The verb

CONTENT
ITRODUCTION
CHAPTER 1 THE VERB IN MODERN ENGLISH
1.1 General characteristics of the Verb
1.2 Classification of the Verbs
CHAPTER 2 TEACHING ENGLISH GRAMMAR
2.1 The role of Grammar in teaching a foreign language
2.2 Communicative games for the development of grammar competence
CONCLUSION
BIBLIOGRAPHY

The verb

Forming and mastering operations with grammar material, i.e. grammar skills, is the most important and difficult aspect of teaching a foreign language and as the latter is the aim of teaching grammar in the elementary level.
Grammar skills are automated operations performed with grammar material while producing speech when perception is directed to the sense of a phrase.
Grammar skills are formed on the base of analogy as a result of frequent repetitions with selected speech patterns. Practice exercises are based on the substitution of trained elements into the given model. In foreign languages substitution causes changing in the form of the words, that’s why just analogical; substitution is not enough. You need to know many rules according to which you can use substitution. Rules are necessary in substitution not to mix word forms in order to keep the sense.
The difficulty in solving problems of using grammar in teaching a foreign language, in Ivleva’s opinion, is the content of teaching foreign language correlation with its final purpose, i.e. the exposure of abstract and generalized material correlation systemized language material which is presented by grammar with skills in different kinds of speech activity mastering of which is practical communicative aim of teaching a foreign language.1
Grammar is language material that impartially exists in language. Bat grammar is not studied for its sake. Nowadays grammar is studied for communication in different kinds of speech activity.
The role of grammar is very significant. Mastering grammar contributes to the development of analytical abilities and advances skills in classification language phenomena on the base of their features, works out attention to the differentiation of these phenomena, i.e. development of pupils skills in formal logic.
A lot of experienced textbook and methodology manuals writers have argued that games are not just time-filling activities but they have a great educational value. We hold that most grammar games make learners use the language instead of thinking about learning the correct forms.
The grammar games should be treated as central, not peripherical to the foreign language teaching programme. Games, as Richard Amato thinks, are to be fun, but he warns against overlooking their pedagogical value, particularly in foreign language teaching programmes. There are many advantages of using games in grammar.
1. Games can lower anxiety, thus making the acquisition of input more likely.
2. Games are highly motivating and entertaining, and they can give shy students more opportunities to express their opinions and feelings.
3. They also enable learners to acquire new experience within the foreign language that are not always possible during a typical lesson.
4. Games add diversion to the regular classroom activities, break the ice and introduce the new ideas.
5. In the easy, relaxed atmosphere which is created by using games the students remember things faster and better.
6. Grammar games are a good way of practicing the language, for they provide a model of what learners will use the language for in real life in future.
7. Grammar games encourage, entertain, teach, and promote fluency.
If not for any of these reasons they should be used just because they help students to see beauty in a foreign language and not just problems, and this is the main reason to use games when studying English grammar.
2.2 Communicative games for the development of grammar competence
Native and foreign psychologists states that game is an optimal form of studying a foreign language. A game forms adequate attitude to life and presents a mean of stirring processes of attention, thinking and memorization up.
A game is a certain type of activity with aims, rules and elements of entertaining.
There are two main types of games:
1. Competing games are games in which players compete with each other or a team to be the first achieve the aim.
2. Co-operative games are games in which players and teams go together to the common goal.
Competing games are kind of co-operative games as competing elements of games where the stress is made to the quickness of performance prevent correct using of language.
Co-operative games should be distinguished from linguistic games the main goal of which is not solving a linguistic task but in organizing a spontaneous speech.
The successful conclusion of a communicative game is in performing the certain task – marking the route on the map, filling in the chart, diagram or finding two coinciding pictures, but not the correct forming of a sentence and correct using of a language.
The stress in a communicative game is made on successful communication but not on the grammatically correct speech. A communicative game should be used in comparatively advanced level of studying or using practiced language material.
Different techniques are in the base of communicative games, such as filling in the gaps, guessing, searching, selecting of the pair word, exchanging of the words, combinations, gathering of the information and so on.
In communicative games there is pair or group work is used, all the participants of the game should have the possibility to move around the room. The role of a teacher in this game is monitoring, he should move from one group to the other to listen to pupils, providing them with the information i.e. to help with the language, to notice mistakes but not to correct them and not to interrupt pupils.
Communicative games to develop grammar skills are performed in pairs or small groups where al members of the group have the certain information. Let us give the example of such games.
Searching games: every member of the group has his own part of in formation necessary to fill in the chart or to solve some problem. The main task is to reveal all the information. In that way every player is the informatory and the collector of the information at the same time. Terms of the game: to fill in the chart using the given Tenses of the verb.
For example, children are given the chart where there is some information about the Smiths. In one column there are dates of the events, in the second column there are some events which happened in the life of Smith family. The task is: to compose sentences i.e. to fill in the chart with verbs in the correct tenses and organize the events in the correct order. The game can be played teams, class and the individual players as well.
№
events
Time
Correct sentences
1
To have many friends
Today
When Mr. Smith was a schoolboy had many friends.
2
To take only some minutes to get to the work
After graduating the university
After graduating the university he met his future wife at his friends.
3
To drive a bicycle / To buy a car
Now
Mr. Smith went to his office on foot.
4
To meet his future wife at his friends
For 10 years
They have been married for 10 years.
5
To go to his office on foot
When Mr. Smith was a schoolboy
Some years ago he drove a bicycle but then they bought a car.
6
Not to work
When Mrs. Smith was a schoolgirl
Today Mr. Smith does not work.
7
To watch TV
When they bought a car
He is watching TV now.
8
To be married
Some years ago
When they bought a car it took him only some minutes to get to the work
Fig.1 – Sample sentences.
Games to select the pair word. These are games involving all the participants of the group to select similar pairs of pictures, words and so on. These games may be performed by the whole class and every player should go around the class until he founds the partner with the needed picture, word and so on. Condition of the game: to form interrogative sentences with verbs in the Indefinite.
For example, children are given the list of verbs and the task is to choose the verbs connected with each other, it may be irregular verbs or verbs with prefixes or suffixes or may be synonyms.
1
occupy
occupy – dance (reg.v.)
2
rewrite
perform – make (syn.)
3
sing
sing – meet (ir.v.)
4
meet
rewrite – undo (pref.)
5
make
6
dance
7
perform
8
undo
Fig.2 – Sample verbs.
Games to correspondence. These games are based on the patchwork principle where each player has the list of opinions or preferences. Only one of them is the preference of all the members in the group. Using the discussion the group defines what is the most preferable in the given situation. Condition of the game: to form complex or compound sentences with verbs in the Indefinite and the Continuous.
For example, children can be given the following preferences:
Apple, coffee, green, vegetables;
Pineapple, meat, tea, yellow;
Watermelon, fish, black, juice.
The task is – to distinguish what preference is suitable for all members of the group. The pupils should discuss the preferences and keep to the condition of the game - to form complex or compound sentences with verbs in the Indefinite and the Continuous.
Yet another version of Bingo! This one can be worked well with the middle school girl or boys students, though, and the content is very useful anytime and at any level. Students can always use practice with making sentences and subject verb agreement. It helps with both speaking and reading:
First, students should be aware of subject and verb and agreement. We can do a quick review by writing an example of a subject and a basic verb phrase "That girl/walk home" Then, teacher has students tell him this idea in sentence form in 3 different tenses. "That girl walks home. That girl is walking home. And - That girl walked home." Teacher also draws a quick chart to remind them of subject/verb agreement and how to change the verb depending on WHEN the sentence happens. (2 column/2 row chart: top labels are "subject" and "verb" -- under "subject" teacher writes "1" and under that "many" -- under "verb" teacher writes "many" and under that "1" -- to show S-V agreement)
After this quick review, the students have a simple clear example on the board. Then, teacher draws the bingo grid (4*4 or any size) and put a subject/basic verb phrase combo in each square. EX: "I/be tired," "My friend/eat ice cream," "The old women/catch the bus" (ten students can copy the grid or just use the board -- depending on time) Students have to make one sentence with the S-V sets in the squares -- they can choose what tense and use examples from the review as a guide. Then, just like any Bingo game, when they have made sentences with four (for 4*4) squares in a line, they yell "BINGO!" teacher checks the sentences to see if they have changed the verb correctly, and if correct, they get to go mark their line on the grid on the board. Once we have finished all bingo lines as a class, teacher gets them to try for blackout (if there's time).
This works well for classes because some of them are low-level. This exercise addresses a very important concept for learning and speaking English in a way that lower-level learners can participate, but higher-level students also get valuable English practice and reinforcement. It can also be adapted easily.
Selecting information games. The players have the certain things or cards that may be exchanged to collect their own set. It may be performed by the whole class where the players move free to exchange their things. Condition of the game: to use only verbs in the Continuous.
For example, children are given cards with separate subjects and one big picture. Pupils should ask each other whether they are having the needed part of picture to form the whole picture as a puzzle. They use interrogative and affirmative sentences in the Continuous.
One more example:
1. Break the class into two teams (especially interesting are games girls versus guys)
2. Hand out a sheet with sentences containing errors that you have taken from the students’ essays.
3. The teams have a set amount of time to identify as many errors as they can
4. The team that finds the most errors wins a prize (like candy)
This game works in the following way; have students identify and revise the examples; the group that has the most (and most effective) revisions wins. As a follow-up, have students identify and correct errors in a draft they are working on. This game could also work for style issues
Combined activity. The players should play the certain situation to unite into groups as in the pictures they have.
All these kinds of activities may include the elements of solving the problem, role game or imagination game.
A communicative grammar game contributes to intensive speech practice and creates language contact on base of which language is assimilated more meaningly and furthermore is a diagnostic tool for teacher as it was already said.
For example, this versatile activity is a great way to help students distinguish verb forms and their usage by visualizing. First, draw a scoring grid on the board similar to the one used on the Jeopardy game show, with categories across the top (Movies, Sports, etc.), and score amounts (100, 200, etc.) increasing from top to bottom below each category. The number of categories and score values can be determined by the teacher. Each score value represents a different verb + verb form. For example, 100 can be walk / simple present, with the highest score value being perfect tenses. The difficulty level can be adjusted depending on the level of the class.
Divide the class into teams. The team that goes first chooses a category and any score value, for example: Sports for 100. If the verb + verb form is run / simple present, the first team to come up with a correct sentence about sports using this verb and verb form earns the 100 points and the choice of the next category and score value. An acceptable sentence might be "The player runs to first base." For lower level students, the categories can be replaced with verbs themselves, with the score values representing verb forms only.
One more games.
Poker. Purpose: Introduction of verbs, or verb tenses.
Materials: Cards with verbs (Picture cards work best because they show the motion).
A list of the verb names depicted in the pictures for the students.
Preteaching: The verbs involved.
Game Play: A student chooses a card but does not look at it. The student holds the card to his/her forehead for all the other students to see. Other students must act out the verb. Holding student must guess which card is on his head.
Notes: The same cards can be used for game charades, where the drawing student acts out the verb and the others guess.
Eat your verbs. This can be done this with all of English classes and it has always proved to be a lot of fun for the students, it’s funny to watch, and they get a kick out of seeing each other act. Divide the class into 2 groups, have a list of verbs ready. The list can be changed with the level of English. For example, there can be used a list of irregular verbs. Each group then chooses one person to begin. Each group can be given a different verb and they have to proceed to act out the verb without speaking and their group has to guess in English what it is, then whoever guesses it correctly must go to the front of the room and write down the 3 forms of the irregular verb. The new person is given a verb and it starts all over again. It usually starts slow at first, but every time the students have gotten really into it and it starts going very quickly and almost runs itself! At the end all players are given points for every correctly spelled and formed verb and count off for the wrong ones. The winning group of course gets a prize.
Verb sentences. Make a large grid on the board (about 7x7). Put one verb in each box. Use different tenses for each of the verbs. The student has to use the verb in whatever form it is on the board (I skied, I am skiing, or I am going to ski). If they make a proper sentence then they can change the word into an x or an o. Then the other team goes for it. The object of the game is to get four in a row. The game takes strategy and good English. In my class we’ve already learned these tenses so this will be used as a fun review class. For higher-level student you can throw a question mark in the box with the verb, which means they must use the verb but make a question out of it (Did you ski yesterday?).
Verb races. Divide your class into teams of equal number (no more than 5-6 students per team as that is how many subject pronouns there are in English...depending if you are teaching 'you pl.' as a separate one). Each team sits in a row. The first student in each row is #1, the second #2, etc. Give all number ones a piece of paper. Then you pick a verb from the vocabulary that you are studying (eg. Eat) and all number ones write "I eat" and then pass the paper to the student behind them. The second students write "you eat" and pass the papers back. This continues until all subject pronouns and verb forms have been written. Then the last student passes the paper to the first student and the first student runs to the board to write all the answers on the board. The first team to get their answers on the board in the correct order and correctly conjugated ( I eat, you eat, he eats, we eat, they eat) gets a point. If you have several students in your class, you can expand the game by adding she and it as seperate entries. Then the students shift places, so 1 moves to spot 2, etc. and the last student in each row becomes student 1. Continue until each student in the row has had a chance to write on the board.
Role games help pupils to form and assign lexis and contributes to forming and using in speech skills of oral speech.
Role-playing is a technique in training or psychotherapy in which participants assume and act out roles so as to resolve conflicts, practice appropriate behavior for various situations, etc.
Roleplaying as a recreational activity is a translation of private fantasy activities such as daydreaming into social and game context that is structured and controlled by an agreed set of rules.
The historical roots of roleplaying lie in wargaming. In 1974, an American wargamer named Dave Arneson created a variation of his medieval fantasy wargame in which his players, rather than commanding armies of troops, took on the roles and personalities of individual fighters and magic users. From this experiment the hobby of roleplaying (and the game of Dungeons & Dragons) was born.
The earliest published roleplaying games were closely related to their war gaming antecedents, focusing on combat and strategy and ignoring the subtleties of characterization and drama. Dungeons & Dragons for example, the original roleplaying game, is also narrowest in its construction. It was designed as a strategy combat game, pitting good against evil, and not as a sociological simulation. The structural restraints of the rules system (which provided resolution systems only for combat-related activities) encouraged an ethos of male power-fame-virility fantasy, centring on values of masculine aggressiveness, confrontation and objectification. Plots usually consisted of “dungeon bashes”, fighting monsters to obtain loot. Not surprisingly, most players were teenage males, and few women participated.
Relaxation and entertainment - pure fun - are the reasons given by most gamers for their involvement in the hobby. While this is hardly surprising, even those who regard the hobby purely as a recreational activity recognize a psychological dimension to their gaming. Four themes emerged in the interviews concerning the value of roleplaying:
Roleplaying aids to increasing one’s sense of personal control and efficacy.