At some point or other in an ESL/EFL job interview, the interviewer will invariably get round to the dreaded 'Grammar questions'. Why this obsession with grammar? Surely possessing an internationally recognized TESOL qualification should be enough to get you the job?

Think again. Many ESL/EFL students have come from language backgrounds where grammar - more than verbal fluency - is believed to be the key to mastering a language. Their previous English teachers may not have spoken much English in class, but they sure knew their grammar. And so must you. Students may lose all respect for a teacher who cannot provide a convincing and accurate answer to a grammar question. Employers know this, which is why they are justified in putting you on the spot in a interview.

These are some of the most common language questions that come up in ESL/EFL job interviews: