This series covers three basic grammar points that every English learner should know, and ones that may be tricky for learners to consistently use properly. These rules-of-thumb are ideal at lower levels, but the concepts also lay the groundwork for more advanced topics.
Present simple verbs need an ‘s’ added to the end when the subject is 3rd-person singular. (It’s common for students at lower levels to leave off the ‘s’ where it’s needed or to add the ‘s’ where it doesn’t belong.) Plural nouns also need an ‘s’ at the end. The two ‘s’ criteria shouldn’t be a source of confusion, but rather they can work together to help students figure out how to use them correctly. Between any 3rd-person subject and its verb, there should be only one ‘s’. This is easier if the ‘s’ stands out, so make the ‘s’ red.
Slideshow
Poster of the One Red 'S' Rule
Bonus Notes
Yes/No Questions use, for the most part, the same words as
declarative sentences do. The method featured here is the reordering of words from a statement to turn the sentence into a question. These questions are often accompanied by short, typically 3-word, answers, the 1st word of which is either ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. The key to both Yes/No Questions and Short Answers is the helping verbs, so make sure students can identify them and know the different forms of each.
Bonus Notes
Overview of Helping Verbs
Slideshow
The Past Basic is the element that makes a tense past, as opposed to present. In fact, the method starts with present sentences and transforms them into past ones. These may be progressive/continuous or not, and they may be perfect or not, as the 1 Blue Word rule is relative to all past tenses. For elementary students, the focus should remain on turning Present Simple into Past Simple.
Slideshow
Irregular Verbs for Elementary Students
Bonus Notes
Some pronouns can be tricky, like figuring out the difference between a possessive form an a contraction. This video focuses on your/you’re, its/it’s, their/they’re, and whose/who’s. Since pronouns are so ubiquitous in English, it’s important to know which word to use at the right time for each of these pairs.
This video goes into a key way of recognizing the difference.
Bonus Notes
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