My cat speaks English. Sometimes my cat comes to me and tells me that she is hungry. Or that her leg hurts.

How does my cat tell me these things? I don't speak pussy-cat language.

CONTENIDO

(brief contents)

I Need your help (join us) Objetivos principales del club Tpicos propuestos How to Start an English Club Why start an English Club? How can I start an English Club? Seek help Where should we hold our English Club?
When and how often should we meet for our English Club? What can we do in our English Club? How To Learn English (Tips for Beginners) More TIPS for learning English English Parts of Speech What is Grammar? Interactive Phonemic Chart Pronunciation Tips Learn the Shapes (some exercise)

3 4 7 8 8 8 9 10
11 12 15 23 27 30 34 35 36

(Please, I beg you!)

UNA DE LAS RECOMENDACIONES DEL NUEVO MODELO EDUCATIVO ES QUE PROFESORES (Y ALUMNOS) SE COMUNIQUEN EN FORMA VERBAL Y ESCRITA EN DOS IDIOMAS.

Early in human history, a large component of communications was nonverbal. Body movements and facial expressions were effective ways to communicate. Later, languages were invented, and still later, written communications was developed. Te invitamos a que te unas al English Club Cita: Laboratorio de Electrnica, aula LE de este laboratorio. Fecha: Previo acuerdo. Would you like to become a member? El mtodo que se est proponiendo no sigue ninguno de los conocidos modelos acadmicos para la enseanza de un idioma, este es un mtodo natural para el aprendizaje de un lenguaje. Requisitos. Sentir la necesidad de querer hablar y comprender otro idioma. Querer memorizar (como lo hicimos cuando fuimos nios) Participar diariamente en la mecnica de la sesin. Asistir regularmente a las sesiones. Interesados registrarse con el coordinador (cupo limitado). No se expedir ningn reconocimiento a los participantes. Otras reglas (y mecnicas) sern acordadas con los miembros del club.

Iniciamos:

Club de Ingls Objetivos principales del club. (Los punto se afinarn al integrarse) 1) Promocin del idioma Ingls dentro del IT 2) Propiciar un espacio fsico para que sus miembros practiquen el idioma extranjero. 3) Gradualmente se prohibir hablar en espaol durante las sesiones. (Por lo anterior, se deber de hablar todo en Ingls, as como aclaraciones o explicaciones de la palabra propuesta, frase, cuento corto, etc. De ser necesario se recurrir a la mmica, actuacin, dibujos, uso de diccionario English-English. Se recomienda para empezar el texto: Longman, Basic English dictiorary, Pearson., etc.) 4) Ser necesario que cada miembro hable como pueda o le salga. (La pronunciacin no ser relevante durante las primeras sesiones. Lo primordial es que se entienda lo ms claro posible,) la idea de lo que se quiere comunicar) 5) Se buscar en todo momento la sinergia, es decir, cada integrante es poseedor de un vocabulario mnimo de ingls y de una experiencia previa. Entonces al unir voluntades, necesariamente se incrementarn los conocimientos del grupo. 6) En las primeras sesiones no se intentar escribir en Ingles. Se procurar (de preferencia) usar el alfabeto fontico internacional que utilizan la mayora de los diccionarios. 7) El club puede optar para una sesin: Escuchar una cancin Ver un video corto. Una pelcula Invitar a un Experto del Idioma Ingles

 Lectura (en Ingls) informacin cientfica de sus textos de clase, artculos de diferentes revistas (Readers digest, English 2 go, Hot English, etc.) Temas abiertos. Quiz lo que le ocurri en la maana, ayer, o lo quiere hace el da siguiente. Quiz quieran compartir coas personales no tan ntimas (ejemplo cuntos hermanos tiene, que tipo de msica le gusta escuchar, cual es su estatura, sus colores favoritos, etc. Otros tpicos. 8) Ser preferible hacer las participaciones de memoria (excepto algo extraordinario). Cuando hablamos o platicamos en espaol usualmente se hace de memoria. Sin diccionarios, translators, sin subttulos. 9) Los miembros del club se debern de repartir las diferentes tareas del idioma: Alfabeto fontico internacional Exclamaciones Palabras compuestas Uso correcto de diccionarios Sinnimos, opuestos(antnimos) Homgrafos, homfonos Palabras afines de una raz Proverbios Trminos coloquiales(familiares, vulgaridades) informales Trminos formales Frases comunes del Ingls Palabras que se escriben igual (o casi igual) en ambos idiomas Verbos con partcula (preposicin o adverbio) phrasal verb Historia del idioma Ingls Otros temas propios de lingstica Uso de Internet, Etc. Etc.

10) El coordinador del club estar siempre presente en las sesiones. 11) Se deber de constituir el Club y quedar asentado en un acta. 12) Ser decisin del club aceptar nuevos miembros o de expulsar a aquellos que no acaten las reglas. 13) En sesin plenaria se decidir sobre cuotas o cooperaciones. 14) El club solo tendr facultado para emitir constancias de socio.

Games (make puns) . others

Repeat

Commands (imperative)

5 4 Science Reading(matter) 9 7 Questions? (quizzes) 8 Open topic (theme) 6

Arts

Grammar

Chained 10 words 11 Performance 12 Riddle (puzzle)

{we can select them (choose)}

How to Start an English Club Feel free to add a link to your English Club website to our list of English Clubs worldwide. Why start an English Club? Use what you learn An English Club is a place for language learners to use English in a casual setting. Practicing your skills in the classroom is important, but it is not like real life. In the classroom, you often focus on one skill and one item (for example: grammar - future tense). After learning the rules your teacher gives you time to practice using the item. You have your papers in front of you and the rules are fresh in your mind. Will you remember how to use your skills next week, or next year? In an English Club, you get a chance to practice (or practice) many different skills in a setting that is more like real life. Though your English teacher understands your English, your English Club friends will require you to speak more clearly and listen more carefully. Make English-speaking friends Starting an English Club is a great way to make new lasting friendships. It is important to have good ESL friends because your confidence will increase if you do. You will feel more comfortable using English around people you trust and have fun with. Don't limit your friends to the people in your class. How can I start an English Club? Post a sign-up sheet You can start by putting up a sign up form in your school lobby or on a local library bulletin board. Write your email address at the top so that people can email you with any ideas they might have. Make sure they write down their phone numbers or email addresses so that you can contact them about the time and place of the club meetings.

Seek help Don't try to do everything yourself. Each member should contribute to the club. You may even want to find a fluent English speaker who will volunteer to come to your meetings. New teachers or a high school student may be willing to help you for free because the experience will help them find a job. You can put an ad in a local paper or at the library or supermarket. (WANTED: Volunteer to help with English Club. Must be fluent in English. No teaching experience or preparation necessary. Call Eva at 333-3333 for more information.) Hold an introductory meeting After you have enough people sign up (6-10 people is a good number) you will need to hold an introductory meeting. At the first meeting, members can learn each other's names and you can talk about what kind of club people are interested in. One way to organize the club is by putting one member in charge of being the leader each week. You can organize the weeks in terms of themes (music/food/travel...), or skills (reading/writing/listening...). Create rules and routines At your meeting you can discuss what types of rules and routines the club should have. For example, English Clubs usually have an "English only" rule. Will people be allowed to drink and eat during the meeting? What about bringing a friend? It is a good idea to conduct each club meeting in a similar way. When people know what to expect, they are more likely to attend. Who will join my English Club? You can invite anyone to join your English Club, including friends, family members, fellow students, co-workers, and people from other schools. English Clubs tend to be more fun when they are multigenerational and multicultural. If your best friend is joining, why not ask her grandmother to join too? English Club members also work well when

members have varying English language abilities. One member may be able to teach you something new, and another may benefit from a skill that you can share. Teaching someone else a grammar point or explaining how to use a new word is one of the best ways to review your skills. Where should we hold our English Club? At an English School The easiest place to hold an English Club is in a spare classroom at an English school. After classroom hours, most schools remain open for an hour or two so that teachers can prepare for their classes. This is also a convenient location because some or all of the members will already be in the school and will have no excuses for missing a club meeting. You will also have access to materials and television equipment. In members' homes You may want to take your club out of the classroom in order to make it feel less academic and more social. If you decide to operate your club from a personal home, try to find more than one person who is willing to host the meetings. You will need to choose homes that are in a central location. Within the home, choose a room with a lot of space and few distractions. Don't forget to turn off the telephone. You may want to serve coffee or tea. At a cafe or restaurant This type of setting will likely involve a fee. The manager may allow you to reserve a small room in the back if you choose a time of day when there are few customers. You will likely be expected to purchase beverages and tip a server (depending on what country you are in). Operating your club out of a cafe may make it difficult to incorporate movies, music, and other listening practice. A cafe is a good option for a small conversation club (less than 6 people).

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Outdoors One of the best places to hold an English Club is outside. This may only be possible during certain warm months depending on what country you are in. Choose a location where shelter can be found in case of rain. Though the beach might sound like a great place to practise your English, remember that you will probably be using papers and books which will be difficult in the breeze. A park with picnic tables and shady trees might be better. Consider atmosphere Wherever you hold your club, remember that it is a club, not a class. To change the atmosphere in a classroom you might want to open windows or have background music or candles (if the school permits). A pot of coffee or a bowl of popcorn can also make the meeting feel more like a club than a class. Why not encourage members to take off their shoes when they walk in the door, or sit on the floor instead of chairs. Remember, the purpose of the club is to use English in a life-like situation. Do what feels natural and comfortable. When and how often should we meet for our English Club? About once a week Some clubs fail because they expect too much of the members. It is hard to find time to commit to something outside of school, work, and family. Meeting once a week for about two hours is a good start. Some English Clubs also meet for an additional excursion once a month. As you make friends you will probably begin to get together in pairs or smaller groups outside of the club meetings. The best time of day Choose a meeting time that is convenient for the group. Usually late afternoons, evenings, or weekend days are chosen so that the meetings don't conflict with work or school. The time that you choose will also depend on when

11

the room/space is available. During your introductory meeting find out when the most convenient time is for the majority of the members. If you make your meetings too early or too late you may find that people come to the first few meetings and then drop out. Stop and begin again Start a new club session approximately every three months. This will keep the club alive! Another good time to take a break is during holiday times, such as New Year's or Spring Break. Some members will return and others will move on to other things. Invite new people to join to fill the empty spots. Change activities/themes that didn't work the first time. Keep adding new ideas, but try to maintain a club identity. What can we do in our English Club? Establish a warm-up routine You will notice that teachers often start class with a game or conversation exercise. They do this to wake you up! They also want to help you focus on a classroom activity that will follow. In a club that tends to have more of an academic focus the warm up could be three new vocabulary words. The leader could teach a noun, a verb, and an adjective each session. The group practises making sentences with the new words. In a club that is more social in nature, find an activity that makes people laugh. This will bring positive energy into the room. Here are ten fun warm-up activities that are guaranteed to turn your brains to English quickly! Themes or Skills You can organize your club in many ways. Some clubs will be full of members that only want to practise one skill, such as conversation. Conversation club meetings are often very casual and require little planning. Everyone can write down a topic that they want to debate, or you can talk about popular culture and current events. Someone can bring in a newspaper article and everyone can read it together and discuss it. Reading clubs are another type of

12

English Club. Each person reads the same book (outside of group time) and the club discusses aspects such as what they liked about it, who their favourite (or favorite) characters were, etc. The majority of English Clubs, however, are designed for people who want to improve their English in all skill areas. If this is the type of club you want to create it is useful to divide the meetings in terms of themes or skills. Each member of the club can choose from a list of dates. You can suggest topic ideas, or ask members to come up with their own. Always give members the option of bringing in their own idea (leave a blank space for OTHER on the theme/skill schedule). See sample meeting schedule for ideas for your own club. The leader for each meeting is in charge of everything including the warm-up, the focus, and the dividing of members into groups or pairs. This gives everyone in the group an opportunity to show their leadership and creative skills. If someone is extremely shy and unwilling to be a leader, you can still allow them to join the club. Perhaps they will agree to be a leader a few months later in the next session when they have more confidence in English. Have backup ideas on hand What if your leader for the day doesn't show up? In a classroom, you usually get a substitute teacher when your instructor is sick or unavailable. This should be the same in a club. If members know they are going to miss a meeting that they are supposed to lead, they should call another member and give them instructions about what was planned. However, it is likely that a day will come when no leader shows up at all. It is a good idea to have a back up plan in case of this problem. The easiest thing to do is keep a list of discussion questions in the location of the meetings. Put them in an envelope or in the classroom, or give one to each member to keep in their notebook. You can cut them up and put them in a hat and take turns picking questions. Another idea is to get out a dictionary and learn ten new words.

13

The group can practise using them and then write a group play that involves all ten words. A deck of playing cards is also a good thing to keep in case of extra time. You can play a game of cards in English. Teaching each other rules in English is a great way to practise speaking and listening. You will also have to ask lots of questions when you learn a new game. Use a suggestion box If it's possible, keep a suggestion box in the room where you hold your club meetings. At the end of each meeting the leader should encourage members to write a comment or suggestion for the group. Examples: I want to practice pronunciation more. Let's keep track of our new vocabulary. Does anyone want to practice idioms with me? It's too cold in this room! Why don't we all bring a snack to share next week? Go on excursions as a group Outside of your weekly meetings, it is a good idea to have one excursion a month. This helps create stronger bonds within the group. It is always fun to have something to look forward to as well. Go out to a movie. Play a sport. Do community service together. Give blood. Go sightseeing. Have a picnic. Go dancing. Have a potluck dinner. Whatever you decide to do, everyone should speak English at all times. Useful links:

Get members to give a presentation on a subject that they know about. Get some cards and games such as Scrabble or Word Up for fun. Put on a play or get members to do improvisations. Have a range of ideas for ESL activities to keep your meetings varied.

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How To Learn English Tips and ideas on the best ways to learn English faster. Tips for Beginners 1. You are like a new baby Babies learn their language slowly. First they learn to listen. Then they learn to talk. Finally, they can read and write. 2. Listen to English every day Listen to English radio. Watch English TV. Go to English movies. Use online lessons. 3. Make an English/ESL friend Make up conversations. Practise dialogues. Use beginner textbooks. 4. Read English stories Start with children's storybooks. Try ESL readers. Read advertisements, signs and labels. Try EnglishClub.com for Young Learners. 5. Write down new words Start a vocabulary (new word) notebook. Write words in alphabetical order (A...B...C...). Make example sentences. Always use an English-English dictionary first. 6. Keep an English diary Start with one sentence. How do you feel? How is the weather? What did you do today? Write another sentence tomorrow.

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7. Visit an English speaking country Learn English more quickly. Stay with an English family. Hear native speakers talk. Have a fun experience.

Sample Learning Agenda My English Learning Contract Where do I start? Why do you want to learn English? Before you begin (or go back to) studying English, ask youself one question. Why do I want to study English? Is it because you want to, or because someone else wants you to? Like every decision in life, studying English must be something you want to do.

Set goals If you know why you want to study, setting goals is easy. For example, maybe you want to travel to an Englishspeaking country. Great. Your goal might be to learn "Survival English". Perhaps you already know many useful phrases, but you want to improve your listening skills and pronunciation. Whatever your goals are, write them down.

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Make an agenda How long do you need to study to achieve your goals? This answer is different for every student. The important thing is to be realistic. If you work 60 hours per week, don't plan on spending another 40 hours a week studying English. Start off slow, but study regularly. Use material that is challenging, but not too difficult. Find out what works for you. After you have studied for a few weeks, adjust your study schedule accordingly. Do you study best at night, or on the bus on your way to work? Do you like to study alone in a quiet place, or with friends and background music? Click here for a sample 4 week agenda. Make a commitment Learning English requires a lot of motivation. Nobody is going to take your attendance when you aren't in class. If you are sure you are ready to begin studying, make a commitment. Click here to sign a contract with yourself. Have fun learning English! The things we do best in life are the things we enjoy doing. If you aren't having fun learning English, you're not studying the right way! You can be a serious student who has fun at the same time. Make up your own rewards program to give yourself incentives to stay on task. Study a Balance of the 4 Key Skills (Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing) Most students want to communicate better in English. If this is one of your goals, it is important to study a balance of the four major skills. Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing are the main (macro) skills you need to communicate in any language. Being very good at only one of these skills will not help you to communicate. For example you need to be able to read well before you can write well. You also need to be able to listen before you can speak.

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It helps to think of these communicative skills in two groups.

INput <<< o Listening (in through your ears) o Reading (in through your eyes)

OUTput >>> o Speaking (out through your mouth) o Writing (out through your hand)

It's simple. Think of it this way. First you have input. Next you have output. First you listen to someone ask you a question. Second you speak and give them your answer. First you read a letter from someone. After that you write back to them. These are examples of communicating. Input and output don't necessarily go in a specific order. Sometimes you speak first and then you listen. Sometimes you write about something you hear. During communication, the person you are communicating with uses one of the opposite skills. Therefore, in order to understand each other, everyone must be skillful in all four areas. Some students want to know which skill is the most important. Since all of the skills rely on each other, they are all important. However, to communicate we do use some skills more often than others. For example, about 40% of the time that we spend communicating we are simply listening. We speak for about 35% of the time. Approximately 16% of communication comes from reading, and about 9% from writing. These statistics are for an average communicator in English. Depending on someone's job or situation, these numbers may vary. Each of these main skills have micro skills within them. For example, pronunciation is a type of speaking skill that must be practised in order to improve communication. Spelling is a skill that makes understanding the written word easier.

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Grammar and vocabulary are other micro skills. Micro doesn't mean they are unimportant. Macro skills such as listening are very general, while micro skills are more specific. (More about input and output) For the best results, create an agenda that combines all four areas of study. Allow one type of studying to lead into another. For example, read a story and then talk about it with a friend. Watch a movie and then write about it. This is what teachers in an English class would have you do, right? EnglishClub.com has lessons in all 4 key skills (and all minor skills), as well as many outside links to help you study further. (ESL Internet resources) 1. How to learn LISTENING

Listen to the radio Don't always have a pen in hand. Sometimes it helps to just listen. Watch English TV Children's programming is very useful for ESL learners. Choose programs that you would enjoy in your own language. Remember that much of what you hear on TV is slang. Call Automated Answering Machine recordings You can find these numbers at the front of telephone books in many English-speaking countries. Before you dial, make sure that you are calling the free numbers. Watch movies Choose ones with subtitles, or one from ESLNotes.com (provides useful notes on popular movies). Use Internet listening resources Every day there are more and more places to listen to English online.

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Useful Listening links: EnglishClub.com English Listening More listening tips

2. How to learn SPEAKING and pronunciation

Talk to yourself Talk about anything and everything. Do it in the privacy of your own home. If you can't do this at first, try reading out loud until you feel comfortable hearing your own voice in English. Record your own voice This might feel very uncomfortable, but it will help you find your weak pronunciation points. Listen to yourself a few days later. Which sounds do you have difficulty hearing? Use the telephone. Participate in class Learn common idioms Understand the sounds that your language doesn't have For example, many languages don't have the "r" sound. These sounds require extra practice. Recognize that teachers are trained to understand you When you get out into the real world, average people will have a more difficult time understanding you unless you practise speaking slowly and with proper pronunciation. Practise minimal pairs Study word and sentence stress Practice tongue twisters Useful Speaking links: EnglishClub.com English Speaking

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EnglishClub.com English Pronunciation Speaking tips More speaking tips 3. How to learn READING and vocabulary

Read something every day Children's books, simplified readers (Penguin), newspapers, magazines, Internet sites, novels, and much much more... Read what interests you. Remember that you learn better when you are having fun. Read at the appropriate level You want to learn new vocabulary, but you also want to understand what you are reading. If you are looking up every word, the reading is too difficult. Review Who, What, Where, When, Why for each story you read You can do this for almost any type of reading. Who is it about? What happened? Why did it happen? Where did it take place? When did it take place? This is very useful when you have no comprehension questions to answer. You can write or speak your answers. Always have an English-English dictionary nearby It is a bad habit to always rely on a translation dictionary or electronic dictionary. Think of your English-English dictionary as your life line. Use online dictionaries when you are using the Internet (keyword online dictionary). Record vocabulary in a personal dictionary o Keep this notebook separate from other work o Record vocabulary in alphabetical order (an English address book works well because it has letters of the alphabet)

21

o o o

Record the part of speech (sometimes there is more than one) Write a sample sentence for yourself (don't use the one from the dictionary) Review your personal dictionary (especially new entries) every night before bed

Useful Reading links: EnglishClub.com English Reading EnglishClub.com English Vocabulary More reading tips

4. How to learn WRITING and spelling

Keep a diary/journal Don't always pay attention to grammar. Free-writing can be very useful. It can show you that writing is fun. Have fun with the language. Write emails in English Stay in contact with teachers or other students. Rewrite your local news in English This is another exercise that can be done on a daily basis. Remember that regular activities are the best ones. Learn important spelling rules Remember, you won't always have a dictionary or a spell-checker handy, especially when you are writing a test. Even native English speakers need to review the spelling rules from time to time. Learn commonly misspelled words Learn common English errors Get an ESL penpal

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Useful Writing links: EnglishClub.com English Writing More writing tips

More TIPS for learning English Don't be afraid of grammar

Grammar is for communication Sometimes students get obsessed with grammar. This is especially true for students who grew up with strict grammar schooling. Remember that you only study grammar in order to communicate. Practise with a few exercises, then write an essay or have a conversation and try to use your new tools. Isolate your weak points Don't waste time on grammar exercises that you already understand just because they are easier for you. Concentrate on grammar that is difficult for you. If you are unsure of where your problems are, write a few short essays or paragraphs and ask a teacher to circle repeated errors. Then you can look up your problem and practise it. Teach grammar points to a friend Find a friend who studies at a lower level than you. Teaching will force you to remember the rules and to understand them properly. Try preparing a worksheet for your friend. Useful Grammar links: EnglishClub.com English Grammar Gramar is your friend Grammar Safari

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Improve your homework skills

Stay organized. Keep separate notebooks for exercises, writing, and vocabulary. Use a pen that you love. Study in short, regular periods. Allow a short amount of time for review. Study in a place where you feel happy and comfortable. Don't allow distractions. Consider email, TV, and the telephone (unless in English) off limits while you are studying. Have a drink and snack handy so that you don't have to get up. If you study in pairs or groups, make an English-only rule.

Visit an English-Speaking Country

Take a language holiday. Stay with a homestay family. Learn from native English teachers. Gain access to English culture. Get a part-time job. Volunteer. Make native English friends. Make friends with people from other countries. Become more confident. Hire a tutor. Offer language lessons/swap in your own native tongue. Useful links: Language Holidays Homestay English Schools Guide

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Prepare for a standardized test such as TOEIC or TOEFL

Qualify for a better job in your country (TOEIC). Get accepted to an American college or university (TOEFL). Use guided-study text books. Study a broad range of whole language. Track your improvement easily (test scores). Learn idiomatic language. Learn business English (TOEIC). Improve your vocabulary quickly. Take classes and get access to many listening exercises. Challenge yourself to improve your score. Learn and practise proper essay format (TWE/NEW TOEFL). Become a grammar expert. Improve your general knowledge. Useful links: ESL Exams TOEFL Tips and Practice TOEIC Tips and Practice Official Cambridge site Official TOEFL site Official TOEIC site

Fun with English Ideas

Have an English-only evening once a week. Cook in English (rewrite your recipe in English) or watch English movies. Write an English love letter. (If your loved one doesn't understand English that's even better!) Write English limericks. (These are excellent and simple for writing, pronunciation and rhythm practice.) Rewrite fairytales, jokes or instructions in English. Go out and pretend you don't understand your native language (try to get by in only English).

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Go online and find the lyrics to your favourite English songs and sing along to them (use a search engine). Learn the words to English national anthems. Sing along when you hear them on TV (sporting events). Invent an English character for yourself (with job, family, etc). Write this person's biography. Buy an English board game (like Monopoly or Scrabble). Play cards in English. Start up or join an English reading or conversation club. Talk to yourself in English while you clean or do the dishes. Go around the house and try to name everything in English (furniture, clothes etc). Look up words you don't know.

ESL stands for English as a Second Language.

Watch us on YouTube Follow us on Twitter Join us on Facebook Grammar Vocabulary Pronunciation Listening Speaking Reading Writing ESL Games Business English More... FREE Downloads Reference Resources ESL World MyEnglishClub TLEVP Forums ESL Videos Chat For Teachers Pronunciation Power Site Map Webmaster Tools Contact Terms Privacy Join Free Create an Ad Tell a friend about this page Report an error on this page

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English Parts of Speech There are thousands of words in any language. But not all words have the same job. For example, some words express "action". Other words express a "thing". Other words "join" one word to another word. These are the "building blocks" of the language. Think of them like the parts of a house. When we want to build a house, we use concrete to make the foundations or base. We use bricks to make the walls. We use window frames to make the windows, and door frames to make the doorways. And we use cement to join them all together. Each part of the house has its own job. And when we want to build a sentence, we use the different types of word. Each type of word has its own job. We can categorize English words into 8 basic types or classes. These classes are called "parts of speech". Some grammar books categorize English into 9 or 10 parts of speech. At EnglishClub, we use the traditional categorization of 8 parts of speech (see table for more details). It's quite important to recognize parts of speech. This helps you to analyze sentences and understand them. It also helps you to construct good sentences. In this lesson, we have an overview of the eight parts of speech, followed by a quiz to check your understanding:

Parts of Speech Table Parts of Speech Examples Words with More than One Job Parts of Speech Quiz

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Parts of Speech Table

This is a summary of the 8 parts of speech*. You can find more detail if you click on each part of speech. part of speech Verb function or "job" action or state example words (to) be, have, do, like, work, sing, can, must pen, dog, work, music, town, London, teacher, John a/an, the, 69, some, good, big, red, well, interesting quickly, silently, well, badly, very, really I, you, he, she, some to, at, after, on, but and, but, when oh!, ouch!, hi!, well example sentences EnglishClub.com is a web site. I like EnglishClub.com.

Noun

thing or person

This is my dog. He lives in my house. We live in London.

Adjective

describes a noun

My dog is big. I like big dogs.

Adverb

describes a verb, adjective or adverb

My dog eats quickly. When he is very hungry, he eats really quickly.

Pronoun Preposition

replaces a noun links a noun to another word joins clauses or sentences or words short exclamation,

Tara is Indian. She is beautiful. We went to school on Monday. I like dogs and I like cats. I like cats and dogs. I like dogs but I don't like cats. Ouch! That hurts! Hi! How are you? Well, I don't know.

Conjunction

Interjection

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sometimes inserted into a sentence

* Some grammar sources categorize English into 9 or 10 parts of speech. At EnglishClub.com, we use the traditional categorization of 8 parts of speech. Examples of other categorizations are:

Verbs may be treated as two different parts of speech: o Lexical Verbs (work, like, run) o Auxiliary Verbs (be, have, must) Determiners may be treated as a separate part of speech, instead of being categorized under Adjectives

Parts of Speech Examples

Here are some sentences made with different English parts of speech: Verb Stop! noun John verb works. noun John verb Is verb working.

pronoun She

verb loves

noun animals.

noun Animals

verb like

adjective kind

noun people.

noun Tara

verb speaks

noun English

adverb well.

noun Tara

verb speaks

adjective good

noun English.

pronoun She

verb ran

preposition to

adjective the

noun station

adverb quickly.

pron. She

verb likes

adj. big

noun snakes

conjunction but

pron. I

verb hate

pron. them.

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Here is a sentence that contains every part of speech: interjection Well, pron. she conj. and adj. young noun John verb walk prep. to noun school adverb slowly.

Grammar Welcome to EnglishClub Grammar for English learners. Many of these grammar lessons also have quizzes to check your understanding. If you still don't understand something, feel free to ask a question at the Grammar Help Desk. grammar (noun): the structure and system of a language, or of languages in general, usually considered to consist of syntax and morphology. What is Grammar? Grammar hot links Verbs | Passive voice | Modal verbs | Conditionals | Questions | Irregular verbs | Going to | Gerunds | Phrasal Verbs |Tenses | Nouns | (Un)Countable nouns | Adjectives | Articles | Preposition List English Grammar Terms (long version) English Grammar Terms (short version) The 8 English Parts of Speech These are the words that you use to make a sentence. There are only 8 types of word - and the most important is the Verb!

Verbs be, have, do, work Nouns man, town, music Adjectives a, the, 69, big Adverbs loudly, well, often Pronouns you, ours, some Prepositions at, in, on, from

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Conjunctions and, but, though Interjections ah, dear, er, um

What Is A Sentence? Grammar Quizzes Parts of Speech Quiz Verb Classification Quiz Main Verb Forms Quiz Active or Passive Quiz Subjunctive Quiz Future Time Quiz Continuous Tense Quiz Used to do Quiz Have to, Must Quiz Can, Could Quiz Questions Quiz Tag Questions Quiz Infinitive or -ing Quiz Gerunds Quiz Phrasal Verbs Quiz Phrasal Verbs Quiz Conditionals Quiz For or Since Quiz Present Simple Quiz Present Continuous Quiz Present Perfect Quiz Present Perfect Continuous Past Simple Quiz Past Continuous Quiz More Grammar Quizzes...

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Pronunciation Welcome to EnglishClub.com Pronunciation for ESL learners. If your questions about pronunciation are not answered here, feel free to ask a question at the Help Each Other With English forum.

pronunciation (noun): the way in which we pronounce a word pronounce (verb): to make the sound of a word English is not Phonetic Always remember that English is not "phonetic". That means that we do not always say a word the same way that we spell it. Listen. Glossary of Pronunciation Terms Definitions of words and expressions used when talking about pronunciation Word Stress in English with Quiz The secret key to English pronunciation! Many languages don't use word stress but English does, and so must you! More about word stress in English. Sentence Stress in English Like word stress, sentence stress is a fundamental part of the English language. Your English pronunciation will improve immediately if you start using sentence stress! Learn more about sentence stress in English. Linking in English Linking is important in English. When we say a sentence, we join or "link" many of the words. Learn about linking here.

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Homophones Homophones are words that have exactly the same sound (pronunciation) but different meanings and (usually) spelling. For example: hour/our or to/too/two. Alphabet Homophones English Phonetic Spelling When speaking on the telephone, it is sometimes useful to spell a word using English Phonetic Spelling. Printable Phonemic Chart The symbols on this chart represent the 44 sounds used in British English speech. Interactive Phonemic Chart Click to hear each symbol and sample word. The symbols on this chart represent the 44 sounds used in British English
speech.
Phonemic Character Keyboard (to test yourself on the symbols, click here)

- show hints

The phonemic chart contains all 44 sounds that make up words in spoken English. It's very useful for studying English pronunciation, as it's the one used by most dictionaries, but there's no easy way of writing in phonemic "font" in most software. You can use this chart to type in phonemic symbols for use in documents, teaching materials and websites. Click on the symbols to insert them into the text field in your desired order, then copy and paste them into Microsoft Word or any other software that supports Unicode fonts. Be sure to select the right font in your software: usually Gentium, Arial Unicode MS or Lucida Sans Unicode.

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Please feel free to leave a comment or send me an email if you have any questions or suggestions.

i:
sheep

ship

book

u:
shoot

here

e
wait

/
show

e
left

teacher

:
her

:
door

tourist

coin

hat

up

:
far

on

e
hair

a
like

a
mouth

p
pea

b
boat

t
tree

d
dog

cheese

joke

k
coin

g
go

f
free

v
video

thing

this

s
see

z
zoo

sheep

television

m
mouse

n
now

thing

h
hope

l
love

r
run

w
we

j
you

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Pronunciation Tips These English pronunciation tips will help you get the most out of your Pronunciation Power program. Tip 1 Do not confuse pronunciation of words with their spelling! For example, "threw" and "through", although spelled differently, are pronounced the same. Also, identical letters or letter clusters in words do not always produce the same sound. For example, the "ough" in "though" and "through" represents a different sound in each word. Learn to practise what you hear, not what you see. Tip 2 Imagine a sound in your mind before you say it. Try to visualize the positioning of your mouth and face. Think about how you are going to make the sound. Tip 3 Listen to and try to imitate the Pronunciation Power instructor. In addition to listening for specific sounds, pay attention to pauses, the intonation of the instructor's voice and patterns of emphasis. This can be just as important as the pronunciation of sounds. Tip 4 The English language has many different dialects, and words can be pronounced differently. It is important, however, that you pronounce words clearly to ensure effective communication. Tip 5 Finally, the Pronunciation Power program is a tool to help you. But you must practise what you are learning! Remember that you are teaching your mouth a new way to move. You are building muscles that you do not use in your own language. It is like going to the gym and exercising your body. Use the program to exercise your mouth a little bit each day.

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Learn the Shapes There are two different ways of making sentences about shapes. You can use a shape as a noun or an adjective. Play the recording to hear the proper pronunciation of the shapes. Then read the example sentences and take the quiz. (Listen to the pronunciation.)

triangle

circle

rectangle

heart

square

oval

star

diamond

octagon

1. The roof of a house is shaped like a triangle (noun). The roof is triangular (adjective).

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2. The clock on the wall is shaped like a circle. The clock is circular. (or The clock is round.) 3. The table in the room is shaped like a rectangle. The table is rectangular. 4. The necklace I wear is shaped like a heart. My necklace is heartshaped. 5. The picture on the wall is shaped like a square. The picture is square. 6. The rock in the garden is shaped like an oval. The rock is oval. 7. The nose on the pumpkin is shaped like a star. The pumpkin's nose is star-shaped. 8. The ornament on the tree is shaped like a diamond. The ornament is diamond-shaped. 9.The stop sign on my street is shaped like an octagon. The sign is octagonal. Can you guess the name of another shape? Octa means 8. An octagon has eight sides. Penta means 5. What is a shape with five sides called? PENTAGON

Enero del 2012

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