At my monthly YouTube livestream, I didn’t anticipate the little “trap” I had set for myself. Of course, I had proofread my exercises before I went live, but I didn’t bat an eye until I was actually working my way through simple sentences that I wanted to combine with the help of a relative clause….
Sunset, Sunrise, and Fatherhood
The sun is setting on another season. Goodbye, spring. Hello, summer. May has been full of positive news stories within my Patreon group, and I’m eager to see what the students will vote to focus on next. Here are some topics and tasks that other teachers could repurpose: – Two 81-year-old best friends are traveling…
However Did We Manage?
However did I go so long without teaching the combination of wh- words with -ever? Words like whatever and whichever aren’t always included in textbooks, and I haven’t been asked about them much. I’ve likely explained them in passing, for example, when a learner sees them in context and asks for clarification. Well, I took…
Fleeing the Weight of Wordiness
A number of my advanced students have been working on reducing wordiness. This is a skill every writer should hone. How do we balance the desire to articulate our ideas intelligently with the need to be clear and concise? Sometimes we may consider using weightier structures to avoid repetition of simpler ones. Other times, we…
Student Stumper 57: “There are too many cars on the road” or “There are too many cars on the roads”?
QUESTION: Which sentence is correct, “There are too many cars on the road” or “There are too many cars on the roads”? ANSWER: I prefer the first, but both could be correct. This question was addressed during a recent livestream, and I initially found it challenging to articulate a clear answer. I was able to…
Another Look at Reported Speech
A single look at reported speech is usually not enough for the patterns to stick. Exposure to the grammar in context helps, but then confusion can arise because of the differences between prescriptive and descriptive grammar. Do all American English speakers make the effort to backshift the verbs even if it’s not immediate reporting? No….
Creating Memorable Moments in May
Another week will fly by, and we’ll be at the start of May. Are you ready? Let me offer a few ideas you can bring into the classroom. Cinco de Mayo is the first holiday listed on my calendar for the month of May. ReadWorks.org has a short article at the second grade level (212…
Nailing the Numbers
Reading and writing numbers can pose certain challenges. Exposure and review help. Why not make the exercise more interesting with engaging facts? Check out this collection of speaking and writing tasks that review fractions, percentages, decimals, and more. Any of the statistics could turn into a jumping off point for more discussion. Choose the format…
Don’t Avoid Contractions
I’ve had more than one student read the full form of a verb (they have) despite a text using the contraction (they’ve). Have you? Even advanced students have done this, and I think one reason is the ease of saying the full form, especially when the short form requires reduction or a glottal stop (e.g.,…
Feeling the Rhythm: Mastering Word Stress
Most of us have never likely sat at a drum set, so we’d be a bit lost if we were handed a set of drumsticks and told to play. However, drummers slip into that seat like a professional driver slides into racecar. So much of what those people do comes down to feeling — feeling…
Relaxing into April
The harsh winter is over, and warm weather is on it way. Many of us have endured the awful “spring forward” event that made us lose an hour, but now more sunlight is filling our days. There are plenty of reasons to smile as we welcome a new month. April 1 always pops up quickly,…
Pairing Pronunciation with Sleep Habits
I’ve talked about sleep habits with many students over the years. It’s a topic everyone is familiar with, and the conversation naturally flows from our own patterns and observations. The conversation can take a humorous tone as we admit unhealthy practices or efforts to break bad habits. Eventually, someone comes forward as an “expert” and…
English with Jennifer 