Verb to be and regular and irregular verbs..

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ESL forum > Ask for help > Verb to be and regular and irregular verbs..

Verb to be and regular and irregular verbs..

Samantha.esl

Verb to be and regular and irregular verbs..

Hi,

Could you share with me ideas on how you introduce, explain to your students the verb To Be in the past and the difference between it and irregular verbs and regular verbs?

I �ll explain what I mean.... My studens work very well when we start with was/were- wasn �t weren �t... but when I introduce regular and irregular verbs they get confused and think was also needs an auxiliary.. and come up with sentences like this: "Did he was at the supermarket?" .... "Jane didn �t were..."
If I give them a text to complete with the verb to be + regular or irregular verbs.. they always have difficulty with (be)...
Any ideas.... how do you expalin this to your students!?
I �d appreciate your answers!

20 Dec 2009

swissprof

Hi Samantha

Just say "to be " is a special verb you have to learn it by heart

then you can introduce regular and irregular verbs

You can find very good worksheets explaining the Simple Past with

a drawing + verb + ed

(showing a person

= I , you ....)

then you can find the same for the negative form and the interrogative form

you can use the same for the irregular verb

explain that the form of the irregular verbs have to be learnt by heart, too

I did it this week with two classes and it worked quite well

after having explained the grammar practice with many games to learn the new forms

go step by step

Good luck and MERRY CHRISTMAS

Swissprof

20 Dec 2009

swissprof

I used this worksheet by Jecika

Your students can refer to the titles when they do their exercises

Greetings from cold Switzerland

20 Dec 2009

Samantha.esl

Hi,
Thanks, the worksheet you suggest is ok! I �ve used similar ones and many many exercises... I was trying to find out suggestions as in activities, ways of explaining.. not worksheets..
Thanks anyway.

20 Dec 2009

aquarius_gr

�Be � is an auxiliary verb so you don �t need �do � to form Questions or Negatives.
That�s what they have to remember.

20 Dec 2009

GIOVANNI

I usually explain to the students that the verb to be is special and they have to memorize the form. I use an activity with them where they have to chose a celebrity, a place and ask that an interviewer ask the following questions:

Were you away last week?

Where were you?

Were you in Paris the whole time?

How long were you away?

How was it?

How was the weather?

Were you there on business or on vacation?

Who were you with?

Is Bono handsome?

Was he with U2?

Why was Bono in Paris?

Were was Bono born?

Was this Bono�s first time in Paris?

Was the Paparazzi after you?

I have the students add additional questions with the verb to be.

20 Dec 2009

Samantha.esl

Thank you teachers!

21 Dec 2009