Comments on: How to avoid errors with adverbs #1 http://englishonthe.net/2009/06/19/how-to-avoid-errors-with-adverbs-1/ Language training your way Wed, 25 Apr 2012 11:31:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: TuSpanish http://englishonthe.net/2009/06/19/how-to-avoid-errors-with-adverbs-1/comment-page-1/#comment-230 TuSpanish Sun, 21 Jun 2009 10:18:03 +0000 http://englishonthe.net/?p=625#comment-230 Great post and looking forward to the next ones! I think that grammar is necessary but I personally prefer to learn it through listening to the language and then see if it sounds "natural" or "right". For example: She speaks very well English --> doesn't sound natural so my first approach was to change it to: She speaks very GOOD English, of course you can change the order of the adverb and say: She speaks English very well, which also sounds natural. Dave. Great post and looking forward to the next ones! I think that grammar is necessary but I personally prefer to learn it through listening to the language and then see if it sounds “natural” or “right”.

For example:

She speaks very well English –> doesn’t sound natural so my first approach was to change it to:

She speaks very GOOD English, of course you can change the order of the adverb and say:

She speaks English very well, which also sounds natural.

Dave.

]]> By: Simon http://englishonthe.net/2009/06/19/how-to-avoid-errors-with-adverbs-1/comment-page-1/#comment-226 Simon Fri, 19 Jun 2009 10:48:25 +0000 http://englishonthe.net/?p=625#comment-226 Alex your comment will definitely encourage me to write more grammar posts if I get such great suggestions in the comments! Several of these ideas are new to me and I'm looking forward to trying them out. I think you're absolutely right that it's in using adverbs that students get the hang of them. The explanations are possibly more helpful for teachers than learners - if nothing else than to help us avoid communicating "rules" that are really oversimplifications. Alex your comment will definitely encourage me to write more grammar posts if I get such great suggestions in the comments! Several of these ideas are new to me and I’m looking forward to trying them out.

I think you’re absolutely right that it’s in using adverbs that students get the hang of them. The explanations are possibly more helpful for teachers than learners – if nothing else than to help us avoid communicating “rules” that are really oversimplifications.

]]> By: Alex Case http://englishonthe.net/2009/06/19/how-to-avoid-errors-with-adverbs-1/comment-page-1/#comment-225 Alex Case Fri, 19 Jun 2009 10:24:35 +0000 http://englishonthe.net/?p=625#comment-225 This is a very clear and compact explanation, but it's still going to be one of those things that takes students years to cope with properly. As much as a good explanation, I think it's important to give them tips on how to actually learn them. Possible methods: - On their vocabulary list, write a sentence they have made a mistake with or other example sentence with the adverb taken out and try to remember where it goes each time - Try to replace an adverb in a sentence with as many other ones as they can - In class, play the sentence extension game, where teams take turns trying to make a sentence longer and longer - In class, dominoes with sentences that have been split near the adverb - Similar but more boring match the sentence halves activities - Sentences with blanks where the adverb would be that they fill to make it true for themselves, then their classmates guess their adverb from the grammar and their knowledge of that person That's all that springs to mind at the mo' This is a very clear and compact explanation, but it’s still going to be one of those things that takes students years to cope with properly. As much as a good explanation, I think it’s important to give them tips on how to actually learn them. Possible methods:
- On their vocabulary list, write a sentence they have made a mistake with or other example sentence with the adverb taken out and try to remember where it goes each time
- Try to replace an adverb in a sentence with as many other ones as they can
- In class, play the sentence extension game, where teams take turns trying to make a sentence longer and longer
- In class, dominoes with sentences that have been split near the adverb
- Similar but more boring match the sentence halves activities
- Sentences with blanks where the adverb would be that they fill to make it true for themselves, then their classmates guess their adverb from the grammar and their knowledge of that person

That’s all that springs to mind at the mo’

]]> By: Simon http://englishonthe.net/2009/06/19/how-to-avoid-errors-with-adverbs-1/comment-page-1/#comment-224 Simon Fri, 19 Jun 2009 07:55:28 +0000 http://englishonthe.net/?p=625#comment-224 Thanks for the feedback Kenny. A number of my students struggle with adverbs and grammar books are often unnecessarily complicated. I am still looking for the best way to teach adverbs simply - these posts contain some of the ideas I have used. Thanks for the feedback Kenny. A number of my students struggle with adverbs and grammar books are often unnecessarily complicated. I am still looking for the best way to teach adverbs simply – these posts contain some of the ideas I have used.

]]> By: Kenny http://englishonthe.net/2009/06/19/how-to-avoid-errors-with-adverbs-1/comment-page-1/#comment-222 Kenny Fri, 19 Jun 2009 07:39:40 +0000 http://englishonthe.net/?p=625#comment-222 A nice short easy to understand explanation. I look forward to #2 and those that follow. A nice short easy to understand explanation. I look forward to #2 and those that follow.

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