We All Need a Little Grammar Sometime

I thought I had a pretty good grasp of English grammar. After all, I always get 100% on those Facebook quizzes. They like to tell me I could be an English professor! It turns out that in a more rigorous test, I'm not quite there yet. Specifically, I seem to have trouble identifying the various types of conditional sentences (first, second, third) and their verb forms. Fortunately, I found a resource that explains it well and includes plenty of practice.

My "aha!" moment is coming to me in pieces, and I think I now have first conditional and second conditional internalized. Still working on third conditional, but I'm almost there. (If I hadn't taken this course, I wouldn't have cared about conditional sentences.)



My difficulty with this structure reminds me of what I call my "coulda-woulda-shoulda" moment that I had while studying French. It has nothing do with the actual use of that phrase. Instead, it happened that the French lesson was about using the conditional form of the verbs pouvoir, vouloir, and devoir (to be able, to want to, to have to or can, want, must). The conditional forms of these then translate roughly as "coulda-woulda-shoulda"! The phrase had come to mind because it was the title and was used repeatedly in an episode of a TV show I had been avidly watching at one time. That was almost six years ago, but it has stuck in my mind.

What also comes to mind, is that it is harder now that it was even six years ago, to get a new concept to stick. So if you are teaching older adults, keep in mind that it might take longer, and more repetitions, before they "get it", and that activating a memory of something they already know really helps.
#ESL, #grammar, #conditionalverbs

-Vicky

P.S. Here's a little pep talk.