[Grammar] First day back after gap of 3 years

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javier1

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Hi THere

Im going back to teaching after a gap of 3 years, may seem like a stupid question but when teaching verbs the way we were shown on the training program was to always present the verbs in the 'To' form, eg always put on the board, 'To Be' To Say etc I have just been asked why the books show the verbs as Be, Say etc without the 'to' form, any help please? I'm going to be teaching a group of begginers 15 in total and i've forgotten practically everything so i'm studying like crazy here!
 

emsr2d2

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Hi there

I'm going back to teaching after a gap of 3 years, and this may seem like a stupid question but, when teaching verbs, the way we were shown on the training program was to always present the verbs in the 'To' form, eg always put on the board, 'To Be' 'To Say' etc. I have just been asked why the books show the verbs as 'Be', 'Say' etc without the 'to' form. Any help please? I'm going to be teaching a group of [STRIKE]begginers[/STRIKE] beginners, 15 in total, and I've forgotten practically everything so I'm studying like crazy here!

Hi javier1

Firstly, let me point out that some people may think it odd that there are corrections being made to a post written by an English teacher. I just want to say that we strive to ensure that all posts written by native speakers/teachers are written correctly so that learners know that they can trust that what we write is (almost certainly) correct.

In answer to your question, I wish I knew the answer. I always teach the full infinitive form "To be" etc, but the only child I taught in Spain had a course book in which every verb was shown in the bare infinitive. I stuck to that pattern with him because that was how he was being taught at school and I didn't want to confuse him. I don't know what current TEFL/TESOL teaching practices dictate as I am now only involved in conversation classes and "Use of English" with my private students.
 

5jj

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As far as most modern writers on grammar are concerned, the citation form of the verb is the single word itself, BE, COME, GO, etc. Some writers use upper case letters for this, using a slightly smaller font size if this is possible. Thus, in print, one can distinguish between the verb itself, GO, and the forms of the verb, go, goes, going, went and gone.

The 'infinitive' of the verb used to be considered as 'to be, to come' to go' etc, but there is little justification for this. I refer to the verb 'GO', and to the bare infinitive (as in I can go) and the to- infinitive (as in I want to go).
 

Tdol

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I'd be flexible- both forms exist, they'll have to come across them, but if the book refers to the verb without to, I would probably use that as the standard form.
 

javier1

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Thank you all for your replies, apologies for the spelling mistakes!
 
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