11 Rules of Grammar

YOUR DICTIONARY
https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/grammar-rules-and-tips/11-rules-of-grammar.html

You can reach more bravely into the scary world of sentence construction and accurate communication if you are armed with grammar guidelines. These 11 rules of grammar will help you become a champ at selecting words and punctuation.

Key Rules

1. Use Active Voice

Every human language starts an active sentence with the subject, or the "doer." In English, the verb (what's being done) follows the subject. If there is an object (the receiver of the action), it comes after the verb. The formula looks like this:

S+V+O. This rule is the foundation of the English language.

Here are some examples:

Mary walked the dog.

The dog liked Mary.

I did not like the dog.

2. Link Ideas with a Conjunction

Sometimes you want to link two ideas with a second S+V+O combination. When you do, you need a coordinating conjunction. The new formula looks like this:

S+V+O, COORDINATING CONJUNCTION+S+V+O

Coordinating conjunctions are easy to remember with an acronymic mnemonic device:

FANBOYS

For

And

Nor

But

Or

Yet

So

3. Use a Comma to Connect Two Ideas As One

FANBOYS are used when connecting two ideas as one in a single sentence, but don't forget the comma.

For example:

I do not walk Mary's dog, nor do I wash him.

Mary fed her dog, and I drank tea.

Mary feeds and walks her dog every day, but the dog is still hyperactive.

4. Use a Serial Comma in a List

The serial, or Oxford, comma is a controversial rule of grammar. Some want to eliminate it altogether while others just don't know how to use it. The serial comma is the last comma in a list, usually appearing before "and." The serial comma comes after "dog" in this sentence:

Pets R Us has lizards, dogs, and birds.

Commas separate units in a list. In the above case, each unit only has one part, so it's easy. Where people get confused is when the units are bigger, but the rule still applies:

Pets R Us has lizards and frogs, dogs and cats, and parakeets and macaws.

Notice that the serial comma comes before "and" but not the last "and" in the sentence. The "and" that follows the comma is only there because it sounds better. Grammatically, "and" is irrelevant. Only units matter.

5. Use the Semicolon to Join Two Ideas

A list of grammar rules has to include the scariest of punctuation marks. It might look funny, but don't be afraid of the semicolon; it's the easiest thing in the world to use! Say you want to join two ideas but can't figure out or can't be bothered to use a coordinating conjunction. The two ideas can be separate sentences, but you think that they are so closely connected; they really should be one. Use a semicolon.

Mary's dog is hyperactive; it won't stop barking or sit still.

My heart is like a cup of Lapsang Souchong tea; it's bitter and smoky.

Mary has to walk her dog every day; it is the most hyperactive dog anyone has ever seen.

6. Use the Simple Present Tense for Habitual Actions

The simple present is the tense you use for any habitual action. The things you always do or do every Tuesday are described with the simple present, which just means you pick the first form of any verb.

Mary likes dogs.

I don't walk Mary's dog.

Mary and I drink tea every Tuesday together.

7. Use the Present Progressive Tense for Current Action

The present progressive tense is for anything that is happening right now. All of the progressive tenses are easy to spot because their verbs always end with "-ing" and get a helping verb. A helping verb is just so we know who and when we're talking about. In the present progressive, the helping verbs are the present tense conjugations of "to be."

I am drinking Lapsang Souchong tea.

The barking dogs outside are driving me crazy.

Mary is playing with her hyperactive dog.

8. Add "ed" to verbs for the Past Tense

When we talk about the past, we have to add an "-ed" to regular verbs to make the second form. Irregular verbs are tricky and have their own sets of rules. Drink, for example, turns to "drank." Most of the time, though, "-ed" will do.

I drank a lot of Lapsang Souchong tea yesterday, but Mary didn't.

The dogs stopped barking two seconds ago, and I am feeling better.

Mary played fetch with her hyperactive dog.

9-11. Use Perfect Tenses

Practice makes perfect with the perfect tenses. Here are three rules to finish the 11 rules of grammar. If you remember these, you'll be well on your way to perfection.

9. Use Present Perfect for the Unfinished Past

The present perfect can be confusing for some, but it is one of the most important rules of grammar. When people talk about things that have already happened but consider the time in which they occurred to be unfinished, they use the third form of the verb with a helping verb. The helping verb for the present perfect is the present tense conjugation of "to have."

I have drunk three cups of Lapsang Souchong tea today.

Mary's hyperactive cur dog has bitten me three times so far.

Mary has walked her hyperactive poodle 100 times this week.

Unfortunately, the only way to know the third forms of verbs is to remember them.

10. Use Present Perfect Progressive for Unfinished Action and Past

When the action as well as the time is considered unfinished, the verb loads up on third form helping verbs ("to be" and "to have") and changes to the progressive form.

Western countries have been waging wars in the Middle East for thousands of years.

I have been drinking tea all day.

Mary's dog has been barking like crazy since it was born.

11. Use Past Perfect for the First of Two Past Actions

When two things happen in the past, we have to mark which one happened first. The one that happened first changes to third form and gets the helping verb, "had."

By the time I drank one cup of Lapsang Souchong, Mary's dog had barked a million times.

I had not yet eaten breakfast when Mary walked her dog.

He could not pay for lunch because he had lost his wallet.

Understanding and consistently following the basic English grammar rules will help you speak and write English correctly and with minimal hesitation.

USING FAIRY TALES TO TEACH GRAMMAR

http://foundationintofirst.blogspot.com/2019/04/using-fairy-tales-to-teach-grammar.html

Teaching grammar to young students can be difficult because of the abstract nature of some grammar concepts.

Using fairy tales can make your English lessons fun and will certainly engage your students better than a stand-alone grammar lesson.

Here is how I use fairy tales in my classroom to introduce the basics of pronouns, nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs.

BUILD CONTEXT

With all students, regardless of age, context is everything when learning a new skill. What is a pronoun and why do we need to know what a pronoun is? It's very difficult for young students to learn a set of grammar rules if they don't understand why it's important.

KEEP IT SIMPLE

Explore one grammar element at a time and build on previous knowledge. It's tempting, as a teacher, to say 'oh look and there is an adverb!' unless your students really understand what an adverb is and why it is necessary. Pulling texts apart, sentence by sentence, allows your students to highlight relevant grammar elements that have been used by the writer and how they elaborate on what is happening in the story. Extension activities can involve getting students to re-write sentences to improve or change them to a different point-of-view.  

KEEP IT FUN

Learning grammar rules should be fun for both the student AND the teacher! Keep making relevant connections to the real world. Take words from the page and turn them into a dramatic play. Students will soon make connections to the power of verbs and adverbs to describe what the character is doing and how they do it. Adjectives and noun groups help the audience paint a picture in their mind.

USE VISIBLE LEARNING TO HELP SOLIDIFY LEARNING

Posters, signage and student work. All should be on display in the primary classroom. Keep learning walls relevant and put connected work samples up there. 

I encourage my students to walk around the room and use the signage and posters to help them with their writing. Remember, this is not 'spoon-feeding' as students are still learning. They need scaffolded learning in order to demonstrate what they know and understand.  

Tag Questions

ENGLISH CLUB.

https://www.englishclub.com/grammar/tag-questions.htm

Dou speak English, don't you?

A tag question is a special construction in English. It is a statement followed by a mini question. We use tag questions to ask for confirmation. They mean something like: "Is that right?" or "Do you agree?" They are quite common in English.

The basic structure of a tag question is:

positive statement	negative tag
Snow is white,	isn't it?

negative statement	positive tag
You don't like me,	do you?

Notice that the tag repeats the auxiliary verb (or main verb when be) from the statement and changes it to negative or positive.

Positive Statement Tag Questions

Look at these examples with positive statements. You will see that most of the time, the auxiliary verb from the positive statement is repeated in the tag and changed to negative.

Notice:

• the use of do in the two coffee questions. Remember that in Present Simple, do is optional in positive statements (You like coffee/You do like coffee). But the do must appear in the tag. The same applies to Past Simple did.
• in last two questions, no auxiliary for main verb be in Present Simple and Past Simple. The tag repeats the main verb.

Negative Statement Tag Questions

Look at these examples with negative statements. Notice that the negative verb in the original statement is changed to positive in the tag.

Notice:

• won't is the contracted form of will not
• the tag repeats the auxiliary verb, not the main verb. Except, of course, for the verb be in Present Simple and Past Simple.

Answering Tag Questions

How do we answer a tag question? Often, we just say Yes or No. Sometimes we may repeat the tag and reverse it (They don't live here, do they? Yes, they do). Be very careful about answering tag questions. In some languages, an opposite system of answering is used, and non-native English speakers sometimes answer in the wrong way. This can lead to a lot of confusion!

Following an amazing game about tag question

GRAMMAR ACTIVITIES FOR GOOGLE CLASSROOM™ THAT WON’T STRESS YOU OUT!

By Lindy love to teach

Yay, you’re using Google Classroom™ this year! Just think of all the amazing grammar activities you can share with your students. And no more running around making photocopies. And even better, no more cutting and laminating! Imagine the amount of money and time you’re going to save.

Getting comfortable with new technology takes a while.

We know how to flip through FaceBook, check and send emails, post to Instagram, but very few of us are super comfortable with nitty-gritty techy stuff.

You know, the technical side of things: setting up email lists, getting to know new programs, importing data, merging lists etc.

And there’s so little time to play with new software during your teaching year. When you eventually end up with some free time, there’s always something to grade, somebody to see, something to sort out.

The secret to not getting stressed out by new technology is by taking baby steps.

You can’t run a marathon if you don’t know how to walk, right? You don’t have to know everything on day one. Don’t put that kind of pressure on yourself. Ask for help. Take it slow, ease into it.

Don’t stress about creating your own content right away.

Check out my interactive activities for nouns, verbs, and adjectives for use with Google Slides. There are seventy-four no-prep activities.

Just click on the link in the PDF, make a copy for your drive and share the activities with your students. It’s that easy.

The activities are user-friendly and great for getting your students (and you) started on Google Classroom. Send the whole set via Google Classroom, or share a slide at a time. You can decide exactly how you want your students to complete the activities.                 

You can use the grammar activities during center time, for homework, test prep, and even during whole class teaching on your interactive whiteboard. There are so many ways to use digital activities.

Your students will use various skills to complete all the tasks: typing, dragging and dropping, underlining, and drawing with the scribble tool.

Digital activities are winners!

It saves you time – no printing, cutting, and laminating. No papers to file and sort. No running around looking for lost assignments.

It saves you money – you don’t have to buy paper, ink for your printer, and laminating pouches.

Students learn valuable computer skills – typing, dragging and dropping, underlining, etc.

Students are engaged – students love using technology, it’s such a big part of their lives.

Special needs students prefer typing – many students avoid paper and pencil tasks because they struggle with fine-motor skills or spelling. Typing is so much easier and helps them feel successful.

Artist: Nicolai Heidlas

Title: A Way For Me

Designed by Freepik

How to Teach Grammar Online

Tanya TruslerApril 9, 2020

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic came many, many changes for people all over the world. We've all had to adapt to numerous disruptions to our lives—socially, physically, emotionally, and financially, to name a few.

Teaching grammar can be a challenge at the best of times, and having to suddenly manage it digitally was certainly a frightening prospect for some of us. We hope the following blog post on how to teach grammar online will be helpful! Please feel free to leave comments and questions below. We're here for you—you're not alone.

This three-part grammar series will cover:

How to Teach Grammar Online (this post)

How to Assign Grammar Tasks Online

How to Assess Grammar Online

How to Teach Grammar Online

There are different ways to introduce a grammar target to your learners. Choose one of the following methods based on your personal preference. You could also try each method and see which is best for your learners, or you could try different methods for different targets for variety.

1. Read through the grammar notes together

If you like explicit grammar instruction, this method is for you.

Before you begin the grammar practice tasks, walk your students through the grammar presentation notes while screensharing the notes or while they follow along on their own devices. There are plenty of ways to make this more interactive!

Have students take turns reading the examples out loud so you can also work on their pronunciation (and so they're not only listening to your voice the whole time).

Elicit as you go. For example, before reading about the form or function of a target, ask "Does anyone know the two ways we can contract 'He is not'?" or "Does anyone know when we use the present perfect tense?"

Have students come up with their own example sentences. After reading the examples from the grammar notes, have students think of more and share them.

Follow up with a discussion. Do your students now understand the form and function of a target? Are they clear on the exceptions to the general rules? Do they need more examples from you? Do they have any further questions about the target?

2. Assign the grammar notes for homework

If you like explicit instruction but want your learners to take charge of their own learning, give this method a try.

The day before you start a new grammar lesson, assign the grammar notes task as homework. Have students read through them and write down any questions they have to ask you the next day.

To make it more interactive, you could tell students to be prepared to answer your questions about the notes the next day.

You could also ask them comprehension-check questions about the basics of form and function of the target.

You may want to ask about the exceptions as well since those are trickier to learn and remember.

3. Assign grammar practice tasks before reviewing the grammar notes

If you prefer implicit grammar acquisition, give this method a try.

This method involves skipping the grammar notes at first.

Assign one or more of the grammar tasks and see if your students can tell you the grammar rules the next day. By doing a bit of practice, can they figure out the rules and patterns of the target you're studying?

Next, go through the grammar notes together or assign them for homework. If you're doing them together, you can refer to examples from the tasks they've already done.

After covering the notes, assign the rest of the tasks in the lesson.

4. Assign a non-grammar lesson that uses the grammar target in context

If you like the communicative approach to teaching, try this method.

In the top right-hand corner of ESL Library's website, you'll find the search icon (the magnifying glass). After clicking on it, type in the grammar target in the search field and choose a non-grammar lesson from the list (if applicable). Students will be able to see the target in context.

For example, search for "imperative." You will be able to assign a Functional English lesson on Following Instructions or Following Procedures, a Writing in English lesson on How to Write a Recipe, or a Holiday & Events lesson on Earth Day. Our Grammar Stories section also has plenty of targets in context.

Have students underline examples of the target that they see in context.

From there, you can try to elicit the basic form and function of the target.

Then you can try the rest of the grammar practice tasks.

Afterward, you can decide to use the grammar notes to review tricky exceptions to a rule, skip the notes entirely, or assign the notes only to students who are struggling with the target.

As a follow-up, you can have your intermediate to advanced students find other examples online (news articles, blog posts, etc.) that use the target and share them together the next day.