Reported Speech

http://www.tolearnenglish.com/english_lessons/direct-indirect-speech-exercises

Subject and Object Questions

Subject and Object Questions

There are two main types of question in English.

Subject Questions: You want to know who/what does something.

??? ate my chocolate.

Who ate my chocolate?

Object Questions: You want to know what someone did, or to whom/where/when.

Tom ate ???

What did Tom eat?

Subject questions are easy to make. You just use 'who' or 'what' instead of the subject of the sentence.

Who wrote Hamlet? (answer: Shakespeare wrote Hamlet.

Who is going home? (answer: My sister is going home.)

Object questions are more common but more difficult to make. You need an auxiliary verb (do, be, have ...) before the subject, and a main verb (go, make, think ...) after it.

Question Word	Auxiliary	Subject	Verb
What	are	you	doing?
Where	do	they	live?
How long	have	we	been waiting?
How well	can	he	swim?

If you have problems making these, click on an auxiliary verb to see more information about its tense and how to make it.

http://www.tinyteflteacher.co.uk/learning-english/grammar/subject-object-questions.html

Learning English Websites

Useful websites for English Learners and Teachers

http://www.englishpage.com/index.html

Listening activities
http://www.esl-lab.com/index.htm

Transitional Words

Transitional Devices

Summary:

A discussion of transition strategies and specific transitional devices.

Contributors:Ryan Weber, Karl Stolley
Last Edited: 2011-02-02 04:32:35

Transitional devices are like bridges between parts of your paper. They are cues that help the reader to interpret ideas a paper develops. Transitional devices are words or phrases that help carry a thought from one sentence to another, from one idea to another, or from one paragraph to another. And finally, transitional devices link sentences and paragraphs together smoothly so that there are no abrupt jumps or breaks between ideas.

There are several types of transitional devices, and each category leads readers to make certain connections or assumptions. Some lead readers forward and imply the building of an idea or thought, while others make readers compare ideas or draw conclusions from the preceding thoughts.

Here is a list of some common transitional devices that can be used to cue readers in a given way.

To Add:

and, again, and then, besides, equally important, finally, further, furthermore, nor, too, next, lastly, what's more, moreover, in addition, first (second, etc.)

To Compare:

whereas, but, yet, on the other hand, however, nevertheless, on the contrary, by comparison, where, compared to, up against, balanced against, vis a vis, but, although, conversely, meanwhile, after all, in contrast, although this may be true

To Prove:

because, for, since, for the same reason, obviously, evidently, furthermore, moreover, besides, indeed, in fact, in addition, in any case, that is

To Show Exception:

yet, still, however, nevertheless, in spite of, despite, of course, once in a while, sometimes

To Show Time:

immediately, thereafter, soon, after a few hours, finally, then, later, previously, formerly, first (second, etc.), next, and then

To Repeat:

in brief, as I have said, as I have noted, as has been noted

To Emphasize:

definitely, extremely, obviously, in fact, indeed, in any case, absolutely, positively, naturally, surprisingly, always, forever, perennially, eternally, never, emphatically, unquestionably, without a doubt, certainly, undeniably, without reservation

To Show Sequence:

first, second, third, and so forth. A, B, C, and so forth. next, then, following this, at this time, now, at this point, after, afterward, subsequently, finally, consequently, previously, before this, simultaneously, concurrently, thus, therefore, hence, next, and then, soon

To Give an Example:

for example, for instance, in this case, in another case, on this occasion, in this situation, take the case of, to demonstrate, to illustrate, as an illustration, to illustrate

To Summarize or Conclude:

in brief, on the whole, summing up, to conclude, in conclusion, as I have shown, as I have said, hence, therefore, accordingly, thus, as a result, consequently

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/574/02/

ESL WORKSHEETS, ENGLISH GRAMMAR PRINTABLES, ESL HANDOUTS

I found a website with great resource for English Teachers. 

 ESL WORKSHEETS, ENGLISH GRAMMAR PRINTABLES, ESL HANDOUTS 


http://www.learnenglishfeelgood.com/esl-printables-worksheets.html

If you plan to share any of our content (in class, on a website, etc.), please review our content policy first. 

WRITING SKILLS (for advanced/native speakers):
 NEW
Commonly confused/misspelled words 1
Commonly confused/misspelled words 2
Commonly confused/misspelled words 3
Commonly confused/misspelled words 4
Using commas 1
Using commas 2
Using commas 3
Capitalization 1
Capitalization 2
Capitalization 3
Dangling modifiers 1
Dangling modifiers 2
Dangling modifiers 3
Sentence fragments 1
Sentence fragments 2
Run-on or fragment? 1
Run-on or fragment? 2
Run-on or fragment? 3
Run on sentences 1
Run on sentences 2

ARTICLES:
A or AN? 1
A or AN? 2
A or THE? 1
A or THE? 2
A, AN or THE? 1
A, AN or THE? 2
A, AN or THE? 3
ARTICLE or NO ARTICLE? 1
ARTICLE or NO ARTICLE? 2
ARTICLE or NO ARTICLE? 3
Mixed Articles 1 (A, An, The, No Article)
Mixed Articles 2 (A, An, The, No Article)
Mixed Articles 3 (A, An, The, No Article)
Mixed Articles 4 (A, An, The, No Article)
Mixed Articles 5 (A, An, The, No Article)
Mixed Articles 6
Mixed Articles 7

VERB TENSES:
SIMPLE PRESENT tense 1
SIMPLE PRESENT tense 2
Present tense of the verb TO BE 1
Past participles 1
Past participles 2
Contractions 1
Contractions 2
The PASSIVE VOICE (Mixed tenses) 1
The PASSIVE VOICE (Mixed tenses) 2
The PASSIVE VOICE (Mixed tenses) 3
The passive voice (Simple past) 1
The passive voice (Simple present) 1
Mixed Verb Tenses 1
Mixed Verb Tenses 2
Mixed Verb Tenses 3
Mixed Verb Tenses 4
Mixed Verb Tenses 5
Auxiliary Verbs (to do, to have, to be) 1
Auxiliary Verbs (to do, to have, to be) 2
Auxiliary Verbs (to do, to have, to be) 3
Mixed Modals 1(Should, Can, Must)
Mixed Modals 2(Should, Can, Must)
Mixed Modals 3(Should, Can, Must)
Irregular Verbs 1
Irregular Verbs 2
GERUND or INFINITIVE? 1
GERUND or INFINITIVE? 2
GERUND or INFINITIVE? 3
GERUND or INFINITIVE? 4
Simple Past Tense
Past Continuous Tense 1
Past Continuous Tense 2
Present Perfect Tense 1
Present Perfect Tense 2
Reported Speech (Mixed tenses) 1
Reported Speech (Mixed tenses) 2
Reported Speech (Mixed tenses) 3
Reported Speech (Commands) 1
SIMPLE PAST or PAST CONTINUOUS?
SIMPLE PRESENT or PRESENT CONTINUOUS? 1
SIMPLE PRESENT or PRESENT CONTINUOUS? 2
SIMPLE PRESENT or PRESENT CONTINUOUS? 3
SIMPLE PAST or PRESENT PERFECT?
FUTURE PERFECT tense 1
Future Tenses 1
Future Tenses 2
The First Conditional 1
The Second Conditional 1
The Second Conditional 2
The Third Conditional 1
Mixed Conditional Tenses 1
Mixed Conditional Tenses 2
Causative Form (Mixed) 1
Causative Form (Mixed) 2
Causative Form (Mixed) 3
Causative Form (Passive) 1
Causative Form (Active) 1
Tag questions 1
Tag questions 2

 

 

 

ENGLISH PRONOUNS:
Personal Pronouns 1
Personal Pronouns 2
Reflexive Pronouns 1
Reflexive Pronouns 2
Possessive Pronoun or adjective 1
Possessive Pronoun or adjective 2
REFLEXIVE pronoun or OBJECT pronoun? 1
REFLEXIVE pronoun or OBJECT pronoun? 2
Objective Pronouns - With or Without TO? 
Possessive pronouns 1
Possessive pronouns 2

PHRASAL VERB EXERCISES/ QUIZZES:
Phrasal Verbs (GET +) 1
Phrasal Verbs (GET +) 1
Phrasal Verbs (TAKE +) 1
Phrasal Verbs (Mixed) 1
Phrasal Verbs (Mixed) 2
Phrasal Verbs (Mixed) 3
Phrasal Verbs (Mixed) 4
Phrasal Verbs - Separable/Inseparable 1
Phrasal Verbs - Separable/Inseparable 2
Phrasal Verbs - Separable/Inseparable 3

PREPOSITIONS: EXERCISES/ QUIZZES:
Prepositions after adjectives 1
Prepositions after adjectives 2
Prepositions after adjectives 3
Prepositions (Mixed) 1
Prepositions (Mixed) 2
Prepositions (On, At, In) 1
Prepositions (On, At, In) 2
Prepositions (On, At, In) 3
Prepositions (On, At, In) 4
PREPOSITION or NO PREPOSITION?
PREPOSITIONS of TIME (since, for, in, from)

COUNTABLE (COUNT) or NON-COUNTABLE (NON-COUNT) NOUNS:
COUNT or NON-COUNT 1
COUNT or NON-COUNT 2
COUNT or NON-COUNT 3
COUNT or NON-COUNT 4
COUNT or NON-COUNT 5

ADJECTIVES/ADVERBS:
Participles as adjectives 1
Participles as adjectives 2
Comparative adjectives 1
Comparative adjectives 2
Comparative adverbs 1
Comparative/superlative adverbs 1
Comparative/superlative adverbs 2
Comparative/superlative adjectives 1
Comparative/superlative adjectives 2
ADVERB or ADJECTIVE? 1
ADVERB or ADJECTIVE? 2
ADVERB or ADJECTIVE? 3
Turning ADJECTIVES into ADVERBS
Adjective order 1
Adjective order 2
Relative adjectives (who, that) 1
Relative adverbs (why, when, where) 1

OTHER EXERCISES/ QUIZZES:
How + (much, long, often, well) 1
How + (much, long, often, well) 2
Word order in English 1
Word order in English 2
Which word: WHO, WHICH, WHOSE? 1
Which word: WHO, WHICH, WHOSE? 2
Which word: THIS, THESE, THERE? 1
Which word: THIS, THESE, THERE? 2
Plurals of nouns - part 1
Plurals of nouns - part 2
THERE, THEY'RE, THEIR 1
THERE, THEY'RE, THEIR 2
WHO or WHOM?
SOME or ANY? 1
SOME or ANY? 2
WHOLE or ALL?
DID or MADE?
TO DO or TO MAKE?
Conjunction Exercise 1
Conjunction Exercise 2

Comparative and Superlative

Comparative/Superlative

Comparative/superlative

Comparative is the name for the grammar used when comparing two things. The two basic ways to compare are using as .. as or than. Examples of each are shown below:

• She's twice as old as her sister.
• He's not as stupid as he looks!
• I'm almost as good in maths as in science.
• This book is not as exciting as the last one.
• The cafeteria is not as crowded as usual.
• Russian is not quite as difficult as Chinese.

• This computer is better than that one.
• She's stronger at chess than I am.
• It's much colder today than it was yesterday.
• Our car is bigger than your car.
• This grammar topic is easier than most others.
• I find science more difficult than mathematics.
• Today's ESL lesson was more interesting than usual.

Note: In each of the example sentences above, the comparative form of the adjective is shown. See the foot of this page for information about the comparison of adverbs.

When comparing with as .. as, the adjective does not change. When comparing with than, however, some changes are necessary, depending on the number of syllables the adjective has:

1-syllable adjectives: add -er to the adjective

• My sister is much taller than me.†
• It's colder today than it was yesterday.

Note: If the word ends: consonant-vowel-consonant, then the last consonant is usually doubled in the comparative. Examples: big-bigger, fat-fatter, hot-hotter.

2-syllable adjectives ending in -y: change the -y to -ier

• She's looking happier today.
• This grammar topic is easier than the last one.
• Why is everyone else luckier than me? †

Beware: Do not confuse adjectives and adverbs. 2-syllable adverbs ending in -y must be compared with the word more. Example: I drive more quickly (quicklier) than my brother.

Other 2-syllable adjectives: use more with the unchanged adjective

• The shops are always more crowded just before Christmas.
• Is there anything more boring than reading about grammar?
• My sister is more careful with her writing than I am with mine.

Note: The comparative of some shorter 2-syllable adjectives can be formed with -er. Examples:simple-simpler, clever-cleverer, narrow-narrower. To be sure which comparative method to use, you will need to consult a good dictionary.

Adjectives with 3 or more syllables: use more with the unchanged adjective

• Russian grammar is more difficult than English grammar.
• My sister is much more intelligent than me.†
• I find maths lessons more enjoyable than science lessons.
• The older you get, the more irritating you become.

---

In the superlative you talk about one thing only and how it is the best, worst, etc. You do not compare two things. The following guidelines apply to the superlative:

1-syllable adjectives: add -est to the adjective (plus the)

• My sister is the tallest in our family.
• Yesterday was the coldest day of the year so far.

Note: If the word ends: consonant-vowel-consonant, then the last consonant is usually doubled in the superlative. Examples: big-biggest, fat-fattest, hot-hottest.

2-syllable adjectives ending in -y: change the -y to -iest (plus the)

• The richest people are not always the happiest.
• Which do you think is the easiest language to learn?
• She's the luckiest person I know.

Beware: Do not confuse adjectives and adverbs. 2-syllable adverbs ending in -y form their superlative with the words the most. Example: Of all the people I know my father drives the most quickly (quickliest).

Other 2-syllable adjectives: use the most with the unchanged adjective

• The most boring thing about ESL class is doing grammar exercises.
• My sister is the most careful person I know.

Note: The superlative of some shorter 2-syllable adjectives can be formed with -er. Examples:simple-simplest, clever-cleverest, narrow-narrowest. To be sure which superlative method to use, you will need to consult a good dictionary.

Adjectives with 3 or more syllables: use the most with the unchanged adjective

• Some people think that Russian is the most difficult language.
• Albert Einstein was the most intelligent person in history.
• My most enjoyable class is English.
• You are the most irritating person I have ever met!

Following are two common irregular comaparative/superlative forms:

• good-better-the best
• bad-worse-the worst

---

The following guidelines apply to the comparative/superlative of most adverbs:

1-syllable adverbs: add -er/-est

• I can run faster than you. / I can run the fastest in my class.
• She works harder than me.† / She works the hardest of all students.

Other adverbs: use more / the most*

• She ran more quickly than me.† / Of all the students she ran the most quickly.

* In informal English it is common to hear the adjectival comparative/superlative form of two-syllable adverbs. For example: She ran quicker than me.† | She ran the quickest.

† Many educated English speakers prefer to use the nominative plus a verb rather than the accusative in such comparative sentences, especially in formal situations. They say, for example, My sister is taller than I am. or She ran more quickly than I did.The alternative, omitting the verb as in the following examples, is considered to be even more formal and is avoided by most British English speakers: My sister is taller than I. or She ran more quickly than I.

http://esl.fis.edu/grammar/rules/comp.htm

Much

Much

A) Rule: Much is used with non-count nouns. These words almost never end in “s,” so they are easy for students to catch.

B) Positive Statements: Much is very formal and awkward in positive statements. I tell my students to generally avoid using much in positive statements. Instead, students can use “a lot of” or “lots of.”

Examples:

• Avoid: I have much time to help you.
• Use: I have a lot of time to help you. / I have lots of time to help you.

C) Negative Statements: With negative statements, the meaning of not much is “a little, a small amount.”

Examples:

• She doesn’t have much patience for people who are always late.
• It didn’t take that much paper to print out my essay.

D) Questions: With questions, much is used to ask about the amount when the amount is unknown.

Examples:

• How much does this sweater cost? (Point out that we usually drop the noun “money” because it’s obvious.)
• How much homework do you have?

E) Exceptions: Point out that there are a few well-known exceptions where a non-count noun ends in “s” (there will be a blog post on this coming soon):

Example:

• We didn’t have much news.

Also point out that we can use much in positive sentences with the words “so” and “too” (there will also be a blog post on “so” vs. “too” coming soon):

http://www.esl-library.com/blog/2012/12/06/tips-on-teaching-many-much/