Teaching grammar
Make grammar choices serve the message.
A useful teaching sequence
- Start with a meaningful subject sentence and a contrast in meaning.
- Notice the form, identify its purpose and test it against a concrete case.
- Practise a new sentence where the choice changes what the reader understands.
- Use a fresh context to check whether the learner can select and explain the form independently.
Statement
Not all materials conduct electricity.
Meaning
Some materials do not conduct electricity.
Different claim
No materials conduct electricity.
Try it in the next lesson
Compare two sentences whose form changes scope, time or certainty. Ask learners to demonstrate the difference through a case before naming the grammar pattern.
Notice and respond to a common difficulty
The sentence is grammatically fluent but expresses the wrong relationship. Address the meaning first; then practise the form that carries it correctly.
Language support and independent evidence
Use a small word bank, a brief model, visual support and rehearsal where needed. Learners can demonstrate subject knowledge through a home language or another mode. Review fresh task evidence in this skill before adjusting a proficiency judgment.
Choose age-appropriate language support →