GRAMMAR
Target statement: I’m doing an online course. (elementary/grammar)
Anticipated Problems
Analysis
SS might confuse the present continuous
a) Meaning
tense with the simple present tense.
To say something is happening now.
(eg. I do an online course instead of I am
doing an online course)
b) Pronunciation Contraction in fast speech might make
SS think “I doing” instead of “I am
Primary stress on “do”
doing”
/ aɪm ˈduːɪŋ /
The g may be dropped or weaken. SS might stress on “I’m” instead of
“Doing”
weak form of “I’m” used: /əm/
/ aɪm ˈduːɪŋ /, /hiːz ˈduːɪŋ/,
/ɪts ˈduːɪŋ/, /wɪər ˈduːɪŋ/
c) Form Subject-verb agreement (use “is” instead
of “am” or “are” and vice versa.)
statement: subj. + am/ is/ are +
Ving (present participle) + … SS might omit auxiliary verbs and say I
(eg. I am going to school) doing, she doing, etc.
negative: subj. + am/ is/ are+ not + SS might forget “-ing” and say
Ving (present participle) + … I am go …, etc.
(eg. I am not going to school)
SS might make mistakes in word order
(eg. I going am…)
question: Am/ Is/ Are + subj.+
Ving (present participle) +... SS might think it’s the same as present
(eg. Are you going to school?)
take out “e” before adding “-ing”.
tense. (eg. I go…)
(eg. bake – baking)
When one syllable verb has one
vowel and ends in a consonant,
double the consonant and add -ing.
(eg. hit – hitting)
e) Providing a context/conveying meaning
Tr tells the class “This is Anna. Anna wants to learn English. She does not go to school, but
she uses her computer to study. She studies on the internet every day. This week, she is
studying online. So, she says, ‘I’m doing an online course.” Tr can also show a picture of a
person sitting at a laptop with a teacher on the screen. Then tr explains “I’m doing” means
something is happening now, around now, or in progress.
f) Checking Understanding:
Are we talking about the past? (No)
Is it happening now or every day? (Now)
Is it a finished action? (No)
g) Reference:
Murphy R. (2012). English Grammar in Use (4th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Cambridge University Press, 2025. Exhausted. Cambridge Learners' Dictionary. [online]
Available at: [Link] [Access: 3rd July,
2025]
Target statement: If I had enough money, I’d go abroad on holiday. (Intermediate/grammar)
Anticipated Problems
Analysis
SS may think it describes the past
Meaning
(real past), instead of unreal present.
To express unreal, hypothetical or imaginary
situations in the present or future. SS might think “I’d” refers to “I
had” and translate wrong.
b) Pronunciation Not recognizing or using the
contraction I’d
If I had - /ɪf aɪ hæd/
linking between if and I: [ɪfaɪ hæd] Confusing I’d /aɪd/ with I had /aɪ
I would → /aɪ wʊd/ hæd/
contracted form: I’d: /aɪd/
Sentence stress:
/ɪf aɪ hæd ɪˈnʌf ˈmʌni, aɪd ɡəʊ əˈbrɔːd ɒn
ˈhɒlədeɪ/ [UK]
/ɪf aɪ hæd ɪˈnʌf ˈmʌni, aɪd ɡoʊ əˈbrɔd ɑn
ˈhɑləˌdeɪ/ [US]
Intonation: “rise” on the if clause and
“fall” on the main clause.
c) Form Add would with if (eg. If I would ...)
statement: If + subj. + had (past simple) Use If I have instead of “had”
+ …, subj. + would + Verb (base form) +
…
(eg. If I had enough money, I would
travel.)
negative: If + subj. + did + not + have
{Verb (base form)} + …, subj. + would
+ not + Verb (base form) + …
(eg. If I didn’t have enough money, I
would not travel.)
question:
Would + subj.+
Verb (base form) +... + if + subj. + had +
(past simple) + …?
WH + would + subj. + … + if + subj. +
had (past simple) + …?
(eg. If you had enough money, would
you travel?
What would you do if you had enough
money?)
e) Providing a context/conveying meaning
Imagine you’re talking to your friend about summer holidays. You really want to travel
aboard – may be Japan or Europe. You have seen the beautiful photos of them online and
you’d love to go. But, right now, you don’t have enough money. You cannot afford to go
there so you are just dreaming about it.
f) Checking Understanding:
Do I have enough money to travel now? (No)
Is it real or imaginary? (Imaginary)
Am I talking about the present action or the past action? (Present)
g) Reference:
Murphy R. (2012). English Grammar in Use (4th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Cambridge University Press, 2025. Exhausted. Cambridge Learners' Dictionary. [online]
Available at: [Link] [Access: 3rd July,
2025]
VOCABULARY
Target statement: He’s got a moustache. (elementary/vocabulary)
Analysis Anticipated Problems
a) Meaning SS get confused with
moustache and beard
hair that a man grows above his upper lip.
SS mispronounce /tʃ/ for /ʃ/
b) Pronunciation
SS might pronounce “mout-
stress on 2nd syllable moustache /məˈstɑːʃ/ UK stache”
stress on 1st syllable mustache
/ˈmʌs.tæʃ/ US
connected speech: got a /gɒttə/
c) Form SS might think moustache is
uncountable due to similarity
Moustache (noun)
with hair.
Moustache (Countable Noun)
SS think “moustache” is
Use article “a” for singular use
wrong because they think
Plural form: Moustaches “mustache” is correct
spelling.
Common collocation: grow a moustache
SS might spell " mostach",
Adjective + moustache (eg: thick moustache) "mustach, or "moustach"
because of its
pronounciation.
e) Providing a context/conveying meaning
Tr shows SS the class two photos of men: one with no facial hair and one with a moustache.
Tr points at the first photo and say “This man has no moustache.”
Then point to the second photo and say “Look! This man has hair above his mouth. This hair
is called a moustache. So, we say, ‘He’s got a moustache.’”
(Tr also gesture to her own upper lip to show the place a moustache grows.)
Then explains, “A moustache is the hair on your face above your mouth, under your nose.”
f) Checking understanding
Is the moustache on your face or body? (On our face)
Is it above your mouth? (Yes)
Is it usually on a man’s face or on a woman’s face? (Man’s)
g) References
Cambridge University Press, 2025. Moustache. Cambridge Learners' Dictionary. [online]
Available at: [Link] [Access: 3rd
July, 2025]
Target statement: The runners were exhausted. (intermediate/vocabulary)
Analysis Anticipated Problems
a) Meaning SS get confused with the meaning of
exhausted with exhausting.
extremely tired.
SS think it has the same meaning as
just “tired”.
SS might not know it could also be
used for mental tiredness.
SS might pronounce “h” and say “ex-
b) Pronunciation
hau-sted”
stress on 2nd syllable exhausted /ɪɡ SS misplace stress
ˈzɔː.stɪd/ UK SS pronounce /d/ or /t/ for “ed” instead
of /ɪd/.
nd
stress on 2 syllable exhausted /ɪɡ SS omit the ending sound
ˈzɑː.stɪd/US
past simple & particle “ed” is
pronounced /ɪd/
silent “h” in the middle
c) Form
SS confuse word class - verb or
exhausted (adjective)
adjective. (eg. I exhausted yesterday)
can also be used as past simple
and past participle Use wrong preposition (eg. I am tired
of is okay, but I am exhausted of is not)
Common collocation:
verb + exhausted (eg. be, feel,
look, … + exhausted)
adverb + exhausted (eg. really,
absolutely, … + exhausted)
exhausted+ prepositions (eg.
exhausted from, exhausted with)
e) Providing a context/conveying meaning
Tr shows or describes a short story: “Yesterday there was a big marathon in the city.
Hundreds of runners ran for 42 kilometers. After they finished, they felt very, very tired
because they used all their energy.” Then tr says: “They were exhausted.”
Tr shows a photo of marathon runners collapsed on the ground, breathing hard, or wiping
sweat from their faces. Then explains “Exhausted” means extremely tired, with no energy
left. It is stronger than just ‘tired.’ Tr can also show a scale on the board:
okay → tired → very tired → exhausted (at the highest level of tiredness)
f) Checking understanding
Did the runners have a lot of energy left? (No)
Are they a bit tired or extremely tired? (extremely)
Is exhausted stronger than tired? (Yes)
g) References
Cambridge University Press, 2025. Exhausted. Cambridge Learners' Dictionary. [online]
Available at: [Link] [Access: 3rd July,
2025]