I read and understood the ideas about teaching grammar on the site and I agree with them. However, I am teaching adults and they often ask the difference between 2 perfectly correct but different subject. For example: Its such a big car and the car is so big. How can I explain the difference and do I have to? Whats the difference between so and such?
Teaching grammar
You dont have to explain anything to your adult students. For all your answers and worries, please have a look at this site:
http://www.algworld.com/
http://www.algworld.com/writings.htm
http://www.algworld.com/
http://www.algworld.com/writings.htm
I had a look at this site. It certainly looked very interesting to me. My experience of trying to learn French at school certainly left me with a few mental scars.
The idea that you absorb language is certainly very appealing to the lazy person in me.
I think that it does help to explain things in the 'Native Language'. So I will have a stab at the question that you have asked.
<<However, I am teaching adults and they often ask the difference between 2 perfectly correct but different subject. For example: Its such a big car and the car is so big. How can I explain the difference and do I have to? Whats the difference between so and such?>>
First of all, I would like to comment that using the numeral '2' instead of the word 'two' is a very poor practice.
<<< Its such a big car >>>
<<<the car is so big>>>
The first sentence should be:
"It's such a big car." or "It is such a big car."
The second sentence, is more of an expression from speech:
"The car is so big!"
Both sentences are stating a fact. The meaning of both sentences is very similar.
I would say the first sentence is more 'formal', and the second sentence is more typical of speech. Words like 'First person singular' come into my mind.
In the second sentence, it sounds as if the person is speaking, and they are describing the car.
The first sentence is also similar to speech. However it is possible to imagine it buried in a lot of text.
The impressions that people have of the new Mercedes, are that it is such a big car, other cars will seem small in comparison.
Whereas the second 'expression' sounds like something a child or an impressionable adult might say.
Bye for now
The idea that you absorb language is certainly very appealing to the lazy person in me.
I think that it does help to explain things in the 'Native Language'. So I will have a stab at the question that you have asked.
<<However, I am teaching adults and they often ask the difference between 2 perfectly correct but different subject. For example: Its such a big car and the car is so big. How can I explain the difference and do I have to? Whats the difference between so and such?>>
First of all, I would like to comment that using the numeral '2' instead of the word 'two' is a very poor practice.
<<< Its such a big car >>>
<<<the car is so big>>>
The first sentence should be:
"It's such a big car." or "It is such a big car."
The second sentence, is more of an expression from speech:
"The car is so big!"
Both sentences are stating a fact. The meaning of both sentences is very similar.
I would say the first sentence is more 'formal', and the second sentence is more typical of speech. Words like 'First person singular' come into my mind.
In the second sentence, it sounds as if the person is speaking, and they are describing the car.
The first sentence is also similar to speech. However it is possible to imagine it buried in a lot of text.
The impressions that people have of the new Mercedes, are that it is such a big car, other cars will seem small in comparison.
Whereas the second 'expression' sounds like something a child or an impressionable adult might say.
Bye for now
I might be wrong in what I just said. You can use 'Its' as a word in its own right.
Strange I know!
Strange I know!