Pre-Course Grammar Module
“[G]rammar provides you with the structure you need in order to organize and put your messages and ideas across. It is the railway through which your messages will be transported. Without it, in the same way as a train cannot move without railways, you won’t be able to convey your ideas to their full extension.” ~ Julio Foppoli
International TEFL Academy
PRE-COURSE GRAMMAR MODULE TABLE OF CONTENTS Objectives Parts of Speech
Nouns o Regular and Irregular Plural Nouns o Countable and Uncountable Nouns Pronouns Articles Adjectives Adverbs Prepositions Verbs o Infinitives o Regular and Irregular Verbs o Gerunds and Present Participles o Stative and Dynamic Verbs o Auxiliary Verbs
Verb Tense and Aspect
Present Simple Present Continuous Past Simple Past Continuous Present Perfect Present Perfect Continuous Past Perfect Past Perfect Continuous Future Simple Future Continuous Future Perfect Future Perfect Continuous
Review Questions Recommended Recommen ded Grammar books and Online Resources
Pre-Course Grammar Module Objectives After finishing this chapter, the reader will be able to... 1. Identify and define different parts of speech, including nouns, n ouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, articles, pronouns, and prepositions. 2. Differentiate between countable and uncountable nouns. 3. Summarize the differences between indefinite and definite d efinite article. 4. Demonstrate how comparative and superlative adjectives. 5. Demonstrate how to form comparative and superlative adverbs. adv erbs. 6. Define prepositions and explain why they are difficult for ESL learners. 7. Define verbs and different verb forms, including infinitive, gerund, present participle, past participle, stative verbs, dynamic verbs, and auxiliary verbs. 8. Name and demonstrate the usage of the twelve tenses of English.
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Parts of Speech Parts of speech are word categories such as nouns, pronouns, articles, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, verbs, conjunctions and interjections. The first part of this chapter discusses different parts of speech, while the second part pa rt of this chapter focuses on English tenses. Nouns
Nouns denote a person, place, thing, quality, animal, or idea. Nouns can be divided into proper nouns that refer to particular individuals and are capitalized, such as Willis Tower, Chicago, International TEFL Academy, and into common nouns, which are not capitalized and refer to objects in general, such as tower, city, or academy.
In English, nouns are preceded by articles and adjectives: a
happy
student
article adjective noun and plural forms. forms. To Regular and irregular plural nouns - All countable nouns have singular and make a plural form, we usually need to add – s, for example, one apple becomes two apples; however, some nouns have irregular plurals, such as man becomes men. Here is a chart that will help you understand regular and irregular plural forms. Regular Plural Nouns
-s
songss, book s, pencils song pencils
-es (words ending in -s, -sh, -ch, -x, -z ) messes, messes, brush brushes, es, church churches, es, box boxes es
-es es (some (some words ending in -o) potatoes potatoes,, tomatoes tomatoes,, her oes oes
Irregular Plural Nouns** man men woman women child children person people mouse mice foot feet tooth teeth 1 goose 2 geese 1 deer 2 deer 1 fish 2 fish 1 sheep 2 sheep
-ies (most words ending in – y preceded by a consonant)* baby babies babies,, sky sk ies ies
-ves (some words ending in – f or or – fe) knifeknives knives,, half halves halves
*Note that we do not add – ies ies to words that end in – y preceded by a vowel, for example, toy becomes toys toys; key becomes keys keys.
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**These are just some examples of irregular plural nouns, for a complete list consult a comprehensive grammar book. Countable and uncountable nouns - Nouns can also be divided into countable and uncountable (or also known as non-count nouns or mass nouns). Countable nouns can be singular or plural (for example: animal/animals, cat/cats, man/men, child/children); while uncountable nouns cannot be divided into separate elements (for example: money, furniture, coffee, and love). ESL/EFL students need to memorize which words are countable and which ones are uncountable. Some nouns can be both depending on their meaning. For example, “Our house has four rooms” contains a countable version of room. room. However, “Is there any room for me?” includes an uncountable version of room.
The chart below further illustrates the main differences between countable and uncountable nouns. Countable Nouns
Uncountable Nouns (non-count nouns)
May be preceded by indefinite article a/an: a banknote
May not be preceded by indefinite article a/an: a money (some money or no article)
Take final – s/-es in the plural: 2 banknotes banknotes
Have no plural form; do not take a final – s/-es: moneys
May be followed by a verb v erb in singular or plural form: This banknote is green. These banknotes are green.
Are always followed by a verb in singular form: Money is is important. important.
Use the following expressions: many, a few / few many banknotes banknotes do you have? o How many o I have a few banknotes. few banknotes. few banknotes banknotes left. o I have few
Use the following expressions: much, a little / little How much money do you have? o o I have a little money. I have little money left. o
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Pronouns
av oid repetition. In the sentence below, she is a pronoun that Pronouns replace nouns in order to avoid replaces the proper noun Lizzy:
Lizzy is a happy girl. She smiles all the time.
The chart below contains personal subject pronouns. Person 1st 2n 3r
Singular I you she/he/it
Plural we you they
Next, the chart below exemplifies other types of pronouns. Person
First person singular Second person singular Third person singular Third person singular Third person singular First person plural Second person plural Third person plural
Subject Pronoun
I
Possessive Adjective my
Possessive Pronoun mine
Object Pronoun me
Reflexive Pronoun myself
you
your
yours
you
yourself
he
his
his
him
himself
she
her
hers
her
herself
it
its
its
it
itself
we
our
ours
us
ourselves
you
your
yours
you
yourselves
they
their
theirs
them them
themselves
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Articles
information about nouns. The English language has two two Articles are types of adjectives that give information articles:
the = definite article a/an = indefinite article
We use the to modify specific or particular nouns, while we use a/an to refer to non-specific or non-particular nouns. For example, if we say, "Let's go to the restaurant," we mean a specific restaurant. If we say, "Let's go to a restaurant," we mean any restaurant rather than a specific one. However, there are many more rules governing the use of definite and indefinite inde finite articles. Read the chart below for a general gen eral overview of these rules. Indefinite Article: a/an Use a before a consonant sound. a pear, a raincoat, a horse a university Use an before a vowel sound. (a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes y in English) an apple, an umbrella an hour, an X-Ray image Use when objects are not specifically identified. There is a laptop on the table. Use only with singular countable nouns. a chair Some other uses: Membership in a group o a teacher, an American citizen Expressions of quantity o a number of, a lot of, a couple Certain numbers and fractions o a hundred, a thousand When giving a price o $2.00 a pound
Definite Article: th e Use the before both a vowel and a consonant sound. the apple, the pear
Used when the noun is specific or particular. There is a laptop on the table. The laptop has many colorful stickers on it. Used with countable and uncountable nouns. the chair, the furniture Some other uses: When the object is unique o the earth, the sun, the Statue of Liberty Before superlatives o the best, the most talented With singular nouns to represent a class o the Bengal tiger, the stingray With certain geographical names o Rivers and oceans: the Nile, the Atlantic Ocean o Points on the globe: the South Pole o Geographical areas: the Middle East o Certain countries: the United States
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Adjectives
Adjectives are descriptive words that modify nouns. Adjectives usually precede nouns:
This is a cute baby. There is a beautiful flower. She is wearing a colorful dress.
Sometimes adjectives may follow a describing verb, or copula copula, as in the following sentences:
This baby is cute. This flower is beautiful. The dress is colorful.
Adjectives have three forms: the base form, a comparative used to compare two items, and a superlative used to compare three or more items. The chart below shows how to form comparatives and superlatives.
One syllable Two syllables ending in -y Two or more syllables Irregular adjectives
Base form of adjective small old happy pretty difficult beautiful good bad
Comparative
smaller smaller older older happier happier prettier prettier more difficult more difficult more beautiful more beautiful better worse
Superlative
smallest smallest oldest oldest happiest happiest prettiest prettiest most difficult most difficult most beautiful most beautiful best worst
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Adverbs
v erbs. Adverbs may also modify adjectives, Adverbs are describing words that usually modify verbs. other adverbs, or the whole sentence:
She walked slowly. The very old lady walked quite slowly. Consequently , she missed the bus.
Like adjectives, adverbs have three forms: the base form, a comparative used to compare two items, and a superlative used to compare three or more items. The chart below shows how to form comparatives and superlatives. Base form of Adjective Adverbs formed from adjectives by adding -l y Adverbs that have the same form as adjectives Irregular adverbs
Base form of Adverb
Comparative Adverb
Superlative Adverb
slow beautiful
slowly beautifully
more slowly more slowly more beautifully more beautifully
most slowly most slowly most beautifully most beautifully
hard fast
hard fast
harder harder faster faster
hardest hardest fastest fastest
good bad
well badly
better worse
best worst
Prepositions
Prepositions show a relationship between words in a sentence. Prepositions of place, such as on, in, next to, above, and below, describe the spatial relationship between two or more o bjects.
Prepositions of place are relatively easy to teach; however, difficulty arises when teaching higher levels as specific words and phrases are followed by certain prepositions. Here are some examples:
I am on a bus, but I’m in a car. I’ll see you at 10:00 AM on Monday in 2015. 7
There is a mistake in the picture on page 12. I’m bad at math. (NOT with math) But I’m bad with children. (NOT at children) I’m interested in math. (NOT at math) She accused me of everything. everything. (NOT for) But she blamed me for everything. (NOT of)
Verbs
Most verbs are action words ( sing, watch, run, jump). Sometimes verbs may express the state of being (be, exist ) or occurrence (happen, become). Infinitives - Base form or bare infinitive is the form of the verb that one can find in a dictionary, e.g., walk, study, or draw draw. Sometimes teachers write a verb preceded by the particle to (to walk, ve rb. to study, to draw) to indicate that it is an infinitive form of the verb.
and irregular depending depending on Regular and irregular verbs - Verbs can be divided into regular and how they form the past tense. See S ee the chart below for examples:
Regular verbs
Base form / bare infinitive work listen decide study
Past Simple
work ed ed listened listen ed decided decided studied studied
be (am, is, are) was/were have had did Irregular do eat ate verbs break broke put put
Past Participle
work ed ed listened listened decided decided studied studied been had done eaten broken put
Gerunds and present participles - Other forms of verbs include a gerund and a present participle:
that functions as a noun Gerund = verb + -ing that that functions as a verb Present Participle = verb + -ing that
walk walking read reading swim swimming
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Compare:
I like reading . (Here like is a verb and reading is is a noun.) Reading is my favorite leisure activity. (Here reading is a noun.) I am reading now. (Here reading functions functions as a verb.) I have been reading for the past three hours. (Here reading functions functions as a verb.)
by Verbs followed by gerunds and infinitives. Certain verbs in English are always followed by infinitives, while other verbs are followed by gerunds. Look at the examples below: Infinitives vs. Gerunds Verbs followed by infinitives Verbs followed by gerunds want: I want to eat. enjoy: I enjoy eating . decide: He decided to dance. practice: He practiced dancing . choose: I chose to go home . mind: I don’t mind going home . agree: She agreed to dance with me. resume: We resumed dancing.
Some verbs can be followed by either gerund or infinitive, such as like, start, or begin.
I like to read books . / I like reading books . We began to study. / We began studying . It started to rain. / It started raining .
Stative and dynamic verbs - Stative verbs (or non-continuous verbs) are verbs that cannot be converted to a present participle, e.g., you cannot add an – ing ending. These verbs are things you ing ending. cannot see someone doing such as emotion verbs (e.g., like, love, hate), abstract verbs (e.g., ). want, need, be), and possession verbs (e.g., possess, own, belong ).
I want some fruit now. I’m wanting some fruit now. (incorrect) She needs your help now. She’s needing your help now. (incorrect)
Dynamic verbs Dynamic verbs express an action or a process: wash, watch, walk, sit, talk
Stative verbs Opinion verbs: know, recognize Possessive verbs: own, belong Emotion verbs: like, love, need, hate Sensory verbs: taste, smell, see
Mixed verbs Some verbs can be either dynamic or stative depending on its meaning, e.g., have I have a car. (have=own) I am having fun. fun. (have=experiencing)
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Auxiliary verbs - Auxiliary verbs are helping verbs as they “help” the main verb express the tense of the sentence. Auxiliary verbs do not carry semantic meaning. Examples of auxiliary verbs include be, do, have, and will .
She is teaching. (Here the verb is is helping the main verb teaching, so is is an auxiliary verb.) She is a teacher. (Here the verb is carries sematic meaning, so it is the main verb and not an auxiliary verb.)
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Verb Tense and Aspect Usually when we think about tenses, we think of three basic categories: the past, the present and the future. English also has two aspects: perfect and progressive. Tense and aspect are often combined to indicate a specific time reference. Tense and aspect are best understood through examples that will be presented in the rest of this chapter. Some languages, however, do not have tenses as we understand them. For example, Mandarin Chinese uses time expressions, such as yesterday or last week, to indicate time reference. A translation from Mandarin Chinese might look like “I have pizza for lunch yesterday.” In English, we have to conjugate the verb (change eat to ate) ate) to express the same thought: “I had pizza for lunch yesterday.” Different languages have different number of tenses. English has a total twelve tense and tenseaspect combinations. This is summarized in the table below:
Simple
Continuous*
Perfect
Perfect Continuous* Present Present Perfect: Present Perfect Present Present Simple: I do my homework Continuous: I have done my Continuous: on the weekends. I am doing my homework. Here it I have been doing homework now. is. my homework since 6:00 AM this morning. Past Simple: Past Continuous: Past Perfect: Past Perfect Past I did my I was doing my I had done my Continuous: homework homework when homework before I I had been doing yesterday. the telephone rang. went to bed last my homework for night. three hours before I submitted it. Future Continuous: Future Perfect: Future Perfect Future Future Simple: If I have time, I I will be doing my I will have done Continuous: homework my homework by I will have been will do my homework tomorrow morning. 11:59 PM next doing my tomorrow. Sunday. homework for five hours by the time I finish it.
*Continuous aspect is also known as progressive, for example, present continuous = present progressive. Similarly, present perfect continuous = present perfect progressive.
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Present Simple
The present simple uses the bare infinitive of the verb, except for the third person singular where you need to add -s/-es ending: Subject + VERB (+ s/es in third person singular): in I like apples. He likes apples.
The present simple can be used to describe specific situations as summarized in the table below:
Present Simple Description
Explanation
Routines
To describe repetitive personal actions or habits.
Examples
Generalizations
To describe generalizations, facts, and beliefs that are true over time.
Schedules
To describe near future events governed by timetables e.g., bus/train/plane/boat/class schedules.
At present (stative verbs only)
To describe events happening now.
I play football on Sundays. He always wears a tie for work. She is never late. Does he bike to work every day? Birds fly. Cows do not fly. Paris is the capital of France. Iron is heavy. Feathers are light. Do dogs fly? The train for Paris leaves at 8:30pm. The flight from Toronto arrives at 11:25 am. The chemistry class begins at 9:00am. Does the bus from London arrive at 10pm? I am here now. Are you warm now? She does not like broccoli. Tom loves ice-cream.
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Present Continuous
The present continuous uses the conjugated form of the verb to be + present participle (bare infinitive + -ing ): ): Subject + am/is/are + VERB + - ing: I am eating a sandwich. He is eating a sandwich.
The present continuous can be used to describe the following situations:
Present Continuous Description At present
Explanation
To describe events happening right now.
Examples
Actions in progress
To describe actions that are temporary.
Near/ immediate future
To describe near future events.
Repetition and irritation
To describe annoying actions or habits.
I am listening to the radio now. He is having breakfast. They are running . I am cleaning the kitchen now. What are you doing? I am living in Chicago for the duration of this course. I am taking a biology class this semester. She is not reading any books right now. I am leaving in 10 minutes. She is going out tonight. Is he flying to Boston today? Are they coming for dinner this Saturday?
She is always teasing him. He is constantly interrupting me. They are always making me wait.
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Past Simple
The past simple uses the bare infinitive of the verb + -ed or or irregular verb form: Subject + VERB + -ed or or irregular form: I watched TV yesterday. I went to the theater last Friday.
The past simple can be used to describe the following situations:
Past Simple Description Past actions
Explanation
To describe an event that happened in the past.
Examples
Past habits
To describe personal habits that are no longer longe r true.
Longer actions in the past
To describe actions that took time to complete.
Sequence of past events
To describe past actions that happened in order.
I watched a good movie yesterday. She went shopping last Sunday. They moved here from Boston 3 years ago. Where did you go last night? I studied Spanish in high school. She played the guitar when she was a teenager. What sports did you play when you were a child? She talked to her friend for two hours yesterday. It took me me two years to learn how to play a guitar. Did you really spend seven years in Tibet? When I got home I had dinner and went to bed. After he finished breakfast, he went for a walk.
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Past Continuous
The past continuous uses the past from of the conjugated con jugated verb to be + present participle (bare infinitive + -ing): Subject + was/were + VERB + -ing: I was watching TV. We were having breakfast. having breakfast.
The past continuous can be used to describe the following situations:
Past Continuous Description
Explanation
Interrupted action in the past
To describe a longer event that was interrupted by a shorter action.
Examples
Specific time as an interruption
To describe a longer action at a specific time in the past.
Parallel actions
To describe two actions which were happening at the same time.
I was having breakfast when Tom called. She was listening to the radio when the lights went out. They were working in the garden when the storm started. What were they doing when the police arrived? At midnight, the kids were still playing with the new toy. Yesterday at 8pm, I was reading a book in my bed. At what time were you walking your dog yesterday? The kids were setting the table while I was making dinner. What was he doing while you were cleaning ?
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Repetition and irritation
To describe irritating or annoying past habits.
He was always whistling . It annoyed everyone. She was constantly complaining about the rain.
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Present Perfect
The present perfect uses uses the conjugated form of the auxiliary verb to have + past participle (bare infinitive + -ed or or irregular form): Subject + have/has + VERB + ed or irregular form: I have visited Canada several times. He has been to been to Paris many times.
The present perfect can be used to describe the following situations:
Present Perfect Description Unspecified time in the past
Explanation
To describe a past action that happened in unspecified or unfinished time*.
Examples
1. Experience: Have you ever been to Mexico? I have never had sushi before. He has read that book many times. 2. Change over time: She has grown a lot since the last time I saw her. 3. Achievements: I have taught ESL students before. 4. Uncompleted action: I have not done my homework yet. 5. Same action: They have attacked this city many times. I have been sick for the last three days. He has been away for five years. I have owned this car since 2005.
1. Experience 2. Change over time 3. Achievements 4. Uncompleted action you are expecting
5. The same action repeated at different times
Duration of past action until now (stative verbs)
To describe actions that have started in the past and have continued until now.
*To better understand the idea of unspecified u nspecified time, watch the following video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dkln8PfE1xE 17
Present Perfect Continuous
The present perfect continuous uses the conjugated form of the auxiliary verb to have + been + present participle (bare infinitive plus - ing): Subject + have/has + been + VERB + -ing: I have been watching TV for over three hours. She has been waiting for the last hour.
The present perfect continuous can be used to describe the following situations:
Present Perfect Continuous Description
Explanation
Duration of action until now
To describe an action that started in the past and lasted specific amount of time until now.
Examples
Recent, late events
To describe recent events.
I have been cleaning the kitchen for two hours. He has been working on this assignment for two weeks. How long have you been reading this book? Recently, I have been eating too much chocolate. She has not been exercising lately. What have you been doing?
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Past Perfect
The past perfect uses uses the past from of the auxiliary aux iliary verb to have + past participle (bare infinitive + -ed / irregular form): Subject + had + VERB + -ed or irregular form: I had lived in Boston before I moved to Chicago. She had studied Spanish before she moved.
The past perfect can be used u sed to describe the following situations:
Past Perfect Description Completed past action before another action
Explanation
To emphasize that an event happened before another event in the past.
Examples
Duration before something in the past (stative verbs)
To emphasize that an action started in the past and continued until another past action.
They had lived in Poland before they moved to the U.S. She had read the book before she saw the screen adaptation. Olivia had owned this car for 5 years before she sold it. I had had that necklace for many years before it got stolen.
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Past Perfect Continuous
The past perfect continuous uses the past from of the auxiliary verb to have + word been + present participle (bare infinitive plus -ing): Subject + had + been + VERB + -ing: I had been living in Boston before I moved to Chicago. She had been studying Spanish before she moved to Spain.
The past perfect continuous can be used to describe the following situations:
Past Perfect Continuous Description
Explanation
Duration before another action in the past
To describe the duration of an event that happened in the past before another past action.
Examples
Reason for something in the past
To show cause and effect of actions in the past.
He had been driving this car for many years before it broke down How long had you been living in Toronto before you moved? I was hungry because I had been working all day long. They failed the test because they had not been studying .
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Future Simple
The future simple uses the auxiliary verb will plus plus + the bare infinitive: Subject + will + VERB: I will bring you some water. Mark will help him tomorrow.
The future simple also uses the form be going to: Subject + am/is/are going to + VERB: I am going to get some ice-scream. It is going to rain tonight.
The future simple can be used to describe the following situations:
Future Simple Description Voluntary actions:
Explanation
To describe the speaker’s willingness to do something.
will
Examples
Promise:
To promise something to someone.
will
Plan:
To express one’s planned actions.
be goin g to
I will do my homework by myself. He will help her tomorrow. Will you go out with me? I will let you know when I get there. I will clean the bathroom when I have time. I will not tell anyone. I am going to buy some wine for dinner. I am going to be a doctor when I grow up. What are you going to do with all those flowers?
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Prediction: will or be goin g to
To express prediction about the future.
It is going to rain Or It will rain. In ten years’ time, the climate is going to get much warmer. Or In Or In ten years’ time, the climate will get much warmer.
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Future Continuous
The future continuous uses the auxiliary verbs will + + be + present participle: Subject + will + be + VERB + -ing: I will be travelling to Paris when the game starts.
The future continuous also uses the form be going to: Subject + am/is/are going to + be + VERB + - ing: I am going to be travelling to Paris when the game starts.
The future continuous can be used to describe the following situations:
Future Continuous Description Interrupted future action: or or will
Explanation
To describe that a continuous action in the future will be interrupted by a short event.
be goin g to
Time: will or or
Examples
To describe that a continuous action in the future will be interrupted by a specific time.
be goin g to
Parallel future actions: will or or
To describe two actions that will be happening happenin g at the same time in the future.
be goin g to
I will be doing my homework when you come back from work. I am going to be sleeping when you arrive. At 7 PM, I will be having dinner. At noon, they will be studying at the library. What are they going to be doing at 5:30 PM tomorrow afternoon? My sister will be doing the dishes and I will be making a dessert. While she will be reading a book, he will be watching a game.
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Future Perfect
The future perfect uses uses the auxiliary verbs will + + have + the past participle (bare infinitive + or irregular form): -ed or Subject + will + have + VERB + -ed or or irregular form: By the time I move to Denver, De nver, I will have lived in San Diego for ten years.
The future perfect also uses a form be going to: Subject + am/is/are going to + have + VERB + -ed or or irregular form: By the time I move to Denver, Den ver, I am going to have lived in San Diego for ten years.
The future perfect can be used to describe the following situations:
Future Perfect Description Completed future action before another one
Explanation
To describe an event that will happened in the future before another future action.
Examples
Duration of future action until another one
To highlight that an action will continue until another future action.
By the time you are 50, you will have learned from your mistakes. You are going to have saved some money by the time you buy such expensive car. By the time I finish my workout, I will have burned 500 calories. By Sunday, Tom will have had my tennis rackets for nearly two weeks. I will have learned a thousand words by the time my French course finishes.
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Future Perfect Continuous
The future perfect continuous uses the auxiliary verbs will + + have + been + the present participle (bare infinitive + -ing ): ): Subject + will + have + been + VERB + ing: I will have been learning Spanish for two years by the time I arrive to Madrid next year.
The future perfect continuous also uses the form be going to: Subject + am/is/are going to + have + VERB + -ed or or irregular form: I am going to have been learning Spanish for two years by the time I arrive to Madrid next year.
The future perfect continuous can be used to describe the following situations:
Future Perfect Continuous Description Duration of future action until another one
Explanation
To highlight the duration of the action until another future action.
Examples
Reason for something in the future
To highlight the cause and effect of future actions.
You will have been driving for over five hours by the time you reach Vermont tomorrow. They are going to have been shopping for two hours by the time the store closes tonight. Tom will be tired by the time he gets home because he will have been driving for over five hours. They will win all the games when they go to the World Cup because they are going to have been practicing for over four years.
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Review Questions 1. 2. 3. 4.
What is a noun? How do d o we form plural form? What are some differences between countable and uncountable nouns? Name all the personal pronouns. What is the difference between possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns? Form a few sentences to illustrate the difference. 5. What part of speech adjectives modify? How do we form comparative and superlative adjectives? 6. What parts of speech adverbs modify? How do we form comparative and superlative su perlative adverbs? 7. When do we use indefinite and definite article? Name five different rules and give ex amples. 8. What are prepositions? Why are they difficult for ESL/EFL learners? 9. Define the following terms: verb infinitive gerund present participle past participle auxiliary verb 10. What are regular and irregular verbs? 11. Name a few stative verbs. How do we use them? 12. Explain the main difference between the present simple s imple and present progressive. 13. Explain the main difference between the past p ast simple and present perfect. 14. Explain the main difference between the past p ast simple and past progressive. Can we use both of these tenses in one sentence? 15. When do we use past perfect? 16. Which two present tenses can be used to talk about the future? In what situations do we use them? 17. Give a few examples of future simple tense. When do we use this tense? 18. What is the difference between the future progressive and future perfect? Give a few examples of sentences. 19. Articles are one of the hardest grammar points to master for the v ast majority of ESL/EFL students. Consult your grammar book and/or online resources and search for more rules about definite and indefinite article. 20. Which tense/aspect is the hardest for you? Consult your grammar book and/or online resources and search for more explanations and examples of sentences in this tense.
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Recommended Recommended grammar books and online resources
American English grammar: (with Answer Key and Audio CDs) by Betty Understanding and Using English Grammar (with Azar British English grammar: English Grammar in Use with Answers and CD-ROM by Raymond Murphy
by Audrey Thomson and Agnes Martinet A Practical English Grammar by
Practical English Usage by Michael Swan
Tenses http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbtenseintro.html Articles https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/540/01/ Guide to Grammar and Writing http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/index2.htm
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