Visual English Grammar - Intermediate Level

📚 Course Overview

This foundational grammar course focuses on building essential sentence complexity and temporal accuracy through seven key modules. It begins by mastering core time structures—the Simple Past and Future tenses—using powerful conceptual metaphors. The curriculum then moves into enhancing descriptive power, covering the use and placement of adjectives, adverbs, and structures for comparison (comparatives and superlatives). Finally, students learn to inject nuance into their speech using modal verbs (Power Batteries), clarify relationships using fundamental prepositions (The Satellite System), and build logically sophisticated compound sentences using coordinating conjunctions (The Train Coupler).

🎯 Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

1. Master the formation and proper application of the Simple Past and Simple Future tenses.
2. Accurately employ adjectives and adverbs, utilizing comparative and superlative structures to express varying degrees of quality.
3. Construct logically complex sentences by incorporating modal verbs for nuanced meaning, using precise prepositions (At, On, In), and linking complete clauses with coordinating conjunctions.

🔹 Lesson 1: The Time Machine (Simple Past Tense)

Overview: Introduces the Simple Past Tense using the 'Time Machine' metaphor. Students learn about regular (-ed sticker) and common irregular verb changes, the function of the auxiliary 'Did,' and how to visually negate past actions.

Learning Outcomes:

• Identify and apply the regular formation rules for the past tense (-ed sticker transformation).
• Memorize common irregular past tense verbs through interactive card flips.
• Understand how the auxiliary verb 'Did' acts like a 'vacuum cleaner,' transforming the main verb back to its base form.
• Construct simple affirmative and negative sentences in the past tense.

🔹 Lesson 2: The Crystal Ball (Simple Future Tense)

Overview: Explores the Simple Future Tense through the 'Crystal Ball' metaphor. Focuses on the structure and function of 'Will' and the 'Be going to' structure, emphasizing how 'Will' forces the following verb into its base form.

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand the rules for using 'Will' and identify its zero-modification effect on the main verb.
• Master the usage and conjugation of the 'Be going to' structure for definite plans.
• Practice building future-tense sentences based on plans and predictions.
• Recognize and utilize contractions like I'll and Won't (Will not).

🔹 Lesson 3: The Decorators (Adjectives and Adverbs)

Overview: Uses the 'Decorators' metaphor to teach how adjectives refine nouns and how adverbs modify actions. Covers placement, the standard '-ly' transformation process, and common pitfalls.

Learning Outcomes:

• Differentiate between adjectives (modifying nouns) and adverbs (modifying verbs/adjectives).
• Apply the structural rules for transforming adjectives into adverbs using the '-ly' suffix factory.
• Correctly place adjectives (before the noun or after linking verbs).
• Master common irregular modifier pairs like 'good' (Adj) and 'well' (Adv).

🔹 Lesson 4: The Power Battery (Modal Verbs)

Overview: Modal verbs (Can, May, Must, Should) are introduced as 'Power Batteries' that inject meaning (ability, necessity, advice) into sentences. Focuses on the rule that modals are always followed by the base form of the main verb.

Learning Outcomes:

• Identify and use common modal verbs to express different intentions (e.g., Must for obligation, Should for advice).
• Understand the 'dominant rule': the main verb must always be in the base form after a modal verb.
• Formulate positive and negative modal sentences (Cannot, Mustn't).
• Compare and contrast 'Can' with its equivalent 'Be able to' for tense flexibility.

🔹 Lesson 5: The Satellite System (Prepositions At, On, In)

Overview: Introduces the spatial and temporal use of the key prepositions At, On, and In using the 'Pyramid/Triangle Model.' Students learn to map specific points (At), surfaces/days (On), and large spaces/periods (In) onto the visual hierarchy.

Learning Outcomes:

• Apply the Pyramid Model to correctly choose between At, On, and In for specific time references (e.g., point of time, day, year).
• Apply the Pyramid Model to correctly choose between At, On, and In for specific spatial locations (e.g., point, surface, enclosed space).
• Construct and utilize prepositional phrases as descriptive 'satellites' attached to the main clause.
• Identify and practice specific idiomatic prepositional phrases (e.g., At night vs In the evening).

🔹 Lesson 6: The Ranking Ladder (Comparatives and Superlatives)

Overview: Explores comparative and superlative structures using the 'Ranking Ladder' or podium metaphor. Students learn transformation rules for short and long adjectives, the structure involving 'than,' and the necessity of 'The' for superlatives.

Learning Outcomes:

• Apply the transformation rules for comparatives (-er/more) and superlatives (-est/most) based on adjective length.
• Construct comparison sentences using the structure [Adj-er + than].
• Correctly use the definite article 'The' with all superlative forms (the 'crown').
• Master the irregular comparative and superlative forms (Good/Better/Best).

🔹 Lesson 7: The Train Coupler (Conjunctions and Compound Sentences)

Overview: Focuses on using coordinating conjunctions (And, But, Or, So) as 'Train Couplers' to connect complete clauses, demonstrating logical relationships (addition, contrast, choice, result). Also addresses sentence simplification through omission.

Learning Outcomes:

• Identify the logical function of key coordinating conjunctions (And, But, Or, So).
• Use conjunctions as 'couplers' to build grammatically correct compound sentences.
• Select the appropriate conjunction based on the contextual logical relationship between two clauses.
• Recognize and apply simplification rules involving the omission of repeated subjects or verbs.