Time to revise: Grammar.
In my previous post I explained the steps you should take to revise English Vocabulary. Since you can’t use words arbitrarily you need a solid structural foundation that governs the composition of sentences, phrases, and words. Why? Because proper Grammar helps you convey precise meaning and achieve clear communication. This is how to revise Grammar over your summer holidays.
How to revise English Grammar.
STEP 1 – Get stocked up and gather all the materials you will be using, including grammar books, dedicated grammar notebooks and handouts.
STEP 2 – Know WHAT and HOW MANY grammatical units you need to revise. Check the contents to find out. Note that the contents of your Grammar book give you a quick overview of how much you have covered so far and how much you have yet to study.
STEP 3 – Depending on the volume of the materials and the amount of time you can dedicate to your Grammar revision, draw up a study timetable that works for you. Try to stick to it!
STEP 4 – To revise Grammar more effectively, study some units in groups, e.g. Present Simple and Present Continuous or all 3 Conditionals. You should only do this if you don’t find the units in question challenging. Otherwise, go over each grammatical phenomenon separately and then group it with ones that fall under the same broad category.
STEP 5 – After you study the rules, write 2-3 examples applying each rule you learn. Write more examples the more challenging you consider the phenomenon to be.
STEP 6 – Learn how to self-correct. This is a metacognitive skill I deem essential and help my students develop as they can use it over their studies, work and daily life.
STEP 7 – Practise! Practise! Practise! If you have used up all your workbooks and wonder where you can find Grammar worksheets, go online and type what you’re interested in finding into the search box on the Google website, e.g. Present Simple exercises advanced. You’ll definitely get more practice than you bargained for.
STEP 8 – Test yourself! Use questioning and online tests or scored exercises to test your knowledge and see how far you have come and how far you have to go. It is imperative to have a clear sense of what you have achieved to evaluate your progress when you revise Grammar.
Useful study techniques.
► Bullets and numbers should be used to break down the English Grammar rules and points you want to revise.
► Use colour coding. You can highlight the key terms in one colour and the details in another.
► Lines, circles, boxes and arrows. Put the key terms in boxes and underline the details to remember. Circle other keywords to make them stand out. Arrows are particularly useful as they can show direction, movement, cause-effect and change.
► Create you own symbol system. When using symbols, you have to assign a single and specific meaning to them. I use stars to symbolise importance, hearts when I find something interesting, question marks when meaning is unclear and lightening bolts next to the points that are particularly difficult or notes that tend to be generally overlooked. Since you aim for precision, nothing should be left out or trivialised.
► As you revise a Grammatical phenomenon, write a couple of examples in which you apply the rules you study. This facilitates comprehension and retention.
► Questioning. If you revise by yourself, devise a list with generic and subject-specific questions and then answer them to find out how much you remember and most importantly what needs to be reviewed again. Use a symbol next to whatever you have to come back to.
Grammar or Vocabulary?
Don’t forget: Mind Grammar when you review Vocabulary and try not to overlook your Vocabulary when you revise Grammar. This is because one skill should complement the others nicely as they are all equally important and part of the same whole – Language.
Need help with revising English Grammar? Contact me at maria@pentila.gr or visit my website.
How do you revise your English vocabulary? A guide on how to go over vocabulary effectively.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/31034694_Grammar_and_vocabulary_Showing_the_connections
https://pitjournal.unc.edu/article/professional-importance-grammar-and-how-it-should-be-taught