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Computers: your English grammar tutor
When the result of the second semester was announced, Sara had obtained 70 per cent marks in English grammar. In the first semester she had failed owing to her poor performance in English grammar. We discovered that the secret behind her success was that this time she had taken help from a computer-based learning technology.
How computers help learning English?
The computer has changed the way we learn. It offers students new ways to use technology to improve their learning skills through learning tools. These learning tools are available in the form of various softwares. One such software is the “3D English grammar software”. You can install it on your PC’s hard disk any time and begin to teach yourself English grammar.
About 3D grammar software
The main menu of the software consists of 34 topics in grammar such as adjectives, adverbs, superlatives, passive voice, tenses, articles, imperatives, preposition, etc. Most of the topics consist of four levels. Level one is meant for beginners and level four is for skilled students. Every level has activities or exercises with examples to help the learner at the beginning of each activity.
Carefully study the example first and then type the answer and press enter. At the end of every level you will get your result from the scoring system of the software. In case of incorrect answers you are advised to use the grammar section of the program to correct grammatical mistakes.
If you manage to obtain the highest score a fish appears on the screen saying “congratulations”.
Get set go
If you are weak in any particular topic then select it from the main menu. If not, begin learning with the first topic. Suppose you need to learn the correct use of adverbs (words that modify verbs).
* Click on adverbs from the list of topics.
* Adverbs consist of four levels. Level one consist of five sub topics which are as follows; adverbs of frequency, adverbs of manners, position of adverbs of frequency, position of adverbs of manners, spelling adverbs of manners.
Now we will discuss the first sub-topic of level one.
* Select the first sub-topic “adverbs of frequency”.
* Read the direction. You are directed to drag the correct word from a list below the sentence, and drop it to the empty area of each sentence, for example;
My grand mother can’t see without her glasses. She ———————- wears her glasses. Always, rarely, usually:
* If your answer is correct then a message box will appear on the screen, with the caption “That is correct”.
* Now click the continue button.
* In case of a wrong answer you are directed to “Try again”.
Similarly there are a number of other activities, which help you to understand “adverbs of frequency”.
* After you finish all the activities of level one, your result is announced in the form of a message box. In case of more errors you are directed to go to the grammar help section.
Some other topics from the main menu
Imperatives:
Another interesting topic of the software is imperatives (form of the verb expressing commands). This topic consists of two levels. Level one has two sub-topics
* Imperatives — affirmatives and negatives.
* Using Imperatives -- appropriate and inappropriate.
Level two is more interesting; it also consists of two sub-topics;
* Following procedures.
* Giving directions.
In the “following procedure” option you are directed to insert the correct imperatives to explain the process of making Turkish tea.
The “giving direction” option consists of three activities. You learn to use correct imperatives to give directions of 1- a house; 2- post office and 3- find an item in the shelf
Demonstratives
Demonstratives (pronouns that serve to make a point) is another motivating topic. It consists of four levels. The activity of level one consists of a picture story of Susie. This topic is specially useful for those students who have just started learning English and face difficulty while making use of the correct form of the demonstrative (this, that, those, these).
After finishing all the exercises and activities of this extensive learning software, you will surely feel like an English grammar expert.
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