Teaching English Grammar

Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas One of the most intimidating requirements for many English teachers is teaching English grammar. This is due to the many components of English grammar, including, but not limited to, parts of speech, as well as past, present, and perfect tenses. Conditionals, direct and reported speech, modals, and phrasal verbs all fall under the English grammar umbrella. Understanding the Components of Grammar Navigating Tenses and Verb Forms Exploring Voices and Modals Mastering English Grammar Are you ready to teach English as a foreign language? Related Articles: Check out what our course grads say in our many video testimonials! Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this blog post are solely those of the author, an alumni...  [Read more]

  ITTT's online TEFL/TESOL courses are designed to help anyone thinking of teaching English overseas. On them you will learn teaching methodologies, important parts of English grammar and ideas of how to teach this grammar to your students. This video looks at one idea for the future continuous tense. For this activity students are each given a planner filled with different activities on different dates. The planners are rigged so that there is only one day when the students are both free. They have to interview each other to find out which day they are both free. To find out more about how you can become qualified and suitably prepared for teaching English overseas click the link above. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL...  [Read more]

  An English teaching certification course will cover teaching methodologies, grammar and teaching ideas such as those covered here for the future simple. In the video the teaching ideas are horoscopes, fortune telling and wedding vows. For the horoscope activity students will be given zodiac signs and will create a horoscope for that sign before finding out who in the class the horoscope applies to. The fortune telling idea enables the students to role play using the future simple tense with one student being the fortune teller and the other the customer. Lastly, students create their ideal wedding vows or alternatively they can create silly vows. For many people, gaining English teaching certification is the first step on an exciting and rewarding journey as an English teacher...  [Read more]

  This teaching idea for the past perfect involves matching pictures of historical events with the appropriate sentence and describing what had just happened in the picture using the past perfect tense. For example: A picture of the Titanic would be matched with the sentence "hit an iceberg" and the student should say "It had just hit an iceberg". As the trainer notes in the video; the scenarios in this activity are western centric. When teaching English overseas it is important to bear in mind how you can adapt your activities to make them more suitable or more interesting to your students. Learning about the local culture and history can make your lessons more relevant to your students and therefore more engaging. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one...  [Read more]

Understanding grammar is pivotal in teaching English effectively. While there are varying class levels in English language instruction, as indicated by resources like Reward, New Headway, and others, all these levels underscore the importance of grammar. Given its foundational role in language, a teacher's proficiency in grammar ensures that students build a strong base and communicate accurately. The four skills Typical grammar and vocabulary topics studied at each level Beginner/Starter Elementary/Pre-Intermediate Intermediate/Upper-Intermediate EFL exams and correspondence of levels Summary It is very important to remember that there are four skills that are required by any language user. These four skills are, reading and listening (known as the receptive skills) and writing and...  [Read more]

  In this video for a teaching English second language teaching idea the students are given a sheet of paper with a series of pictures and each picture has a prompt with complicated verb structure as well as irregular verbs. The students will have to look at the prompts and order the pictures so as to make a story in the past simple tense. For higher level students you could remove the prompts and leave it up to them to create their own story. Teaching English as a second language is an increasingly popular career move. Not only do get the opportunity to help a variety of people around the world achieve their language learning goals but you also get to experience what it is like to live in another culture, often quite different to your own, which is always a rewarding experience. To...  [Read more]

  In this video, Linda explains the difference between "then" and "than" two words often confused by native and non-native English speakers alike. "Than" is a conjunction used for comparisons, such as here: "Her car is faster than yours". "Then", on the other hand, is an adverb used to situate actions e.g. "I did my homework, then I had a nap?. As you can see, the usages of the two words is very different and cannot be used interchangeably. Keep their differences in mind and you'll not make any mistakes in the future. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured...  [Read more]

  Some and Any are two words that often cause confusion, which is why we have decided to take a closer look at the difference of the two words in this video. Firsly, some is a determiner used for positive statements while any is a determiner used in questions and negative statements. Consider the following situation: I asked the teacher if he could give me some paper. I said ?Excuse me, have you got any paper?? Unfortunately, he didn?t have any. The first statement is positive and therefore requires us to use some. The second sentence is a question and therefore, we need to use any. The third and final sentence is a negative statement which also requries us to use any. It's worth noting that we do sometimes use some in questions and we also use any in positive statements. For...  [Read more]

  This video covers the difference between 'in' and 'at' when used to indicate a location. They often cause confusion for English learners as they both refer to a location in a sentence. However, 'in', as a preposition of place, is usually used to talk about the position of someone or something inside large places such as countries, continents, big cities and similar, while 'at' is used to refer the position of someone or something inside small and unimportant places such as villages or small towns. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that...  [Read more]

  In this video we take a look at the difference between "me" and "I". While they are often used without a problem in normal sentences, they are often used incorrectly in certain situations. For example, in the sentence "can you send the report to Ian and I" the use of "I" is incorrect. It should be "can you send the report to Ian and me" The reason for this is that "I" is a subject pronoun and ?me" is an object pronoun. If you remove Ian from the sentence, it becomes clear that the use of "I" is wrong. You would not say ?can you send the report to I" but you would say "can you send the report to me?". This is an easy trick to see which of the two is the correct one. Watch the video and give it a try. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their...  [Read more]

  This video covers the difference between 'If I were' and 'If I was' as their usage is often confused. 'If I was' is used for things that could have happened in the past or now, for example: If I was rude, I apologize. 'If I were', however, is used when we speak about imaginary situations or things that are contrary to fact, such as here: If I were a dog, I would sleep all day. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next. Register now & get certified to teach...  [Read more]

  "Who" and "whom" are another set of words that often causes confusion. Howeer, there is actuall a simple trick to deciding which one to use in a sentence. "Who" is used to refer to the subject of a sentence and 'whom' is used to refer to the object. Keeping this in mind will eliminate the chance of making mistakes. We recommend the following trick. The usage of these two words is the same as he and him. "He" is the subject and "him" is the object. If you are confused about which one you should use, look at the sentences and check whether "he" or "him" should be used. If it's "he", then you should use "who". If it's "him", then "whom" should be used. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online...  [Read more]

  In this video we look at the structure of the past perfect tense. This tense is formed in the following way: Positive: Subject + had + past participle. I had Negative: Subject + had + not + past participle. Question: Had + subject + past participle? You can earn your certificate in teaching english online from ITTT. We have many different courses available suited to your needs. Whether you are starting out as an English teacher or if you are looking to expand your skills with a specialised course in teaching young learners or business English and if you are looking for something more advanced, there is the TESOL Diploma course. To start the process of getting your certificate in teaching english online, visit us at the link above. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate...  [Read more]

  This video from one of ITTT's online TEFL courses looks at the structure of the future perfect tense. Positive: Subject + will + have + past participle I will have finished... Negative: Subject + will + not + have + past participle I will not (won't) have finished ... Question: Will + subject + have + past participle? Will you have finished ...? More and more people see teaching English abroad as great way to learn new skills and gain valuable experience in an international setting before returning home and embarking on their career. Alternatively, others see teaching English as an opportunity to change direction in their career and to try something new. Either way, anyone looking to start teaching English abroad will need to be appropriately qualified. Have a look at the link...  [Read more]

  This video covers the structure and usage of the past continuous tense. This structure of this tense is: Positive: Subject + was/were + present participle. She was working last night. Negative: Subject + was/were + not + present participle. He was not teaching yesterday. Question: Was/were + subject + present participle Was she driving yesterday? The past continuous is used to talk about actions that were in progress at a time in the past. For example: I was watching television last night. One option that may not occur to most TEFL graduates is that of teaching english online. Not only can you earn your certificate online, but you can also earn your wages by teaching english online. ITTT has many different courses available suited to your needs. Whether you are starting out as an...  [Read more]

  In this video we look at a teaching idea for the 'going to' future tense. This tense is often used to make predictions based on evidence and the idea covered here focuses on this usage. As you can see in the video, this idea is suitable for low level students as it uses pictures and verb prompts. Students choose a verb and one of the pictures that best match the verb. For example the student might choose "wash" and the picture of the shampoo bottle: "He is going to wash his hair". If you are thinking about teaching English abroad the best way to improve your job opportunities is to get a teaching certificate. Not only will a certificate open up more doors to you but it will also improve your chances of getting a higher English teacher salary. By taking a TEFL course with ITTT you...  [Read more]

  "Your" and "you're" often get confused, not only by English learners around the world but also by many native English speakers. Let's break it down. "Your" is a possessive adjective that indicates ownership, while "you're" is simply the contraction of "you are". Let's take a look at this example sentence: Your grades are great this semester. In this case, we use 'your' as we use it to indicate ownership. You're the best student in the entire school! This example require us to use 'you're' because it is the short form for 'you are'. Should you not be sure which one to use, think about if you want to express ownership or of you want to say "you are". Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online...  [Read more]

  In this video, we focus on the difference between the usage of "do" and "make". We use the verb 'do' when someone performs an action, activity or task. Some common expression with 'do' include : do a crossword, do the ironing, do your job, do the dishes, and do homework. We also use the verb 'do' when referring to things in general and to describe an action without saying exactly what the action is. In this case, 'do' is often used with the words 'something, nothing, anything, everything, for example ' I'm not doing anything today', or ' He does everything for his wife'.There are also a number of fixed expressions that always take the verb 'do', such as: do badly, do business, do a favor, do good, and do harm, just to name a few. On the other hand, we use the verb 'make' for...  [Read more]

  In this TEFL training video we look at one of three teaching ideas for the present continuous tense. English grammar lessons like this are taught on a regular basis and ITTT's TEFL training courses can show you how to use these activities to your advantage in the classroom. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next. Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! The range of expression is greatly growing by this point in the class. This chapter...  [Read more]

  In this video, we break down the difference between the usage of "for" and "since". Both of these words are used when talking about time, which is why they often cause confusion for many English learners. However, the difference in the usage of the two words is actually qutie easy. The word "since" is used when referring to a point or exact moment in time, such as in this example: I have been living in this house since 2005. The year 2005 is a point or exact moment in time and therefore, we need to use 'since'. "For", on the other hand, is used for a period or duration of time, such as in this example: I have been living in this house for 12 years; 12 years is a duration of time, and therefore we need to use 'for'. As you can see, all you need to do is figure out whether you are...  [Read more]

  People often confuse "its" and "it's". "Its" can be a possessive pronoun or possessive adjective indicating ownership. "It's" is the contraction of "it is". In the example "It's great to see the dog play with its toys", "it's" at the beginning is a contraction while "its" at the end is a possessive adjective used to express ownership of the toys. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next. Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! This unit covered...  [Read more]

  This video breaks down the difference between "among" and "between". The word "between" is used to refer to two or more things that are distinct. A great example would be: "Choose between the red and the green socks". Here, we use "between" as the socks are clearly different and separated. "Among", on the other hand, is used to refer to things that are part of a group or mass, such as in this example: "Choose among all your socks" here we use ?among? because we are talking about all of the socks. Let's take a look at two more examples to make the difference even clearer. "I am walking between Baker Street and 5th Avenue." Here, we are talking about two separate streets and use 'between'. "I am walking among my friends." In this example, we're talking about more than two people and...  [Read more]

  The future simple tense can be used for threats, promises and predictions. In this video we look at a teaching idea for the predictions usage. In pairs students are given a card with some prompts and responses. One student reads the prompt and the other responds with the given comment and their own sentence in the future simple tense. For example: Student 1: I've lost my shoe. Student 2: Don't worry. It'll turn up somewhere. For anyone wanting to teach English certification is the best route to take. An online TEFL course from ITTT will equip you with the skills needed to be successful in the classroom. Not only will it cover tenses such as the future simple featured in this video but it will also cover other grammar points such as modal verbs, reported speech etc. and teaching...  [Read more]

  This video reviews the past tenses. The past tenses form one part of ITTT's online TEFL courses. During the section on the past tenses you will learn the structure of each tense in its positive, negative and question forms as well as the usages of each tense. You will also learn some useful teaching ideas for the tenses. Past Simple: Subject + verb in past simple form I played Past Continuous: Subject + was + present participle I was playing Past Perfect: Subject + had + past participle I had played Past Perfect Continuous: Subject + had + been + present participle I had been playing To learn more about the past and other tenses check out our other videos online and consider taking one of our TEFL courses. A teaching certificate from ITTT will enable you to take part in one of the...  [Read more]

  This training video from one of ITTT's teaching English as a foreign language courses reviews the usage of the future perfect tense. This is used to talk about actions that will be completed by a point in the future. "I will have finished my TEFL course by the end of the year" If you are interested in teaching English as a foreign language the first thing you should think about is getting qualified. Many EFL employers require their teachers to have some form of teaching qualification and a 120-hour TEFL certificate meets that requirement. Follow the link above to browse the selection of TEFL courses that ITTT has to offer. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down...  [Read more]

  The Present perfect tense is a very useful tense. It is the tense that relates the past to the present. It also tends to be the tense that can often present some difficulties to the English language learner and sometimes the English language teacher. The activity in this video has the students examining two pictures, picture A and picture B. The pictures depict a scene in a house; Picture B is similar to A but with a number of changes. Students are asked to spot the changes and to express the change using the Present Perfect. For example in Picture A, a pile of unironed clothes can be seen next to the ironing board but in picture B the clothes are ironed. So the student would say "He has done the ironing." Another example answer would be, "He has hung up the towel." There are also...  [Read more]

Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! Here's a useful word list with long vowel sounds to use with your ESL students.   Long vowel sound spelling patterns are quite difficult for students to learn. First they must understand that more than one letter can be used to represent one sound and then learn the various ways that the sound can be represented in print.   Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Studying and learning standard English grammar is an experience that most native speakers must also do. Furthermore, even after learning grammar in an English education system, many native speakers still make grammatical errors in their everyday conversations, and especially so when writing formal documents. Is clarity is over norms and rules? Is focusing on mistakes effective? Variations Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Natalie F. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. However, grammatical errors such as saying, "I and my friend went to that movie," instead of "my friend and I," are still socially...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Learning grammar is, suffice it to say, one of the most important points to focus on. Equally, for foreign students, they need to know not just about vocabulary but how and why vocabulary "hangs" in a certain way within a sentence. In my teaching experience, grammar has been difficult from the standpoint of getting the student to agree with the fact that it is important. I've found that many clients have been indoctrinated into believing that grammar is "hard", "boring" "dull" and worst of all, "unnecessary". This has been a challenge, to say the least. As a foreign language teacher, I've had to not mention grammar at all and introduce it as "how to use English correctly". This new perspective for a person who has experienced a bad time with English...  [Read more]

  The structure of the question form of the Present Simple tense is the topic for this ITTT video. The positive and negative forms are discussed in other videos. Question Form: auxiliary verb 'do/does' + subject + base form of the verb Do I/you/we/they teach? Does he/she/it teach? Teaching English as a second language is an exciting and rewarding experience. The major qualifications necessary to gain a position teaching English as a second language are an internationally recognized TEFL or TESOL Certificate. ITTT has a range of courses that will provide you with the skills to begin your career teaching English as a second language. If you are interested in gaining your qualification follow the link above. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of...  [Read more]