In English there are 6 different kinds of questions. An utterance is a question if it has one or more of these four markers: rising intonation; inverted word order; a question word: who, what, where, when, how, how, why: or the word or. The different types of questions are differentiated based on the presence of the marker(s).
Where to start with grammar and language learning?
If you're a language user (the odds are good if you're reading this article), there are two ways to approach grammar and language use.
The prescriptive grammar approach tells you how you should use the language. Think of a prescription the doctor writes, telling you to take pills once a day with food for five days.
The descriptive grammar approach is used to describe what really happens with language out on the streets. Following the medical analogy, once you get home you forget to take your medicine on day three and you don't take it with food on day five. This happens.
Both prescriptive and descriptive grammar are important for language learners, but for very different reasons.
Let's look at each.
Prescriptive grammar refers to the rules you covered in middle school about starting a sentence with a conjunction, ending a sentence with a preposition, or splitting infinitives. You've probably heard of these rules before, even if you ...
English Grammar Tips: Homonyms
"Teacher, I get confused. How do I know when to use their, there or they're in English?"
Have you ever been asked this frequent question? It's but one of many English language teachers worldwide hear from perplexed learners. It's a fair enough question as these three forms are what we call homonyms. That is, they are words which sound the same but have distinctly different meanings. Fortunately, the differences and applications can be easily clarified. Let's look at them now.
The Possessive Pronoun "Their"
This first one, "their", is a possessive pronoun. We use it to show belonging or ownership of a group. It is in the same category with other possessive pronouns which include "our", "your" also in the plural and "my", "his", "her" and "its" in the singular. Two examples of usage are:
"Where is their class room?"
"This is their class room". Or rather, the class room belongs to them.
The Contraction "They're"
The second form we'll consider is the ...
So here's another example of a short paragraph story which I've used to teach pronunciation of the past tense in English using regular verbs. Admittedly, it takes some thought to write one of these but the effort is worth it since the learners seem to enjoy this form of grammar in context. Normally, a passage would contain a mix of both regular and irregular verbs in English. However, when practicing the -ed, -d, -ded, and -ted endings pronunciation, these types of exercises can prove to be invaluable. A short paragraph story of this type is much more difficult to pronounce and causes the speaker to intently focus on the past tense verb endings. Try them, you'll see.
A Pacific Coast Trip
I talked to my family in the United States last week. They wanted to hear about when I traveled to the rain forest. My wife and I excursioned from Buenaventura and departed by boat. First we slipped and stumbled down a gangplank that tipped as we boarded the cargo ship. The vessel bobbed, rocked and ...
The grammar is the nuts and bolts of a language. It is the foundational stone to get the grip of a language and master it.
So, a sound knowledge and clarity in comprehending English grammar is mandatory for every English language teacher. Just like the nuts and bolts need to be used for the smooth functioning of an engine, similarly sound knowledge of English grammar is a must.
An English teacher could inspire confidence in a classroom scenario when she has comprehended the English grammar. She will be able to re-structure and apply it under different tenses without altering the meaning of the sentences or use the sentences differently to highlight the different meaning implied.
It is only through the understanding of grammar one comes to know the use of 'will' and 'shall' and tenses and its usage which are the fine points of grammar that in turn reflect the language proficiency of a teacher.
When the teacher is thorough in her grammatical skills, she could ensure the students grasp ...
How strong is your understanding of English grammar rules? The ability to write good American text is a powerful skill to have, especially if you want to provide services online, sell products on the Internet, or have a website of your own.
The United States continues to open its doors to new citizenship from nearly EVERY foreign land. Yet, even though this might present pleasant opportunity in itself, those who learn how to utilize the nuances of writing American grammar begin to possess far more powerful advantages.
For instance, people speak English around the world, and countries have learned to adopt it as the universal tool for communicating. Do you also notice how individuals communicate online?
They use a particularly productive element of the English grammar rules set, called "keywords." At first, these are just the common phrases that ordinary people use to describe things they need, want, or love to think about.
However, strong computer software technology and consumer ...
In this globalised world, it is essential to be fluent in English, the global medium of communication. Being proficient in English will open doors for your education, career and social life. It is not enough that you just string together two words to be an expert in English speaking. You should also know how to frame grammatically correct English sentences. The study of grammar is one of the most tedious aspects of any language. Many candidates give up as they feel English grammar is boring. However, if you are aiming to be well-versed in English speaking, you need to know the special rules of grammar for English speaking
The special rules:
1. Subject
The subject is the main content in any sentence. It usually refers to 'who' or 'what' in a sentence. For people to understand the meaning of a sentence said by you, a subject should be present in a sentence. Unlike other languages, it is compulsory to include the subject.
For example:
'My sister is very smart'. 'The building is very big'. ...
Making Comparisons in English
There are several ways to make effective comparisons in English. Using these expressions with animals is one of the more interesting and colorful ways to do so. Here are some of the more common metaphors and similes in colloquial use.
"Big as a Whale"
With some species weighing up to 180 tons (200 short tons) and measuring up to 98 ft. (30 meters) in length, whales are some of the largest animals currently known to man.
"Blind as a Bat"
While not quite true, bats are not really blind. They are simply adapted to avoiding obstacles and finding prey or food in nearly absolute darkness.
"Brave as a Lion"
"Do you think the Wizard could give me some courage?" the Cowardly Lion asked. "Of course he can", replied Dorothy. "After all, lions are known for their courage." A group of lions, called a Pride, will often attack prey working together. Collectively, they can attack animals even larger than themselves such as elephants.
"Busy as a Bee"
Constantly searing ...
If a sentence has a singular subject, it is followed by a singular verb and if it has a plural subject, it is followed by a plural verb;that is, the verb agrees with the subject. Compare:
• She lives in Thailand.
• Most people live in Asian than in any other continent.
Some nouns with a singular form can be treated either as singular (with a singular verb) or (with a plural verb):
• The council has (or have)postponed a decision on the new road.
Other words like this include association, audience, class, committee, department, electorate, family, government, orchestra, population, staff, university, and the names of specific organisations such as the Bank of England, the BBC, IBM, Sony. We use a singular verb if we see the institution or organisation as a whole unit and a plural verb if we see it as a collection of individuals. Often you can use either with very little difference in meaning, although in formal writing (such as academic writing), it is more common to use a singular verb. ...
If a sentence has a singular subject, it is followed by a singular verb and if it has a plural subject, it is followed by a plural verb;that is, the verb agrees with the subject. Compare:
• She lives in Thailand.
• Most people live in Asian than in any other continent.
Some nouns with a singular form can be treated either as singular (with a singular verb) or (with a plural verb):
• The council has (or have)postponed a decision on the new road.
Other words like this include association, audience, class, committee, department, electorate, family, government, orchestra, population, staff, university, and the names of specific organisations such as the Bank of England, the BBC, IBM, Sony. We use a singular verb if we see the institution or organisation as a whole unit and a plural verb if we see it as a collection of individuals. Often you can use either with very little difference in meaning, although in formal writing (such as academic writing), it is more common to use a singular verb. ...
