Please keep in mind that the opinions posted on this blog are my own.

Everybody might have a different experience and opinions, and that's OK.

For many adults, the word grammar triggers memories of school desks, red pen corrections, and endless verb charts that seemed to exist purely to torture them. The truth is, most of my adult students don’t come to me asking for “more grammar drills.” They come because they want to use English - to travel, to work, to connect. So my job is to take grammar out of the dusty pages of a textbook and make it something they can see, hear, and immediately apply.

Connect Grammar to Real Life

If a grammar point doesn’t connect to a real situation, it simply won’t stick. For example, instead of teaching the past perfect in isolation, I might build a conversation about travel disasters where students naturally say, “I had never missed a flight before that day.” Suddenly, grammar isn’t an abstract formula - it’s part of a funny, memorable story. Adults are far more likely to remember “had never missed” if it’s tied to an experience they’ve shared in class.

Use Their Interests as Grammar Fuel

One of the joys of teaching adults is that they bring so many different interests and careers into the classroom. If I have a student who’s into photography, we’ll practice conditionals by imagining, “If I had a better lens, I could…” If I’m working with someone in finance, we’ll sneak in the passive voice when talking about market changes: “The report was updated yesterday.” By wrapping grammar inside topics they care about, the focus shifts from “learning rules” to “expressing yourself more clearly.”

Make It Visual and Physical

Not all adults learn best by reading explanations or doing written exercises. Sometimes grammar clicks when they see it or do it. I might draw timelines on the board to show verb tenses in action, use colored cards to represent parts of a sentence, or even turn a grammar pattern into a movement game. These techniques, often thought of as “for kids,” can be just as effective for adults - especially for those who struggled with grammar in the past.

Show Them the Payoff

Adults are busy. If they’re going to spend time learning grammar, they want to know it’s worth it. I often make a point of showing them how mastering a structure improves their communication instantly. For instance, learning how to use “used to” correctly can make their stories more vivid and relatable. Understanding the present perfect can make them sound more natural in casual conversation. When they see results the next time they speak to a colleague or a client, they realize grammar isn’t just academic - it’s powerful.

Sneak Grammar into Communication Practice

Here’s a little secret: sometimes my students don’t even realise they’re doing grammar exercises. Instead of giving them a worksheet, I’ll design a roleplay, debate, or storytelling activity that happens to require a certain structure. While they’re focused on winning the debate or making their partner laugh, they’re also practising that tricky tense or sentence form over and over - without the stress of “getting it wrong” in a test. It’s learning by doing, and it works beautifully.

Keep Feedback Specific and Encouraging

When I correct grammar for adults, I try not to make it feel like school. Instead of saying, “That’s wrong,” I might say, “Try it like this - it’s smoother,” and then explain why. I highlight progress (“You used the present perfect perfectly in that last answer!”) as much as I correct mistakes. This keeps the learning process positive, and adults are far more likely to stick with something when they feel capable rather than constantly judged.

Making grammar relevant for adults is about blending accuracy with usefulness. When learners can see exactly how a grammar point improves their communication, they stop dreading it and start owning it. By linking lessons to real-life situations, using creative methods, and keeping feedback constructive, grammar becomes less of a hurdle and more of a tool they’re eager to use.