and third-person pronouns (me, you, them). They can also be classified
by case as subjective or objective (used as the subject or object of a
sentence). Examples: I vs. me; she vs. her; they vs. them.
7
The is usually classified as an article, but can also be classified as an article or a determiner.
articles, verbs, adverbs, conjunctions, prepositions, and interjections.
How many parts of speech? Usually nine, sometimes eight, other times more. They are usually named as: nouns, pronouns, adjectives,
Demonstrative pronouns are pronouns such as this, that,
Section
these and those, which by their very use indicate or 2
demonstrate what is being talked about. Example: I want
those. If they are used in front of a noun, they are called
demonstrative adjectives. Example: I want those pencils.
Reflexive pronouns indicate that the subject receives the action of the
verb. Example: I treated myself to a big piece of chocolate cake.
Intensive or emphatic pronouns strengthen the action of the subject.
Example: Ill do it myself.
What is an article?
Sometimes called a noun marker, sometimes classed
as a determiner, articles precede nouns. A and an are called indefinite
articles, the is called the definite article.
Quantifiers?
As long as we have stepped in these waters, lets finish it with
quantifiers. They are simply words that precede nouns that give some
indication of how many or how much of a noun we are talking about.
Examples include few, little, many, much, a lot, several. Quantifiers are
typically classified as determiners. In a system in which determiners are
not used, quantifiers would typically be classified as adjectives.
8
Section
What are Adjectives?
Adjectives are words that describe nouns and pronouns. 2
They give us more information about them.
She is hungry. The big red car is beautiful.
5. collective noun 6. proper noun 7. intensive or emphatic pronoun 8. article, determiner, adjective
1. demonstrative adjective 2. interrogative pronoun 3. quantifier/adjective 4. possessive adjective
9
Section
What is a Verb?
Verbs are words that express action (run) or a state of being 2
(love). The action can also be abstract rather than visible,
such as the words think and decide.
1.I 2.J 3.L 4.C 5.A 6.K 7.D 8.G 9.H 10.F 11.E 12.B
Examples:
10
There are also six perfect and six non-perfect forms. The
Section
perfect forms are used when the actions being talked or 2
written about looks back into the past (from the speakers
perspective - this is important).
Examples:
Present Simple: The most basic and simple form of the verb. Think,
run, talk, sleep, and work are all examples. This form is generally used
to talk about present time and expressive habitual action and things that
are believed to be true. The easiest way to remember this is as fact
and habit. You will see this tense expressed as present simple in some
texts and as simple present in others. Use it the way your students are
most familiar with.
Examples:
Past Simple: This tense denotes past time - an action or condition that
was completed in the past.
11
Examples:
Section
2
I was sick yesterday.
The condition (sick) and the action (ran) occurred and were completed
sometime in the past.
Examples:
The condition (tired) and the action (run) will occur and be completed
sometime in the future.
Progressive Forms:
These forms use a structure of be + main verb + ing
Examples:
The condition (sick) and the action (study) both started in the past and
continue at the present time.
12
Section
On a time line present progressive looks like this: 2
Examples:
The condition (sick) and the action (study) both started and stopped in
the past and do not continue at the present time. It is clear also that the
speaker could have used the past simple form to provide the same
meaning. It is the speakers choice and in this case
the speaker may have wanted to stress that
something else was happening (or happened) at the
time.
Examples:
13
Future Progressive: This tense is used to denote an action
Section
or condition that will be taking place sometime in the future. 2
Here we must add will to the standard progressive form of
be + main verb + ing.
Examples:
I will be feeling sick tomorrow. This condition will begin in the future
and continue for an unspecified or
unknown period of time.
I will be studying French soon. I will study French in the future and
will continue for an unspecified or
unknown period of time.
Note again that the speaker could have used the future simple form, but
chose to use the future progressive form. This is the speakers choice
and s/he may chose this form to emphasize another action or condition.
Examples:
I have felt sick for two days. This condition began in the past
continues into the present.
I have studied French for Study began in the past and
a long time. continues to the present time.
I have studied enough! My study began in the past and
continues to the present time but
is stopping now.
14
Section
On a time line the present perfect simple form looks 2
like this:
Past Perfect Simple: This form is used to denote the relationship of two
events or conditions that occurred in the past. It uses the same form as
the present perfect simple, but uses the past form of have - had.
Examples:
I had been sick for two days I was sick before I went to the doctor.
when I went to the doctor.
They had sold all the tickets The tickets were sold out first.
before I got there. I got there second.
On a time line the past perfect simple form looks like this:
Examples:
15
Section
On a time line future perfect simple looks like this: 2
Examples:
Both of these examples indicate the condition or action began in the past
and continues at the present - and may continue into the future.
Examples:
16
Both of these examples indicate the condition or action
Section
began in the past and was interrupted by something else. 2
On a time line Past Perfect Continuous looks like this:
Examples:
Okay, this has been pretty exciting, but I think it is time for a break.
17
Section
2.4 Classify the verb tenses in the 2
following sentences
3. I went to Koh Phuket last year and really loved it. _______
8. Jennys Alfa Romeo was running poorly by the time she drove back to
Chiang Mai. _______
10. I hope that when I die, I will have lived a good enough life to come
back next time as a sea otter. They really enjoy life! ______
11. Most teachers are making so much money that they dont know
what to do with it all! True or False? _______
Examples:
Lets go home.
Leopards can run through the night very quickly.
Examples:
19
Section
What are Conjunctions?
In Latin conjunction means join together and thats what 2
conjunctions do. They join words together. The most
commonly used conjunctions are and, or and but. Well talk about
others later in this guide.
Examples:
Examples:
Ouch!
Great!
Oh no!
2.5
Classify the underlined words in the sentence below.
(mark the part of speech under each wordbe as specific as possible)
It was way after midnight when we finally got Raoul to confess that he
gree); successful, adjective; ever, adverb (when); on, preposition; Mars, a noun working as an adverb (telling where)
ple); that, conjunction; had planned, verb (past perfect simple); the, article; most, adverb (telling how successful - de-
It, pronoun; way, adverb (to a great degree); midnight, adverb (when); Raoul, proper noun; confess, verb (present sim-
20
Are you man (or woman) enough
to handle it?
6. When Ted turns 35, he will have been teaching for ten years.
21
Section
3
_____4. We talk.
_____7. run
22
Section
Lets start by defining what we
3
are talking about
What is a phrase?
A phrase is two or more related words that work together that do not
contain a subject and a verb.
What is a clause?
A clause is two or more words related words that work together that con-
tains a subject and a verb. Compare this definition to that of a phrase.
There are two types of clauses: one called independent (or main) which
can stand alone as a sentence; and two, dependant (or
subordinate) which can not stand along as a complete sentence.
Examples:
What is a sentence?
A sentence is a group of words that express a complete thought. While a
simple definition, similar ones being used in many reference books, what
is a complete thought? Some definitions will say that it must have a
subject and verb and final punctuation. Look up several definitions in
reference booksand try to find one that you will feel most comfortable
with and able to explain, in simple English, to your students.
Examples:
Phrases
Phrase classifications that we need to become familiar with include:
prepositional phrases (that can work as adjectives and adverbs), noun
phrases, verb phrases (phrasal verbs), verbals (participial, gerund, and
infinitive), and compound phrases.
Examples:
Examples:
She dances with grace and style. describes how she dances
Examples:
Adjective:
The monkey next to the man plays the organ well.
This PP says where the monkey is in relation to the man.
Examples:
The hat on the monkeys head bounced with the beat of the music.
A B C
The last bus to Chiang Mai leaves from the station at midnight.
D E F
25
Section
Verbal Phrases
A verbal is verb form working as another part of speech.
3
The verbal and the other words related to it are called a
verbal phrase. There are three types, called participial phrases, infinitive
phrases, and gerund phrases.
Examples:
Gerund Phrases use the present participle form of a verb and function
as a noun.
Examples:
Examples:
26
Section
3
Clauses
A clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb.
An independent or main clause can stand alone as a sentence.
A dependent or subordinate clause can not.
The famous Santa Clause is more fun and can stand alone.
Example:
When I started running can not stand on its own. It has a sense of being
incomplete, but I was really out of shape is fine on its own.
Dependent Clauses
Depending on its function in a sentence, a clause may be classified as an
adjectival, adverbial, noun, or elliptical.
Examples:
27
Section
Examples: 3
This is Jim Bungee, who invented the bungee jump.
(non-indentifying as we already know who he is)
Examples:
Examples:
The prize will be won by whoever gets the job done first. (object)
28
Section
3
Examples:
Sentences
We covered the definition of a sentence back on page 23 so here well
add information about sentence functions and structures.
Functions:
We use sentences to make statements - called declarative sentences -
(He is crazy.), to make commands - called
imperative sentences - (Close the door.), to
make interjections - called exclamatory
sentences - (Ouch!), and ask questions -
called interrogative sentences - (Whats
your name?).
Example:
Jane and Bill talked and walked for hours. simple sentence
(compound subject) (compound verb)
29
Section
What is a compound sentence? 3
A compound sentence is formed by joining together two or
more independent clauses. They are often joined together with a
conjunction.
Examples:
Examples:
When Fredo returned home late that night. Fredo was broke.
30
Section
What is a compound-complex sentence? 3
These sentences have at least two independent clauses (the
compound part) and at least one dependent clause (creating the
complex part).
Examples:
Sentences Quiz
Are the following sentences simple (S), compound (C), complex (CX), or compound-complex (CCX)?
1. Zark is hot.
2. When Derrick got home Belinda was really angry.
3. What time is it?
4. How can you be successful, when you dont know anything?
5. Songkran is one big giant water fight.
6. Reynaldo ran out of money so he went home.
7. Because Samui was so crowded, we bought bus tickets and then we
went to Phuket.
8. It started raining just as we got to bus station.
9. I want to travel the world because it is so interesting.
10. The customs guys fined me and they yelled at me for an hour
because I forgot to declare the three bottles of vodka in my suitcase.
11.I want to get a TEFL certificate and then I want to teach all around
the world.
1.S 2.CX 3.S 4. CX 5.S 6.CX 7.CCX 8.CX 9.CX 10.CCX 11.C
31
Section
The Section 3 3
Super Quiz
Check back through the previous pages of Section 3
and classify each of the following phrases, clauses, and sentences.
1. on the beach
10. I need to fill up the gas tank before we head out for Chiang Mai.
32
Section
4
Examples:
Subject Verb
She studies.
He runs.
My dog is a Lothario.
My dog and cat are dancing.
What is a complement?
A sentence may also have a describing phrase
(or complement), but it does not have to have one. A describing
phrase or complement gives additional information about the meaning
about the subject or verb.
34
Section
You may also combine descriptive phrases. 4
He wants to start a new business on the Internet.
(verb phrase + prepositional phrase)
1. __________________________________________________________________________
2.__________________________________________________________________________
3.__________________________________________________________________________
Examples:
Her book is missing. (singular)
Her books are missing. (plural)
Her books and pens are missing. (plural)
Each and every, when used with a singular noun, should be followed by
a singular noun.
Examples:
Examples:
Five hundred baht is all I have.
The number of people here tonight is frightening!
Three tablespoons of mocha is all I need.
36
Section
4
There are times when you will need to use the noun in the
prepositional phrase to determine the correct verb form.
This is true when using a lot, any, none, plenty, the
majority, most, some, a number, a/the majority and all. If
the noun in the prepositional phrase is a non-count noun,
you should use a singular verb. If it is a plural noun, use a
plural verb. If it is a singular noun, use a singular verb.
37
Section
Verb Agreement Quiz 4
Hey! Do your best!
5. A majority of the voters _______ (be) not going to vote for him.
10. is
1.has 2.are 3.go 4.has 5.are 6.is 7.has 8.is 9.needs
Conditionals
4
39
The Third Conditional - is used to describe events that
Section
have happened in the past. Sometimes 4
called the past conditional as it
provides a hypothetical result for past situation.
Examples:
[1] He asked if I had been to Phuket before.
[2] Whether it rains or not, I will go to Samui next week.
[2] Unless you do your work, we wont go to the beach.
[3] (If) You really want something, youll go get it.
Conditionals Quiz
Mark the following sentences with 0, 1, 2, or 3 for their conditional form
_____2. If I had known he was nuts, I would not have hired him.
40
Section
5
Pretest
Write the correct article or quantifier in the blank
41
Section
5
Articles
and how to use them
Grammar authority Michael Swan, in his book Practical
English Usage (Second Edition, Oxford University Press,
1995) tells us that: "The correct use of the articles (a/an
and the) is one of the most difficult points in English
grammar." So, in this section we will try to make it as
simple and as clear as possible.
Examples:
I had breakfast this morning.
That is my car.
I am from Phuket.
42
Section
When should the indefinite articles
not be used? 5
Dont use a/an before:
uncountable nouns such as advice, furniture, machinery,
money and work;
nouns such as work, health and permission;
plural countable nouns such as dogs and cats; and
cardinal numbers (one, two, etc.) that precede nouns.
Examples:
The teacher gave her permission to miss class.
I bought furniture for the office today.
43
Section
5
_____unit _____heir
1. Plural Nouns
2. Abstract Nouns
3. Material Nouns
44
Section
4. Days, Months, Seasons 5
Mondays are always a bad day at work.
The Monday I was hired was a great day!
5. Names of Languages
7. Colors
45
4. Names of countries formed as a union of states, tribe or
Section
provinces. 5
Examples: The United Arab Emirates, The United States,
The European Union, The Philippines
Examples: The ring that Gecko lost. The CD that I decided to buy.
46
Section
5
Try these exercises to see if you learned everything
from this section.
Dont worry!
We will finish this
grammar course soon.
47
Quantifiers Section
5
Some and any are the most common quantifiers. Some is used with
affirmative statements and any is used with questions and negative
statements.
I bought apples.
Do you have bananas?
The baby needs milk.
Are there people waiting?
Much and many are used with the negative and interrogative forms.
48
Section
Quickie Quantifier Q&A 5
fill in the blanks with the appropriate quantifier
some/any
much/many
10. It only costs _______ pounds. Why dont you buy it?
1.much 2.some 3.some 4.any 5.much 6.many 7.many 8.a lot of , a little 9.a little 10.a few
Lets move on to
the next section
49
Section
5
Holy Moly! What are Verbals?
Whats a participle?
A participle is a verbal that functions as an
adjective. The participles you may be most familiar
with are words like boring and bored, interesting and interested. These
are also called (depending on what reference books you read) participial
adjectives. Most people know that verbs have past participles (usually
verb + ed) , but you should know that verbs also have present
participles (verb + ing) and it is there forms that are used to modify
nouns and pronouns.
Many EFL students have trouble with participial adjectives and it works
best to remind them that when describing feelings about something - the
-ing form adjectives describe what caused the feeling and the ed
adjectives describe the person/people experiencing the feeling.
Examples:
The class is boring. I am bored.
Buddhism is interesting. I am interested in it.
Whats a Gerund?
A gerund can look just like a participle, so remember that the part of
speech a word, term or phrase takes is determined by it position in the
sentence. A gerund is a verb form (verb + ing) that functions as a noun.
50
Examples:
Section
Teaching is my profession. 5
Jogging is my number one sport.
I love swimming in the sea.
Shopping is the hobby of many wealthy people.
Whats an Infinitive?
An infinitive is the to form of the verb. To run, to sleep, to fight, to
enjoy are examples. Infinitives may function as nouns, adjectives, or
adverbs depending on their placement in a sentence.
Examples:
The question to answer is why people get so fat so easily.
(adjective - modifying question)
Review of Verbals
Label the underlined word/term/phrase as an infinitive (I),
Participial Adjective (P), or Gerund (G)
_____3. To love and have lost is better than to not have loved at all.
51
Section
5
Examples:
Mr. Romero said, I hate you! direct speech
Mr. Romero said that he hated you. indirect speech
Examples:
Mr. Romero said, I hate you! direct speech
Mr. Romero said that he hated you. indirect speech
52
Section
5
Verb tenses logically change as we report speech that
occurred in the past - and shift one time segment back.
An exception is when reporting what someone has said immediately
following their statement. Then the statement will be in the present
or present continuous tense.
Examples:
Mr. Romero said, I hate you! direct speech
Mr. Romero said that he hated you. indirect speech
While correct usage here would be the past perfect, a more common
usage would be stole as there is a growing tendency to avoid using
perfect tenses.
Time indicators also change as we shift the statement to the past and
change words such as today, now, tomorrow, the next day, etc.
Examples:
Chuckie said, I told him to meet me here.
Chuckie said that he [had] told him to meet him there.
The conjunction that may be omitted when using reporting verbs such
as said, told, asked, etc.
Examples:
Chuckie said that he [had] told him to meet him there.
Chuckie said he [had] told him to meet him there.
53
Section
Reported Speech Quiz 5
___________________________
____________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
the next day. 5. Jenny said it wasnt as bad as she [had] thought.
masked man was saying he was Zorro. 4. He told me he would meet me there
1. He said he was going home then. 2. She asked when we were leaving. 3.The
54
Section
Coordination, 6
Subordination,
and Punctuation
Review
5. such . . . that
3. The pizza was burned, but we ate it anyway. 4. When, or As soon as you, If, (many options)
1. Hes a little nuts, yet people like him. 2. Since I dont have any money, I cant buy anything.
55
Section
Coordination 6
& Subordination
Clauses, whether independent or dependent, need to be joined together
in some way to make speech and writing smooth and to make the
relationship between clauses clear. Clauses are joined together with the
use of clause connectors. There are four kinds of clause connectors:
subordinating conjunctions, coordinating
conjunctions, correlative conjunctions, and
conjunctive adverbs.
Examples:
Manner: as as if as though
Comparison: as just as
Distance: as + adverb + as
Examples:
Mr. Dragon had not finished cooking dinner, nor had he completed
all the housework before Mrs. Dragon came home from work.
57
Section
The coordinating conjunctions are easy way to remember 6
with the mnemonic device FANBOYS.
Examples:
Examples:
58
Section
Examples: 6
Kandi and Gigi had planned on going scuba diving;
however, a sudden thunderstorm forced them to
cancel the outing.
Examples:
Example:
Conjunctions
6
Quiz
name the following types of conjunctions
________1. FANBOYS
________4. Rachel said she was the Grammar Queen, but I dont
think so.
________6. You are really careless with your money; therefore, Im not
going to loan you even one more baht.
________7. Either you pass this exam, or you arent going to pass the
course.
7.correlative conjunction
4.coordinating conjunction 5.subordinating conjunction (place) 6.conjunctive adverb
1.coordinating conjunctions 2.conjunctive adverb 3.subordinating conjunction
60
Section
6
Basic
Punctuation Review
Ending Punctuation
61
Section
6
Comma:
Examples:
Jenny didnt want to work today, but the boss
asked her to so she did.
Examples:
Angry, James shouted at everyone and then left.
Example: When she was 25, 15 different guys asked to marry her.
62
Section
Use a comma to set off: 6
[1] interjections
[2] expressions of contrast
[3] parenthetical comments
[4] items in series
[5] parts of dates, titles, addresses, and
[6] salutations
Examples:
[1] Oh no, here he comes again.
[2] Its mostly rich people, not us paupers, who own the
sea-view villas.
[3] You may, if you feel it is necessary, explain your absence
of the last few days.
[4] Give me a pencil, to French fries, a sack of onions, and
a fishing rod.
[5] January 5th, 2009. Mr. Bill Anderson, CEO.
[6] Dear Mr. Anderson,
Examples:
[1] Please bring the following:
[2] Our Motto: The customer is always right.
[3] Dear Queen Elizabeth:
Examples:
[1] See the alien on the previous page; hes a good example.
[2] The alien on the previous page is preparing a BBQ for
us; but he, like most aliens, is a vegetarian.
[3] He said he was cooking Mars muskrat; however, it
doesnt look like muskrat.
[4] Thailand offers so many great places to live; for example,
Chiang Mai, Phuket, Samui, Bangkok and Hua Hin.
[5] Attending todays conference are Alien Bob, from Mars;
Jimbo Johnson, from Bangkok; and Marshie Mango,
from Chiang Mai.
Quotation Marks:
Examples:
[1] Ricardo said, I will return!
[2] The Road Less Traveled is one of my favorite poems.
[3] The words advice and advise are frequently confused
in common speech and writing.
[4] Her motorcycle is so over customized it looks like a
pimpmobile.
64
Section
6
Punctuation Quiz
Punctuate the following sentences
4. Hurt Jenny started to cry when her own dog bit her
4. Hurt, Jenny started to cry when her own dog bit her.
3. My brother Dave said, I am not coming to visit you this year.
2. When I get back to Thailand, I will be one happy camper.
1. I want to fly home first class; however, I cant afford it.
This quickie
grammar review is
Finished!
65
Section
7
Grammar:
Where to find more
Once youve been a teacher for while, youll find Daves ESL
Caf to be a good place to find more information about any-
thing ESL/EFL grammar related.
Start there for his grammar page which has a large number
of links to other grammar sites.
http://eslcafe.com/search/Grammar/index.html
66