Universidad Iberoamericana de Panamá

Sede: Chiriqui.

Facultad: Humanidades

Departamento: Inglés

Carrera: licenciatura en ciencias de la educación

Curso: #19

Temas: personal pronouns.

Difficulties of learning English Grammar

Facilitador(a): Yohana Gómez.

Estudiante: Mauren Bejerano

Fecha de entrega

Miércoles, 7 de febrero del 2024.

Indice

Introduction
When learning a second language there are different aspects with which most students encounter
difficulties, and a large part of them are related to grammar.

Many students have an acceptable level of English and when it comes time to start speaking they
encounter a huge barrier that does not allow them to let go.

In addition to the fear of error, this happens because traditional teaching methods focus
especially on learning grammar and vocabulary, leaving very little room for language practice.”

Practicing the language is the basis for learning it. It is precisely through practice that grammar
will be built in our brain. The thing is that when learning a second language, especially when we
are adults, knowing the norm gives us a certain feeling of security.
For this reason, “it is important to promote spaces for dialogue and interaction between students,
because otherwise it is tremendously difficult to develop this skill. Therefore, in this material we
will address important topics and methods that can be used to improve the use of grammar in the
English language, since these difficulties that university students face are very common.
General objective.

1. Comprehensively adress the methouds used to learn English better.

2. Learn to use grammar correctly in every day life.
3. Reconized the importance of a good way og learning the lenguage, mainly grammar
and correct use.
4. clearly explain the methods tha student can apply to learn more easily and simply
about the use of personal pronouns and grammar in general.

Specific Objective:

1. Identific and use personal pronouns and present forms of the verb to Be. To describe
characteristics of people, places, animals or objetects, linking image,

2. Get the Students to use the methods explained in the topic to correctly learn the use of
grammar in the English languaje.

3. Analyze, understand and put into practice the various methods to have better
communication.

4. Find the easiest and simplest examples so tha students undestand faster.
Glosario.
Resumen Ejecutivo.
 Difficulties of learning English Grammar

Sometimes certain problems, inconveniences or difficulties often occur when learning

English. If you know them, you will be able to avoid them to a greater extent, which is why
we have the obligation to comment on the most typical problems when learning English. Do
you want to know which son?

10 common problems when learning English

1. Listen but not understand.

without understanding what they tell you. Or knowing how to differentiate words but not
knowing what those words or phrases mean while they are being heard. You may have
become familiar with English in classes, but you don't really understand what many of
them mean.

2. Memorize new words, phrases and expressions but do not use them. Which means that
by not practicing them they do not remain well in your memory. It is good that you try to
put what you have learned in a context, for which role exercises or theater can help.

3. Understanding it but not knowing how to speak it, especially because you are not
learning naturally or fluently. That would help you to go study abroad or spend time there.

4.The fear of ridicule, of doing it wrong. It prevents you from practicing the language
enough and learning from mistakes.

5. The pronunciation. Sometimes it is very complex to become familiar with English

pronunciation, and it ends up becoming an important barrier that can be solved with
practice.

6. Not knowing the structure of sentences, thus making common mistakes such as writing
or saying questions wrong: “you are ready?” instead of “are you ready?”

6. Not having anyone to learn with. Something that would help a lot not only to practice
what you have learned but also to be consistent and dedicate time to it.

7. The lack of time. One of the first problems that usually arise when learning English is the
lack of time, or rather the ability to self-manage and dedicate enough time to learning the
language.
8. Not knowing how to organize oneself in learning is one of the typical mistakes that many
solve by going to an English academy.

9. Wanting to learn everything or a lot in a short time. If you urgently need to learn a
language, it is most likely that you will end up giving up on the effort because you will not
be able to establish stable knowledge in a short time. Yes, you can assimilate the basics for
specific moments.

10. Lack of consistency is also a problem. It often causes people to stop learning English
because they do not see significant progress.

Therefore, we must take into account all the recommendations and examples that we will
be exposing below for the correct use of grammar.
What Is Grammar?

Grammar is defined as a system of language rules that allows you to combine individual words
to make complex meanings. By applying grammar rules to your writing, you’ll make it stronger,
clearer, and more effective

Learn Grammar Rules and Concepts

Keeping your grammar sharp is essential to first impressions and determines how effectively you
write. Present polished, professional writing by improving your grammar with these basic tips.
English Grammar Basics.

The verbs

Verbs are words that represent actions that are external (run, jump, work)
and internal. Without verbs, you can’t do anything, you can’t feel anything
you can’t even be anything.

As the heart of sentences and clauses, verbs show what the subject is
doing or feeling, even if they’re just existing. Verbs are also the only type of
word that’s absolutely necessary to make a sentence. Not even nouns,
which represent things, need to be in every sentence.
Because verbs are so important, they have more rules than other types of
words. This can make verbs a little confusing in English, the different types
of verbs, the different forms they take, how to conjugate them in every
tense, and some expert tips on how to use them when speaking or writing.

What is a verb?
Verbs are words that describe actions, whether physical or mental. Verbs also
describe a “state of being,” like the verbs be, become, or exist.

Some verbs also act as “helper verbs” to change the tense of another verb.
Likewise, these helper verbs can change a positive statement to a negative one
with words like “not.”
example:

She has been jogging for a month and already feels her stamina increasing.

Every sentence needs at least one verb. If there’s no verb, it’s an incomplete
sentence or a sentence fragment. Except for imperative sentences (commands), a
sentence also needs a subject, the thing doing the action.

Subjects are important for a verb because they change how it’s conjugated, which
we explain below. This is especially true for the most common verb: be.

Types of verbs

Dynamic (action) verbs

Most verbs describe a physical action or activity, something external that can be
seen or heard. These verbs are formally known as dynamic verbs, but can also be
called action or event verbs.

Examples: walk, laugh, swim, play, eat, drink, sing, dance, talk, say

There are a lot of actions that take place in our minds and feelings, which
are not external. Verbs that describe mental or internal actions are still
dynamic verbs, but they’re not always so obvious. These include “process
verbs,” which describe actions of transition.

Examples: consider, guess, change, grow, live, endure, succeed, fail

 Stative (state-of-being) verbs

The opposite of dynamic verbs of action is stative verbs of being. Stative

verbs describe a subject’s state or feeling, including things they like and
don’t like.

Examples: want, need, prefer, love, hate, like, dislike, seem, understand,
know, believe, involve, realize

One of the most important parts of stative verbs is that you can’t use them
in the continuous tenses. Stative verbs stick to the simple tenses, or
occasionally use the perfect.
uxiliary verbs

Auxiliary verbs, or “helping verbs,” are used in English to change another

verb’s tense, voice, or mood. When auxiliary verbs are used, there’s always
a main verb that represents the main action. However, the auxiliary verb
must still be conjugated correctly.

The main auxiliary verbs are be, have, and do. We explain how they’re
used specifically for conjugating below, but here are a few quick examples:

I have eaten sushi many times before. (tense)

That piece of sushi was eaten by me. (voice)

Did you eat my sushi? (mood)

Modal auxiliary verbs

Some auxiliary verbs are added to another verb to show necessity,
possibility, or capability. Like other auxiliary verbs, modal auxiliary verbs are
not the main verb, but they do change its meaning slightly. Some common
examples are can, may, could, should, would, must, ought, and might.
I could swim across the English Channel, but should I do it?

She must be the strongest person on the team, and might be the strongest
person in the region.
Phrasal verbs
Phrasal verbs are phrases that act as individual verbs, often combining two
or more words and changing their meaning. The verb get, for example,
becomes many different phrasal verbs when combined with different
prepositions.

When the bus stops, passengers get out on the sidewalk.

After losing his job, he’s getting by on savings.

The important thing to remember about phrasal verbs is that they act as a
single verb, so you can still use them with other verbs and prepositions.
However, when you conjugate a phrasal verb, you only conjugate the part
of the phrase that’s actually a verb, like get.
Verb categories

Aside from the different types, verbs also come in different categories. Dynamic, stative,
and auxiliary verbs all make up the categories below.

Transitive, intransitive, and ditransitive

Transitive, intransitive, and ditransitive refer to how a verb acts with direct and indirect
objects. A direct object is the person or thing that the action happens to, while an indirect
object is the person or thing that receives the direct object.

In this example, the subject is Lindor and the verb is threw. The direct object is the ball
because that is what was thrown—Lindor did the action to the ball. The indirect
object is deGram because he received the direct object, the ball.
Verbs that don’t use either a direct or indirect object are called intransitive. These
verbs are complete actions by themselves.

Examples: go, walk, run, talk, sit, sleep, work

Verbs that use a direct object, but not an indirect object, are called transitive.
They don’t always need a direct object, but they have the option.

Examples: clean, like, love, dislike, hate, want, learn, deserve, say

Verbs that use both direct and indirect objects are called ditransitive. They don’t
always need an indirect object, but they have the option.

Examples: throw, make, buy, sell, read, give, lend, bring

Just as a verb can be either dynamic or stative depending on the meaning, a verb
can sometimes act transitive while at other times act intransitive. These are
known as ambitransitive. For example, if you ask someone if they’re hungry, they
might respond:

No, I already ate. (intransitive)

No, I already ate a sandwich. (transitive)

Active vs. passive voice

In English, the standard format where the subject performs the action is known
as the active voice. However, you can switch around your words to make the
direct or indirect objects the subject of the sentence, known as the passive voice.
As explained in our guide to the passive voice, you can make a verb passive by
adding a conjugated form of be in front of its past participle.
example:
Stricklen threw the ball to Williams. (active)

The ball was thrown to Williams by Stricklen. (passive)

Williams was thrown the ball by Stricklen. (passive)

Regular vs. irregular Verbs

Verbs have different forms to show different uses, such as an action that
happened in the past, or an action that happens continuously. Normally, these
forms follow the same patterns of conjugation, so that you can use the same
rules on all verbs. Verbs that use the normal forms are regular verbs.

Unfortunately, some verbs don’t want to play by the rules. They have their own
unique forms with no patterns, specifically for the simple past tense and past
participle forms. These are the notorious irregular verbs, and there are quite a few
of them including the most common verb be.

To make matters worse, the only way to learn how to use irregular verbs is to
study them and all their forms. On the bright side, we explain the best ways to
memorize irregular verbs. But first, you’ll want to learn the standard verb forms of
the majority regular verbs below.

Verb forms
Before we explain how to conjugate verbs in English, you need to understand the
different forms a verb takes. This helps immeasurably when you conjugate on
your own you just need to use the right form at the right time. Keep in mind that
these forms work mostly for regular verbs; irregular verbs each have their own
special forms.

If you want to learn more, we have a more detailed guide on verb forms here.

PERSON SINGULAR SIMPLE PAST PRESENT PARTICIPLE PAST

PARTICIPLE
Dance (regular) dances danced dancing danced
Sing (irregular) sings sang singing sung
Root
The root form is the basic form of the verb with no changes. It’s also the simple
present tense for everything except the third-person singular.

Third-person singular present

Used with subjects like he, she, the singular they, or it, the third-person singular
in the present tense just adds an -s to the end of the root form most of the time.

For verbs that end in a consonant and -y (try, carry), you remove the y and add -
ies (tries, carries). If the verb ends in a vowel and -y (say, buy), you just add an –s
like normal (says, buys).

Verbs that end in -ch, -sh, -x, -z, or -s add -es to the end instead of just –s. For
example, watch becomes watches and kiss becomes kisses.

Simple past
The past tense shows an action that already happened. In most cases it’s made
by adding -ed to the end of the root form, or just -d if the root form already ends
in an e. However, be careful of irregular verbs—their rules for the past don’t tend
to be consistent.

Present participle
The present participle is used for the continuous tenses to show ongoing or
current action, and in more advanced English can be used for participial phrases.
In most cases you simply add –ing to the end of the root form, although
sometimes you have to remove an E first.

Past participle
The past participle is used for the perfect tenses. In regular verbs, it’s the same
as the simple past tense, so there’s nothing extra to learn. However, irregular
verbs often use unique past participles, so you may have to memorize their
forms.
Infinitives and gerunds
Do you like to swim? Do you enjoy learning? If you want to use a verb as a noun,
you can turn it into an infinitive or gerund, the noun forms of verbs.

An infinitive adds the preposition to in front of a verb’s root form. Although

technically two words, an infinitive acts as a single word, usually a noun, but
sometimes also an adjective or adverb.

To forgive is divine. (noun)

Bring a snack to eat if you get hungry. (adjective describing “snack”)

Alternatively, you can turn the verb into a gerund by adding -ing, identical to the
present participle. A gerund is strictly used as a noun, and occasionally you can
use them to create gerund phrases, which act as a single unit to modify the
gerund.

Running is too difficult.

Studying the cosmos is not the same as understanding the cosmos.

So what’s the difference between infinitives and gerunds? Often, they are
interchangeable—both infinitives and gerunds can act as subjects and direct
objects.

Living with a dog changes your outlook on life. (correct)

To live with a dog changes your outlook on life. (also correct)

However, only gerunds can be the object of a preposition.

When I’m not fishing, I’m thinking about fishing.

Moreover, some transitive verbs only use infinitives as a direct object—for
example, want.

I want to break free. (correct)

I want breaking free. (incorrect)

Although there are others, some common verbs use infinitives. They include the
following: choose, decide, hope, plan, prepare, promise, wish.

In general, use the infinitives for situations that are abstract, unreal, or haven’t
happened yet. Use gerunds for situations that are specific, real, or have already
happened.

In the mornings, I really like to exercise. (abstract; infinitive)

This morning, I really liked exercising. (specific; gerund)

How to conjugate verbs in English

Using verbs isn’t as easy as just tossing them in a sentence. They need to
represent the tense you want, as well as match the subject (subject-verb
agreement, explained below). This is called verb conjugation, or changing the
verb to fit the sentence. In English, there are four main tenses, each divided into
three time periods, totalling twelve tenses. Some other tenses exist, but these are
the most common ones.

Main tenses:

simple
continuous
perfect
perfect continuous
Time periods:

present
past
future
Below, we explain how to conjugate each of the main tenses in the present, past,
and future. Keep in mind that irregular verbs may use different forms.

Subject-verb agreement

No matter what tense you use, your verb has to match the number of the subject.
In other words, singular subjects conjugate verbs differently than plural subjects.

A lot of the time, you either add –s to the end of the verb or you don’t. However,
more advanced tenses with auxiliary verbs can get tricky—both be and have are
irregular verbs, so you have to pay close attention to using their right forms even
when they’re not the main verb.

How to conjugate simple tenses

The simple tenses are the most straightforward—that’s what makes them simple.
They represent individual, one-time actions.

How to conjugate the present tense

The simple present tense is used for actions that happen regularly or things that
don’t change, such as preferences or opinions. It’s made with the root form,
unless the subject is third-person singular (he, she, the singular they, it), in which
case you use the third-person singular present form.

[ROOT] or [THIRD-PERSON SINGULAR PRESENT]

Kim feels lousy today.

I study every night before bed.

How to conjugate the past tense
The simple past tense describes a single action that already took place, or a
habitual action that no longer occurs. It uses the simple past form explained
above.

[SIMPLE PAST]

When I was young, I played in the backyard every day.

They lost again, and no one was surprised.

How to conjugate the future tense

The simple future tense describes events that have not happened yet, as in
planning or preparing. It uses the root form, but adds the word will in front.

will + [ROOT]

You will study verbs until you understand them.

Once again, history will repeat itself.

How to conjugate continuous tenses

The continuous tense—also known as the progressive tense—is used for mostly
ongoing events that are temporary.

Remember that stative verbs cannot be used in the continuous tense. Actions
about feelings or states of being that happened in the past use the simple past
tense.

How to conjugate the present continuous tense

The present continuous tense is used often, and has many different uses:
events happening right now
ongoing events that are temporary
plans for the near future
It’s often confused with the present simple; situations which might seem like the
simple present—such as actions happening currently—are actually best
represented by the present continuous.

Form the present continuous by adding the conjugated simple present form of be
before the present participle of your main verb (the -ing form).

am / is / are + [PRESENT PARTICIPLE]

Tony is sleeping at the moment.

Later, we’re seeing the new zombie movie. Everyone is talking about it!

How to conjugate the past continuous tense

The past continuous tense shows ongoing events that happened in the past,
specifically ones that have a definitive beginning and end. It can also be used to
show a past event that was interrupted by another past event. Note that the past
continuous is only used for events that are completed.

Form the past continuous by adding the conjugated simple past form of be before
the present participle. Yes, the present participle.

was/were + [PRESENT PARTICIPLE]

They were eating dinner when the phone rang.

It was raining all day, but we still had fun indoors.

How to conjugate the future continuous tense
The future continuous tense describes ongoing events that will happen in the
future, specifically if they have a definitive beginning and end.

It’s formed by adding the words will be before the present participle.

will be + [PRESENT PARTICIPLE]

We will be skiing all day Saturday.

After I quit, you will be begging me to come back to work.

How to conjugate the perfect tense

As one of the most confusing tenses in English, the perfect tense takes some
practice. It has very particular usage guidelines—especially the present perfect—
and it’s closely related to the simple past.

How to conjugate the present perfect tense

The present perfect tense is used for a few special circumstances, mostly
connected to past events that haven’t yet ended:

actions started in the past but continue into the present

repeated actions in the past without mentioning when
past actions, for more emphasis or dramatic effect
To form the present perfect tense, add the present conjugation of have before the
verb’s past participle.

has/have + [PAST PARTICIPLE]

I’ve worked here since the beginning.

Macbeth has murdered the king!

(Macbeth murdered the king! is also correct, but the present perfect makes it
sound more dramatic.)

How to conjugate the past perfect tense

When a sentence has two past events, use the past perfect tense, also known as
the pluperfect, to show which one happened first. It’s typically used in compound
or complex sentences with two clauses to show the order in which they
happened.

For the past perfect tense by adding had before the past participle.

had + [PAST PARTICIPLE]

I had forgotten about our date until she reminded me.

When our plane finally landed, they had already left the airport.

How to conjugate the future perfect tense

The future perfect tense refers to an unfinished event from a future when it’s
already completed. Confused? Say you’re riding your bike on Saturday. By
Sunday, you’ll be finished riding your bike. You can say, “My bike ride will have
finished by Sunday.” That’s why the future perfect tense is usually used with an
expression of time, for context.

It’s formed by adding the words will have before the past participle. You don’t
need to conjugate “have,” because it’s the same no matter what the subject is.

will have + [PAST PARTICIPLE]

By the time I can vote, I will have graduated already.

We will have stayed together for twenty-five years in August.

How to conjugate the perfect continuous tense

One of the more complicated tenses in English, the perfect continuous tense
combines the perfect and continuous tenses at the same time. It’s largely used
like the perfect tense, but with ongoing or continuous actions.

How to conjugate the present perfect continuous tense

The present perfect continuous tense describes an ongoing action started in the
past that continues to the present. If that sounds familiar, it’s because that’s one
of the situations we use the normal present perfect tense, too.

So what’s the difference? The present perfect and the present perfect continuous
can often be used interchangeably, but the big difference is emphasis. The
present perfect continuous emphasizes that the event is ongoing, whereas the
present perfect alone emphasizes completion or achievement.

To form the present perfect continuous, add the conjugated form of have, the
word been, and the present participle.

has/have + been + [PRESENT PARTICIPLE]

The town has been mining gold since the 1800s.

I’ve been locked in my closet for hours!

How to conjugate the past perfect continuous tense

Like the past perfect, the past perfect continuous tense is used in complex and
compound sentences to show which event happened first. While the past perfect
tense describes an individual action, the past perfect continuous shows an
ongoing action that is already finished.

Form the past perfect continuous tense by adding the words had been before the
present participle.
had been + [PRESENT PARTICIPLE]

Until the moment our picnic began, the sun had been shining all day.

She had been waiting for a sign before she finally asked him out.

How to conjugate the future perfect continuous tense

The future perfect continuous tense functions just like the future perfect tense,
except with an ongoing action. The major difference is that with the future perfect
tense, the event will have ended, but with the future perfect continuous, the event
would still be happening by that time in the future. Both, however, are frequently
used with expressions of time.

The future perfect continuous tense is formed by adding the words will have been
before the present participle.

will have been + [PRESENT PARTICIPLE]

In a few weeks, she will have been studying English for a whole year.

By 6:00, we will have been stuck in this elevator for four hours.

3 expert tips on putting verbs into action

1 Use verbs instead of other words for more powerful writing
Verbs aren’t just necessary for grammar—they’re also the most helpful words for
writing. Whether you’re writing a school essay, work email, or social media post,
try to use verbs over nouns or adjectives to provide the details.

This may involve rewording some of your sentences, but your changes will
improve your writing as a whole. Strong writing uses as few words as possible,
so a single verb sounds better than a group of words that say the same thing.
He is a proofreader for work.

He proofreads for work.

In the end, we were successful.

In the end, we succeeded.

2 Use the active voice whenever you can

Although the passive voice is grammatically correct, the active voice is usually
preferred. It follows the same principle mentioned above: Fewer words mean
stronger writing. Not only does the active voice sound better, but also it’s easier
for your reader to understand because the subject comes first.

Whenever you notice a sentence in the passive voice, see if you can reword it to
say the same thing in the active voice.

The homecoming game was attended by almost every student.

Almost every student attended the homecoming game.

It was there that they found the lost ring.

They found the lost ring there.

3 Use specific verbs instead of modifying general verbs

Our last tip again follows the principle that fewer words are better. Instead of
modifying or describing your verb to get across your meaning, try using another,
more specific verb instead.

There are thousands of verbs in the English language; instead of adding words to
describe the verb you have, use another more precise verb to take its place.
Conclusiones
Recomendaciónes
Bibliografías
Infografías
Anexo