Verb Patterns

Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! Verbs Board Game This is a fun board game to practice verbs. You can modify this to all different kinds of tenses or grammar patterns.   Are you interested in teaching English as a foreign language? ​Get your TEFL certificate with ITTT.   Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! Check out ITTT's Blog Posts  [Read more]

Overview of All English Tenses - Present Tenses - Present Perfect - Spelling Patterns   As mentioned earlier, our example sentence has used a regular verb 'to play'. With the regular verbs we simply add '-ed'. This spelling pattern changes for words that end with a consonant and a Y: 'cry' goes to 'cried', 'try' to 'tried'. Another spelling pattern we have to be aware of is our consonant plus vowel plus consonant. In these instances, we double the consonant used: 'shop' needs the double P; 'ship' needs the double P. With these spelling patterns, and most spelling patterns in general for the English language, there are always exceptions to the rules. So we have to be aware of those exceptions. We also have to impart those exceptions on to our students. We can do so through various...  [Read more]

Thu, 09 Jul 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Teaching Grammar Through Student-Centered Games As a new teacher, grammar was initially very difficult for me to teach. It was difficult to demonstrate grammar patterns succinctly. Luckily, the school that I work for has provided help by having an established curriculum. The key to teaching grammar, however, has been teaching variable inputs in otherwise unchanging structures as part of student-centered games. Table of Contents Strategies on how to teach positive patterns How to teach negative patterns? Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Stephen W. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of...  [Read more]

English Grammar Overview - Parts of Speech - Verb Tenses   It also helps us form our tenses. Many of the tenses will use these auxiliary verbs; particularly we have our continuous tense and our perfect tense. There are additional tenses that use auxiliary verbs. We'll get into that when we talk about our individual tenses. Another important aspect of our verbs is that they generally tell us what tense the sentence has been formed in. Take for instance the verb "to live." We could use it as live, lives, living or lived. "I live" or "she lives in Bangkok," meaning the present. "I am living in Bangkok," still the present or "I lived in Bangkok," meaning the past. Another difference with our verbs has to do with whether or not the verb is regular or irregular. With the regular verbs,...  [Read more]

English Grammar -- Present Perfect -- Structure 2 --   This ITTT video is the second part of a lesson looking at the structure of the Present Perfect tense. It reviews an example of the structure with a regular verb -- played. I/you/we/they have played. She/He/It has played. The video then examines some of the spelling patterns that are used with irregular verbs. For example, verbs ending with a consonant + y. cry changes to cried, try changes to tried. Another spelling pattern with irregular verbs ending with a consonant + a vowel + a consonant Shop changes to shopped, ship changes to shipped. When teaching this particular point, as with other grammar points, it is important to explain to students that there are exceptions to most rules in the English language. Where specific...  [Read more]

Mon, 24 May 2021 Anna Domiczek Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas The Importance of Stories in Teaching English to Young Learners In the education world, the potential and value of using stories and storytelling techniques have always been known and recognized, especially in the context of teaching younger students. Recently, more and more EFL teachers of young learners are integrating carefully selected children's literature stories to teach English. Children's literature is such a significant part of English language literature - using it for teaching English can be a very motivating tool for young learners. Table of Contents Why Use Stories in Teaching English? Advantages of Stories in Teaching English to Young Learners Research proven benefits: Predictable Patterns and Enhanced...  [Read more]

Pronunciation and Phonology in the EFL Classroom - "Oh" Sound   Here we have a set of five words, which all share one sound: the ?oh? sound, as in ?go?, ?show?, ?dough?, ?note? and ?boat?. They?re five different spelling patterns to tell our students so they can identify when to make the ?oh? sound. We can have a simple letter ?o?, ?ow?, ?ough?, ?o? with the magic ?e? which turns our vowel into what we knew as long sounds and the ?oa? as in ?boat?. Now, for a non-native learner, perhaps they can handle something like this. They remember that these spelling combinations help to produce the ?oh? sound and they can go about their business looking at the words and memorizing this knowing that these spelling patterns will produce the sound ?oh?. Now that?s okay until we get to a...  [Read more]

Wed, 19 Aug 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas How to Learn English Grammar In today's world learning English is no longer a possibility, but an essential part of being a world citizen. However, we must face the fact- for some people- to learn English grammar is not so easy and fun, they hate grammar and even think it is the most boring part of learning a new language. On the other hand, others are extremely interested in learning grammar rules and practice it as much as they can. Table of Contents There are Eight Practical Steps to Learn Grammar Easily. Learn as many words as you can Talk to people Watch, Listen and Learn Ask for Correction Know the parts of speech Look for patterns Practice verb forms Use Technology in your favor Do you want to teach English abroad or online?...  [Read more]

Overview of All English Tenses - Present Tenses - Present Simple Form   We'll begin our examination of all the tenses by first looking at the present tense. There are four present tenses and we'll begin with the present simple tense. It's the most common tense in the English language as it talks about things in general, general facts, routines, habits. Those are usages that we'll look at in a little while but first let's focus on the form of the tense. Here, we've got our subjects 'I', 'you', 'we', 'they' and the base form of the verb followed by the rest of our sentence. Here for the 'he', 'she' and 'it' subjects, we have to conjugate our verb and in this case we've added an '-es' for 'teaches' followed by the rest of our sentence. With subjects 'I', 'you', 'we' and 'they' the...  [Read more]

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Wed, 06 Nov 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas How to Use Songs to Teach English to Young Children Songs are used as a pedagogical tool for many reasons, especially with young children. This approach to teaching can empower young students and it recognizes differing abilities and skills. Activities are designed to support the goals of the curriculum and will accommodate multiple learning styles. Songs are universal and used all over the world to teach cultural information and they play an important role in a young child's learning and development. The use of songs is a teaching method that helps students comprehend the information taught. Songs encourage fluency, vocabulary, structures, patterns as well as speaking skills. Table of Contents Reasons to Use Songs Understanding...  [Read more]

Wed, 03 Apr 2019 Jon ITTT Alumni Experiences 4 Reasons Why Using Songs in the Classroom is Important We all probably know, that music has no language. It is kindly welcomed by all nations equally, as well as all races, ages and cultures. So how can music or songs help us to teach English and to do it more effectively? Table of Contents Music aids memory Songs can teach vocabulary Music provides clear patterns to follow Using songs and music build rapport Do you want to teach English around the world? Related Articles: Listen to this blog post: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Alena A. Music aids memory Music lets us go deeper into conscious that anything else, it is much more memorable, so the words and grammar structures may be remembered much faster. It...  [Read more]

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Wed, 08 May 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Why Grammar Shouldn't Be Scary for Both Students and Teachers? The word 'grammar' is often feared by students and teachers alike. It has an image of being difficult to comprehend and hard to teach. However, with planning and a positive approach to the lesson, it can be a fun and interesting way to improve English skills. Also, students can often feel a true sense of accomplishment by being able to use the vocabulary and sentences structures that they have learned. Table of Contents Similar patterns Choice of activities The language level Consistent revision Jokes work best Master your grammar teaching skill with a TEFL course! Related Articles: Listen to this blog post: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate...  [Read more]

Overview of All English Tenses - Present Tenses - Present Simple Negatives and Questions   For statements in the negative form, what we have to do is add the auxiliary verb 'to do'. For subjects 'I', 'you', 'we' and 'they', we simply leave 'do' as 'do', use the word 'not', and keep the base form of the verb now for the negative statements. However, for 'he', 'she' and 'it', we have to conjugate our auxiliary verb into 'does'. We still use 'not' and we still keep the base form of the verb. The pattern performing questions is very very similar to the pattern performing negative statements. However, what we've done is invert our subject and our auxiliary verb so that the questions read the auxiliary verb first. Of course, again, we use 'do' for 'I', 'you', 'we' and 'they' and use...  [Read more]

Fri, 22 Nov 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Drilling as an Effective Learning Technique in the ESL Classroom The word 'drilling' in education refers to a teaching technique in which the teacher creates a certain pattern or structure to be practiced repeatedly by the students, for them to ultimately develop a system where they may identify and use the pattern or structure independently. Drilling as a technique has been put to use in teaching almost all subjects, but its efficacy has been particularly acknowledged in the field of language teaching, for training students in both pronunciation as well as grammar. However, just as it has been lauded for being a foolproof system of making students 'practice' a language, drilling has also been criticized for being a mechanical and...  [Read more]

Provider Diploma TEFL Check out tefl tesol about Provider Diploma TEFL and apply today to be certified to teach English abroad. You could also be interested in: This is how our TEFL graduates feel they have gained from their course, and how they plan to put into action what they learned: Check out ITTT's Blog Posts G. B- Japan said: Multiple IntelligencesIt is well known in the teaching world that there are many types of learners with skills and strengths in a variety of ways of learning. The Multiple Intelligences (MI) Theory, originally developed in 1983 by Howard Gardner, suggests that there is a set of typical profiles which describe the different types of intelligences that all individuals have. Originally, he named seven types and by 1999, he had added two more. Multiple...  [Read more]

Mon, 30 Jul 2018 Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas 7 Activities for Teaching Conditionals in the ESL Classroom One of the great things about teaching conditionals is that once you discover some classroom activities that work well for one, they can be adapted to suit any of the conditional patterns that you may be asked to teach. Here are 7 fun activities for teaching conditionals for the ESL classroom that you can easily adapt to help your students understand the correct structures and usages. Table of Contents Listen to this blog post: 1. Pass the Pig 2. Chain Conditionals 3. Pelmanism ("Concentration") 4. Mill Drill Questionnaire 5. Group Discussions 6. Board Game With Prompts 7. Using Songs Are you ready to teach English abroad? Related Articles: Check out what our course grads say...  [Read more]

English Grammar -- Present Perfect -- Structure -- TESOL   This video is the first of two that looks at the structure of the Present Perfect tense. Positive: subject +auxiliary verb have/has + past participle I have played. / She has played. Negative: subject + auxiliary verb have/has + not + past participle I have not played. / She has not played. Question: auxiliary verb have/has + subject + past participle Have I played? / Has she played? This verb tense requires the use of the past participle. With regular verbs the past participle is the verb plus ed, for example work - worked. However there are many irregular verbs that do not follow this pattern and have to be learnt from memory. For example, eat- eaten, drink-drunk, teach-taught. Most good grammar books will provide you with...  [Read more]

Overview of All English Tenses - Present Tenses - Present Perfect Continuous - Overview   And now we'll have a look at the present perfect continuous tense. As its name suggests, what we're going to do is combine the present continuous usages and the present perfect usages into a tense that basically expresses the fact that we've got an action continuing up until the present point in time. For the form of this tense, again, we're going to combine into various aspects of both the perfect and the continuous tenses. If we have a look we always begin with our subjects, then we have our, two now, helping verbs. The helping verb 'to have' for the perfect tenses, as well as the helping verb 'be' for the continuous tenses. For our subjects 'I', 'you', 'we' and 'they', we leave 'have' as...  [Read more]

Wed, 10 Apr 2019 Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences The all-you-need to you know guide to Lesson Planning Lesson planning is vital to ensure a smooth lesson. If you are new to teaching English as a foreign language, lesson planning might seem daunting at first. However, after reading through this comprehensive guide, you should already feel a lot more confident! Table of Contents 1. What is a lesson plan? 2. Why is a lesson plan so important? 3.The Principles of Lesson Planning 4. The Components of a Lesson Plan 5. Identifying and Selecting Aims /Objectives 6. Steps for Writing a Lesson Plan-2W3P Teaching Procedure. Are you ready to teach English Abroad? Related Articles: Listen to this blog post This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Betty S. 1. What is a lesson...  [Read more]

Thu, 09 May 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Is Grammar Still Important in Spoken English? According to the Collins online dictionary, grammar is defined as "the ways that words can be put together in order to make sentences." The Oxford learner's dictionary defines grammar as "a person's knowledge and use of a language". If those two definitions were to be combined we could define grammar as the way we utilize the language knowledge we possess for the purpose of communication. In keeping with this definition then, it can be said that in order to communicate effectively, grammar is essential. Table of Contents A new approach to study No grammar is needed to communicate Common mistakes Master your grammar teaching skills by taking a TEFL course today! Related Articles:...  [Read more]

Pronunciation and phonology in the EFL Classroom - Intonation   Whereas stress is typically concerned with one individual word, intonation is generally concerned with the variation in volume and pitch throughout an entire sentence. Intonation carries the message of a sentence. It's particularly important when questioning or agreeing, disagreeing and confirming statements. It's also very important when expressing emotions and feelings. The normal pattern for intonation is the rise-fall. Few examples would be ?I haven't seen him for a week,? or a simple word as ?okay?. With the falling intonation, we?re indicating that we're finished speaking. Again, ?I haven't seen him for a week? and ?okay?. A few more examples would be ?I'll see you at six then,? or a question of information ?How...  [Read more]

College Best TEFL Check out tefl tesol about College Best TEFL and apply today to be certified to teach English abroad. You could also be interested in: This is how our TEFL graduates feel they have gained from their course, and how they plan to put into action what they learned: Check out ITTT's Blog Posts A.O. - U.S.A. said: Problems facing different nationalitiesSpeakers of other languages have various difficulties learning English that differ based on their native language. The more different the native language is from English, the more likely there will be various difficulties. Speakers of korean, a non-European language completely different from English, have their own unique set of challenges when learning English as a second language. As the two languages have no similar...  [Read more]

Wed, 11 Mar 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Solving Common Problems Encountered by Lao Students of English As an EFL teacher in Vientiane, Laos, I have seen that Lao speakers have unique challenges with learning English. Some of these challenges are due to linguistic differences between Lao and English, while others are due to cultural differences between Laos and the Western countries where English is spoken. In this paper, I reflect on how I can help my Lao students overcome their particular issues with pronunciation, intonation, and stress. Table of Contents Difficult Sounds How to Work on Them? Intonation Challenge Possible Exercises Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate...  [Read more]

Thu, 21 Nov 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Common Problems for English Learners in Nigeria Although the English language has been the official language in Nigeria for decades, there are a good number of challenges that learners of English language continuously encounter. These problems are not only peculiar to learners but may also be existent in so-called fluent speakers. One of the most basic problems is mother tongue interference. Table of Contents 1. Mother Tongue Interference 2. Phonological Interference 3. Code-switching and code-mixing 4. Other problems learners in Nigeria encounter include: Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Awazie T. Please note that this blog post...  [Read more]

Teach English in Germany (4) Date posted:2012-11-21 | Writer: LearnShip Networks GmbH | Email: [email protected] 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.   Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! Check out ITTT's Blog Posts 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 unit is about the all of the futures existing in English. I had not used them all in the past, and I now...  [Read more]

Tue, 16 Jun 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Classroom Management Strategies to Control Student Behavior The range of roles EFL teachers plays to ensure that learning takes place is undoubtedly wide. Among these, we may see teachers as planners, deciding which aspects of the subject to teach and how to do it; as facilitators, providing learners with strategies to guide them in the quest for knowledge; and as managers, establishing the patterns of interaction among students and making sure they focus their attention on the lesson and engage in the proposed tasks. Considering these roles, I think the latter seems to be the hardest one to perform since it involves managing people's attitude and behavior, which means establishing and maintaining discipline in such a way that it...  [Read more]

What should I teach English beginners? If you have never taught English to complete novices before, the prospect of spending an entire lesson speaking with students who don't comprehend a single word you say may seem frightening. Teaching absolute beginners differs from teaching other courses, as any ESL teacher will tell you. It can be difficult, but it may also be one of the most enjoyable and gratifying language levels to teach. Every new word your students learn is important at this level, and the greatest approach to teaching it is to be as creative and funny as possible. How do I start teaching English to total beginners? Generally, teaching the letters and numbers should be one of your first priorities. You will lay a solid foundation for everything else your students will learn by...  [Read more]

What should I teach English beginners? When teaching English to absolute beginners, it is pivotal to start with foundational elements. Begin with essential vocabulary - items like family names, household objects, basic adjectives, and common places. Introduce them to subject pronouns, commonly used verbs, and foundational sentence structures. While the challenge is real, many English teachers find this level especially rewarding. Remember, every word they grasp is a significant achievement, so using engaging and interactive methods can make the learning process enjoyable and effective. Table of Contents How do I start teaching English to total beginners? How do I teach English pronunciation to total beginners? How do I quickly build vocabulary for complete beginner students of English?...  [Read more]