Learning left and right is an essential English skill for adult ESL students. These words are used when giving directions, following instructions, driving, shopping, and talking about locations.
In this lesson, you’ll learn practical ways to teach and practice left and right so students can use them confidently in everyday life.
I left it right there.
or
How many are left?
All of a sudden, a simple concept has become more complicated. We as teachers find ourselves trying to explain that neither left nor right mean the same thing as what you just learned.
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What Do Left and Right Mean in English?
Left and right usually describe direction or position, but both words can have other meanings in English. This can make them confusing for English learners.
For example:
- Left can describe direction or position: Turn left. / My left hand.
- Left is also the past tense of the verb leave: She left work at 5:00.
- Left can be a noun: Take a left at the next street.
- Right can describe direction or position: Turn right. / My right hand.
- Right can mean correct: Your answer is right.
- Right can be a noun: Take a right at the corner.
- Right can also be used as an adverb: The store is right across the street.
- Right has homophones, including write and rite.
When we talk about your left hand or right hand, the words left and right describe which hand we mean. That’s the basic meaning beginners need to learn first.
But English is a crazy language, and these two simple words can do more than one job. Understanding the different meanings will help you recognize left and right when you hear or read them in everyday English.
What Does Left Mean in English?
The word leave is a verb that means to depart or exit. However, it’s one of the many irregualr verbs that does not end with the letters ed in the past tense.
The word left is a verb that is the past tense of the verb leave.
However, it’s also a verb that means what remains.
Huh?
My choice of words for this subtitle, “What’s left?” is a play on words that I deliberately used to confuse but also to explain.
If I’m using left as a verb, my question is asking what remains, as in what remains to said or explained?
However, my question could also be using the word left as a noun. In that case, my question is asking what is something that is left, as in a person, place, or thing.
In American politics, the terms left and right refer to the political wing someone is a part of, as in the left wing and the right wing. However, in the politically charged environment we now live in, people more ofthen than not refer to each of the wings simply as the left or the right and rarely say the word wing afterward.
As a result, both left and right have become nouns.
Another common use of the word left is when they are referring in the past tense something that they don’t have with them that they did have when they were someplace else.
For example, I left my wallet on the table at the restaurant.
Or
The hurricane left many people without power.
When Is The Right Time To Use An Adverb?
Adverbs are words that qualify or modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.
Many, but not all adverbs end with the letters ly.
The right time to use an adverb is when you want identify how something happened, when it happened, where it happened, and to what extent something occurred.
When using the term right time, right is being used as an adjective to describe or mofify the word time.
For example, it is not uncommon for someone to say they left something right there. In that case, the word right is being used as an adverb to modify the adverb there.
Furthermore, the word right means either immediately or it refers to a specific time or location.
If someone says it is right there, it generally refers not only to a location but a specific location within that location.
On the other hand, if someone says I’ll be right there, it means they’ll be somewhere very soon.
To confuse things even more, if someone says, it’s right over there, it implies that something is nearby, although not necessarily in a specific location.
Got it?
Of course you do.
Right on!
What’s Left To Say About Right?
The word right is not only used as more than one part of speech, it also has more than one definition.
Right is a synonym for the word correct. It is the opposite of the word wrong. For example, if someone answers a question correctly, we say they got the right answer. In that case, it is used as an adjective.
However, when we correct something that we’ve done wrong, we can say we need to right the wrong. In that case, right is a verb.
It is also a word that refers to entitlement. For example, in the USA, we have the right of free speech. It is guaranteed in our constitution. The first ten amendments to the US Constitution are called our Bill of Rights.
In that case, the word right is a noun.
Then there are homophones.
A homophone is a word that sounds like another word but is usually spelled differely and/or has a different definition.
Two examples of homophones as they apply to right:
- Write
- Rite
The word write is a verb. When you learn English, it’s a good idea to also learn to write in English. Writing supports speaking and speaking supports writing. I think everyone should learn to write as they speak.
A rite is defined by Dictionary.com as a noun. It is a formal or ceremonial act or procedure, such as certain religious rites.
Baptism is a ceremonial religious rite.
Nothing Left To Write
This brings this lesson to an end. I hope it has provided some insight about the right way to use the words left and right as well as to understand the words that sound like right but mean something completely different.
Teaching left and right to adult ESL students can be a challenge but it’s a challenge I enjoy. The real challenge is for the students who are tasked with trying to learn and understand all the different uses of these two seemingly simple words.
It’s alright if you still don’t understand.
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Understanding words like left and right helps you follow directions and communicate in everyday situations. Continue with English Teacher KBob’s free Foundation 0 lessons to build your English step by step.
Leave questions and comments in the space below. I will promptly reply.
Your article on teaching left and right to adult ESL students is incredibly informative and practical. The use of visual aids and kinesthetic activities is a great approach, especially for adult learners who might find this concept challenging. Have you encountered specific techniques that resonate particularly well with your students? I’d be interested in hearing about any unique strategies you’ve found effective.
I appreciate your emphasis on patience and repetition. It’s easy to forget that something as basic as left and right can be complex for non-native speakers. Your approach of incorporating directional language into everyday tasks is clever. Have you noticed a significant improvement in your students’ spatial awareness after implementing these methods? Your insights could be incredibly helpful for fellow ESL instructors. Thank you for sharing this valuable resource!
Hi Pasindu Dimanka. Thanks for your comments. My technique is to review and remind over and over again. Although I must teach grammar, that is a foundation for teaching real-life, everyday language. Patience is vital when teaching beginners a new language. I just try to keep it real.
Leave comments and questions here any time. I will promptly reply.
KBob