Have you ever wondered about the best way to learn irregular verbs? How to get them on the tip of my tongue? How do know which verb is irregular and which is not? In case you are an English teacher, do you have a less boring way of teaching students irregular verbs?
One of the tips I always give about teaching Irregular Verbs ( irregular verbs ) is the one I'll describe below. I hope this tip helps you understand that learning things ( whatever it is ) in a natural way is much more interesting.
Here at Inglês na Ponta da Lingua, I've already talked about how irregular verbs are in English. This tip is in English Grammar: Irregular Verbs. In the book Grammar for the Use of the English Language, I dedicate an entire chapter to irregular verbs ( activities, tips on how to use them in practice, which is the most used and therefore important to develop your fluency in English, and much more ). Here I'm just going to summarize how you can learn ( or teach ) irregular verbs in English. without too much stress.
Forget about such a table of irregular verbs. If you have one, ignore it.
Remember: you want to learn to communicate in English and not prove you can memorize the list with all the verbs in it. Not even English teachers know all the verbs on the list! Trying to memorize the irregular verb list doesn't mean you're learning English; in fact, it means testing memory. You may also be interested to learn about English irregular verbs
Learn one word ( irregular verb ) a day. Also, learn its uses and meanings.
For example, when you find the word “ knew ” learn that in Portuguese it can mean “ knew “, “ knew “, “ knew “. Then just write down sentences with each of the meanings to get used to them:
I knew the answer. – I knew the answer.
She knew what to do. – She knew what to do.
We knew the price. – We knew the price.
We knew the price. – We knew the price.
They knew my name. – They knew my name.
It doesn't make sense to memorize a list of verbs if you don't know how to use them when talking to someone. This is one of the ideas I try to make clear in all my books. In other words, what is really worthwhile is learning ( teaching ) the use of a word in context and not wasting time and patience trying to memorize a list. I'll give another example to clarify this better.
One of the most used words in English is “ made ”. For those who like normative grammar, the explanation is as follows: “ made ” is the irregular form of the verb “ make ”. This will not help you communicate fluently in English. When you come across a word like that, you should learn that the most common meanings are: “ did ”, “ did ”, “ did ”, “ did ”. Then it's good to see examples and translate them into Portuguese:
I made two small holes in the wood. ( I made two small holes in the wood. )
She made that dress. ( She made that dress. )
We made a cake for her. ( We made her a cake. | We made a cake… )
They made a video of the party. ( They made a video of the party. )
Of course “ made ” can mean other things as well. But then, the subject is different. By then you will already know that “ made ” is just a word and nothing else.
Learning ( Teaching ) without the technicalities and grammar helps you to make everything more uncomplicated. It makes things similar to the way we use our language. After all, you can't find lists of irregular, anomalous, defective, and abundant verbs in the Portuguese language out there, do you?
Anyway, learn these things ( words ) in a natural and practical way. Learn by use. After some time, you will be able to work on understanding the technical terms and rules ( if they exist at all ). Take care to learn the meanings and uses of these words.
One of the tips I always give about teaching Irregular Verbs ( irregular verbs ) is the one I'll describe below. I hope this tip helps you understand that learning things ( whatever it is ) in a natural way is much more interesting.
Here at Inglês na Ponta da Lingua, I've already talked about how irregular verbs are in English. This tip is in English Grammar: Irregular Verbs. In the book Grammar for the Use of the English Language, I dedicate an entire chapter to irregular verbs ( activities, tips on how to use them in practice, which is the most used and therefore important to develop your fluency in English, and much more ). Here I'm just going to summarize how you can learn ( or teach ) irregular verbs in English. without too much stress.
Forget about such a table of irregular verbs. If you have one, ignore it.
How to learn (or teach) Irregular Verbs?
Remember: you want to learn to communicate in English and not prove you can memorize the list with all the verbs in it. Not even English teachers know all the verbs on the list! Trying to memorize the irregular verb list doesn't mean you're learning English; in fact, it means testing memory. You may also be interested to learn about English irregular verbs
Learn one word ( irregular verb ) a day. Also, learn its uses and meanings.
For example, when you find the word “ knew ” learn that in Portuguese it can mean “ knew “, “ knew “, “ knew “. Then just write down sentences with each of the meanings to get used to them:
I knew the answer. – I knew the answer.
She knew what to do. – She knew what to do.
We knew the price. – We knew the price.
We knew the price. – We knew the price.
They knew my name. – They knew my name.
It doesn't make sense to memorize a list of verbs if you don't know how to use them when talking to someone. This is one of the ideas I try to make clear in all my books. In other words, what is really worthwhile is learning ( teaching ) the use of a word in context and not wasting time and patience trying to memorize a list. I'll give another example to clarify this better.
One of the most used words in English is “ made ”. For those who like normative grammar, the explanation is as follows: “ made ” is the irregular form of the verb “ make ”. This will not help you communicate fluently in English. When you come across a word like that, you should learn that the most common meanings are: “ did ”, “ did ”, “ did ”, “ did ”. Then it's good to see examples and translate them into Portuguese:
I made two small holes in the wood. ( I made two small holes in the wood. )
She made that dress. ( She made that dress. )
We made a cake for her. ( We made her a cake. | We made a cake… )
They made a video of the party. ( They made a video of the party. )
Of course “ made ” can mean other things as well. But then, the subject is different. By then you will already know that “ made ” is just a word and nothing else.
Learning ( Teaching ) without the technicalities and grammar helps you to make everything more uncomplicated. It makes things similar to the way we use our language. After all, you can't find lists of irregular, anomalous, defective, and abundant verbs in the Portuguese language out there, do you?
Anyway, learn these things ( words ) in a natural and practical way. Learn by use. After some time, you will be able to work on understanding the technical terms and rules ( if they exist at all ). Take care to learn the meanings and uses of these words.
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