First Lessons in Writing

Starting Off Easy to Ensure Later Success

By Kenneth Beare
Beginning level writing classes are challenging to teach because students have such a large number of challenges
to deal with at the very beginning. For a beginning level student the instructions: Write a paragraph about your
family, Write three sentences describing your best friend, etc. can be daunting to say the very least. Rather than
beginning your writing class off with such an insurmountable task (from the eyes of the beginner), begin with some
very concrete tasks leading up to those first few sentences, or a short paragraph.
Here are some of the most important first steps in writing that I find help beginning level students gain confidence
in writing skills.
Start Small with the Nuts and Bolts
What are the nuts and bolts of writing? For many students knowing that a sentence begins with a capital letter and
ends with a period is a major first step. Make sure to teach:
Begin each sentence with a capital letter.
End each sentence with a period.
Use capital letters only with proper names, the pronoun 'I', and the first letter of the first word in each

sentence.
Each sentence contains a subject, verb and, usually, a complement.
Basic sentence structure is Subject + Verb + Complement.
Begin writing with simple sentences.

Focus on Parts of Speech

In order to teach writing, students must know basic parts of speech. Make sure to review what nouns, verbs,
adjectives and adverbs. Ask students to categorize words in these four categories. Taking time to ensure students
understand the role of each part of speech in a sentence will pay off down the road.
Suggestions to Help with Simple Sentences
Once students have understood the nuts and bolts, help them begin writing by limiting their choices. I find it is a
good idea to ask students to write sentences that focus on expressing certain ideas with very limited structures.
Here are some suggestions for writing tasks. Make sure students keep to simple sentences, compound and complex
students are much too confusing at the very beginning. Sentences may be very repetitive in these exercises.
However, once students gain confidence in a number of simple exercises they will be able to move on to more
complicated tasks.
Simple Exercise 1: Describing Yourself
In this exercise, pre-teach standard phrases on the board such as:
My name is ...
I am from ...
I live in ...
I am married / single.
I go to school at ...
Use only simple verbs such as 'live', 'go', 'work', 'play', as well as set phrases with the verb 'to be'. Once students
feel comfortable with these simple phrases, introduce writing about another person with 'he', 'she', or 'they'.
Simple Exercise 1: Describing a Person
Once students have learned basic factual descriptions, move on to describing people. In this case, help students by
writing out different descriptive vocabulary on the board in categories. You can then use these categories with
specific verbs to help narrow choices and instill confidence. For example,

Physical Appearance
tall / short
fat / thin
beautiful / good looking
well-dressed
old / young
etc.
Personality
funny
shy
outgoing
hard-working
friendly
lazy
relaxed
etc.
Verbs to Use
Use 'be' with adjectives describing physical appearance
Use 'have' with physical attributes (long hair, big eyes, etc.)
Simple verbs such as: work, live, play, use, speak, go
Ask students to write about one person. As you check the students' work, make sure that they are writing simple
sentences and not stringing too many attributes together with commas, or by using 'and'.
Simple Exercise 2: Describing an Object
Continue working on writing skills by asking students to describe objects. Use the following categories to help
students classify words to use in their writing:
Shapes: round, square, oval, etc.
Color: red, blue, yellow, etc.
Textures: smooth, soft, rough, etc.
Materials: wood, metal, plastic, etc.
Verbs: is made from / of, feels, is, has, looks like, looks
A variation to this exercise is asking students to write a description of an object without naming the object. Other
students should then guess what the object is. At this point, it is better if students do not use multiple adjectives in a
sentence which requires a good understanding of adjective order. It's best to keep these simple at the beginning.
For example:
This object is round and smooth. It is made from metal. It has many buttons. I use it to listen to music.

Label Sentences with Parts of

Speech - Beginner Lesson Plan
By Kenneth Beare
Knowing parts of speech well can help learners improve their understanding of almost every aspect of
English learning. For example, understanding which part of speech is expected in sentence structures,
can help learners better understand new words through contextual clues when reading. In pronunciation,
understanding the parts of speech will help students with stress and intonation. At lower levels,
understanding parts of speech can help a lot with understanding basic sentence structure.
This base will serve students well as they improve their English skills, adding new vocabulary and,
eventually, more complex structures. This lesson plan focuses on helping beginning level classes
develop a strong grasp of four parts of speech: nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs. Once students
become familiar with common structural patterns using these four key parts of speech, they feel more
confident as they begin to explore the different tenses.
Aim: Recognizing nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs
Activity: Group work creating lists, followed by sentence labeling
Level: Beginner
Outline:
Ask students to name a number of objects in the classroom. Write these objects on the board in a

column. Ask students what type of word (which part of speech) the words are. Generally, one
student will know that they are nouns.
Label the words as "Nouns" on the board.
Ask students what you are doing as you mimic a few actions such as writing, speaking, walking,

etc. Write the base form of these verbs on the board.

Ask students what type of words these are. Write "Verbs" above the column.
Show the students some pictures from magazines. Ask students to describe the pictures. Write

these words on the board in another column. Ask students what type of words these are, write
"Adjectives" above the column.
Write "Adverbs" on the board and write down a few adverbs of frequency(sometimes, usually), as
well as some basic adverbs such as slowly, quickly, etc.
Go through each column and quickly explain what the words do: nouns are things, people, etc,
verbs show actions, adjectives describe things and adverbs state how, when or where
something is done.
Ask students to divide into groups of three and categorize the below. Alternately, ask student to

create a new list of 5 nouns, 5 verbs, 5 adjectives and 5 adverbs.

Go around the room helping groups with the categorization activity.
Write a few simple sentences on the board. For example:

John is a student.

John is good.

John is a good student.

Mary works in an office.

Mary usually drives to work.

The students are funny.

The boys play football well.

We often watch TV.

As a class, call for students to label nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs in the simple

sentences. I like to use colored markers for this exercise to highlight each part of speech to help
students with recognition.
Point out that a simple sentence with a noun - John is a good student - can combine with a

simple sentence using an adjective - John is good - to combine into one sentence: John is a
good student.
Spend time helping students understand where certain parts of speech are usually found. For
example: Verbs are in the second position, nouns are in the first position or at the end of
sentences, adverbs of frequency are placed before the verb, adjectives end simple sentences
with 'to be'.
Ask students to write five of their own simple sentences.
Have students highlight their own sentences with "noun", "verb", "adjective", and "adverb."

Place the Following Words into the correct category

Nouns
Verbs
Adjectives
Adverbs
happy
walk
expensive
picture
softly
ride
boring
pencil
magazine
cook
funny
sometimes
cup
sad
buy
often
watch
carefully
car
never

How to Teach Pronouns

By Kenneth Beare
Teaching pronouns is an important part of any beginning level English curriculum. It's important to teach
pronoun usage during the early stages when students are learning about the basic construction of any
English sentence. I find the opportune moment to teach pronouns comes after basic sentences with 'be'
and some simple sentences with the present simple. At this point, students should be able to identify
various parts of speech - at least basic verbs, nouns, adjectives and adverbs.
This will coincide with students' awakening awareness of deeper sentence structure. Take this as a
starting point to explore the role of subjects, objects, and possession as you introduce pronouns
and possessive adjectives.
Introducing Pronouns
Subject Pronouns: Start by Using What Students Already Know
After a basic understanding of the verb 'to be' and some other simple sentenceshas been acquired,
begin introducing various pronouns by reviewing what they have already learned. I find it best to start by
asking students to give me some examples of nouns and verbs. With this is mind, write a few basic
sentences on the board making sure to use full names or objects.
Write both singular and plural subjects with people and with objects.
For example:
Mary is an excellent teacher.
The computer is expensive.
Peter and Tom are students at this school.
The apples are very good.
Change to:
She is an excellent teacher.
It is expensive.
They are students at this school.
They are very good.
Ask students which words they can use to replace proper names and nouns such as 'David', 'Anna and
Susan', 'the book', etc.
Students will be able to produce the subject pronouns quite easily without actually knowing they are
subject pronouns. Call attention to the role these nouns and pronouns play in the sentence. Finally,
begin writing your pronoun chart on the board by filling in all subject pronouns with the class.
Object Pronouns: Point to Sentence Position
Next on the list of pronouns to introduce are object pronouns. I find it easiest to introduce these
pronouns by pointing to sentence position in basic sentences. Ask students to identify whether the
pronoun examples you write on the board come before the verb or after the verb.
Once they recognize this, explain that object pronouns follow prepositions. Once again, write examples
on the board with proper names and full nouns to show the difference between singular and plural object
pronouns, as well as the difference between objects and people.

For example:
I bought a book yesterday.
Mary gave Peter a present.
The parents drove the children to school.
Tim picked up the soccer balls.
Change to:
I bought it yesterday.
Mary gave him a present.
The parents drove them to school.
Tim picked them up.
Ask students to help you with replacements, just as you have done with subject pronouns. Go to the
board and fill in the object pronoun section of the chart you have started on the board.
Possessive Pronouns and Adjectives: Rounding out the Chart
Finally, introduce possessive pronouns and adjectives in a similar manner. Write a few examples on the
board, and then ask students to help you fill in the chart. It's important to introduce these two forms
together to help students understand theuse of the possessive adjective WITH nouns and possessive
pronoun WITHOUT nouns. Comparing the two in two sentences does the job well:
For example:
My book is on the table. It is mine.
Their bags are in the hall. They are theirs.
Ask students to complete similar sentences with you while you fill in the chart.
At this point, students will have been introduced to pronouns and possessive adjectives, as well as
gained insight into sentence structure. Following you will find exercises and activities that you can use
with students to continue to practice and explore pronouns.
Exercises and Activities
Use this learning pronouns lesson plan to follow along with the details outlined in this guide on how to
teach pronouns. Students can then take this pronouns quiz to test their knowledge. Print this pronoun
types page out for reference in your classroom.

Writing Sentences for

Beginners
Use these patterns to start writing sentences in English

Three Basic Sentence Patterns in Writing.

By Kenneth Beare
Here are four types of sentences to begin writing in English. Follow the example in each type of sentence. Learn
these symbols to understand each type of sentence. These symbols represent parts of speech in English. Parts of
speech are the different types of words in English.
Key to Symbols
S = subject
Subjects include I / you / he / she / it / we / they and names of people: Mark, Mary, Tom, etc. or types of
people: children, students, parents, teachers, etc.
V = verb
Simple sentences use the verb be such as: I am a teacher. / They are funny.Verbs also tell us what we do: play /
eat / drive etc. or what we think: believe / hope / want etc.
N = noun
Nouns are objects such as books, chair, picture, computer, etc. Nouns have singular and plural forms: book - books,
child - children, car - cars, etc.
Adj = Adjective
Adjectives tell how someone or something is. For example: big, small, tall, interesting, etc.
Prep P = Prepositional phrase
Prepositional phrases tell us where someone or something is. Prepositional phrases are often three words and begin
with a preposition: For example: in the house, at the store, on the wall, etc.
() = Parentheses
If you see something in parentheses () you can use the type of word, or leave it out.
1. Start off Easy: Sentences with Nouns
Here is the first type of easy sentence. Use the verb 'to be'. If you have one object,use 'a' or 'an' before the object. If
you have more than one object, don't use 'a' or 'an'.
S + be + (a) + N
I am a teacher.
She is a student.

They are boys.

We are workers.
Exercise: Five Sentences with Nouns
On a piece of paper write five sentences using nouns.
Next Step: Sentences with Adjectives
The next type of sentence uses an adjective to describe the subject of a sentence. Do not use 'a' or 'an' when the
sentence ends in an adjective. Do not change the form of the adjective if the subject is plural or singular.
S + be + Adj
Tim is tall.
They are rich.
This is easy.
We are happy.
Exercise: Five Sentences with Adjectives
Use adjectives to write five sentences.

Combine: Sentences with Adjectives + Nouns

Next, combine the two types of sentences. Place the adjective before the noun it modifies. Use 'a' or 'an'
with singular objects, or nothing with plural objects.
S + be + (a, an) + Adj + N
He is a happy man.
They are funny students.
Mary is a sad girl.
Peter is a good father.
Exercise: Five Sentences with Adjectives + Nouns
Use adjectives + nouns to write fivesentences.
Tell us Where: Add Prepositional Phrases to Your Sentences
The next step is to add short prepositional phrases to tell us where someone or something is. Use 'a' or 'an' or use
'the' before a noun or adjective + noun if the object is singular and specific. 'The' is used when something specific
is understood by the person writing and the person reading the sentence. Notice that some sentences are written
with adjectives and nouns, and others without.
S + be + (a, an, the) + (adj) + (N) + Prep P
Tom is in the room.
Mary is the woman at the door.
There is a book on the table.
There are flowers in the vase.
Exercise: Five Sentences with Prepositional Phrases
Use prepositional phrases to write five sentences.
Start Using Other Verbs
Finally, use other verbs than 'be' to express what happens or what people think.
S + V + (a, an, the) + (adj) + (N) + (Prep P)
Peter plays the piano in the living room.
The teacher writes sentences on the board.
We eat lunch in the kitchen.
They buy food at the supermarket.
Exercise: Five Sentences with Prepositional Phrases
Use other verbs to write five sentences.

Word Game for the ESL

Classroom
By Kenneth Beare
Here are two printable word games for the ESL classroom that help students improve their
understanding of parts of speech. It's a variation on classic cloze exercises, except that students need to
choose any word from a given part of speech. For example: It was a __________ (Adjective) day
outside. Students have such a great time while learning important skills - without thinking too hard about
it!
Aim: Recognizing Parts of Speech
Activity: Fill in the gap story completion
Level: Lower level to intermediate
Outline:
Write a few words up on the board representing various parts of speech (i.e. noun, verb, adverb,

etc.). As a group, ask students to identify the part of speech for each word. Write down those parts of
speech as students identify them.

Pointing out the various parts of speech recorded on the board, call on random students asking
them to offer other examples for the indicated part of speech.

Once students feel comfortable with these various parts of speech, have students pair up.
Distribute the worksheet, make sure to cut each sheet in quarters between the word list and the

story.

Ask students to work together to fill in the word sheet. Once students have filled in the word
sheet, they should fill in the story. Go around the room helping students with difficulty.

Variation:
In order to teach specific vocabulary, provide a vocabulary list of target words for each part of speech.

Do the above introductory steps, but instead of writing just any word on the board, make
sure to use words from your target vocabulary list.
Ask students to use the target vocabulary list when giving further examples of each part of

speech.

Instruct students to complete the worksheet using words on the target vocabulary list.

Explore the use of word forms to further improve vocabulary expansion through
knowledge of parts of speech.

A Day in the Life ... Worksheet

Adjective ______________________________
Month _________________________________
Man's name____________________________
Verb __________________________________
Noun __________________________________

Noun __________________________________
Verb __________________________________
Adjective ______________________________
Verb ending in - ing ____________________
Adverb ________________________________
Verb Weather __________________________
Verb Transportation ____________________
Verb Transportation - ing ________________
Verb __________________________________
Adverb of frequency ____________________

A Day in the Life ...Exercise

It was a __________ (Adjective) day in __________ (Month) and the __________ (Man's name)
decided to __________ (Verb). As soon as he got to the __________ (Noun), he sat down and took out
his __________ (Noun). He certainly hadn't expected to be able to __________ (Verb), but was
__________ (Adjective) for the chance to do so. __________ (Verb ending in -ing), the time passed
__________ (Adverb) and before he knew it, it was time to go home. He gathered his things and began
to walk home. Unfortunately, it began to __________ (Verb concerning the weather) so he decided to
__________ (Verb of transportation i.e. take a taxi, run, skip, etc.). While he was _________ (Verb of
transportation i.e. take a taxi, run, skip, etc. in the -ing form), he noticed that he had forgotten to
__________ (Verb). He __________ (Adverb of frequency) forgot such things!

The World of Work - Worksheet

Noun ________________________________
Verb _________________________________
Adjective _____________________________
Verb __________________________________
Verb __________________________________
Verb __________________________________
Verb __________________________________
Verb _________________________________
Noun _________________________________
Adjective________________________________
Verb ___________________________________
Verb ___________________________________
Adjective ______________________________
Verb __________________________________

The World of Work - Exercise

I work in an / a _________ (noun) that _________ (verb) for _________ (noun). It's a _________
(adjective) job that requires me to _________ (verb) every day. Some days, I can _________ (verb), but
that's only on special occasions. I _________ (verb) my position. It is full of opportunities to _________
(verb) or _________ (verb). The _________ (noun) are often _________ (adjective), but it's a job so I

won't complain! Some days customers want _________ (verb), on other days my boss asks me to
_________ (verb). It's really _________ (adjective). Have you ever had to _________ (verb)? If so, I
hope you are happy.