GO GRAMMAR!!

By Rubina Majid
Madhumathi Marupudi
Teaching to Touch a Better
Future
 Activity 1

What is grammar?
Discuss with your
colleagues and try to
agree on a working
definition.
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Use the words provided here to

complete the gaps in the paragraph
below.
grammatical parts of speech
meaning rules
Grammar is a set of …………… for
combining words to express ……………. .
Words are given “labels” to help us to
identify their …………… roles. These
labels are known as …………… .
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Grammar is a set of rules

for combining words to
express meaning. Words
are given “labels” to help
us to identify their
grammatical roles. These
labels are known as parts
of speech .
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Grammar is a set of rules

for combining words to
express meaning. Words
are given “labels” to help
us to identify their
grammatical roles. These
labels are known as parts
of speech .
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Ø Words carry more meaning than
grammar, so, in general, words
determine grammar
Michael Lewis, The Lexical Approach, LTP 1999

Ø Grammar is a process for making …

meaning clear when contextual
information is lacking
Scott Thornbury, How to Teach Grammar, Longman 2001
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Activity 2:
Language without grammar
would … leave us seriously
handicapped. (Batstone, 2000)

up and he that the in Bill Jane

stand announce spring marry
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Activity 3:
Can you understand the following ‘grammar-less’
exchange?
A: Coffee?
B: Please.
A: Milk?
B: Just a bit.
A: Sugar?
B: I’m on a diet.
A: Juice?
B: Mmm…
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What is a mistake?
Ø6 + 7 = 14
can never be right
ØDid you go to the beach yesterday?
Yes, I go yesterday
wrong structure, but effective
communication, comprehensible
Øusefully he kitchen like black the by
wrong and incomprehensible
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Who decides what’s wrong?
Ø English is constantly changing, acquiring
new words and usages from other
languages, and excluding others
Ø English has wide variety of dialects,
variations, registers, modern vs old-
fashioned
Ø Dictionaries do not always agree
Ø Anybody’s knowledge of language can
only ever be partial
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ØMistakes are part of
learning a language

ØThey are inevitable

ØTeachers/learners may be
able to eliminate some
mistakes, but not all
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Activity 4:

“Some mistakes should be

encouraged” (Bartram &
Walton, 1994)

ØDo you agree?

ØWhich ones?
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He goed to He went to He go to the

the cinema the cinema cinema
yesterday yesterday yesterday

Speaker Speaker Speaker

knows knows nothing knows
everything about past something
about past simple about past
simple simple
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I’m sorry sir, I did

You didn’t DO a a mistake.
mistake, you MADE a
mistake!
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Why do learners make mistakes?
A learner …
Ø is exposed to language
Ø forms ideas about how language works
Ø tries out language using ideas
Ø is exposed to more language
Ø changes original ideas
Ø tries out new ideas

Adapted from Bartram & Walton, 1994

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Approaches and methods in Teaching
Grammar:
ØThe grammar based approach,
grammar translation

ØCommunicative language teaching CLT

ØAnd now … a return to grammar …

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ØGrammar is more than lists of labels and
rules– it is closely tied to the meaning
and use of language and interconnected
with vocabulary

ØCommunicating through a language and

learning a language can conflict – focus
on meaning does not guarantee language
development on all fronts
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Principles
Ø There is a need for grammar
Ø If learners’ attention is directed solely to
expressing meaning, they may neglect
attention to accuracy and precision
Ø Noticing an aspect of form is the first
stage of learning it – teachers can help
learners do this
Ø But, learner has to do the learning – just
teaching grammar doesn’t make it happen
Ø There is a role for the explicit teaching of
grammar and language
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Ø Noticing – an active process in which learners

become aware of structure and notice
connections between form and meaning
Ø Structuring – bringing new grammar patterns
into learners’ internal grammars. Usually
requires controlled practice
Ø Processing – making the new grammar ready
for instant and fluent use in communication
Rob Batstone, Grammar, OUP 2000
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Part 1
Verb Forms
Part 2
Verb Tenses
Part 3
Sentence Structure
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Part 1
Verb Forms
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Types of Verb Forms

Ø Base Form: walk, study, speak

Ø Infinitive: to walk, to study, to speak

Ø Gerund/present participle: walking,

studying, speaking
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Practice Making Verb Forms
Take the verb “watch”. What are its forms?
Ø base form: watch
Ø infinitive: to watch
Ø gerund/present participle: watching
Ø simple past: watched
Ø past participle: watched (not the same as
simple past for irregular verbs!
Ø verb phrase: has been watching, has watched,
will have watched (just some examples)
Let’s try some more...
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Verbs followed by Infinitives
Some verbs must be followed by an
infinitive.
Examples
ØWe need to go shopping.
ØShe hopes to attend graduate school.
ØThey decided to climb the mountain
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Verbs followed by either infinitives or
gerunds
A smaller number of verbs are in this group.
Examples
We begin to teach reading in kindergarten.
Ø He began playing piano at age 7.
Ø Do you remember being little?
Ø I remembered to bring the paper
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Verbs followed by a base form
4 commonly used verbs are in this group.
They are
Ø Make: We make the kids go to school.
Ø Has: The doctor has patients describe
their symptoms.
Ø Let: The police officer let us cross the
street.
Ø Help: Please help your brother climb the
stairs.
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Now let’s look at Verb Phrases
Two rules:
DO + BASE FORM
Ø I do not watch TV.
Ø He did not watch TV.

HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE

Ø The students have already left/eaten.
Ø She has already left/eaten.
Ø They had already left/eaten.
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Verb Phrases, Continued
BE + PRESENT PARTICIPLE
Ø I am talking now.
Ø She is talking now.
Ø They are talking now.
Ø He was talking last night.
Ø We were talking last night.
Ø You will be talking tomorrow.
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Part 1
Verb Tenses
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Kinds of Verb Tenses

ØSimple tenses
ØProgressive tenses
ØPerfect tenses
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Simple Tenses
Present: The kids eat lunch early.
Action is habitual.
Past: The kids ate lunch yesterday.
Action occurred at one time in the past.
Future: The kids will eat lunch
tomorrow.
Action will occur at one time in the
future.
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Progressive Tenses
Also called “continuous tenses”; express
continuous activity
Ø Present Progressive: The children are
walking to school.
Ø Past Progressive: She was sleeping
when the phone rang.
Ø Future Progressive: The dancers will
be practicing next week.
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Perfect Tenses
Use when one event occurs before
another time or event
Present perfect
The student has read many articles for
today.
Past perfect
The group had hiked 5 miles before stopping.
Future perfect
By tomorrow, I will have finished the book.
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Part 3:
Sentence Structure
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Basic requirements for a sentence

ØAt least one subject and one main

verb
ØSome verbs require complements.
ØWord order is “subject-verb-
complements”
ØAt least one independent clause
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Problems with Sentence Structure
ØRun on sentences

ØSentence Fragments

ØLack of parallel structure

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Run-ons
ØA run-on sentence is more than a
sentence.
ØSometimes a sentence runs on
because there is no punctuation.
ØSometimes a sentence is a run-on
because two independent clauses are
connected by a comma (a “comma
splice”). So, what is an independent
clause? Next slide, please.
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Parts of a Sentence
ØIndependent clause: a clause that can
“stand alone” because it has at least a
subject and a verb
ØDependent/subordinate clause: a
clause that cannot stand alone, but
serves as a noun, adjective or adverb
ØCoordinating conjunction: words such
as “and,” “but,” or “or” that join 2
elements of the same sentence or
construction
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Examples of Independent and
Dependent Clauses
Independent clauses
Ø We ate pie.
Ø The kids wear coats.
Ø She will go to work in the morning.
Dependent clauses (what happens when we
join these to independent clauses?)
Ø Because it was Jonah’s birthday
Ø When it’s very cold
Ø Although tomorrow is Sunday
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Run-on without punctuation
Example:
Ø Attending the university has been great I
like exploring ideas.
Possible corrections:
ØAttending the university has been
great. I like exploring ideas.
ØAttending the university has been
great because I like exploring ideas.
ØAttending the university has been
great; I like exploring ideas.
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Comma Splices
Example
Ø The kids ran home, the school year was
over.
Possible corrections
Ø The kids ran home. The school year was
over.
Ø The kids ran home; the school year was
over.
Ø The kids ran home because the school year
was over.
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Sentence Fragments
ØSentence fragments do not have
complete sentence structure.
ØThey may lack a subject, a verb, or
both.
ØAlternatively, they may be a
dependent clause. Dependent clauses
cannot stand alone!
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Sentence Fragments
Examples and corrections
Goes to school. (missing subject)
Correct: He goes to school.
The bird to the nest. (missing verb)
Correct: The bird is flying to the nest.
Who wrote the story. (dependent clause)
Correct: He is the man who wrote the story.
Because it is late. (dependent clause)
Correct: We’re going home because it is late.
 Thank you!!!!
Have a Great Grammatically
Correct Year!!!