Thursday, April 30, 2009
Verbs. Ask any learner what makes English so hard and there is a good chance they will give you a few opinions about verbs. The tenses of English are complex and filled with irregularity. And it is sometimes hard to explain to a learner the difference between present perfect and simple past. Why is it, for instance, that you can say "I did it yesterday," but "I have done it yesterday" sounds gratingly wrong to native speakers?
For those of you with a need to know Purdue University offers a wealth of practical grammar lore, the Purdue Online Writing Lab, or OWL. There you can find information on English as a Second language, including helpful illustrated handouts and worksheets on prepositions, spelling and other tricky topics. In addition you will find some information, for instance a worksheet on appositives, that may not be particularly helpful to anyone. But if you find that "grammar is life's greatest joy," as Josephine Anwhistle, a character in a Lemony Snicket book enthused, then this site offers multiple reasons to explore. As always, have fun and please share your questions and ideas with me. I love hearing from you.