Guest Contributors: Lawrence Barkley and Christine Sandoval (authors of Grammar and Usage Naturally, 1st edition)
No matter how well a grammar textbook is written, no matter how well it explains or illustrates a grammatical concept in detail, some students will still need to be taught and practiced to fully grasp the material.
Grammar websites can be used to supplement a text or lecture. They provide additional model sentences and exercises, as well as a different way of understanding the grammatical concept.
We have listed six websites that we think are relevant and useful for the grammar classroom.
Daily Grammar
This site is intended for ESL students as well as anyone who wants to improve their English grammar skills. The Archive contains all 440 lessons and 88 questions in two formats: by sequential number and by subject. The first group of lessons is divided into three categories: Parts, Sentence, and Mechanical. The lesson begins with an explanation and then is followed by an exercise. Concepts are listed alphabetically and then further subcategorized.
Instructors could open the Daily Grammar archive in a smart classroom and have students complete exercises to review it. You will also find a glossary of grammar terms on the site that provides information about the concept and links to the relevant lessons.
Grammar Bytes
This interactive grammar site is easy to navigate and covers a wide variety of grammatical concepts. It also addresses sentence structure issues. Many concepts have quizzes. Each quiz provides explanations for the answers, so students can get immediate feedback. Before taking any quiz, students should review the rules. Each topic is broken down into “Understand the Problem”, and “Know the Solution.” Students will be able to print their quizzes and “tip sheets” to supplement what they have learned in lectures and textbooks.
The Guide to Grammar and Writing
The Guide contains a wealth information and activities. Students can choose from “Word and Sentence Level,” or “Paragraph Level” tutorials and quizzes. There are over 170 quizzes that provide immediate feedback. The quizzes require students not only to identify grammatical concepts but also to apply them while correcting sentences or writing their own sentences. You will also find 14 PowerPoint presentations that cover a variety of topics, including “Our Friend, the Semicolon”, “Avoiding Sentence Fragments”, and “Paragraph Structure.” There are also definitions and an FAQ section.
Road to Grammar
The Road is primarily for ESL teachers and students, but the site’s variety of activities would be a great addition to an English grammar class. Road to Grammar offers 364 short quizzes, with answers and notes, extended practice activities and grammar games, as well as activities for Business English learners.
Road to Grammar contains notes for teachers on how to use the extended practices, quizzes, and games. The PDFs of the quizzes can be downloaded as a downloadable PDF. You can find links to ESL Units, glossaries, video lessons, a quiz maker tool, and word lists under the “Teacher Resources” tab.
English Grammar Secrets
This site is simple and straightforward. It offers information on 55 grammatical topics. The majority of these topics address verb tenses or verb forms. The site suggests that users read the grammar explanation on page one of each lesson, then complete the exercises. The exercises are interactive and require the user’s attention to complete the exercises correctly. Each exercise allows users the ability to view hints and check their answers as well as a demonstration.
