As a tutor, my self-perceptions on my grammatical strengths have been pretty confident from the start—I’ve been able to explain surface-level concepts regarding sentence structure, parts of speech, and subject-verb agreement. For the most part, this information has aided me with describing quick fixes in grammar and flow. It wasn’t until a writer of mine asked me, “What’s the difference between this verb and that verb? Since they’re both verbs, shouldn’t they both be treated the same within the sentence?”
From an outside perspective, this was a valid inquiry. Yes, they were both verbs. However, one verb was a transitive action verb (The boy fell on the floor), while the other was an auxiliary verb (His injury will heal in a few days). I remember knowing that these verbs were clearly different, but I stumbled over my explanation regarding the concrete differences between each verb type.
A strong component of tutoring grammar concepts to English as an Additional Language (EAL) writers involves breaking down the grammatical terminology to them. Specifically, the way in which we explain certain concepts can influence the effectivity of our tutoring. Our goal in the end is to deliver information in a way that will be transferrable to the writer during moments outside of our appointment. In my case, my first step was to master my own understanding of each verb type. From there, it can be helpful to identify various ways to teach the types of verbs to an individual who might not have a clear background on these differences.
Learning Grammar
Because of my academic background, I’m always fond of weaving my neuroscience and psychology background into my tutoring approaches. The textbook Principles of Language and Learning introduced me to the ideas of David Ausubel, a cognitive psychologist. His main theory of learning was dubbed the Subsumption Theory of Learning. He believed that learning a new concept should occur in a meaningful and natural process in order to relate new concepts to preexisting ideas (Brown, 2007, p. 91).
In regards to tutoring EAL writers, applying his theory would involve the incorporation of both explanation and examples that are relevant to the writer. Brown (2007) explains how Ausubel “hinted at the relevance of such a connection when he noted that adults learning a second language could profit from certain grammatical explanations and deductive thinking that obviously would be pointless for a child. Whether adults do in fact profit from such explanations depends, of course, on the suitability and efficiency of the explanation, the teacher, the context and other pedagogical variables” (p. 66). This application of the Subsumption theory emphasizes the effectiveness of explaining grammatical concepts (such as different verb types) to EAL writers.
Verb Types
To start, I’ll introduce the basic types of verbs. We have 5 verb types that can loosely be placed into three categories.
Action
The first category is action verbs; these are the verbs that are most likely the first type to be introduced in textbooks, EAL parts-of-speech guides, and even elementary lessons on verbs. The action verb is something you do; it expresses a physical or mental action.
Action verbs have two subtypes: transitive verbs and intransitive verbs.
Transitive verbs transfer the action from a subject to an object (one noun to another).
- I wrote an essay.
- The character sang a song.
Intransitive verbs do not transfer any action (no object).
- The population grew.
- Our experiment ended at night.
An effective way for me to teach this concept is to explain how action verbs do what the name suggests—they perform an action. Whether it be a literal, tangible action (ate, run, writes) or a conceptual action (thought, listen, loved), this verb can describe as the word in a sentence that dictates what is happening.
Linking
Linking verbs connect the subject to additional information about that subject in the sentence. They are seen as the compliment to the subject. Unlike action verbs, no action is shown. Linking verbs are used to link the components of the sentence.
- I feel relaxed when I ride my bike.
- Global warming has become a major problem in our society.
Linking verbs often link the subject with an adverb or adjective. In other words, linking verbs connect to the rest of the sentence. This is different from auxiliary/helping verbs, which connect to another verb.
Auxiliary
Auxiliary verbs, also known as helping verbs, are responsible for changing the tense, voice, or mood of another verb.
- The data was collected after 24 hours.
- This essay will explain the four lobes of the brain.
As mentioned, a good way to distinguish and teach helping verbs is by recognizing that these verbs are seen paired with other verbs.
Bringing Everything into an Appointment
Online Realtime / Face-to-Face
When working with writers in a synchronous setting and you notice a discrepancy with their understanding of verb types, I think it could be an extremely effective use of time to break down each of the verb types to them. Explaining each of the different types, especially through the use of examples, can bring in more context to their work. It can be a productive move to point out various verb type examples within their own writing.
Written Feedback
Through written feedbacks, one way to embed these ideas is within the summary letter. If you identify verb types as being its own agenda item (or even “Verbs” in general), consider providing these explanations of verb types in the summary letter. Within the comments section, another effective practice could be identifying their own uses of verbs within their writing. Color-coding the different verb types within the writer’s paper can be another fun way to help with differentiating verb types!
Teaching verb types through any appointment modality aligns with our UCWbL Core Beliefs. Specifically, our 4th Core Belief states that “Collaboration among peers is an especially effective mode of learning.” We are able to collaborate with our writers through introducing them to these various grammar specifics as needed. Taking the time to personally master these verb types allowed myself to become more confident in teaching them to others. As tutors, we can utilize Ausubel’s Theory of Subsumption/Meaningful Learning in conjunction with Core Belief 4 to incorporate verb types in a meaningful way.