Discover what's new or coming soon, including upcoming lessons and resources and product feature updates. 

Announcements

<h1>Introducing Individual Student Assignments</h1>

<p>Great news, teachers!</p>

<p>As of today, you can now select which individual students receive specific assignments within any class.&nbsp;</p>

<h3><strong>Here&#39;s how it works:</strong></h3>

<ul>
	<li>Click on a lesson, video, or flashcard set in your Prepping or Teaching lane within any of your classes</li>
	<li>A modal will open with your assignment preferences for that lesson&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Click the &quot;Students&quot; tab in the top navigation of the modal</li>
	<li>Switch the setting from &quot;All students&quot; to &quot;Some students&quot;</li>
	<li>Select the students you want to assign the lesson to&nbsp;and remember to hit &quot;Save&quot; inside the modal before closing it</li>
</ul>

<p>Only the selected students will see the assignment inside their class dashboard.</p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/C5BgjG7wtaI?si=I4waw7z14JkLaeer" width="640"></iframe></div>

<p>We know that a lot of you have been asking for this feature for a while now. So thanks for your patience, and we hope it&#39;s a big help!</p>

<p>All the best,<br />
Ben :)</p>

<p>Founder, CEO at Ellii</p>


Introducing Individual Student Assignments

https://esllibrary-staging.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/2724/Ben_Introducing-Individual-Student-Assignments_Banner.png

Learn tips on how to teach grammar and usage from our editors and grammar experts. 

Grammar & Usage

<p><em>So</em>, <em>such</em>, and <em>too</em> are words with similar meanings and usage that our students often struggle with. We&rsquo;ve previously blogged about <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/so-vs-too/"> So Vs. Too</a>, so let&rsquo;s examine <em>so</em> and <em>such</em> in more&nbsp;detail now.</p>

<p>Do your students get <em>so</em> and <em>such</em> confused? Mine sure did. They&rsquo;d use <em>so</em> incorrectly with a noun (e.g., <em>That was so good movie</em>) or <em>such</em> without an article (e.g., <em>That was such good movie</em>). We hope the patterns and examples below will help your students remember how to use <em>so</em> and <em>such</em>&nbsp;correctly!</p>

<h1>So Vs. Such</h1>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/103/resources/2772" target="_blank"><img alt="Screenshot of our So Vs. Such resource" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/231/content_Tanya_So-Vs-Such_Chart.png" /></a></p>

<p class="caption"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/103/resources/2772">So Vs. Such</a> &ndash; Grammar &amp; Usage&nbsp;Resources</p>

<h1>Notes</h1>

<h2>Note #1</h2>

<p>Teach students to look for the <strong>noun</strong>, not the article, when deciding whether to use <em>so</em> or <em>such</em>. For singular count nouns, the pattern will be <strong>such + article + adjective + noun</strong>, but for non-count nouns and plural count nouns, the pattern will be <strong>such + adjective +&nbsp;noun</strong>.</p>

<ul>
	<li>That was such a boring book. (<em>singular count&nbsp;noun</em>)</li>
	<li>That was such heavy rain. (<em>non‑count&nbsp;noun</em>)</li>
	<li>They were such good singers. (<em>plural count&nbsp;noun</em>)</li>
</ul>

<h2>Note #2</h2>

<p>Remind students that the pattern &ldquo;so + adjective + noun&rdquo; is&nbsp;impossible.</p>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="incorrect">That was so good&nbsp;movie.</li>
	<li class="correct">That was such a good&nbsp;movie.</li>
	<li class="correct">That movie was so&nbsp;good.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Note #3</h2>

<p>Note that <em>so</em> and <em>such</em> have many other meanings and functions in English. Check a dictionary for a list of all possible meanings and&nbsp;uses.</p>

<h1>Practice</h1>

<p>See our Grammar &amp; Usage Resource on <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/grammar-usage/resources/2772-so-vs-such">So Vs. Such</a> for a larger version of this chart and a handy practice exercise. You can also teach <em>so</em> and <em>such</em> in context in our <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/90/lessons/1645">So &amp; Such Stories</a>&nbsp;lesson.</p>


So Vs. Such

https://esllibrary-staging.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/1616/Tanya_Grammar_Banner.png

<p>We blogged about <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/so-such-too" target="_blank">so, such, and too</a> way back in 2014, but these commonly confused words have resurfaced in two of our <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/110/lessons" target="_blank">Super Simple Questions</a> lessons (<a href="https://ellii.com/courses/110/lessons/2768" target="_blank">What Size Is It?</a> and <a href="https://www.ellii.com/courses/110/lessons/2778" target="_blank">Do You Like It?</a>). These lessons contain examples of the adverbs <em>so</em> and <em>too</em> in context, so we thought it was a good time to review and compare these terms in more&nbsp;detail.</p>

<p>My students often got <em>so</em> and <em>too</em> confused. They&rsquo;d use <em>too</em> incorrectly in a positive sentence (e.g., <em>That movie was too good</em>) or they&rsquo;d use it when <em>so</em> would be more natural (e.g., <em>The water was too cold, but I went swimming anyway</em>). We hope that teaching these adverbs using the chart below will help your students keep <em>so</em> and <em>too</em> straight once and for&nbsp;all.</p>

<h1>So Vs. Too</h1>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/103/resources/2773" target="_blank"><img alt="Screenshot of our So Vs. Too resource" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/232/content_Tanya_So-Vs-Too_Chart.png" /></a></p>

<p class="caption"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/103/resources/2773" target="_blank">So Vs. Too</a> &ndash; Grammar &amp; Usage&nbsp;Resources</p>

<h1>Notes</h1>

<h2>Note #1</h2>

<p>As mentioned above, students often use <em>too</em> incorrectly for positive situations. I&rsquo;ve found it helpful to explain what the meaning with <em>too</em> would actually suggest. It&rsquo;s usually illogical. For&nbsp;example:</p>

<ul>
	<li><em>The movie was too good</em> means that you were enjoying the movie so much that you couldn&rsquo;t stand it and had to leave before it was over. This doesn&rsquo;t really make&nbsp;sense!</li>
	<li><em>The cake was too delicious</em> means that you took a bite of cake and decided you couldn&rsquo;t eat it because it tasted too good. Strange,&nbsp;right?</li>
</ul>

<p>If you have higher-level learners, you could point out that we can use <em>too</em> in positive sentences for emphasis, if we stress <em>too</em> and the &ldquo;excessive&rdquo; meaning is clear. Tell students to think of the meaning as &ldquo;so much that I&nbsp;could barely stand&nbsp;it.&rdquo;</p>

<ul>
	<li>You are too&nbsp;funny!</li>
	<li>He is way too&nbsp;kind!</li>
</ul>

<h2>Note #2</h2>

<p><em>Too + adjective</em> is often followed by an infinitive verb (to + base&nbsp;verb).</p>

<ul>
	<li>The test was <strong>too difficult to&nbsp;finish</strong>.</li>
	<li>The pizza was <strong>too hot to&nbsp;eat</strong>.</li>
	<li>The assignment took <strong>too long to complete</strong> on&nbsp;time.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Note #3</h2>

<p>Note that <em>so</em> and <em>too</em> have many other purposes and functions in English. Check a dictionary for a list of all possible meanings and&nbsp;uses.</p>

<h1>Practice</h1>

<p>See our Grammar &amp; Usage Resource on <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/grammar-usage/resources/2773-so-vs-too" target="_blank">So Vs. Too</a> for a larger version of this chart and a handy practice exercise! You can also teach <em>too</em> in context in our <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/110/lessons/2768" target="_blank">What Size Is It?</a> and <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/110/lessons/2778" target="_blank">Do You Like&nbsp;It?</a>&nbsp;lessons.</p>


So Vs. Too

https://esllibrary-staging.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/1615/Tanya_Grammar_Banner.png

Find fun games and activities for teaching English to young learners and middle schoolers. 

Young Learners

<p>Are you ready to introduce modals of ability to your young learners? We hope you&rsquo;ll try our ready-made lesson on <em>can</em> and <em>could</em> from our <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/116/lessons/2535" target="_blank">Fun Grammar Lessons</a> section. After you use the lesson, try this fun and easy game to review <em>can</em> as a modal of&nbsp;ability.</p>

<h1>Prove It!</h1>

<h2>Questions</h2>

<p>Write the following 10 questions (or similar ones) on the&nbsp;board:</p>

<ol>
	<li>Can you stand on one leg for 60&nbsp;seconds?</li>
	<li>Can you touch your tongue to your&nbsp;nose?</li>
	<li>Can you whistle?</li>
	<li>Can you stare without blinking for 60&nbsp;seconds?</li>
	<li>Can you say the English alphabet without making a&nbsp;mistake?</li>
	<li>Can you stand on one leg with your eyes closed for five&nbsp;seconds?</li>
	<li>Can you make someone yawn in 10&nbsp;seconds?</li>
	<li>Can you make someone laugh in 10&nbsp;seconds?</li>
	<li>Can you count to 25 in&nbsp;English?</li>
	<li>Can you draw a/an&hellip;(animal or&nbsp;insect)?</li>
</ol>

<h2>Points</h2>

<p>Give each student 3&ndash;5 points to start with. Use coins or slips of paper (or any objects) to represent the points. Send students around the room to ask each other questions, just as they would in a traditional <em>Find Someone Who</em> activity. In this game, students have to do more than say <em>yes</em> or <em>no</em>. They have to prove their abilities to collect points. If they can&rsquo;t prove their abilities, they lose a&nbsp;point.</p>

<p>When a student loses all of her points, she is out of the game and becomes an observer/judge. The last student standing (or the one with the most points when you end the game) is the&nbsp;winner.</p>

<div class="white-box">
<h3>Note:</h3>

<p>Remind students that they must not ask the same question twice during the&nbsp;game.</p>
</div>

<h3>Example:</h3>

<table class="horizontal dialogue">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>A:</th>
			<td>Can you stand on one leg for 60&nbsp;seconds?</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>B:</th>
			<td>Yes, I can.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>A:</th>
			<td>Prove it!</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>&nbsp;</th>
			<td><em>[B stands on one leg, but loses balance after 30 seconds. B gives one point to A.]</em></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<p>OR</p>

<table class="horizontal dialogue">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>A:</th>
			<td>Can you stand on one leg for 60&nbsp;seconds?</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>B:</th>
			<td>Yes, I can.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>A:</th>
			<td>Prove it!</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>&nbsp;</th>
			<td><em>[B stands on one leg for 60 seconds without losing balance. A gives one point to B.]</em></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<p>OR</p>

<table class="horizontal dialogue">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>A:</th>
			<td>Can you stand on one leg for 60&nbsp;seconds?</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>B:</th>
			<td>No, I can&rsquo;t.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>&nbsp;</th>
			<td><em>[No points are exchanged. Students find other classmates to&nbsp;challenge.]</em></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<p>OR</p>

<table class="horizontal dialogue">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>A:</th>
			<td>Can you stand on one leg for 60&nbsp;seconds?</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>B:</th>
			<td>Yes, I can.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>A:</th>
			<td>I believe you.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>&nbsp;</th>
			<td><em>[No points are exchanged. Students find other classmates to challenge.]</em></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<div class="white-box">
<h5>Note:</h5>

<p>If too many students use this &ldquo;safe&rdquo; option, you can disallow&nbsp;it.</p>
</div>

<h2>Increase the Difficulty</h2>

<p>To make the game a bit more difficult, don&rsquo;t put the whole question on the board. If you or another observer hears students asking the question incorrectly, you can take a point away from&nbsp;them.</p>

<ul>
	<li>stand one leg / 60&nbsp;seconds</li>
	<li>touch tongue to nose</li>
	<li>whistle</li>
	<li>stare without blinking / 60&nbsp;seconds</li>
	<li>say English alphabet</li>
	<li>stand one leg / eyes closed / 5&nbsp;seconds</li>
	<li>make someone yawn</li>
	<li>make someone laugh</li>
	<li>count to 25 / English</li>
	<li>draw a&hellip;</li>
</ul>

<h2>Other Abilities</h2>

<p>You can use our ideas, or you can make up any abilities you want. You could include some abilities based on lessons you have taught in class. Ask your students to help you think of some, too. Here are a few more&nbsp;abilities:</p>

<ul>
	<li>pat head and rub belly at same&nbsp;time</li>
	<li>name every person in the class</li>
	<li>name 10 countries</li>
	<li>hop on one leg for 10 seconds</li>
	<li>spell my name backwards</li>
	<li>name all of the months in&nbsp;English</li>
	<li>sing a verse from&hellip;</li>
	<li>roll your r&rsquo;s</li>
	<li>say three /th/ words</li>
	<li>breakdance</li>
</ul>

<h2>Review with a Video</h2>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_facQiZDrU4" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br />
An ad-free version of the video is available for <a href="https://ellii.com/pricing" target="_blank">Ellii subscribers</a> in our <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2610-modals-of-ability-present" target="_blank">Modals of Ability</a> lessons and on our <a href="https://ellii.com/video/modals-of-ability" target="_blank">Media Gallery</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<h1>Related</h1>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/116/lessons/2535">Modals of Ability</a>: Fun Grammar Lessons (YL)</li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons/2610">Modals of Ability &ndash;&nbsp;Present</a>: Grammar Practice Worksheets</li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/89/lessons/1588">Simple Present &ndash;&nbsp;Can you?</a>: Basic Grammar Sentences</li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/113/lessons/2426">Hobbies</a>: Word Bank</li>
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/assessment-tools/resources/2224-goal-setting-can-do">Goal-Setting &ndash; Can Do</a>: Resources</li>
</ul>


Modals of Ability Game: Prove It!

https://esllibrary-staging.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/915/Tara_Prove-It_Banner.png

<p>Many words in the English language are easily confused because they&rsquo;re similar in sound or meaning. We&rsquo;ve examined many commonly confused words in the past. The words we&rsquo;ll look at today, while not as commonly used, are a set of terms that appear in context in our latest <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/82/lessons" target="_blank">Famous Things</a> lesson on <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/82/lessons/2764" target="_blank">The Supreme Court (US)</a>. Let&rsquo;s take a closer look at how these two words differ in&nbsp;usage.</p>

<h1>Quick Tip</h1>

<p>In a nutshell, <em>confirm</em> is fairly common and means to validate the truth about something (e.g., She <strong>confirmed</strong> the gossip when she announced she was pregnant). <em>Affirm</em> is much less common and means to say something with a strong conviction (e.g., During her speech, she <strong>affirmed</strong> her commitment to making the school more environmentally&nbsp;friendly).</p>

<h1>Confirm</h1>

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>Type:</th>
			<td>The verb <em>confirm</em> is transitive (meaning it takes a direct&nbsp;object).</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Meaning:</th>
			<td>The most common meaning of <em>confirm</em> is &ldquo;to give approval or validity to something.&rdquo; It is used for both positive and negative&nbsp;situations.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Synonyms:</th>
			<td>authenticate, corroborate, substantiate, validate,&nbsp;verify</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Examples:</th>
			<td>
			<ul>
				<li>The attack <strong>confirmed</strong> her worst fears about the neighborhood. (<a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confirm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Merriam-Webster</em></a>)</li>
				<li>The truth was reluctantly <strong>confirmed</strong> by the Pentagon after news reports corroborated the evidence. (<a href="https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/confirm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Oxford</em></a>)</li>
			</ul>
			</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<h3>Use in Law</h3>

<p>Unlike <em>affirm</em>, <em>confirm</em> isn&#39;t used that often in law. In legal contexts, <em>confirm</em> means &quot;to give approval to, to ratify&quot;&nbsp;(<em>Merriam-Webster</em>). The following is an example from <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/28/politics/senate-supreme-court-guide/index.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>CNN Politics</em></a>:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement Wednesday, and almost immediately the US Senate was launched into the national spotlight as it&#39;s the legislative body that will formally <strong>confirm</strong> whoever the next justice will&nbsp;be.</p>
</blockquote>

<h1>Affirm</h1>

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>Type:</th>
			<td>The verb <em>affirm</em> can be transitive (meaning it takes a direct object) or intransitive (meaning it doesn&rsquo;t take a direct&nbsp;object).</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Meaning:</th>
			<td>The most common meaning of <em>affirm</em> is &ldquo;to assert or state positively.&rdquo; It is usually used for positive&nbsp;situations.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Synonyms:</th>
			<td>assert, avow, declare,&nbsp;protest</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Examples:</th>
			<td>
			<ul>
				<li>They neither <strong>affirmed</strong> nor denied their guilt. (<a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/affirm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Merriam‑Webster</em></a>)</li>
				<li>That means any two people who are not already married can publicly and formally <strong>affirm</strong> their commitment to each other. (<a href="https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/affirm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Oxford</em></a>)</li>
			</ul>
			</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<h3>Use in Law</h3>

<p><em>Affirm</em> is frequently used in legal contexts. As a transitive verb, <em>affirm</em> means &ldquo;to assert (something, such as a judgment or decree) as valid or confirmed&rdquo; (<em>Merriam‑Webster</em>). As an intransitive verb, it means &ldquo;to testify or declare by affirmation as distinguished from swearing an oath&rdquo; or &ldquo;to uphold a judgment or decree of a lower court&rdquo; (<em>Merriam‑Webster</em>). The following example is from <a href="http://guides.library.ubc.ca/legalcitation/cases" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>UBC Legal Citation&nbsp;Guide</em></a>:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Further, you will want to let the reader know if the Court of Appeal decision is <strong>affirming</strong>/reversing the earlier decision and whether the Court of Appeal decision was <strong>affirmed</strong>/reversed by the Supreme Court of&nbsp;Canada.</p>
</blockquote>

<h1>Confirmation</h1>

<p>The noun <em>confirmation</em> describes the act of confirming something (e.g., The doctor&rsquo;s note provided the teacher with the required <strong>confirmation</strong>). It can also be used for a religious ceremony (where practitioners receive full church&nbsp;membership).</p>

<p>In law, it means &ldquo;the ratification of an executive act by a legislative body&rdquo; (e.g., the <strong>confirmation</strong> of a Supreme Court nominee), as defined by <em>Merriam‑Webster</em>.</p>

<h1>Affirmation</h1>

<p>The meaning of the noun <em>affirmation</em> that is most commonly used is that of a positive message or daily mantra. An example of an affirmation from this article, called <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-carmen-harra/affirmations_b_3527028.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">35 <strong>Affirmations</strong> That Will Change Your Life</a> (<em>Huffington Post</em>), is: &ldquo;I am the architect of my life; I build its foundation and choose its contents.&rdquo; <em>Affirmation</em> can also mean the act of affirming&nbsp;something.</p>

<p>In law, it means &ldquo;a formal declaration by a person who declines to take an oath,&rdquo; according to&nbsp;<em>Oxford</em>.</p>

<h1>Related Resources</h1>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/82/lessons/2764" target="_blank">The Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;(lesson)</li>

	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/6-commonly-confused-word-pairs" target="_blank">6 Commonly Confused Word Pairs</a>&nbsp;(blog&nbsp;post)</li>
</ul>


Confirm Vs. Affirm

https://esllibrary-staging.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/1614/Tanya_Grammar_Banner.png

<p>Words with similar meanings and subtle usage differences can really confuse our students. We&rsquo;ve already examined the differences between <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/see-look-watch">see, look, and watch</a> in a previous post, and now we&rsquo;ve received a request to explain the differences between <strong>hear</strong> and <strong>listen</strong>. Let&rsquo;s take a closer&nbsp;look!</p>

<h1>Overview</h1>

<p>Here are the general rules for these two&nbsp;verbs:</p>

<table class="has-borders">
	<thead>
		<tr>
			<th>#</th>
			<th>Rule</th>
			<th>Example</th>
		</tr>
	</thead>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>1</td>
			<td>Use&nbsp;<em>hear</em> for <strong>instant</strong>&nbsp;actions.</td>
			<td>I hear a loud noise&nbsp;outside.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>2</td>
			<td>Use&nbsp;<em>listen</em> for <strong>longer</strong>&nbsp;actions.</td>
			<td>She is listening to the&nbsp;radio.</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<p>Now let&rsquo;s look at these verbs in more&nbsp;detail.</p>

<h1>Hear</h1>

<p><em>Hear</em> is classified as a non‑action (stative) verb because it happens in that instant only. It is one of the &ldquo;five senses&rdquo; verbs that also include <em>see</em>, <em>smell</em>, <em>taste</em>,&nbsp;and&nbsp;<em>feel</em>.</p>

<ul>
	<li>I <strong>hear</strong> a police siren&nbsp;nearby.</li>
	<li>You don&rsquo;t have to yell. I can <strong>hear</strong>&nbsp;you.</li>
	<li>Did you <strong>hear</strong> that loud&nbsp;crash?</li>
</ul>

<p>We normally don&rsquo;t use progressive forms with non-action&nbsp;verbs.</p>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="correct">I <strong>hear</strong> a dog&nbsp;barking.</li>
	<li class="incorrect">I <strong>am hearing</strong> a dog&nbsp;barking.</li>
</ul>

<h1>Listen</h1>

<p><em>Listen</em> is classified as an action (active) verb. We can use <em>listen</em> for short or long periods of time. Progressive forms are common with this verb. <em>Listen</em> is often followed by the preposition&nbsp;&ldquo;to.&rdquo;</p>

<ul>
	<li>They <strong>are listening</strong> to their teacher talk about&nbsp;grammar.</li>
	<li>He <strong>listened</strong> to the first five minutes of the&nbsp;podcast.</li>
	<li>We <strong>have been listening</strong> to the news all&nbsp;morning.</li>
</ul>

<h1>Tip</h1>

<p>Point out that <em>listen</em> is usually followed by a preposition (such as <em>to</em> or <em>for</em>), whereas <em>hear</em> is&nbsp;not.</p>

<ul>
	<li>I am listening <strong>to</strong> my&nbsp;playlist.</li>
	<li>We listened <strong>for</strong> the&nbsp;bell.</li>
	<li>I hear something.</li>
</ul>

<h1>Exceptions</h1>

<h2>Exception #1</h2>

<p>When giving instructions or commands (using imperative verbs), we use <em>listen</em>, not <em>hear</em>, even though we expect the action to happen in that&nbsp;instant.</p>

<ul>
	<li><strong>Listen</strong> to me! You&rsquo;ll fail if you don&rsquo;t study&nbsp;harder.</li>
	<li><strong>Listen</strong>, that&rsquo;s not what I&nbsp;said.</li>
	<li><strong>Listen</strong> up! We only have 20 minutes to finish our&nbsp;project!</li>
</ul>

<h2>Exception #2</h2>

<p><em>Hear</em> is not usually followed by a preposition, but we can use &ldquo;hear about&rdquo; to introduce a topic. The topic is often news or gossip and can be positive or&nbsp;negative.</p>

<ul>
	<li>Did you <strong>hear about</strong> the big train accident?</li>
	<li>I <strong>heard about</strong> her award. That&rsquo;s great&nbsp;news!</li>
</ul>

<h2>Exception #3</h2>

<p><em>Hear</em> does not usually take a progressive <span class="inlineBlock">(-ing)</span> form, but we can use it for emphasis, especially when we&rsquo;re&nbsp;angry.</p>

<ul>
	<li>Why <strong>am</strong> I only <strong>hearing</strong> about this now? You should have told me&nbsp;before!</li>
</ul>

<h1>Related Resources</h1>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons/1593">Simple Present Vs. Present Progressive</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/simple-present-vs-present-progressive">Simple Present Vs. Present Progressive</a></li>
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/grammar-usage/resources/2329-non-action-verbs-exceptions">Non-Action Verbs &amp; Exceptions</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/non-action-verbs-exceptions">Non-Action Verbs &amp; Exceptions</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/see-look-watch">Commonly Confused Verbs: See, Look, Watch</a></li>
</ul>


Commonly Confused Words: Hear Vs. Listen

https://esllibrary-staging.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/1613/Tanya_Hear-Vs-Listen_Banner.png

<p>Why do some verbs in English have two different ways of spelling the past and/or past participle forms? Forms such as <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/got-vs-gotten" target="_blank">Got Vs. Gotten</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/learned-vs-learnt" target="_blank">Learned Vs. Learnt</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/lay-vs-lie-lets-lay-this-matter-to-rest" target="_blank">Laid Vs. Lain</a>, and <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/hanged-vs-hung" target="_blank">Hanged Vs. Hung</a> differ because of region, meaning, or usage. What about the forms <em>sneaked</em> and <em>snuck</em>? The answer isn&#39;t so&nbsp;simple!</p>

<h1>To Sneak or Not to&nbsp;Sneak</h1>

<p>The verb <em>to sneak</em> is&hellip;well&hellip;sneaky! No one knows exactly when or how this verb came into being. Shakespeare seems to have been the first person to record it in writing back in 1596 and again in 1605. Back then, the past and past participle forms were clearly <em>sneaked</em>, which gave us <em>sneak&ndash;sneaked&ndash;sneaked</em> (similar to <em>leak&ndash;leaked&ndash;leaked</em>).</p>

<h1>It Snuck Up on&nbsp;Us</h1>

<p>The origins of the past tense and past participle form <em>snuck</em> are equally mysterious. The first documented use was in America in 1902, and early usage suggests that it was a form used by the uneducated rural class. However, there are no other verbs with the endings <span class="inlineBlock">-eak</span> or <span class="inlineBlock">-eek</span> that take <span class="inlineBlock">-uck</span> as the past form, so it&rsquo;s strange that <em>snuck</em> even exists at&nbsp;all.</p>

<h1>Historically Sneaking</h1>

<p>From its infrequent and underprivileged roots, <em>snuck</em> started being used much more frequently in the US and Canada in the 1950s. Nowadays, <em>sneaked</em> and <em>snuck</em> are almost considered equals in terms of frequency and status in North America. <em>Snuck</em> is less commonly used in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, though there is evidence that it is sneaking its way into the lexicon in these countries as well. <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sneak" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Merriam‑Webster Online</a> has this to say about its&nbsp;usage:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>From its earliest appearance in print in the late 19th century as a dialectal and probably uneducated form, the past and past participle snuck has risen to the status of standard and to approximate equality with sneaked. It is most common in the U.S. and Canada but has also been spotted in British and Australian&nbsp;English.</p>
</blockquote>

<h1>Sources</h1>

<ul>
	<li><em>Merriam-Webster&#39;s Dictionary of English Usage</em>, Merriam-Webster, Incorporated,&nbsp;1994.</li>
	<li><em>Fowler&#39;s Dictionary of Modern English Usage</em>, Oxford University Press, Fourth Edition,&nbsp;2015.</li>
</ul>


Sneaked Vs. Snuck

https://esllibrary-staging.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/1612/Tanya_Grammar_Banner.png

<p>Sometimes it feels like we&rsquo;re always searching for ways to make grammar fun and interesting. Why not try an activity that gets your students moving? This acting activity is fun and easy to&nbsp;prepare!</p>

<p>Use this acting activity as a preview, filler, or review of almost any verb tense. It works very well for the present progressive, but it can also be adapted for the simple present, simple past, simple future, or present&nbsp;perfect.</p>

<p>Subscribers can use the <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/grammar-usage/resources/2247-verb-cards-present-past-past-participle">Verb Cards</a> (pages 1&ndash;2) in our <a href="https://ellii.com/resources">Grammar &amp; Usage Resources</a> for this activity. Non-subscribers can easily make their own verb cards by writing down 40&ndash;50 common base verbs on equally sized slips of&nbsp;paper.</p>

<h1>Method</h1>

<ol>
	<li>One student comes up to the front of the&nbsp;class.</li>
	<li>That student chooses a verb card from the pile. (Prepare the cards before class by cutting up pages 1&ndash;2 of our <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/grammar-usage/resources/2247-verb-cards-present-past-past-participle">Verb Cards</a> or making your&nbsp;own.)</li>
	<li>That student then tries to act out the verb that is written on the card. No speaking&nbsp;allowed!</li>
	<li>To answer, the rest of the class must make a guess using the verb tense you assign to the game. You can choose if you want all students to shout out their guesses (generates more enthusiasm) or if you&rsquo;d like to call on individual students for the answer (ensures everyone is&nbsp;participating).</li>
</ol>

<h2>Examples</h2>

<ul>
	<li>Present Progressive - She is washing her&nbsp;hair!</li>
	<li>Simple Present - He washes his&nbsp;hair!</li>
	<li>Simple Past - She washed her&nbsp;hair!</li>
	<li>Simple Future - He will wash/is going to wash his&nbsp;hair!</li>
	<li>Present Perfect - She has washed her&nbsp;hair!</li>
</ul>

<h2>Note</h2>

<p>If your students are shy, divide the class into smaller groups (or even pairs) so that it&rsquo;s less intimidating. Have them take turns acting out the verbs and&nbsp;guessing.</p>

<h1>Variations</h1>

<p>These variations involve dividing the class into two groups to make this activity more competitive. Before you begin, get the two groups to come up with team names (animals, food, etc.) and keep score by writing the points on the&nbsp;board.</p>

<h2>Variation #1</h2>

<p>Divide the class into two groups. One student comes to the front of the class and acts out the verb. Whoever guesses the action first gets a point for their&nbsp;group.</p>

<h2>Variation #2</h2>

<p>Divide the class into two groups. One student from each group comes to the front of the class and acts out the same verb at the same time, and whichever group guesses it first gets a point. (Be aware that the answers are shouted out quickly, so it&rsquo;s often difficult to tell who gets the&nbsp;point.)</p>

<h2>Variation #3</h2>

<p>Prepare two sets of verb cards. Divide the class into two groups. Set a timer for 15 seconds, and have one student from each group come up at the same time and act out as many verbs as their group can guess within that time frame. (Make sure the cards are shuffled into two different orders so one group can&rsquo;t overhear the other group say the next&nbsp;answer.)</p>

<h2>Variation #4</h2>

<p>For a mixed tense review, divide the class into two groups. One student comes to the front of the class and chooses a verb card. You will say which tense the guesses have to be in (e.g., present progressive, simple present, simple past, simple future, present perfect, etc.). Whoever guesses the action first gets a point for their group. You may also choose to deduct a point when a team member gives an incorrect answer (wrong tense, wrong form, and/or wrong action). Be sure to vary the tense each time a student comes to the front of the&nbsp;class.</p>

<h1>Related</h1>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/grammar-usage/resources/2247-verb-cards-present-past-past-participle">Verb Cards</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons/2464">Present Progressive</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/116/lessons/2501">Present Progressive for Kids</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons/2403">Simple Present</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons/1594">Simple Past</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons/1596">Simple Future</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons/1597">Present Perfect</a></li>
</ul>


Acting Activity for Verb Tense Review

https://esllibrary-staging.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/1611/Tanya_Grammar_Banner.png

<p>In the <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/118/lessons">Phonics &amp; Pronunciation</a> section this month, we have new lessons on the sounds <a class="inlineBlock" href="https://ellii.com/courses/118/lessons/2749">/ch/</a> and <a class="inlineBlock" href="https://ellii.com/courses/118/lessons/2748">/sh/</a>, which are both difficult for many language learners who do not have these sounds in their native language. Fortunately, <span class="inlineBlock">/ch/</span> and <span class="inlineBlock">/sh/</span> are fun sounds for young kids to make, even though they may be&nbsp;difficult.</p>

<p>Before you teach your students some words with these sounds, teach them how to make these sounds in isolation. Remember that imitating new sounds is the best way to get kids to produce them. Here is a fun and active activity that combines the <span class="inlineBlock">/ch/</span> and <span class="inlineBlock">/sh/</span>&nbsp;sounds.</p>

<h1>Shushing the Train</h1>

<p>Divide the class into two groups. If possible, separate the students so that they don&rsquo;t know what the other group is&nbsp;doing.</p>

<h2>Group 1</h2>

<p>Tell the first group that they are going to be a <strong>train</strong>. Demonstrate how a train sounds: <em>ch-ch-ch-ch-ch</em>. Tell the students that they are going to chug around the classroom (or hallway/playground) making their sound. Some students will be able to imitate you, but others will need more help. Start by telling them to pucker their lips as if they are going to kiss a teddy&nbsp;bear.</p>

<div class="white-box">
<h3>To pronounce the <span class="inlineBlock">/ch/</span>&nbsp;sound:</h3>

<ol>
	<li>Part and extend your lips outward as if getting ready to kiss a teddy&nbsp;bear.</li>
	<li>Place your tongue loosely just behind the bumpy part on the roof of your&nbsp;mouth.</li>
	<li>Quickly release one puff of air and stop it with your&nbsp;tongue.</li>
</ol>
</div>

<p>Note: After they are comfortable saying <em>ch-ch-ch</em>, teach your students to add <em>chugga chugga choo choo</em>.</p>

<h2>Group 2</h2>

<p>The students in the second group are going to be the <strong>villagers</strong>. Teach them how to hold a pointer finger up to their lips while saying the sound <span class="inlineBlock">/sh/</span>. If they don&rsquo;t already know, explain that this is how to say <em>Be quiet!</em> Again, some kids will get the sound right away by copying you, and others will need some instruction. (To make the activity more fun, don&rsquo;t tell them who or what they are going to be&nbsp;shushing.)</p>

<div class="white-box">
<h3>To pronounce the <span class="inlineBlock">/sh/</span>&nbsp;sound:</h3>

<ol>
	<li>Part and extend your lips outward as if getting ready to kiss a teddy&nbsp;bear.</li>
	<li>Place your tongue loosely just behind the bumpy part on the roof of your&nbsp;mouth.</li>
	<li>Release the air through your teeth and hold the&nbsp;sound.</li>
</ol>
</div>

<p>If your students have difficulty, have them practice contrasting <a class="inlineBlock" href="https://ellii.com/courses/118/lessons/2748">/s/ with /sh/</a> using the activities in this&nbsp;lesson.</p>

<h2>Put it Together</h2>

<p>Now, put the villagers on one side of the classroom (or hall/playground), and tell them to make their sound (and do the action) when their classmates come in. Send in the train, and tell the students to chug as loudly as they can! They can hold onto each other like a train. The villagers will use their new sound to tell the train to be&nbsp;quiet.</p>

<h2>Repeat</h2>

<p>Now, switch the groups so that the students get a chance to practice the other sound. For the first group, you can use the train again to practice <span class="inlineBlock">/ch/</span>, or if you want to try something different, teach the kids how to sneeze (<em>a-choo</em>). The second group will again use the <span class="inlineBlock">/sh/</span> sound to tell the first group to be silent (whether they are sneezing or chugging). To add another action, tell the shushing kids to pretend they are rocking a&nbsp;baby.</p>

<p>Your students may have difficulty understanding the difference between the sounds /ch/ and /sh/. Show them that it is impossible to hold the /ch/ sound for a few seconds, while it is easy to hold the <span class="inlineBlock">/sh/</span> sound for a long time. Challenge them to try. How long can they hold the <span class="inlineBlock">/sh/</span>&nbsp;sound?</p>

<h1>Follow Up</h1>

<p>After your students have mastered the <strong class="inlineBlock">/ch/</strong> and <strong class="inlineBlock">/sh/</strong> sounds, you can have some fun with minimal pairs. Here are some words and sentences to practice together. (Or ask the kids to try to make&nbsp;sentences.)</p>

<h2>Initial Sounds</h2>

<table>
	<thead>
		<tr>
			<th>Words</th>
			<th>Sentences</th>
		</tr>
	</thead>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>chair / share</th>
			<td>Share the chair!</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>chew / shoe</th>
			<td>Don&rsquo;t chew your shoe!</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>chin / shin</th>
			<td>Touch your chin to your&nbsp;shin.</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<h2>Ending Sounds</h2>

<table>
	<thead>
		<tr>
			<th>Words</th>
			<th>Sentences</th>
		</tr>
	</thead>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>which or witch / wish</th>
			<td>Which wish did the witch have?</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>watch / swash</th>
			<td>Don&rsquo;t wash your watch.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>catch / cash</th>
			<td>Catch some cash</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<h1>Related Materials</h1>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/118/lessons/2749">/ch/ </a>:&nbsp;Phonics &amp; Pronunciation</li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/118/lessons/2748">/sh/</a>:&nbsp;Phonics &amp; Pronunciation</li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/118/lessons/2592">Ss</a>:&nbsp;Phonics &amp; Pronunciation</li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/113/lessons/2516">Transportation </a>: Word Bank</li>
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/grammar-usage/resources/2746-spelling-rules-ch-tch">Spelling Rules: ch &amp; tch</a>: Resources</li>
</ul>


A Fun Way to Introduce /ch/ and /sh/ to Kids

https://esllibrary-staging.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/1335/Tara_Sh-Ch_Banner.png

Find useful resources and tips for teaching English with interactive apps and sites.

EdTech

<blockquote>
<p>&ldquo;What seems impossible today will one day become your&nbsp;warm‑up.&rdquo;</p>

<p class="attribution">&mdash;Author Unknown</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Just like athletes benefit from a warm-up where they stretch their muscles to prepare them for a good workout, our students benefit from stretching their mental muscles before jumping into a&nbsp;lesson.</p>

<p>One type of warm-up is a bell-ringer activity, which is a simple 5- to 10-minute task students complete as soon as they walk into class, allowing the teacher time to attend to other business (such as taking attendance). Below you will find tips and resources for using bell ringers to engage language&nbsp;learners.</p>

<h1>Bell Ringers</h1>

<p>A web search for &ldquo;bell ringers&rdquo; will provide you with several examples. Here is a list of three types of bell-ringer activities and ideas to get you started. These bell-ringer activities are specifically aimed at helping language learners build vocabulary, acquire grammar, practice writing, or develop one of the four skills (speaking, listening, reading, and&nbsp;writing).</p>

<h2>Writing Prompts</h2>

<p>Writing prompts are the most popular types of bell ringers. Students respond to a question or statement within the allotted&nbsp;time.</p>

<ul class="spaced-list">
	<li>Change this up by giving students the option to respond through a written paragraph, sketchnote, concept map, drawing, or&nbsp;comic.</li>
	<li>Practice different forms of writing, such as getting students to write an email, a poem, text message, tweet, or dialogue, or having them complete a graphic&nbsp;organizer.</li>
	<li>Make these more interesting with visual writing prompts. See examples of visual writing prompts <a href="http://writingprompts.tumblr.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="https://corndogart.com/illustration-examples/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">here</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="http://photoprompts.tumblr.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">here</a>.</li>
	<li>Try comic or cartoon prompts. Give students a comic strip with blank speech bubbles to fill in based on what is happening in each frame. If you subscribe to ESL&nbsp;Library, you have access to thousands of images that can be used for making your own comics and&nbsp;prompts.</li>
</ul>

<p>ESL&nbsp;Library also has ready-made writing prompts in the Guided Writing&nbsp;section.</p>

<p><a class="button" href="https://ellii.com/courses/119/lessons">Go to Guided Writing</a></p>

<h2>Discussion Prompts</h2>

<p>Enhance speaking and listening skills with discussion prompts. Students work in pairs and take turns responding while the other peer listens and writes down the key ideas. While Student A responds verbally to the prompt, Student B writes down the main ideas expressed. Then Student B reviews the key ideas with Student A who confirms the statements are correct. You could give them sentence starters, such as &ldquo;Student A believes&hellip;&rdquo; or &ldquo;Student A is&nbsp;against&hellip;&rdquo;.</p>

<p>Try choosing a topic and question from ESL&nbsp;Library&rsquo;s Discussion Starters section. You can use the lesson afterwards if your students seem&nbsp;engaged.</p>

<p><a class="button" href="https://ellii.com/courses/72/lessons">Go to Discussion Starters</a></p>

<h2>Image Prompts</h2>

<p>Get students to respond to an age-appropriate photo. Find free copyright-friendly photos to use in the classroom on the following websites: <a href="http://photosforclass.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Photos for the Class</a>, <a href="http://www.pics4learning.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Pics4Learning</a>, <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/eltpics/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">ELTPics</a>, <a href="https://morguefile.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">MorgueFile</a>, the <a href="https://ccsearch.creativecommons.org/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Creative Commons Search Engine</a>, and <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons</a>. Then get students to complete one of the following&nbsp;tasks:</p>

<ul class="spaced-list">
	<li>List nouns, verbs, adjectives, or emotions associated with the image and create sentences using these&nbsp;words.</li>
	<li>Draft sentences describing what the people or animals are&nbsp;doing.</li>
	<li>Imagine the photo is the news of the day and create a news&nbsp;story.</li>
	<li>Write down the conversation or thoughts of the people or animals in the&nbsp;photo.</li>
	<li>Imagine taking a trip to the place and share the itinerary or reason for traveling&nbsp;there.</li>
	<li>Compare and contrast two&nbsp;photographs.</li>
	<li>View a sequence of photos, determine the order, and describe the&nbsp;event.</li>
</ul>

<p>For lower levels, print a few flashcards and put them together. You could also print a whole set and have students write down all the words they know. Here are <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/10-ways-to-use-flashcards-in-class">10 Ways to Use&nbsp;Flashcards</a>.</p>

<p><a class="button" href="https://ellii.com/flashcard_genres">Go to Flashcard Library</a></p>

<h1>Helpful Tips</h1>

<p>The main purpose of a bell ringer is to help teachers and students prepare for the upcoming lesson. Keep the following tips in mind when designing and using bell&nbsp;ringers.</p>

<h2>Establish a routine.</h2>

<p>Most teachers get students to complete a bell-ringer activity at the beginning of nearly every class so students get into the habit of walking into the class and immediately working on the bell‑ringer&nbsp;activity.</p>

<h2>Keep them short, simple, and achievable.</h2>

<p>Bell ringers help students apply knowledge and skills they have already acquired and the instructions should be simple and clear so you can attend to business. Students shouldn&rsquo;t have to ask you several questions about the&nbsp;task.</p>

<h2>Don&rsquo;t grade them.</h2>

<p>The aim is to engage students and help them build confidence and prepare their minds to learn. A bad mark at the beginning of class hinders student&nbsp;achievement.</p>

<h2>Use them as formative assessments.</h2>

<p>The bell-ringer activity does not have to relate to the topic of the main lesson, but can assess if students have gained the essential knowledge and skills their upcoming lesson will build upon. Bell-ringer tasks can test students&rsquo; knowledge from a previous class or unit and let you know if you have to restructure the lesson or review previous material. Find some quick worksheets in ESL&nbsp;Library&rsquo;s <a href="https://ellii.com/resources">Grammar &amp; Usage</a>&nbsp;section.</p>

<h2>Change them up!</h2>

<p>Bell-ringer activities should assess different skills and knowledge in a variety of ways to keep students&nbsp;engaged.</p>

<h1>Delivery and Collection</h1>

<p>The idea is to keep your delivery and collection of the bell ringers consistent. The choices you make for the presentation and collection depend on the format of the bell ringers, your teaching situation, access to technology, and your preferences. These are a few options to&nbsp;consider:</p>

<h2>Paper Slips/Entry Tickets</h2>

<p>One idea is to create paper slips or cards that students can pick up as they enter the class. These are sometimes called <a href="http://www.theteachertoolkit.com/index.php/tool/entry-ticket" rel="noopener" target="_blank">entrance slips, entry tickets, or admit tickets</a>. One idea is to place these in a basket labeled &ldquo;Bell Ringers&rdquo; and instruct students to pick one up as they enter the class. Students can later place their completed paper slips in a basket labeled &ldquo;Turn In.&rdquo;</p>

<h2>Board</h2>

<p>Designate an area on the chalkboard/dry erase board to display the bell&nbsp;ringer.</p>

<h2>Projector</h2>

<p>Display the bell ringer on a screen for students to see when they walk&nbsp;in.</p>

<h2>Journals/Notebooks</h2>

<p>Many teachers instruct students to keep a notebook or journal of their completed bell-ringer tasks. This works well with the three presentation methods listed above if there is limited access to technology. The digital version of this method would be student&nbsp;blogs.</p>

<h2>Online Class</h2>

<p>Students log onto their class website or learning management system (e.g., Google Classroom, Moodle, Edmodo, Schoology) and click on the bell-ringer task and submit it online. This is probably one of the fastest and easiest ways to quickly collect and assess these tasks, but it also requires Internet&nbsp;access.</p>

<h2>Web Tool/App</h2>

<p>There are several free web tools that work on multiple devices to help you quickly design, deliver, and collect bell-ringer responses. Tools such as <a href="https://socrative.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Socrative</a>, <a href="https://goformative.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Go Formative</a>, <a href="https://nearpod.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Near Pod</a>, <a href="https://quizizz.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Quizzizz</a>, <a href="https://kahoot.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Get Kahoot</a>, and <a href="https://web.seesaw.me/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Seesaw</a> make it easy for students to quickly complete a bell ringer in a variety of ways, such as answering questions, polling, drawing, submitting photos/screenshots, and so forth. As students submit their responses, the teacher gets important assessment data in real-time. Teachers are able to quickly see what percentage of the task students answered or completed and which questions/steps students struggled with the most. Teachers can also see how much time was spent on the bell ringer and get other data. If you have enough devices for most students, then these free apps are a great&nbsp;option.</p>

<p>Browse through the <a href="https://ellii.com/resources">Resource</a> section on ESL&nbsp;Library, and consider making a Folder of bell&nbsp;ringers.</p>

<p><a class="button" href="https://help.ellii.com/article/55-how-to-use-folders-tool">How To Use the Folders Tool</a></p>

<h1>More Resources</h1>

<p>The following links have more bell-ringer activities:</p>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="external-article"><a href="https://calicospanish.com/effective-goals-formats-bell-work/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">What Are Effective Goals and Formats for &ldquo;Bell Work&rdquo;?</a></li>
	<li class="external-article"><a href="https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/ding-start-your-class-off-right" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Ding! Start Your Class Off Right!</a></li>
	<li class="external-article"><a href="http://www.smekenseducation.com/Explore-Bell-Ringer-Options.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Bell-Ringer Activities! Alternatives to Journal Writing</a></li>
	<li class="external-article"><a href="https://www.weareteachers.com/bell-ringers-for-middle-school/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">10 No-Prep Bell Ringers for Middle School ELA</a></li>
	<li class="external-article"><a href="http://www.prestoplans.com/7-bell-ringer-ideas-for-middle-hig/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">7 Bell-Ringer Ideas For Middle and High School English</a></li>
</ul>


Engage Learners with Bell-Ringer Activities

https://esllibrary-staging.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/286/Shelly_Bell-Ringers_Banner.png

<p>English is full of tricky participle forms! Many verbs in English have two different ways of spelling the past participle form of a verb. The reasons are various, including different regions, different meanings, or different usages. Some participles we&rsquo;ve explored in the past include <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/learned-vs-learnt" target="_blank">Learned Vs. Learnt</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/lay-vs-lie-lets-lay-this-matter-to-rest" target="_blank">Laid Vs. Lain</a>, and <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/hanged-vs-hung/" target="_blank">Hanged Vs.&nbsp;Hung</a>.</p>

<p>Today we&rsquo;ll explore <strong>Got Vs. Gotten</strong>, which we cover in our updated Grammar Practice Worksheets Lesson on the <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons/1604" target="_blank">Third Conditional</a>. (Note: the new and improved lesson will be available on the site next&nbsp;week).</p>

<h1>Got Vs. Gotten</h1>

<p>The choice of <em>got</em> or <em>gotten</em> as the past participle of the verb &ldquo;get&rdquo; mainly depends on where you&nbsp;live.</p>

<ul>
	<li>&ldquo;Gotten&rdquo; is more commonly used in the US and&nbsp;Canada.</li>
	<li>&ldquo;Got&rdquo; is more commonly used in the&nbsp;UK.</li>
</ul>

<p>Having said that, both <em>gotten</em> or <em>got</em> are acceptable in the US and Canada, so it&rsquo;s important that we teach our students that both forms are possible. I&rsquo;ve also heard, in various English language forums, that <em>gotten</em> is becoming more acceptable in the&nbsp;UK.</p>

<p>What do the dictionaries say? Both <em>Merriam‑Webster&rsquo;s</em> (US) and the <em>Oxford Canadian Dictionary</em> list the past participle form as &ldquo;got or gotten,&rdquo; while <em>Oxford Dictionaries</em> (online) list &ldquo;got&rdquo; as the British English past participle form and &ldquo;gotten&rdquo; as the North American past participle form. Again, we can see the importance of teaching both forms to our students no matter what region they&rsquo;re in, though I believe it&rsquo;s equally as important to point out the most commonly used form (<em>gotten</em> in North America and <em>got</em> in the&nbsp;UK).</p>

<p>What do the style and usage guides have to say? <em>Merriam‑Webster&rsquo;s Dictionary of English Usage</em> mentions that while some grammarians have insisted in the past that <em>gotten</em> is informal and shouldn&rsquo;t be used, both forms are frequently and commonly used in North America&nbsp;today.</p>

<p><em>The Chicago Manual of Style</em> (16th&nbsp;ed,&nbsp;5.250), which is a very reputable source used by many editors and publishers, has this&nbsp;entry:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>The verb is conjugated get&ndash;got&ndash;gotten in American English and get&ndash;got&ndash;got in British&nbsp;English.</p>
</blockquote>

<h1>Examples</h1>

<p>Here are some examples that use <em>gotten</em> in North American&nbsp;English:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Things have gotten out of hand&nbsp;lately.</li>
	<li>She has finally gotten her son to clean his&nbsp;room.</li>
	<li>He hasn&rsquo;t gotten very far with his&nbsp;homework.</li>
</ul>

<p>Here are the same examples in British English (using&nbsp;<em>got</em>):</p>

<ul>
	<li>Things have got out of hand&nbsp;lately.</li>
	<li>She has finally got her son to clean his&nbsp;room.</li>
	<li>He hasn&rsquo;t got very far with his&nbsp;homework.</li>
</ul>

<h1>Tips</h1>

<ul>
	<li>Remind students in North America that <strong>get&ndash;got&ndash;gotten</strong> is conjugated similarly to forget&ndash;forgot&ndash;forgotten.</li>
	<li>Tell students in the UK to use the same form for the past participle as they do for the past: <strong>get&ndash;got&ndash;got</strong>.</li>
</ul>

<h1>Did You Know?</h1>

<p>Both <em>got</em> and <em>gotten</em> have been around for centuries. <em>Got</em> was the past form of <em>get</em> in Middle English and <em>gotten</em> was the past participle form. The US and Canada held onto the original p.p. form, <em>gotten</em>, while most other English-speaking countries shortened the p.p. form to&nbsp;<em>got</em>.</p>

<p>Today, the verb <em>get</em> is one of the five most common English verbs, according to <em><a href="https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/get" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Oxford&nbsp;Dictionaries</a></em>.</p>

<h1>Other Uses of Got</h1>

<h2>Have Got</h2>

<p>The expression <em>have got</em> can be used to show <strong>possession</strong> in the US, Canada, and the UK (especially in informal&nbsp;situations).</p>

<ul>
	<li>I&rsquo;ve got two brothers and one&nbsp;sister.</li>
	<li>She&rsquo;s got a red&nbsp;car.</li>
</ul>

<p>Showing two examples side‑by‑side will help highlight the difference for students learning English in North&nbsp;America:</p>

<ul>
	<li>I&rsquo;ve got a new jacket. (something that is possessed/owned)</li>
	<li>I&rsquo;ve gotten better at writing in English. (something that is&nbsp;obtained)</li>
</ul>

<p>If students learning North American English are struggling with this rule, point out that both forms are often acceptable, depending on the&nbsp;meaning.</p>

<ul>
	<li>I&rsquo;ve got a new jacket. (I now <strong>own</strong> a new&nbsp;jacket.)</li>
	<li>I&rsquo;ve gotten a new jacket. (I <strong>have bought</strong> a new&nbsp;jacket.)</li>
</ul>

<h2>Have Got To</h2>

<p>Another expression that never uses <em>gotten</em> is the modal expression <em>have got to</em>, which means &ldquo;must.&rdquo; Use <em>have got to</em> no matter where you&nbsp;live.</p>

<ul>
	<li>I&rsquo;ve got to study tonight. I have a big test&nbsp;tomorrow.</li>
	<li>You&rsquo;ve got to log in before you can access the&nbsp;site.</li>
</ul>


Got Vs. Gotten

https://esllibrary-staging.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/1610/Tanya_Grammar_Banner.png

<p>Are you looking for a fun review game to play with your ELLs this week? Try our Fun Grammar Lesson on <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/116/lessons/2493/" title="Irregular and Regular Plural Nouns">Regular &amp; Irregular Plural Nouns</a>. Then do a bit more practice with this silly sock&nbsp;game!</p>

<h1>You will need</h1>

<ul>
	<li>a long piece of string and a place to hang it in the&nbsp;class</li>
	<li>four clothes pegs</li>
	<li>one long pair of matching socks (plain white or&nbsp;black)</li>
	<li>two long crazy socks (mismatched)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/flashcard_genres">flashcards</a> with singular nouns, such as <em>banana</em>, <em>flower</em>, <em>toy</em>, <em>table</em>, <em>candy</em>, <em>butterfly</em>, <em>kiss</em>, <em>box</em>, <em>watch</em>, <em>dish</em>, <em>potato</em>, <em>tomato</em>, <em>cactus</em>, <em>child</em>, <em>person</em>, <em>car</em>, <em>flower</em>, <em>loaf</em>, <em>leaf</em>, <em>foot</em>, <em>dog</em>, <em>deer</em>, <em>goose</em>, <em>apple</em>, <em>book</em>, <em>tree</em>, <em>tooth</em>, <em>pillow</em>, <em>t-shirt</em>, <em>sheep</em>,&nbsp;<em>cat</em></li>
	<li>blank strips of paper (the same amount as you have flashcards with&nbsp;images)</li>
	<li>a pen or marker</li>
</ul>

<h1>Setting things up</h1>

<ol>
	<li>Make a flashcard set of nouns (include ones that have irregular plural endings, such as the ones from ESL&nbsp;Library&rsquo;s <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/116/lessons/2493/">Regular &amp; Irregular Plural Nouns</a>&nbsp;lesson).</li>
	<li>Place the flashcards inside a container or&nbsp;envelope.</li>
	<li>Hang up the string (where students can&nbsp;reach).</li>
	<li>Hang the regular socks beside each other on the&nbsp;string.</li>
	<li>Hang up the irregular socks beside each other in another area on the&nbsp;string.</li>
	<li>Place the blank strips of paper and pen on a table or ledge near the&nbsp;socks.</li>
</ol>

<h1>Playing the game</h1>

<p>Invite students to take turns going up to the front of the class. Here is what each student will&nbsp;do:</p>

<ol>
	<li>Choose a flashcard from the envelope/container and write the singular word on the&nbsp;board.</li>
	<li>If the plural of this noun has a regular ending (where you only need to add -s), stuff the flashcard into one of the regular socks and write the plural word on the paper strip. Put this strip into the other regular&nbsp;sock.</li>
	<li>If the plural of the noun has an irregular ending, stuff the flashcard into one of the mismatched socks and write the irregular plural form on a paper strip and put it in the other mismatched&nbsp;sock.</li>
</ol>

<p>If anyone in the class thinks the flashcard and plural form went into the wrong socks, they should shout out <em>Change Your Socks</em>! If the teacher agrees, have the student try again. (Watch as the student writes the plural form in case it&rsquo;s wrong. Help make spelling corrections or go over all spelling corrections at the end, by pulling out the strips one at a&nbsp;time.)</p>

<p>If nobody notices an incorrect placement, you the teacher should yell <em>Change your&nbsp;socks</em>! Continue until all of the flashcards are gone and the socks are full! Make a new flashcard set as you learn new nouns and plurals and play another round another&nbsp;day.</p>

<h1>Related</h1>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/116/lessons/2493/">Regular &amp; Irregular Plural Nouns</a></li>
	<li class="flashcards"><a href="https://ellii.com/flashcard_genres">Flashcard Genres</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/irregular-plural-nouns/">Irregular Plural Nouns</a></li>
</ul>


Regular & Irregular Plural Nouns Game: Change Your Socks!

https://esllibrary-staging.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/405/Tara_Change-Your-Socks_Banner.png

Stay up-to-date with ELT trends and ideas with articles from experts and teachers in the field.

Articles

<p>Commonly confused words can be tricky for language learners (and native speakers too) but can also be interesting teaching points. Recently a staff member at ESL&nbsp;Library mentioned that it would be great to have a post on the spelling of <em>Philippines</em> and <em>Filipino</em>. Why is the country spelled with a &ldquo;ph&rdquo; but the language and people with an &ldquo;f&rdquo;?</p>

<h1>Historically Speaking</h1>

<h2>Country</h2>

<p>In 1542 after the Spanish conquest, the Spanish named the islands <em>las Islas Filipinas</em> after King Philip II (the name <em>Philip</em> being <em>Felipe</em> in Spanish). The English spelling of the country name became <em>the Philippines</em> (since <em>Philip</em> is the English spelling of the name <em>Felipe</em>). Since there was no <span class="inlineBlock">/f/</span> sound in almost all of the islands&rsquo; many languages and dialects at that time, the country name was pronounced <em>Pilipinas</em> (with a <span class="inlineBlock">/p/</span> sound) by the native inhabitant of the&nbsp;Philippines.</p>

<p>Today, we say <em>the Philippines</em> in English and <em>Filipinas</em> in Spanish and Filipino. However, many Filipino people still prefer to call their country&nbsp;<em>Pilipinas</em>.</p>

<h2>Language</h2>

<p>The two current official languages of the Philippines are Filipino and English. <em>Filipino</em> is spelled with an &ldquo;f&rdquo; in almost all languages, including English and Spanish. There was a time where Filipinos called their language <em>Pilipino</em>, but its official name is now <em>Filipino</em>. Interestingly, there are approximately 182 languages in the Philippines, 12 of which have more than one million speakers each and are spoken by more than 90% of the population. The Filipino language was developed in the 19th century and is mainly based on Tagalog, which was the language spoken in the capital of&nbsp;Manila.</p>

<h2>People</h2>

<p>The terms Filipino (male) and Filipina (female) are used for the inhabitants of the Philippines. These words function as both nouns and adjectives (e.g., a Filipino [noun] / Filipinos [noun] / Filipino people [adjective]). English never came up with a suitable equivalent (possibly because the use of <em>Filipino</em> for an inhabitant of the Philippines only came about in the late 19th&nbsp;century), so the Spanish <em>Filipino</em> (with the &ldquo;f&rdquo; spelling) was adopted into&nbsp;English.</p>

<p>Like with the country name, many Filipino people still prefer to call themselves&nbsp;<em>Pilipino</em>.</p>

<p>What commonly confused words or spelling difficulties come up in your classroom? Share them with us in the comments section below. You might even inspire another blog&nbsp;post!</p>

<h1>Related</h1>

<p>See blog posts on <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/lay-vs-lie-lets-lay-this-matter-to-rest/" target="_blank">Lay Vs. Lie</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/especially-vs-specially" target="_blank">Especially Vs. Specially</a>, and <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/everyday-vs-every-day" target="_blank">Everyday Vs. Every Day</a>. </p>

<h1>Sources</h1>

<ul>
	<li><a href="http://www.pilipino-express.com/history-a-culture/in-other-words/127-the-basics-of-philippino-filipino.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.pilipino-express.com/history-a-culture/in-other-words/127-the-basics-of-philippino-filipino.html</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2010/04/why-is-filipino-spelled-with-an-f.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2010/04/why-is-filipino-spelled-with-an-f.html</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.hawaii.edu/cps/filipino.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.hawaii.edu/cps/filipino.html</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_the_Philippines#National_and_official_languages" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_the_Philippines#National_and_official_languages</a></li>
</ul>


Recent Posts