Sample Unit 35

Impact Grammar is a grammar practice book, based on 50 errors commonly made by students of all language backgrounds. The units are organized into five levels (of ten units each), according to how difficult each point is to understand. See the Table of Contents for a listing of the grammar points.

The approach in Impact Grammar is a "grammar awareness" approach. First, students are guided to notice the usage of the grammar point in context. A short audio passage (all passages are on the audio CD in the back of each book) contains 8-10 occurrences of the grammar point being featured; an exercise in the textbook guides students to notice the occurrence of the point. Second, students complete a table that guides them to understand the point. Third, students are asked to formulate the grammar rule. This inductive approach, outlined in the accompanying article by author Rod Ellis, helps students understand grammar actively.

The sample unit presented here features a common grammar problem, verb complements (e.g. I enjoy playing tennis. vs. *I enjoy to play tennis.) The first step is Listening to Comprehend. This section presents the audio passage with comprehension questions to allow the students to focus on meaning first. The second step is Listening to Notice. This section presents the text in written form, with the focal grammar point blanked out, to help the students notice its use in the passage. The third step, Understanding the Grammar Point, guides the students in analyzing the grammar point and constructing the underlying rules. A reference section in the back of the book, called Grammar Explanation, allows students to see the rules (and further examples) after they have tried this section. The fourth section, Checking, presents new items for the students to check their understanding. The final section, Trying It, allows students to try out the grammar point in a communicative task.

Listen to the audio that accompanies this lesson. (Requires the free Real Audio player.)