I could go into excruciating detail to teach the boys but I'd have to learn it all myself first (yawn), they would be disengaged (yawn again) and the impact on their written and spoken grammar would be minimal. So what's the point of learning forms, tenses and grammatical tools?
In a nutshell it's to make sure that what you say conveys what you mean in the most elegant way possible. It's also great to be able to alienate friends and family by correcting a grammatical faux pas :
"I think you mean whom, not who."
I think you're off my Christmas card list.
Demonstrating an understanding of grammatical constructs through fluent, interesting and clear sentences is important. Being able to define and explain grammar is not.
Today we looked at three useful verb types that help us with meaning, with a little help from the Mr Men and Little Miss books.
Imperative verbs are provided by Little Miss Bossy. They tell you what to do which is brilliant for instructions, recipes and warning signs. We used a recipe book to brainstorm imperative verbs.
Modal verbs belong to the auxiliary (helping) family of verbs, which support a main verb. Modal verbs indicate certainty, possibility or a lack thereof and so they are supplied by Mr Jelly who is often unsure. They can help indicate the necessity or likelihood : should, won't, can, must. They're useful in debates, requests and nagging small children to brush their teeth properly : You MUST brush your teeth or they WILL fall out.
Powerful verbs are excellent for story telling and helping the reader or listener to imagine a situation; provided by Little Miss Magic as they add that special something to a story. They're used all the time in fiction but also pop up regularly for emotive and dramatic reasons in news reports.
Powerful verbs also provide a useful link to synonyms : I ran down the road.
Sprinkle the magic to hint at context and deepen meaning :
I bolted down the road / I flew down the road / I raced down the road / I sprinted down the road / I bounded down the road.
I don't know any adults who can confidently explain the entire verby universe - maybe it's just not a topic that comes up much at parties. I'm not expecting the boys to; by far the most important thing is that their correct use becomes natural.
The best way to achieve that is to speak well, use rich vocabulary and read often and aloud. For good grammar you need an ear for the right sound.
