Saturday, October 17, 2009

Are Your Students Tense about Tenses?


If so, read this funny example. This is an actual phone call - a student calling her teacher from a railway station........

"Hello, Jill. I´m sorry, I shall be late, er, I mean, I will be late".. Or is it better to say, "I´m going to be late?" Doesn´t "will" suggest volition? And it´s not my fault. I didn´t want to be late - it is the train that is late. (Or should that be "was" late? It should have been here at 08.30 and it is now 08.45). "Oh! I must be quick". (Noise of train in background). "The train has arrived!" - or should that be "is arriving"? It hasn´t stopped yet. Sorry! See you in about an hour´s time".. or should that be "I will see you.." or "I will be seeing you?..

Do you think maybe the teacher has been correcting her students too much?! How much should we correct and when should we ignore mistakes? What do you think?

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