X-Word Grammar Presentation

Using X-word Grammar in the ESOL Classroom

What are the X-Words?

Try to make 21 yes/no questions ( questions that can be answered with a simple "yes" or "no"). Use a different first word for each question. You have just discovered the X-Words!

Are you awake?

Is he here?

Did you understand?

Have you had coffee?

Shall we go?

Should I start over?

Does she know?

Do you want to know more?

Am I invited?

Were they there?

Had it already started to rain?

Might I have a word?

have, has, had

do, does, did

am, is, are, was, were

can, could

will, would

shall, should

(ought to) must, might, may

Students can learn the X-Words by memorizing them to the tune of Jingle Bells.

What are they used for?

1. They are used to make questions.

2. They are used to make negatives.

3. They are used to find the subject of a sentence.

4. They are used to indicate time (tense).

5. They are used to add meaning.

Students immediately apply what they've learned by looking for X-Words in ANY text and noting what each X-word's job or jobs is.

You should take the #5 Train to get to Times Square.

No, you shouldn't. Don't take the #5. You (do) have to take the #1.

But the # 1 isn't running today.

Are the #2 and #3 Trains running?

Well, they weren't running yesterday. I don't know about today. You should take the #5 to Grand Central; then you can change to the Shuttle to Times Square.

X-word Practice in the Classroom

X-word/Verb

Match-ups

am

is

are

was

were

do

does

did

can

could

shall

should

will

would

must

might

may

In the video, the students practiced with the X-Word did. Which verb form matched did? What were did's 3 jobs?

X-word Tools

The rules for making negative statements and questions with visible X-Words are straightforward.

To make a sentence negative, add

not or n't after the X-word.

My son is good at math.

To make a question, the X-Word moves in front of the subject.

is

The DO mice

Most students need time to understand the three HIDDEN X-Words, do, does, and did. The "Do Mice" help illustrate the concept.

The little did mouse takes his tail with him. The PAST job moves with the X-Word. It leaves the BASE behind.

The Question Hand helps students remember our inverted question word order.

English is a word order language. In noun boxes we find a noun and possibly a DETERMINER (example the, my, Marie's) a number (2, 1,000), and one or more Describers (youngest, beautiful).

Describers have their own order, too. Look at this noun box. Could you put the DESCRIBERS in any other order?

Dt Ds Ds Ds Ds *

The beautiful little pink plastic doll....

What do students think?

Learn more, connect with others and find books, exercises, and ideas! http://xwordgrammar.pbworks.com

How it started

Lou Inturissi

and Jim Lydon

Judith Gex

Liza Sunderlin

Richard Abend

David Sloane

X

-word grammar

Once you learn about SUBJECT boxes

have

has

had

Dt Ds * Vp

My youngest son got an "A" on his

math test.

Vpp

BASE Form

have

has

had

You can use them in objects

I took my youngest son to school.

Noun

BOXes

You can use them in Prepositional phrases

Ving

Vpp

Ds

* X Ds pr|Dt Ds *

I'm proud < of my youngest son > !

Or even clauses

CW

Dt Ds *

n't

When my youngest son got an "A",

I cried for joy!

get

my son

Did

an "A"?

X

Is my son good at math?

What do you think of that?

Linda Kunz presenting the DO MICE to teachers at NYU

Click on the video to watch.

Vp--DID

My son studied hard .

X

Base

My son

study hard.

X

Base

my son study hard?