How can I get better at noticing grammar and vocabulary so I get maximum benefit from reading practice?
If you can say or write a word, it means you've either heard it or read it at least several times before.* If so, then you also heard other words it collocates with and what grammar patterns it appears in. Chances are, though, that you don't remember the collocations and grammar patterns. It takes practice to learn how to notice these things, but it is the key to producing natural sounding English. Here are some exercises to help you get better at noticing grammar and vocabulary:
Noticing Vocabulary and Grammar #1 (noticing collocations - verbs)
Noticing Vocabulary and Grammar #2 (noticing prepositions, part 1)
Noticing Vocabulary and Grammar #3 (noticing prepositions, part 2)
Noticing Vocabulary and Grammar #4 (noticing topic-specific vocabulary)
Noticing Vocabulary and Grammar #5 (noticing phrasal verbs)
Noticing Vocabulary and Grammar #6 (noticing passive verbs)
*Unless you learn vocabulary by memorising lists. This is an excellent way to guarantee you'll make mistakes when writing and speaking, so please don't waste your time doing this.
