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Semantics of nominal and clausal embedding: how (not) to embed a clause and why , information structure of complex sentences: an empirical investigation into at-issueness , 'ane end of an auld song': macro and micro perspectives on written scots in correspondence during the union of the parliaments debates , intervention, participation, perception: case studies of language activism in catalonia, norway & scotland , aspects of cross-variety dinka tonal phonology , attitudes and perceptions of saudi students towards their non-native emi instructors , explanatory mixed methods approach to the effects of integrating apology strategies: evidence from saudi arabic , multilingualism in later life: natural history & effects of language learning , first language attrition in late bilingualism: lexical, syntactic and prosodic changes in english-italian bilinguals , syntactic change during the anglicisation of scots: insights from the parsed corpus of scottish correspondence , causation is non-eventive , developmental trajectory of grammatical gender: evidence from arabic , copular clauses in malay: synchronic, diachronic, and typological perspectives , sentence processing in first language attrition: the interplay of language, experience and cognitive load , choosing to presuppose: strategic uses of presupposition triggers , mechanisms underlying pre-school children’s syntactic, morphophonological and referential processing during language production , development and processing of non-canonical word orders in mandarin-speaking children , role of transparency in the acquisition of inflectional morphology: experimental studies testing exponence type using artificial language learning , disability and sociophonetic variation among deaf or hard-of-hearing speakers of taiwan mandarin , structural priming in the grammatical network: a study of english argument structure constructions .

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Research into practice: grammar learning and teaching.

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 March 2015

This selective review of the second language acquisition and applied linguistics research literature on grammar learning and teaching falls into three categories: where research has had little impact (the non-interface position), modest impact (form-focused instruction), and where it potentially can have a large impact (reconceiving grammar). Overall, I argue that not much second language acquisition or applied linguistics research on grammar has made its way into the classroom. At the conclusion of the discussion of each of the three categories, I speculate on why this is so. I also find misguided the notion that research should be applied to teaching in an unmediated manner. This is not to say that research should have no impact on pedagogy. In concluding, I offer some ways that I believe it could and should.

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• Volume 48, Issue 2
• Diane Larsen-Freeman (a1)
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444814000408

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"The English Grammar Skills of the Second Year College Students of Colegio de San Francisco

An undergraduate Research Study

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Charles Brent Magpayo

This study assessed the grammatical competence of 70 future teachers of English in Holy Angel University through an adapted grammar test questionnaire from Belk and Thompson (1999). The test measured the participants’ knowledge in different grammar areas, particularly in classes of words, sentence elements, types of sentences, correct use of verbs, modifiers, subject-verb agreement and pronoun usage. Generally, the results suggested that the participants have average grammatical competence. The results showed that the participants generally have an average level of grammatical competence. However, the majority of the participants (42.86%) has a low level of grammatical competence. The participants have high levels of grammatical competence on modifiers, classes of words, correct use of verbs and subject-verb agreement. On the other hand, the findings also showed that the participants have low grammatical competence in sentence elements, sentence types and pronoun usage. This research analyzed the grammar areas and specific grammar points wherein the participants are having difficulty, as well as the items wherein they are most competent. This research analyzed the potential underlying causes of their difficulty, as well as the possible interventions. Additionally, the researchers created an instructional material that is fitted to communicative grammar teaching method, providing contextualized discussion with authentic materials and assessment to address the difficulties in the aforementioned grammar areas. The study gave recommendations regarding the results of the assessment, considering the existing language learning theories and related studies presented in the paper, and their implications.

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Aminah Suriaman

This research aims to find out correlation between grammar and speaking skill of the third semester students of English Education Study Program academic year 2019/2020 at IAIN Datokarama Palu. 28 participants of correlational research were asked to describe themselves, daily routines, and unforgettable experience. Then, they were assigned to do grammar test. The data were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient. The result shows that the correlation coefficient between students’ grammar and speaking skill is 0.46. The result is categorized “moderate” (0.40 to 0.59). It indicates that there is positive correlation between the students’ grammar and speaking skill which means that grammar contributes to speaking skilll, but grammar is not the main predictor of speaking skill achievement. There are some other aspects of speaking affecting the students’ speaking skill, i.e accuracy (in terms of vocabulary and pronunciation), fluency, and comprehensibility. The impli...

Bellaterra Journal of Teaching & Learning Language & Literature

Morgane Beaumanoir-Secq

Research on grammar teaching covers a variety of topics and adopts plural perspectives. The III International Conference on Teaching Grammar (Congram19), held at the Autonomous University of Barcelona from January 23 to 25, 2019, is a sample of this. The presence of current research, carried out in various contexts, was an opportunity to consolidate a common field and to reflect on the particularities of the research carried out in each of these contexts, clearly linked to the purposes assigned to grammar teaching. This special issue includes the contributions of 16 researchers resulting from this conference. The reader will find these contributions in two parts: the first part in the previous issue of Bellaterra Journal of Teaching & Learning Language & Literature (13.2) and the second part in the present issue (13.3).

International Journal of Multidisciplinary: Applied Business and Education Research

JOEL D POTANE

English language proficiency is one of the most pressing issues, particularly in the field of education. Speaking and writing are two of the most important macroskills to master, especially in today's increasingly connected world. The current study seeks to ascertain students' comprehension and mastery of English grammar and explores whether grammar explains the students' proficiency in speaking and writing in Grade 10 Junior High School. The respondents were chosen for the study using a simple random sampling design. Additionally, the researcher's questionnaire, with three qualified validators tested for validity and a pilot tested for reliability, produced a satisfactory Cronbach's alpha result and served as the basis for gathering the study's data. Findings show that students' competence in English grammar, writing, and speaking is satisfactory. The outcome demonstrates that mastery of English grammar accounts for developing an acceptable level of spe...

Annual Review of Applied Linguistics

Hossein Nassaji

The 33rd Thailand TESOL International Conference Proceedings 2013

Sothea Seng

The three purposes of this paper are: (1) to explore the English Grammar Learning Strategies (EGLS) employed by Cambodian EFL students, (2) to find out the differences of EGLS use between low proficiency and high-proficiency students, and (3) to examine the possible relationship between EGLS use and English grammar proficiency. The quantitative data were collected from English major students (n=242) using an English grammar test and a five-point Likert scale questionnaire. In addition to descriptive statistical analysis, independent sample t-tests and Pearson correlation coefficients were performed at the .05 level of significance to answer the research questions. The qualitative data were collected from six low-proficiency and six high-proficiency students through semi-structured interviews and were analyzed by qualitative coding procedures. The findings demonstrated that Cambodian EFL students used overall EGLS at a high level. Affective strategies were used most frequently, while cognitive strategies were used least frequently. English grammar proficiency did not have a significant effect on the overall use of EGLS. Also, this study showed that overall EGLS usage between low-proficiency and high-proficiency students did not correlate with each other. Likewise, the qualitative results revealed that there were similarities between the former and the latter group in their use of EGLS.

Estrella Sioco

The study determined the level of grammatical competence of 177 Junior High School students and on the design and development of a supplementary learning material to enhance the grammatical competence of the students along subjectverb agreement. the study revealed that students favored textbooks as their preferred reading material at home. They are also exposed to various media types, with denser exposure to books and television. The students’ parents are generally at par in their highest educational attainment, which vary across cases of being either graduate or undergraduate in College, High School and Elementary School levels. Majority of the students’ fathers are High School graduate, parallel to the educational attainment of their mothers. The study concludes that the Junior High School students need to further enhance their level of grammatical competence in subject-verb agreement. The merits and essentials of the findings were drawn and treated as inputs in the development of...

The Future of Humanities, Education and Creative Industries

Edina Rizvić-Eminović

This paper represents a continuation of research into the grammatical competence of the Zenica University freshmen, who studied English for 4 to 10 years prior to their enrolment. The first study was conducted in the fall of 2015 and included a total of 106 students. The second study was carried out in the fall of 2016 and included 248 students. To verify the results and to compare the progress in terms of the grammatical component, a representative sample of the students from the second study (54) was asked to complete a standardized online test after one semester, in the spring of 2017. For the purpose of this research a survey was designed testing the students’ knowledge of the properties and use of the four lexical categories. The survey included a total of 155 sentences, incorporated into 17 tasks. Specifically, the tasks were related to verbs, tense formation and use, both active and passive, plural of nouns and comparison of adjectives and adverbs. The 2015 study showed that less than 50% of the students had attained B2 level. Further, no correlation between the years of studying English and the students’ grammatical competence could be established. However, a clear correlation was established between the grammatical competence and the high school the students completed. It was hypothesized that the 2016 study would show similar results and trends when it comes to the students’ grammatical competence, which would confirm that certain changes should be made in the syllabi at both high school and university level. Additionally, it was assumed that the standardized online test would show certain progress in terms of the grammatical component.

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Grammar In PhD Theses – Adjectives & Tense, Voice & Contractions of Verbs

Posted by Rene Tetzner | Oct 31, 2021 | PhD Success | 0 |

5.4.6 Adjectives, Adverbs and Split Infinitives

Adjectives and adverbs are often overused when authors are attempting to be precise, with long strings of adjectives particularly common in some theses, so do check for this while proofreading your draft and pay special attention to instances in which you may have used a large number of adjectival nouns. In almost all cases, it is best to use as few adjectives as possible, and such a policy can lead to the use of more precise or expressive adjectives, which is always preferable. When you decide that several adjectives are definitely required, be sure to punctuate them effectively and in a consistent manner throughout your thesis (see Section 5.6.1). Adverbs are especially problematic when they split the infinitive forms of English verbs. In most languages, the infinitive of a verb is a single word: the infinitive forms of the famous Latin phrase ‘veni, vidi, vici (I came, I saw, I conquered),’ for instance, are ‘venire,’ ‘videre’ and ‘vincere.’ In English, however, the infinitives of verbs are formed through the addition of ‘to’ – ‘to come, to see, to conquer’ – and the two elements of the infinitive (‘to’ and ‘conquer’) should no sooner be separated from each other in formal writing than should the ‘ – ire’ or ‘ – ere’ ending be separated from the stem of one of the Latin infinitives. Infinitives are usually split by an adverb inserted between the two parts of the verb (as in Star Trek ’s famous ‘to boldly go’), and such split infinitives sometimes sound entirely natural because they tend to be used daily in casual speech and informal written communications. In the twenty-first century, split infinitives are even tolerated in scholarly prose (though not by all university departments and thesis committees), so if you find that you simply cannot do without an adverb and yet it proves impossible to word the sentence effectively without splitting the infinitive, the adverb can in some cases be retained within the infinitive of the verb. Some readers still consider split infinitives incorrect grammar, however, so do check with your supervisor, keep such usage to a minimum in your thesis and remember that the safest policy is to reword split infinitives whenever possible, replacing ‘to successfully write a thesis,’ for instance, with ‘to write a thesis successfully.’ Rewording sentences containing split infinitives will no doubt prove challenging at times, and in certain instances a sentence may have to be thoroughly rewritten to accommodate a necessary adverb or adverbial phrase more effectively, but do make your best effort before deciding to retain a split infinitive.

5.4.7 Verbs: Tense, Voice and Contractions

The correct use of verb tenses (present, perfect, pluperfect etc.) can be tricky and thus problematic at times. The nuances of the various tenses communicate different temporal messages, and the temporal message of each verb should accurately reflect the reality reported, be consistent with other verbs expressing similar temporal messages and change according to the nature of the content. The problem is complicated in scholarly prose because referring accurately and effectively to the ideas and results found in sources can be challenging. As a general rule, much of what is said in previous scholarship can be referred to in the present tense: for example, ‘Taylor (1996) argues that’ and ‘according to Fergusson (2013), the argument is.’ However, when studies done at different times are compared or contrasted, the tense will need to be varied: ‘Taylor (1996) argued [perfect] that the problem could not be overcome, but Fergusson (2013) sheds [present] new light on the situation.’ Often using a compound form with ‘has’ or ‘have’ is more effective than a simple past or perfect tense when speaking of scholarly trends or developments: for instance, ‘several studies of the problem have been published since the 1980s.’ However, studies that are already published were in fact conducted in the past, so the perfect tense, too, can be correctly used when referring to sources and their authors: for example, ‘Fergusson (2013) explored the problem by following the recommendations of Taylor (1996).’ Sensitivity to the expression of temporal reality through appropriate verb tenses should be applied not just to the discussion of sources, but to the whole of your thesis.

The use of the passive rather than the active voice can also present problems in formal scholarly prose. In the active voice, a subject is clearly stated and the verb is active: ‘I investigated the use of domestic robots among elderly residents of the Sunset Manor.’ In the passive voice, on the other hand, the object becomes the subject and the verb is passive: ‘The use of domestic robots among elderly residents of the Sunset Manor was investigated.’ Both sentences are correct English, but because the passive voice does not name the person (or people) doing the investigating, it can fail to convey with precision who did the research – the author of the present thesis as part of the current study, for instance, or a third party (or parties) working at some other time who ought to be cited? Some doctoral candidates will deliberately use the passive voice in an abstract, perhaps due to a misconception that the passive voice is scholarly, but a scholarly voice is never vague as the passive voice can be, and some guidelines will ask that the passive voice be avoided, especially in abstracts where precision expressed via as few words as possible is particularly important. However, the passive voice can be used effectively (and often is in the sciences) when the point is to emphasise the object of research rather than the agent doing the research, so do check university and department guidelines and/or ask your supervisor about the use of the passive voice. When proofreading your thesis draft, pay careful attention to what sentences using the passive voice actually say and do not say, and whenever you think that such sentences might prove imprecise, ineffective or confusing for your readers, reword them using the active voice.

Contractions of verbs, which are frequently used in casual speech, often slip into formal prose, especially when an author is writing quickly as he or she thinks through problems. Examples include ‘didn’t’ (for ‘did not’), ‘shouldn’t’ (for ‘should not’), ‘won’t’ (for ‘will not’), ‘can’t’ (for ‘cannot’) and ‘wouldn’t’ (for ‘would not’) in which a verb is combined with the word ‘not,’ as well as verbs combined with pronouns such as ‘I’ll’ (for ‘I will’), ‘he’s’ (for ‘he is’ or ‘he has’), ‘it’s’ (for ‘it is’ or ‘it has’) and ‘they’re’ (for ‘they are’). Such contractions are not considered scholarly and should only be used in your thesis when you are accurately quoting direct speech and similar informal text from sources that use contractions (I use them in some of my examples, for instance). In your own prose, however, all such contractions should be expanded, so do watch for these as you proofread your chapter drafts. For more information on contractions, including those that are acceptable in scholarly prose, see Section 5.6.3.

5.4.8 Consistency and Variation in Word Use

It is important to strike a balance between consistency and variation in the vocabulary used in a thesis. While variety can contribute to an interesting writing style and is important for retaining the reader’s interest, precision and consistency are absolutely essential to reporting results and presenting an argument effectively, so it is always better to tip the scales in favour of clear communication. Many minor words in a sentence can easily be changed or eliminated to create variety and avoid repetition without altering the meaning of your text, but if you vary or eliminate terms that define important aspects and elements of your research, methodology and argument or that report the precise results of tests and trials, ambiguity and misinterpretation can result. In the case of comparison, for instance, the exact details of each side of a comparison or contrast should be clearly outlined, and a sentence such as ‘I compared the scores the executives earned in the third trial with the employees’ is confusing and simply wrong: the scores earned by the executives were no doubt compared with the scores earned by the employees (not the employees themselves), and the employees’ scores were probably obtained in a numbered trial as well, so the reader needs more precise information. A statement such as ‘purple hats were given to half of the executives, but yellow to employees’ is also problematic. The reader can easily supply the verb (‘were given’) missing from the second half of the sentence and it is also fairly clear that ‘yellow’ stands for ‘yellow hats,’ but he or she may be wondering ‘to how many employees?’ Does the author mean that hats were given to half of the employees or to all employees included in the study? Clearly, further explanation is needed here as well, and the use of specific numbers and percentages would probably be far more effective. Finally, the terms and definitions used for specific concepts and categories should remain consistent throughout a thesis, especially when those concepts and categories are central to the study or argument: for example, if the study groups have been introduced as ‘smokers group,’ ‘nonsmokers group’ and ‘control group,’ that terminology should not change part way through the thesis or be different in tables and figures that accompany the thesis; and if questionnaires are labelled A, B and C, they should not be referred to without the letters or via numbers instead because such references can increase the possibility of unnecessary confusion.

PRS Tip: The well-educated proofreaders at PRS are specialists in a variety of disciplines and experts in the English language. They know how scholarly writing in English should read because they are scholars, and some of them have published their own academic or scientific writing. So there is a great deal they can do to help you make your scholarly voice just what it should be, but it is essential that you do everything you can to ensure that your vocabulary, grammar and syntax are as correct and clear as possible before you send your thesis or proposal chapters for proofreading. Remember that if a seasoned professional proofreader familiar with academic and scientific prose, your specific discipline and the errors commonly encountered when working across languages is not able to make sense of what you are trying to say, it is very difficult for him or her to provide assistance. When PRS proofreaders read documents for clients, they generally strike up a dialogue in marginal comments, and clients are welcome to initiate a dialogue with their proofreaders as well. If you are having trouble with a particular construction or a specific section in your thesis, you should therefore feel free to explain the problem as well as you can in a marginal comment within your Word document or in the instructions you include with the document. This sort of proactive approach will enable your proofreader to direct attention where it is most needed and help you maximise the effect of the money you spend on professional proofreading.

Why PhD Success?

To Graduate Successfully

This article is part of a book called "PhD Success" which focuses on the writing process of a phd thesis, with its aim being to provide sound practices and principles for reporting and formatting in text the methods, results and discussion of even the most innovative and unique research in ways that are clear, correct, professional and persuasive.

The assumption of the book is that the doctoral candidate reading it is both eager to write and more than capable of doing so, but nonetheless requires information and guidance on exactly what he or she should be writing and how best to approach the task. The basic components of a doctoral thesis are outlined and described, as are the elements of complete and accurate scholarly references, and detailed descriptions of writing practices are clarified through the use of numerous examples.

The basic components of a doctoral thesis are outlined and described, as are the elements of complete and accurate scholarly references, and detailed descriptions of writing practices are clarified through the use of numerous examples. PhD Success provides guidance for students familiar with English and the procedures of English universities, but it also acknowledges that many theses in the English language are now written by candidates whose first language is not English, so it carefully explains the scholarly styles, conventions and standards expected of a successful doctoral thesis in the English language.

Individual chapters of this book address reflective and critical writing early in the thesis process; working successfully with thesis supervisors and benefiting from commentary and criticism; drafting and revising effective thesis chapters and developing an academic or scientific argument; writing and formatting a thesis in clear and correct scholarly English; citing, quoting and documenting sources thoroughly and accurately; and preparing for and excelling in thesis meetings and examinations. 

Completing a doctoral thesis successfully requires long and penetrating thought, intellectual rigour and creativity, original research and sound methods (whether established or innovative), precision in recording detail and a wide-ranging thoroughness, as much perseverance and mental toughness as insight and brilliance, and, no matter how many helpful writing guides are consulted, a great deal of hard work over a significant period of time. Writing a thesis can be an enjoyable as well as a challenging experience, however, and even if it is not always so, the personal and professional rewards of achieving such an enormous goal are considerable, as all doctoral candidates no doubt realise, and will last a great deal longer than any problems that may be encountered during the process.

Interested in Proofreading your PhD Thesis? Get in Touch with us

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Rene Tetzner

Rene Tetzner's blog posts dedicated to academic writing. Although the focus is on How To Write a Doctoral Thesis, many other important aspects of research-based writing, editing and publishing are addressed in helpful detail.

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The Main Body of the Thesis

October 4, 2021

While Sandel argues that pursuing perfection through genetic engineering would decrease our sense of humility, he claims that the sense of solidarity we would lose is also important.

This thesis summarizes several points in Sandel’s argument, but it does not make a claim about how we should understand his argument. A reader who read Sandel’s argument would not also need to read an essay based on this descriptive thesis.  

Broad thesis (arguable, but difficult to support with evidence) 

Michael Sandel’s arguments about genetic engineering do not take into consideration all the relevant issues.

This is an arguable claim because it would be possible to argue against it by saying that Michael Sandel’s arguments do take all of the relevant issues into consideration. But the claim is too broad. Because the thesis does not specify which “issues” it is focused on—or why it matters if they are considered—readers won’t know what the rest of the essay will argue, and the writer won’t know what to focus on. If there is a particular issue that Sandel does not address, then a more specific version of the thesis would include that issue—hand an explanation of why it is important.  

Arguable thesis with analytical claim 

While Sandel argues persuasively that our instinct to “remake” (54) ourselves into something ever more perfect is a problem, his belief that we can always draw a line between what is medically necessary and what makes us simply “better than well” (51) is less convincing.

This is an arguable analytical claim. To argue for this claim, the essay writer will need to show how evidence from the article itself points to this interpretation. It’s also a reasonable scope for a thesis because it can be supported with evidence available in the text and is neither too broad nor too narrow.  

Arguable thesis with normative claim 

Given Sandel’s argument against genetic enhancement, we should not allow parents to decide on using Human Growth Hormone for their children.

This thesis tells us what we should do about a particular issue discussed in Sandel’s article, but it does not tell us how we should understand Sandel’s argument.  

Questions to ask about your thesis 

• Is the thesis truly arguable? Does it speak to a genuine dilemma in the source, or would most readers automatically agree with it?  
• Is the thesis too obvious? Again, would most or all readers agree with it without needing to see your argument?  
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The Place of Grammar Instruction in the 21st Century: Exploring Global Perspectives of English Teachers towards the Role of Teaching Grammar in EFL/ESL Classrooms

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• Northern Border University
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Teaching English Grammar: In-Service English Language Teachers’ Perceptions

Journal for Research Scholars and Professionals of English Language Teaching – Impact Factor, JRSP-ELT, Issue 21, Vol. 4, 2020

13 Pages Posted: 21 Nov 2020

Rameshwar Jyoti

Tribhuvan University

Date Written: October 4, 2020

This study aims to explore the perceptions of in-service English teachers towards teaching grammar in secondary level. I employed a qualitative research design. The study was carried out within the theoretical framework of social constructivism and cognitivism. Three in-service English teachers of secondary level, teaching at three different community schools in Rupandehi district, Nepal were purposively selected as research participants. They were interviewed using a semi-structured interview technique to collect relevant information for the purpose. The study reveals that in-service English teachers have positive attitudes towards teaching grammar. Furthermore, they opined that grammar plays a central role in teaching English language, and should not be taught deductively. In addition, they were in favor of the use of inductive method of teaching grammar as this method enhances the students to produce syntactically and semantically correct sentences with appropriate and relevant vocabulary. The study further demonstrates that deductive method is also in practice to teach grammar because the students feel better and more comfortable to receive rules and structures of grammar from the teachers. This study contributes to English teachers' comprehensive understanding of teaching grammar in their classrooms.

Keywords: Deductive Method, Inductive Method, Teaching English Grammar

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Rameshwar Jyoti (Contact Author)

Tribhuvan university ( email ).

Kirtipur Kathmandu, Bagmati 44600 Nepal

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