TEACHING GRAMMAR INTRODUCTION

Grammar is the system of rules that considers sentence structure, but how does it study it? According to Thornbury (1999), grammar is seen as the study of syntax and morphology of sentences.

Then, “Grammar is partly the study of what forms (or structures) are possible in a language.

Traditionally, grammar has been concerned almost exclusively with analysis at the level of the sentence.

Thus grammar is a description of the rules that govern how a language’s sentences are formed.

Grammar attempts to explain why the following sentences are acceptable.

EXAMPLES:

•We are not at home right now.

Right now we are not at home

•Not we at home are right now.

We is not at home right now.”

TECHNIQUES

•Grammar looks at syntax, which is the system of rules that cover the order of words in sentence.

•Syntax rules do not allow: Not we at home are right now. It also looks at the morphology of words.

• Morphology is the system of rules that covers the formation of words. Morphology rules do not allow: We is not at home right now.

"APPLICATION"

You can observe that changing columns 1 and 2 affect meaning and produces well- formed sentences: Are we not at home? Are they at the park? and so on. Similarly, it is easy to see that nouns fill slot 1 and that slot 2 is the place for verbs. Also you can observe that, opposite to slots 1 and 2, slots 3 and 4 or 4 and 5 cannot be switched.

Hence, noticing the limitations of the possible combination of slots in the word chain of a sentence is the beginning of a good grammarian. Grammar communicates meaning, this is, it is not enough to construct well-formed sentences they also need to make sense. Consider Thornbury’s example:

• This is 2680239. We are at home right now. Please leave a message after the beep.

Although well formed, the sentence ‘We are at home right now.’ does not make sense in this context. Therefore, grammar plays an important role in communication. Of course grammar is not the only aspect that gives messages meaning.

*THE METHOD WILL THEN BE RELEASED USING SOME EXAMPLES AND REINFORCING LEARNING.

USES:

•The present continuous is used to talk about something that is happening at the moment we speak.

For example:

I’m studing now.

He’s eating now.

Is it raining.

• We also use it to talk about something that is happening today but not necessarily when we speak.

For example:

They’re learning English.

She’scurrentlylookingfor a job.

Are you workingmuchlately.

•We use the present continuous to talk about something that is already decided to be done in the near future.

•Its use indicates that it is quite certain that what is planned will happen.

For example:

I’m going to the partytonight.

He’s not coming to classtomorrow.

Are you workingnextweek?

GRAMMATICAL RULES

AFFIRMATIVE SENTENCES

. Subject + auxiliar verb (to be) + verb(ing) + complement + .

For example:

•I am talking about food.

•He is eating fish.

NEGATIVE SENTENCES

Subject + auxiliar verb (to be)+ negative auxiliar (not) + verb (ing) + complement + .

For example:

•I am not talking about food.

•He is not eating fish.

INTERROGATIVE SENTENCES

Auxiliar verb (to be) + subject + verb(ing) + complement + ?

For example:

• Are you talking about fish?

• Are they learning english?

• Is he eating fish?

•May be freely copied for personal or classroom use. 2008

www.perfect-english-grammar.com

•Present Simple orPresentContinuous en www.perfect-english-grammar.com

https://www.woodwardenglish.com/lesson/present-simple-vs-present-continuous/

•Brown, G. y Yule, G. (1983).

https://www.woodwardenglish.com/lesson/present-simple-vs-present-continuous/

http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/