Try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on National Grammar Day. Click on the links above or see the activities below this article:
READ
March 4 is a very important day for all language students. It is National Grammar Day (NGD). This is the day for you to be extra careful with your grammar in class. It is also a good day to promise yourself to make your grammar better. This day is not just for students. Many native speakers of all languages have terrible grammar and make many mistakes. There is an annual award for famous people with poor grammar and U.S. Presidents have won it in the past! NGD is also a day when teachers around the world need to review their teaching methods and make their activities better. If your grammar isn’t good, you can't always say what you mean. People might not always be able to guess what you want to say.
National Grammar Day was created by the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar (SPOGG) and MSN Encarta. The NGD website says: “If we don't respect and honor the rules of English, we lose our ability to communicate clearly and well.” So what do we do on National Grammar Day? The folks at SPOGG advise us to: “Speak well! Write well! And on March 4, march forth and spread the word. If you see a sign with a catastrophic apostrophe, send a kind note to the storekeeper. If your local newscaster says "Between you and I," set him straight with a friendly e-mail.” The site offers ten top tips for good grammar and encourages visitors to send photos of public notices that contain bad grammar.
Sources: http://www.wikipedia.org/ and assorted sites.
Mail this lesson to friends and teachers. Click the @ below.
Match the following phrases from the article.
Paragraph 1
1.
be extra careful with your
a.
have terrible grammar
2
native speakers of all languages
b.
to review their teaching
3.
an annual award for famous people
c.
you want to say
4.
teachers around the world need
d.
what you mean
5.
you can't always say
e.
grammar in class
6.
guess what
f.
with poor grammar
Paragraph 2
1.
respect and honor the
a.
spread the word
2
we lose our ability to communicate
b.
good grammar
3.
march forth and
c.
contain bad grammar
4.
set him straight with a
d.
rules of English
5.
ten top tips for
e.
clearly
6.
photos of public notices that
f.
friendly e-mail
LISTENING GAP FILL
March 4 is a very important _______________ language students. It is National Grammar Day (NGD). This is the day for you to _______________ with your grammar in class. It is also a good day to promise yourself to make your grammar better. This day _______________ students. Many native speakers of all languages have terrible grammar and make many mistakes. There is an annual award for famous people _______________ and U.S. Presidents have won it in the past! NGD is also a day when teachers around the world _______________ their teaching methods and make their activities better. If your grammar isn’t good, you can't always say what you mean. People might not always be able _______________ you want to say.
National Grammar Day _______________ the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar (SPOGG) and MSN Encarta. The NGD website says: “If we don't respect and _______________ of English, we lose our ability to communicate clearly and well.” So _______________ on National Grammar Day? The folks at SPOGG advise us to: “Speak well! Write well! And on March 4, _______________ spread the word. If you see a sign with a catastrophic apostrophe, send a kind note to the storekeeper. If your local newscaster says "Between you and I," _______________ with a friendly e-mail.” The site offers ten top tips for good grammar and encourages visitors to send photos of public notices _______________ grammar.
WHILE READING / LISTENING GAP FILL
Put the words into the gaps in the text.
March 4 is a very important day for all __________ students. It is National Grammar Day (NGD). This is the day for you to be __________ careful with your grammar in class. It is also a good day to __________ yourself to make your grammar better. This day is not just for students. Many native speakers of all languages have __________ grammar and make many mistakes. There is an annual __________ for famous people with poor grammar and U.S. Presidents have won it in the past! NGD is also a day when teachers around the world need to __________ their teaching methods and make their activities better. If your grammar isn’t good, you can't always say what you __________. People might not always be able to __________ what you want to say.
review promise guess terrible language award mean extra
National Grammar Day was __________ by the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar (SPOGG) and MSN Encarta. The NGD website says: “If we don't respect and __________ the rules of English, we lose our __________ to communicate clearly and well.” So what do we do on National Grammar Day? The folks at SPOGG advise us to: “Speak well! Write well! And on March 4, march forth and __________ the word. If you see a __________ with a catastrophic apostrophe, send a kind note to the storekeeper. If your local newscaster says "Between you and I," set him __________ with a friendly e-mail.” The site offers ten top __________ for good grammar and encourages visitors to send photos of public notices that contain __________ grammar.
tips ability sign straight created bad honor spread
CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD
Delete the wrong word in each of the pairs of italics.
March 4 is a very important / importance day for all language students. It is National Grammar Day (NGD). This is the day for you to be extra careful / carefully with your grammar in class. It is also a good day to promise yourself to make your grammar better. This day is not justly / just for students. Many native speakers of all languages have terrible grammar and make much / many mistakes. There is an annual award for famous people with poorly / poor grammar and U.S. Presidents have won it in the past! NGD is also a day when teachers around the world need to review / reviews their teaching methods and make their activities better. If your grammar isn’t well / good, you can't always say what you mean. People might not always be able to / for guess what you want to say.
National Grammar Day was creation / created by the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar (SPOGG) and MSN Encarta. The NGD website says: “If we don't respect and honor the ruler / rules of English, we lose our ability / able to communicate clearly and well.” So what do we do on National Grammar Day? The folks at SPOGG advice / advise us to: “Speak well! Write well! And on March 4, march forth and spread / spreading the word. If you see a sign with a catastrophic apostrophe, send a kind / kindly note to the storekeeper. If your local newscaster says "Between you and I," set / sit him straight with a friendly e-mail.” The site offers ten top tops / tips for good grammar and encourages visitors to send photos of public notices that contain bad grammar.
MULTIPLE CHOICE
March 4 is a very (1) ____ day for all language students. It is National Grammar Day (NGD). This is the day for you to be extra careful with your grammar in class. It is also a good day to (2) ____ yourself to make your grammar better. This day is not just for students. Many native speakers of all languages have terrible grammar and make many mistakes. There is an (3) ____ award for famous people with poor grammar and U.S. Presidents have won it in the past! NGD is also a day when teachers around the world need to (4) ____ their teaching methods and make their activities better. If your grammar isn’t good, you can't always (5) ____ what you mean. People might not always be (6) ____ to guess what you want to say.
National Grammar Day was (7) ____ by the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar (SPOGG) and MSN Encarta. The NGD website says: “If we don't respect and honor the (8) ____ of English, we lose our ability to communicate clearly and well.” So what do we do on National Grammar Day? The folks at SPOGG (9) ____ us to: “Speak well! Write well! And on March 4, march forth and spread the word. If you see a sign with a catastrophic apostrophe, send a (10) ____ note to the storekeeper. If your (11) ____ newscaster says "Between you and I," set him straight with a friendly e-mail.” The site offers ten top tips for good grammar and encourages visitors to send photos of (12) ____ notices that contain bad grammar.
Put the correct words from this table into the article.
1.
(a)
importance
(b)
importantly
(c)
important
(d)
imported
2.
(a)
promising
(b)
promises
(c)
promise
(d)
promised
3.
(a)
annual
(b)
year
(c)
annul
(d)
annually
4.
(a)
reviewing
(b)
reviewer
(c)
reviewed
(d)
review
5.
(a)
speak
(b)
tell
(c)
voices
(d)
say
6.
(a)
ability
(b)
able
(c)
enabled
(d)
enable
7.
(a)
created
(b)
creation
(c)
creator
(d)
creative
8.
(a)
ruler
(b)
rules
(c)
rulings
(d)
ruled
9.
(a)
advice
(b)
advisory
(c)
advise
(d)
advising
10.
(a)
kindly
(b)
kind
(c)
kindest
(d)
kindness
11.
(a)
locally
(b)
locale
(c)
locals
(d)
local
12.
(a)
public
(b)
publicity
(c)
in public
(d)
publican
SPELLING
Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.
Paragraph 1
1.
be extra rauflec
2.
atievn speakers
3.
an nnaual award
4.
need to eriwve
5.
teaching esmdhot
6.
able to sesgu
Paragraph 2
7.
communicate rycleal
8.
we lose our ybiltai
9.
adpres the word
10.
your callo newscaster
11.
ten top tspi
12.
libucp notices
PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER
Number these lines in the correct order.
( )
to be extra careful with your grammar in class. It is also a good day to promise yourself to make your grammar
( )
better. This day is not just for students. Many native speakers of all languages have terrible grammar and make many
( )
National Grammar Day was created by the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar (SPOGG) and
( )
to communicate clearly and well.” So what do we do on National Grammar Day? The folks at SPOGG advise
( 1 )
March 4 is a very important day for all language students. It is National Grammar Day (NGD). This is the day for you
( )
MSN Encarta. The NGD website says: “If we don't respect and honor the rules of English, we lose our ability
( )
past! NGD is also a day when teachers around the world need to review their teaching methods and make their
( )
might not always be able to guess what you want to say.
( )
mistakes. There is an annual award for famous people with poor grammar and U.S. Presidents have won it in the
( )
us to: “Speak well! Write well! And on March 4, march forth and spread the word. If you see a sign
( )
with a catastrophic apostrophe, send a kind note to the storekeeper. If your local newscaster says "Between you
( )
tips for good grammar and encourages visitors to send photos of public notices that contain bad grammar.
( )
and I," set him straight with a friendly e-mail.” The site offers ten top
( )
activities better. If your grammar isn’t good, you can't always say what you mean. People
SCRAMBLED SENTENCES
With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.
1.
students language all for day important very a
2.
for be This day to careful the you extra is
3.
better yourself make grammar promise to your
4.
always what mean can't say you you
5.
not might People guess to able be always
6.
lose clearly our and ability well to we communicate
7.
do on Day what do Grammar So we National?
8.
kind to storekeeper a note the send
9.
tips site for offers good ten grammar top The
10.
that photos contain of bad public grammar notices send
DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)
STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.
2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information about National Grammar Day. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about National Grammar Day. Write about what happens around the world. Include two imaginary interviews with people who did something on this day.
Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.
4. POSTER: Make your own poster about National Grammar Day. Write about what will happen on this day around the world.
Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.
ANSWERS
Check your answers in "THE READING / TAPESCRIPT" section at the top of this page.
