Present simple | Present Continuous | Present perfect simple | Present perfect continuous | Past simple | Past continuous |
Past perfect | Past perfect continuous | The future with 'going to' | The future with 'will' | Future continuous | Future perfect |
Future perfect continuous |
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| What is grammar? |
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If you encounter a TEFL training course (or even a TEFL teacher) that tells you grammar isn't important, run! Some say that students pick up language naturally and teaching grammar just over complicates things. Well, imagine repairing your car and not knowing what the sparkplugs are for. They look the same, but there are so many of them, they could each have different functions. If you know from the outset that they are sparkplugs and all function in the same way, you won’t waste your time observing a car mechanic manage each sparkplug individually. |
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It’s the same with grammar. Grammar underpins a student’s knowledge. Recognizing that certain bits of language work in a certain way, a student acquires rules that can (probably - although it's not always the case!) be used with other bits of language. |
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Grammar is though one thing that causes trainees on TEFL training courses no end of sleepless nights. Grammar (or structure) can be daunting if you have never really thought about it before. You could read up on grammar before your start your teacher training course or you could look at our handy guide to some of the key areas you are likely to encounter. |
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Let's look at some of the basics before we start out. Have a look at the table below for some basic understanding about verbs. |
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V1 (Infinitive) |
V2 |
V3 (Past participle) |
be |
was/were |
been |
have |
had |
had |
do |
did |
done |
go |
went |
gone |
play |
played |
played |
study |
studied |
studied |
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- The first three verbs in the list above can also be called auxiliary or helping verbs. They help us to construct the tenses e.g. verb to be + verb-ing or to form questions or negatives (Did you brush your teeth? or I didn't was the dishes.).
- We can divide verbs into two categories: regular and irregular verbs. Regular verbs add -ed to V1 (as in play and study above). Irregular verbs don't add -ed (as in be, have, do and go above).
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| You'll see the word 'subject' mentioned in most of the structure examples below. Just so we understand what is meant here, let's have a look at the 'subjects' and how they affect verbs. |
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Subject |
to be |
to have |
to do |
to play |
I |
am |
have |
do |
play |
You |
are |
have |
do |
play |
He |
is |
has |
does |
plays |
She |
is |
has |
does |
plays |
It |
is |
has |
does |
plays |
We |
are |
have |
do |
play |
You (plural) |
are |
have |
do |
play |
They |
are |
have |
do |
play |
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Present |
Present simple |
Sounds easy – present simple. Most people will assume that we are talking about the present here but let’s have a look at some examples and think about exactly what we are using the present simple tense for. |
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A) The sun rises in the east. /
Klaus comes from Denmark. |
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These sentences describe either an unchangeable fact or a general truth. |
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| B) I get up at 6 o’clock every morning./ I drink coffee with my breakfast. |
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Here we are talking about things we do all the time or habitual actions. |
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| C) I belong to five different clubs. / I like cheese. |
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In these examples we are talking about present states rather than present actions (we don’t say ‘I am belonging to five different clubs’). |
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