Great Sites For Teaching How to Pronounce 'ed' Endings

A common problem adult learners of English often have is how to pronounce the 'ed' ending on words.

I always wind up spending time on this when teaching the past simple verb tense and decided to look for sites to help students learn and practice on their own. Here are a few recommendations.


TOP PICKS
Here are my top picks of sites with resources to help students learn and remember how to pronounce 'ed' at the end of words:

1. Elemental English http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j32SurxnE4s

2. Perfect English Grammar
 http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/how-to-pronounce-ed.html 

 3. The English Club
http://www.englishforeveryone.org/Topics/Pronouncing-ED-Endings.htm

 4. English Maven
http://www.englishmaven.org/
http://www.englishmaven.org/Pages/Pronouncing%20ED%20Endings.htm

IN MORE DETAIL:
1. Elemental English has a great 8 minute video on this topic so students can watch, see the spelling and hear the pronunciation for the different endings. It goes on to describe why the 'ed' pronunciation changes. The lesson is described with words of the lesson listed right below the video as well, for those who prefer to read rather than listen and watch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j32SurxnE4s

2.  Perfect English Grammar gets to the heart of the lesson immediately, with a short written explanation of each rule followed by lots of examples (written and audio clips) of each way 'ed' can pronounced.
http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/how-to-pronounce-ed.html

3. I liked this description from The English Club site because it had a 2:36 minute audio clip:
http://www.englishclub.com/pronunciation/-ed.htm
 English Club - ' ed' endings

Related to this, you can find a worksheet that uses a lot of the same examples as you find on English Club here: English for Everyone has a free, printable worksheet and answer key on this topic:
http://www.englishforeveryone.org/Topics/Pronouncing-ED-Endings.htm

Worksheet:http://www.englishforeveryone.org/PDFs/Pronouncing%20ED%20endings.pdf

Answer key:  http://www.englishforeveryone.org/PDFs/Pronouncing%20ED%20endings%20-%20answers.pdf

4.  English Maven  has 5 interactive multiple choice exercises and one final exam for students to practice what they have learned. (One page has the explanation and another a list of exercises and final exam.)
http://www.englishmaven.org/Pages/Pronouncing%20ED%20Endings.htm
If the link above doesn't work, then go to the homepage and search for 'ed' endings.
http://www.englishmaven.org/

Screenshot of Exercise 1

Screenshot of the lesson portion of the English Maven website: 

More Words -If you are having trouble thinking of examples of words that end with 'ed', look no further:http://www.morewords.com/ends-with/ed/


 I also considered (but can't really recommend):
5 Minute English  http://www.5minuteenglish.com/apr18.htm
 I liked the clean layout and explanation of how to pronounce the different 'ed' endings ( voiced / unvoiced), and the fact that there was a quick quiz at the end to check your understanding, but without an audio clip or video clip it would be hard to make sense of the lesson unless you were a native speaker, or had one with you while reading through the lesson.


I hope this proves useful to you!

Summary of the Best Grammar Sites for Teaching ESL / EFL

This is the last post  (4/4) in my 'Best Grammar Sites' series.

In previous posts I reviewed grammar sites that work well for teaching English for beginning, intermediate and advanced students.

This post is a summary of the best all 21 grammar sites I  considered. It includes a 'Best of the Best' list,  a full list of all the sites I looked at, and charts that show the breakdown of the rankings I gave each site.

BEST OF THE BEST
Here are my favorites, in order of my preference:

 1. UCL's The Internet Grammar http://www.ucl.ac.uk/internet-grammar/frames/contents.htm 

This site has it all: a comprehensive list of grammar points, an organized layout with a lot of white space that`s easy to navigate, comprehensive explanations that are easy to understand, many examples, and interactive quizzes at the end to test comprehension and mastery of a grammar point.

2. The Grammarly Handbook  http://www.grammarly.com/handbook/

I love the attractive and clean layout. it`s so easy to navigate, there is a comprehensive list of grammar points, and clear explanations and numerous examples. I especially like the inclusion of a lot of topics (grammar, punctuation, mechanics and sentence clarity) that help people learn how to write English well. Too bad it doesn`t include interactive exercises below each grammar point.


3. Edu Find edufind.com 

As a teacher I really like this resource: its clean layout,  clear explanations, inclusion of usage and exceptions to the rule, and large number of examples make this a simple site to use for quick reference and to turn around and use with students in lessons. Too bad it doesn't include interactive quizzes at the end of each point.

4.Englisch Hilfen Learning English Online http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/inhalt_grammar.htm 

This is such a comprehensive grammar site, and has so many exercises and quizzes to help people learn each point, that I keep coming back to it despite it's cluttered interface.

Honorable Mention:

Study and Exam - http://www.studyandexam.com/learn-english.html I love the straightforward simplicity of the layout and explanations, and how relevant all the topics are to an ESL or EFL student. It is obvious that the site was not written by a native English speaker since sometimes the phrasing is not very natural, but sometimes the site writer manages to sum up complex grammar points in an impressively simple way. Too bad there aren't any interactive exercises at the end of each explanation.

University of Victoria ELC Study Zone - http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/grammar.htm
I really like the clean and simple layout and organization of grammar points according to the level of language learner, the only site I stumbled across that organized the grammar points in this way.


Special Mention

For true beginners just learning their first words in English and the basic structure of the language ( a pre-grammar site, in a way): Manythings.org http://www.manythings.org/

For teens, Grammar Bytes http://chompchomp.com was a clear winner. Too bad it has such a hidden index of grammar points and is  a bit hard to navigate in terms of looking up specific grammar points.

LIST OF SITES REVIEWED

Below are all the sites I reviewed in alphabetical order and my overall rankings for each.

About.com - http://esl.about.com/od/grammar/Beginning_Level_English_Grammar_for_ESL_Students.htm
25/30

BBC Grammar- http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/grammar_challenge/
22/30

Englisch Hilfen Learning English Online - http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/inhalt_grammar.htmhttp://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/inhalt_grammar.htm
28/30

English Club- http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/index.htm
24/30

English Grammar 4U -http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/index.htm
19/30

English Learner.com-http://www.englishlearner.com/tests/index.shtml
12/30

ESL in Canada- http://www.eslincanada.com/english/englishlesson1.php
9/30

Grammar Girl- http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/
11/30

Grammar Monster -www.grammar-monster.com
28/30

Grammar Bytes- http://chompchomp.com
28/30

Grammarly Handbook - http://www.grammarly.com/handbook/
25/30

Guide to Grammar and Style by Jack Lynch - http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Writing/ 
19/30

CCC Guide to Grammar -http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/
26/30

Internet Grammar of English- http://www.ucl.ac.uk/internet-grammar/
25/30

Many Things - http://www.manythings.org/
19/30

Study and Exam - http://www.studyandexam.com/learn-english.html
25/30

Talking English -http://www.studyandexam.com/learn-english.html
24/30

The Blue Book of Grammar - http://www.grammarbook.com/
21/30

UCL Internet Grammar http://www.ucl.ac.uk/internet-grammar/frames/contents.htm
30/30

University of Victoria ELC Study Zone -http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/grammar.htm
29/30


BREAKDOWN OF RANKINGS

Here is a breakdown of my rankings for the sites I thought best suited to Advanced Learners:

 

Here is a breakdown of my rankings for the sites I thought were best suited to intermediate learners:

Here is a breakdown of my rankings for the sites I felt were best suited to beginning students:

Have I missed a great grammar site? Let me know!

I hope you find this series of posts useful.

Best Grammar Sites for Advanced ESL EFL Students and English Teachers

This is the third post of four on the topic of ' Best Grammar Sites'. This post is about grammar sites for advanced English language students and English language teachers.

I have reviewed 26 grammar sites (the top listings that came up in Google when I did a search for 'grammar sites'), and the following 5 made my top picks list of great grammar sites for advanced students.

By the way, last month I posted about intermediate grammar sites and the month before about best grammar sites for beginning ESL and EFL students. The post after this one will be an overview, with a master list of all grammar sites reviewed as well as a breakdown of my rankings for each.

WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR:

  I gave each site a rating out of five for each of the following categories:

• How easy the site was  to navigate
• Whether it had a good ´look up list´of grammar topics
• Has grammar lessons, not just dictionary-like explanations
• Has clear explanations or just cryptic 'dictionary like' explanations, in easy to understand English
• Includes many examples using language English students and non-native English speakers  could easily understand
• Includes interactive exercises and quizzes 

TOP PICKS FOR GRAMMAR SITES FOR ADVANCED STUDENTS AND ENGLISH INSTRUCTORS

1. The Internet Grammar http://www.ucl.ac.uk/internet-grammar/
30/30 

2. Edu Find  http://www.edufind.com/english/grammar/grammar_topics.php 
28/30

3. The Grammarly Handbook http://www.grammarly.com/handbook/
 25/30 

4. Study and Exam http://www.studyandexam.com/learn-english.html
 25/30

5. Lynch´s Guide to Grammar and Style http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Writing/
 24/30



RANKED LIST IN MORE DETAIL:

1.The Internet Grammar
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/internet-grammar/
My ranking: 30/30 

I included this site in the post 'Best Grammar Sites for Intermediate ESL EFL Students' too.  I think it fits even better as a site for advanced students because it covers so many of the finer points of grammar, such as 'minor word classes' and types of clauses (restrictive and non-restrictive), which are rarely covered in grammar sites.

As I`ve mentioned previously, I really like the clean layout, all the white space, the easy navigation, and inclusion of interactive quiz questions at the end of the grammar point explanation. An excellent reference site for teachers because it offers explanations that would be very easy for teachers to use with their students as well.

2. Edu Find
http://www.edufind.com/english/grammar/grammar_topics.php
My Ranking: 28/30

Very clean and clear layout. Not overwhelming. The menu structure - major grammar topics visible first, with sub-points appearing only when you click on one- is very easy to navigate.

I also like that there are many examples of each grammar point.

There are interactive quizzes, however they are for testing your knowledge rather than interactive exercises to help you learn in the first place.They are in a different section, not attached to the grammar explanation, so it may be a bit tricky for ESL students to find the appropriate test.

3. The Grammarly Handbook
http://www.grammarly.com/handbook/
My Ranking: 25/30

I really like this site, and just wish it had interactive quizzes and exercises.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I really like the clean layout, easy navigability and inclusion of many examples of each point. 

I included this site in the 'Best Grammar Sites for Intermediate ESL EFL Students' post as well. I think it`s appropriate for advanced students and English instructors because further down the homepage it gives in depth instruction on advanced English grammar topics,  as well as writing and style tutorials, on great topics such as transitions and transitional devices, and parallelism.

4. Study and Exam
http://www.studyandexam.com/learn-english.html
My ranking: 25/30

I really like the straightforward simplicity and choice of topics - very relevant to English language learners - on this site, and just wish it had interactive quizzes to help reinforce each grammar explanation / lesson.

This site appears high in the evaluations in my reviews of grammar sites for beginning and intermediate students as well. I included it as a great site for advanced ESL and EFL students because further down the home page are advanced topics such as indirect speech with modals, and passive voice for tenses which often trip up students on the TOEIC and TOEFL tests.  

5. Lynch's Guide to Grammar and Style
http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Writing/
My ranking:  24/30

JLynch Guide to Grammar and Style

This is the most comprehensive grammar site I have found in terms of topics included. It includes all major and a myriad of minor grammar points, as well as words and phrases that are often used erroneously.

Definitely a useful resource for teachers and English instructors, and for advanced students who are trying to perfect their English.

However, the level of language used in the descriptions is high, the introductions to many points are quite wordy, and the long topic index is so comprehensive. It would be daunting to most English language students (and even to many native English speakers).

I wish there were more example sentences included for each point, and interactive exercises to help people check their level of comprehension.

Of note is the link to the section of the website called ' Getting and A on and English Paper' (look in the first paragraph on the homepage), which breaks down the structure of an essay and how to write one. This would be useful for teachers teaching students in high school or university, and for advanced students preparing to study abroad.


Other Grammar Sites I Considered By Can`t Recommend As Great Grammar Lookup and Learning Sites:



Talking English
http://www.talkenglish.com/Grammar/Grammar-speaking.aspx
My ranking:24

This site is geared more towards pronunciation than grammar instruction.

The grammar guide is far down the menu on the left hand side (look for the word ' grammar'). It has a lot of words on each page, and a high language level is used, so that would be off-putting to a lot of ESL students even though the list of topics includes topics that would be useful for helping low beginners.

I like how there was a very short little quiz at the end of each lesson to help students know if they understood the grammar point or not.

However, overall,  it would be best for teachers looking for explanations of how to describe pronunciation in English rather than as a grammar 'look-up' site.

BBC Learning English
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar
My ranking: 22/30

This site includes a lot of grammar points that learners often mistake, in very appealing multimedia presentations (video clips, audio clips, attractive graphics), but it didn`t meet my criteria as a quick look-up reference grammar site. It is set up as an interesting learning site rather than a quick look up site, and would work best to fill in the gaps of knowledge of an advanced student, in a visually and intellectually interesting way.



The Blue Grammar Book
http://www.grammarbook.com/
My ranking: 21/30 

Looks promising but only a small portion of the content is free. The list of free grammar topics is not comprehensive enough for me to recommend.  This site is mostly a high pressured sales pitch for selling the book, The Blue Grammar Book. The language of the explanations is advanced English, and geared to the native speaker of English, not a language learner. There are interactive exercises but you have to read through a lot of promotional material to find them.

Grammar Girl
http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/
My ranking: 11/30

Although this site covers some advanced grammar topics and words that people often use incorrectly, it fell short in my evaluation in a number of ways, unfortunately. It lacked an index list of grammar topics, grammar lessons, interactive exercises and quizzes and wasn`t comprehensive in its coverage of grammar points and parts of speech. An interesting site, but not very useful for the purpose of being a thorough, quick look-up site.

Stay tuned for one more wrap up post, with recommendations of best sites overall, and a breakdown of the rankings.

Did I miss a great grammar site?
Let me know!
Comments welcome.