Grammar is making a comeback, and not only in modern languages. The Government’s insistence on an understanding of basic grammar is now seeping through from primary level as seven-year-olds are again being taught the meaning of a preposition.
Their understanding makes a language teacher’s job that much easier. Hopefully the constant repetition of “what’s a verb?” will eventually disappear down the corridors of time.
As the language teacher patiently waits and explains that a verb is “a doing word”, it remains our task to make grammar a more enticing.
“It’s boring,” whinges my bottom set, followed by: “Miss, what’s an infinitive?” for the 400th time.
Well, I’ve cracked that one. I get my class to draw a picture that will stick in their minds, so they can visualise the concept. I draw a “verb tree” on the board with the infinitive at the bottom - infinitives are the roots. These then grow magnificently into a tree, with pronoun branches which then lead to different leaf (verb) endings.
As an example it is easiest to use a regular verb, such as “to play”. The first branch in German would be “ich spiele”, the next “du spielst” and so on. You can have different kinds of trees depending on which tense you are teaching, a present tense tree or a future tense tree, and so on. The root (the infinitive) always stays the same.
This exercise can be used in any language, as an introduction to beginners in Year 78, or just a reminder in Years 910 when you see students looking confused at the mention of verb endings.
You can draw one big verb tree with present, perfect and imperfect branches and stick it on the wall, or the class can draw a variety of verb trees for homework. A quick sketch of the tree when marking verb-endings usually jolts students’ memory.
Grammar can be fun as well as making a most decorative addition to the classroom.
Totty Aris teaches at Tring School, Hertfordshire
