Marking Grammar Errors

Processing the Matter

Ten Best Grammar Resources for English Language Learners

1. Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr. and

E.B. White

The Elements of Style, commonly known as “Strunk and White,” is a classic style
guide every American student is familiar with. It helped shape how the English
language is used in the United States, for better or for worse, and as such is a required
read for English language learners.

2. Oxford Modern English Grammar by Bas Aarts

Oxford Modern English Grammar is a precious tool for any English language
learner who needs a deeper understanding of how the English language works. It
covers both British English and American English, and it uses examples from written
and spoken English to explain the most basic grammar points as well the most
complex.

3. Purdue Online Writing Lab

 From grammar to individual resources for English language learners,
professionals, and English teachers, Purdue OWL is as comprehensive as English
learning resources can get.

4. Grammar Exercises from the University of

Bristol’s Faculty of Arts

Learning and testing go hand in hand. The University of Bristol’s Faculty of Arts
hosts extensive grammar learning materials on their website, which include exercises
to help you practice using punctuation, discern between commonly confused words,
use the subjunctive, and plenty other things.

5. Grammar Monster

Grammar Monster is a website that offers both quick information and detailed
explanations about everything that has to do with grammar. Plus, it also has a short
test for each of its sections, so you can gauge how well you understood the section’s
contents.

6. UsingEnglish.com

UsingEnglish.com is not the place to go looking for lessons on English grammar,

but as far as grammar glossaries go, it hosts a very comprehensive one. The site also
offers a vast number of tests and quizzes that can keep you occupied for a long time.
 7. Edufind.com

Edufind.com is a website with a very simple layout that allows you to navigate
through it quickly. Even though the website’s materials aren’t organized in the form
of lessons, they are written in simple, easy-to-understand language, so you can use
them as a learning resource.

8. Oxford Dictionaries

OxfordDictionaries.com is a fun website where you can read the Oxford

Dictionaries’ blog, watch their videos, and find a dictionary that can help you learn
new words. There’s also a grammar section where you can learn everything you need
to know about English grammar.

9. British Council

The British Council has a long tradition of helping people around the world learn
English, and their website contains everything from lessons, grammar explanations,
and a glossary to games and apps. It’s an excellent resource for English language
learners of all proficiency levels and from all walks of life.

10. Cambridge Apps

Cambridge University Press’s Grammar in Use series of apps contains three apps:
one for beginners, one for intermediate learners, and one for advanced English
language learners, each corresponding to a book published by CUP. While the apps do
not contain all the materials from the books, they are chock-full of activities that can
help you practice English grammar anytime, anywhere. 

Meanwhile, here are some ways to deal students’ writing errors:

1. Fix all errors for the student, becoming, essentially, a line-editor. This strategy doesn’t help the
student, and it creates an unrealistic amount of work for the instructor.
2. Mark, but don’t correct, all errors, asking students to revise. This approach is attractive because
the responsibility for fixing the error falls to the student, who is challenged to understand, then
correct the errors they’ve made. It is time consuming for the instructor, however, and doesn’t
provide an opportunity for students to develop their own proofreading skills since they aren’t
required to find their own errors.
3. Line edit some errors, then ask students to fix the rest. This might take the form of the instructor
editing one paragraph but leaving one paragraph unmarked. Giving students an edited
paragraph can be useful in helping students see what their errors are and possible corrections.
However, marking and fixing errors requires a significant amount of time, attention, and
experience. Also, some argue that fixing any errors for students discourages them from working
to fix errors on their own, and encourages a passive approach to proofreading. It can also send
the message that the most important part of revision is correcting grammar errors, rather than
rewriting for development of ideas or the argument, organization, or other content-related
elements.
4. Identify, but don’t correct, some errors, asking students to revise and/ or find errors similar
errors in the unmarked section of their paper. An advantage to this method is that it gives
students feedback on the errors they are making while also encouraging active proofreading on
their part. By alerting students to the type of error they are making, instructors are giving
feedback that contributes to development of effective proofreading. To encourage students to
proofread their paper, assuming the instructor is marking a final draft, the student might be
required to edit the final draft further before receiving a final grade.
5. Use minimal marking to let students know there are errors, but don’t locate or identify errors
for them. This method encourages students to find and fix their own errors. The goal is to help
students develop the habit of proofreading their own writing. It also avoids sending the message
that the goal of revision is solely to fix grammar errors. With minimal marking, students should
be encouraged to find and fix the errors. One strategy is for the instructor to raise the grade
when the edited paper is returned or for the instructor to hold off on grading until the draft has
been edited.
6. Don’t mark any errors but give the student feedback that the paper is marred with errors and
will lose points. Advantages: A big time-saver for the instructor. No responsibility on the
instructor to help the student develop editing skills. Disadvantages: students may feel criticized
 and unsupported, leading to feelings of depression and isolation. Students are not encouraged
to develop helpful academic skills.

Summing Things Up
As future teachers, you should bear in mind that competency is not only achieved in
teaching grammar and English, but in correcting grammatical errors of students, as well. Thus, it is an
advantage that you have available resources not only for your own consumption but also for your
students.