Session 1: Language, Grammar and the Parts of Speech

Duration of
Session

1 hour

Key
Understandings
to be developed

Language is the expression of thought in words.

Grammar is the science that teaches the correct forms of oral and written
language.
Sentence is the arrangement of words completely expressing a thought.
Words may be classified according to their use in sentences. The classes into
which words are divided are called Parts of Speech.
The Parts of Speech are Noun, Pronoun, Adjective, Verb, Adverb, Preposition,
Conjunction and Interjection.
Sources:
Elements of English Grammar by Lawton Bryan Evans, 1908
An English Grammar for the Higher Grades by Sarah E.H. Lockwood, 1892

Learning
Objectives

At the end of the session, the participants are able to:

1.
2.

Identify the relationship between language and grammar;

Give importance of studying grammar;

3.

Identify the different parts of speech.

Resources

PowerPoint Presentation
LCD
Laptop
Manila paper, marker

Introductory
Activity
(Optional)

1. Show an excuse letter and let the participants read it.

2. Ask the following:

What was the writer trying to tell the teacher?

Do you think the teacher immediately understood the intention of the
letter? Why?

What makes the letter hard to comprehend?

3. Lead the participants to mention the following: language, grammar, words

and sentence. These terms will lead you to the next activity.
Activity 1

1. Form 4-6 groups depending on the number of participants.

2. Distribute manila paper and marking pen to each group.
3. Explain the procedure of the activity.
WORD CHAIN
a. Study each of the following words. Remember what they mean.
Words, language, sentence, grammar, speech, nouns, pronouns, etc.
b. Choose any word (1st) and explain its connection with another word
(2nd). Then, use the 2nd word and connect it again with another (3rd),
and so on and so forth. Connect the words until such time that all the
words are used.
c. Be able to connect the last word with the first.
d. Illustrate your connections on the manila paper.

Analysis

Abstraction/
Generalization
(PowerPoint
Presentation)

4.
5.
1.
2.
3.

Conduct the activity.

Call on each group to present their connected ideas.
How were you able to connect all the words?
What difficulties did you encounter?
Did you lose connection along the way? How did you manage
reconnecting?
4. What realizations did you arrive at while doing the activity?
5. What do you think are the specific skills or knowledge that you should
possess to be able to easily do the activity? Why?

Show a Powerpoint presentation containing the following:

There are several ways of expressing the ideas or thoughts we have in

our minds. We can make signs, we can carve images, we can paint
forms, we can utter cries, we can speak words, and we can write
words. The use of words to express our thought is called Language.
When we speak out thought in words, we use oral language. When we
write our thoughts in words, we use written language.

Since we desire to express our thoughts correctly and according to the

usage of the best speakers and of the best writers, we have made a
science of correct language. It is called Grammar. Grammar is the
science that teaches the correct forms of oral and written language. It
must be understood that grammar does not make laws for language. It
merely state facts in regard to the right use of language, and in an
orderly way, so that they can be easily referred to and learned.

The English language is made up of words. Each word has its own
part to take in the work of expressing our thoughts; its own meanings,
and its own ways of being used with other words. The arrangement of
words completely expressing thought is called Sentence.

Words may be classified according to their use in sentences. The

classes into which words are divided are called Parts of Speech.

1.
2.
3.

The Parts of Speech are: (show examples)

Noun a word used as a name of any person, place or thing.
Pronoun a word used in place of a noun.
Adjective a word used to describe or limit the meaning of a noun or
pronoun.
Verb a word that expresses action or a state of being.
Adverb a word used to modify the meaning of a verb, adjective or
another adverb.
Preposition a word used to show the relation between a noun or
pronoun and some other word or words in a sentence.
Conjunction a word used to connect words, phrases, or sentences.
Interjection a word used to express a sudden emotion or deep
feeling.

4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Sources:
Elements of English Grammar by Lawton Bryan Evans, 1908
An English Grammar for the Higher Grades by Sarah E.H. Lockwood, 1892
Application
Concluding
Activity

1. Show the letter that was used in the introductory activity.

2. Identify an example of each part of speech.
3. Rewrite the letter correctly.
Show this saying and let the participants think about it:
Then suddenly, he was struck by a powerful but simple little truth,
and it was this: that English grammar is governed by rules that are almost
mathematical in their strictness! by Roald Dahl, The Great Automatic
Grammatizator And Other Stories