Teach the stubborn form explicitly, then force it into production

When it fits

• A grammar, pragmatic or discourse distinction is familiar when seen but unreliable when you must produce it.

When to avoid it

• Explicit instruction is not a universal substitute for communication and input. It is most useful when a particular distinction needs conscious repair or clarification.

Why it matters

Make the distinction explicit enough to choose between competing forms, then require production. Start with a constrained contrast, move to short original examples and finish with a realistic task where the form is useful but not announced in advance. The last step matters: the goal is not to recite the rule but to retrieve the form while attention is shared with meaning.

Steps

1. State the contrast in plain language.
2. Choose between contrasting examples and explain why.
3. Create new examples from different topics.
4. Use the form in a message or spoken answer.
5. Check delayed spontaneous use.

Check your result

The target appears accurately in a new meaning-focused response without a visible rule prompt.

Keep this limit in mind

• Explicit instruction is not a universal substitute for communication and input. It is most useful when a particular distinction needs conscious repair or clarification.

Connected ideas