Here’s a simple truth. Some people like grammar, and other’s don’t. Also, grammar can be learned directly or indirectly. So, should we teach it? Should students watch a grammar video or study a chart in a textbook? I’m all for learning a language through through conversation and authentic sources, including movies and books. They provide a meaningful context in which exposure to grammar patterns takes place. However, not every learner has an easy time making sense of the structures on their own. A direct explanation can confirm an understanding, erase a doubt, or sharpen one’s ability to appl ..read more

Language is truly amazing because we often have multiple tools at our disposal. Think of all the ways we can ask a question. Imagine our friend had a job interview. – We might ask about it directly: How did the interview go? – We could use a tag question to broach the subject: The interview was today, wasn’t it? – Alternatively, we can use a negative question: Didn’t you have the interview today? – We may opt for an embedded question to sound less demanding: I was just wondering how your interview went. – If the topic is understood, a simple “Well?” could imply that we want to know the outcome ..read more

I’ve recognized the need of some upper level students to review the forms of “get” and “have” as causative verbs. The meanings are relatively easy for them to grasp, especially with the overlap of getting and having something done. (E.g., She had her nails done./She got her nails done.) In contrast, the differences in forms have led to small errors, so for some of my students, I’ve prepared a short set of focused practice tasks. I hope the PDF will prove useful for your learners as well. There are quite a number of interactive exercises online, but I needed to design tasks to specifically tar ..read more

Not for the first time, I published a YouTube lesson that turned out to be longer than anticipated. The topic? Reflexive pronouns. (Click to view.) It’s true that I could have made a very basic presentation that addressed only the “reflexive” use (I see myself, I hurt myself, etc.), but I was targeting intermediate and advanced learners. As eager as I was to dive in, I failed to anticipate all the nuances that would arise as I prepared and produced the lesson. I mentioned in a previous post that I took interest in word order, an aspect I hadn’t considered in depth before. I’ve definitely gaine ..read more

As a follow-up to an earlier post on reflexive pronouns, which focused more on meaning, I’d like to take the time and examine word order with reflexive pronouns. When do these pronouns have a fixed position and when do we have a choice about their placement? Do you yourself wonder about this? Or have you already found all the answers yourself? (Wink. Wink.) Let’s start with the basic use of reflexive pronouns where the subject does some kind of action to or for oneself. (a) I hurt myself when I picked up the heavy box. (b) I looked at myself in the mirror and fixed my hair. Here we see reflex ..read more

Not all my private students are based in the U.S. Actually, one travels back and forth between the U.K. and the States. Another resides permanently in England. A third lives in Eastern Europe and has interaction with both American and British English speakers. In the past, I did quite a bit of editing for a student in Australia. These kinds of learners in particular keep my ears and eyes open for differences in varieties of English. Spelling patterns are easy enough to check in dictionaries, but I sometimes need to do some searching to confirm that certain wording is acceptable, though it soun ..read more

Grammar can be a hard sell to students who say they just want to learn conversation. Those who dread a grammar lesson likely endured boring drills in the past, and they see grammar in terms of charts and lists of rules. Grammar has yet to come alive for them with the help of engaging presentations and meaningful application. In contrast, those who welcome or even pursue opportunities to study and practice grammar discover that these skills empower them. Modals verbs, for example, are capable of boosting a person’s confidence if the speaker chooses to move from I could to I can to I will. The ..read more

Did you know that cougars are the same thing as panthers? I admit that I never really thought about it. Thanks to my recent study of prepositions that follow “(be) known,” I’ve come to the discover that cougars are also known as panthers, pumas, and mountain lions! It took me several decade to realize this. I’m always amazed at how much I learn through my teaching. A YouTube viewer asked me about collocations because he was recently tested on the item “be known [by/to]” and was surprised to learn that “known to” was an acceptable combination. This prompted me to start working on a new lesson ..read more

My daughter recently passed her learner’s permit exam. Beforehand, she received advice from her older brother, a veteran driver of two years. He reminded her that she should provide the expected answers, that is, follow the rules. If they ask about driving five miles over the speed limit in a 25 mph zone, a test taker must say that is wrong. A driver must not exceed 25 mph. Indeed, a teen on a junior license should most definitely not exceed the speed limit. However, in reality, many experienced drivers go a bit over the speed limit in towns all across the country. Five above the limit may not ..read more

A recent question about “most” vs. “the most” led to a short practice task at a livestream, but more can be offered in order to clear up any remaining doubts. The viewer astutely noticed that “most,” while often used as a quantifier and in superlatives, can function as a pronoun. That discovery prompted the question about “the most” functioning as a noun or pronoun. The Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English lists “most” as and adverb, determiner, and pronoun. The Britannica Dictionary lists “most” as an adjective, adverb, and noun. How confusing for a learner! There comes a point when l ..read more