Effective ways of teaching grammar at secondary school

Classification of exercises for the assimilation of grammar

Recognition exercises

Recognition exercises are the easiest type of exercises for pupils to perform. They observe grammar item in structures (sentence patterns) when hearing or reading. Since pupils only observe the new grammar item the situations should be natural and communicative. [18, pp. 82]The following types of exercises may be suggested.

For example:

– Listen to the sentences and clap whenever you hear the verbs in the Past Simple Tense.

Mike lives in Pushkin Street. I lived there last year. Ann gets up at 7 o’clock in the morning.

She got up at half past seven yesterday, etc.

It is desirable that sentences formed should concern real situations and facts. Pupils listen to the teacher and claps when they hear a verb in the Past Simple. The teacher can see whether each of his pupils has grasped the sentence.

– Read the sentences and choose the correct form of the verb. The following sentences

may be suggested:

a. I (go, went) to school yesterday.

b. Tom (takes, took) a bus when he goes to school.

c. She (got, gets, gets) up at 7 o’ clock every day.

Pupils should read the sentences and find the signals for the correct choice of the form. Since the necessary form is suggested in each sentence they should only recognize the one they need for a given context.

Recognition exercises are indispensable as pupils retain the grammar material through

auditory and visual perception. Auditory and visual memory is at work [18, pp. 85].