Teaching grammar in Christmas lessons

Integrating a grammar point into a Christmas lesson can be a fun way to incorporate the holiday spirit with a language concept that is universally applicable. While there are resources available for teaching past, present, and future verb forms in Christmas lessons, this article will focus on other common grammar points.

 

Prepositions of time in Christmas lessons

Students can practice forming questions like “When did the real St. Nicholas live?” based on provided answers such as “In the 4^th century,” “Since 1923,” and “For 12 days.” They can challenge themselves by starting with no assistance and then selecting from mixed questions. Additionally, they can test their understanding of grammar by completing sentences with missing words or phrases.

 

Adjective word order in Christmas lessons

Students can reinforce the pattern of placing adjectives of opinion before adjectives of fact by selecting the appropriate adjectives from a list to describe nouns such as “a huge cheap plastic Christmas tree” or “a small natural Christmas tree.” They can also enhance their vocabulary by adding multiple adjectives to nouns to create festive phrases.

 

Be and get used to in Christmas lessons

Students can engage in a guessing game where they provide clues about actions associated with Christmas, such as “Older people are still not used to it,” “I think everyone could quickly get used to it,” and “Foreign people rarely get used to it,” until their partner correctly identifies the activity, such as “Eating KFC on Christmas Day” or “Having cranberry sauce with turkey.”

 

Have and have got in Christmas lessons

Students can give hints like “Rudolph has got one,” “I’ve got a plastic one,” and “My father has one after drinking too much,” prompting their partner to guess items related to Christmas, such as “a red nose,” “a star,” or “black boots.” They can also create sentences for their peers to illustrate, like “Santa has a big stomach” and “The roof has lots of snow.”

 

Plural nouns in Christmas lessons

Students can decide whether to use singular or plural forms for nouns in Christmas-related scenarios, such as “A snowman in the garden” or “Two snowmen in the garden.” They can then be tested on regular and irregular plurals based on their choices.

 

This, that, these, and those in Christmas lessons

Using Christmas-themed images, students can practice identifying objects in the foreground and background and answering questions like “What are those?” or following instructions like “This is a mince pie for Santa. That is a carrot for the reindeer” to compare descriptions with the original images.

 

There is/ There are in Christmas lessons

Students can take turns describing Christmas scenes or decorations for their peers to draw, using phrases like “There is a star” and “There are many fairy lights.” They can also engage in a guessing game where they provide clues about Christmas-related vocabulary until their partner correctly guesses the word or phrase.

 

Prepositions of position in Christmas lessons

Students can practice describing and illustrating Christmas-themed settings using prepositions, such as “There are many presents under the tree” or “There are two black boots in the fireplace.” They can also play a game where they guess Christmas-related terms based on provided hints.

 

Comparative adjectives in Christmas lessons

Students can compare Christmas traditions in different countries or debate the advantages of different options, such as “A natural Christmas tree is more environmentally friendly than a plastic Christmas tree.” They can also provide feedback on drawings of Christmas scenes, suggesting improvements using comparative language.

 

Superlative adjectives in Christmas lessons

Students can discuss and debate the “best” or “most” aspects of Christmas, such as “The greenest way of wrapping presents” or “The healthiest Christmas dinner.” They can also compete to create the “most original” Christmas wrapping paper or the “fastest-looking” Santa’s sleigh.

 

Countable and uncountable nouns in Christmas lessons

Students can determine the appropriate use of “how many” or “how much” for items needed for a Christmas meal or office party, matching the correct phrases with different types of nouns.

 

Possessives in Christmas lessons

Students can practice using possessive forms by creating sentences like “Santa’s nose is big” or “The presents are all round” for their peers to illustrate in a festive scene.

 

Modal verbs in Christmas lessons

Modals of speculation in Christmas lessons

Students can engage in a guessing game where they use modal verbs to speculate about Christmas-related topics and activities, gradually narrowing down the possibilities until only one option remains.

 

Modals of obligations in Christmas lessons

Students can establish rules or guidelines for various Christmas-related scenarios, such as staff parties or interactions with business partners during the holiday season.

 

Can and can’t in Christmas lessons

Students can provide clues about Christmas-related items using expressions like “You can’t open two doors on the same day” or “You can write to him,” prompting their partners to guess the object or activity being described.

 

Relative clauses in Christmas lessons

Students can practice defining Christmas vocabulary using relative clauses, offering descriptions like “It’s a place where you can buy Christmas decorations and snacks” until someone correctly identifies the word or phrase.

 

Question formation in Christmas lessons

Indirect questions in Christmas lessons

Students can practice forming indirect questions related to Christmas topics, adapting sensitive inquiries into more tactful language while maintaining engagement with the holiday theme.

 

Yes/ No questions in Christmas lessons

Students can engage in a game where they ask yes/no questions to guess a Christmas-related item or concept chosen by their partner.