Pop songs may not be the first source most teachers approach when seeking good examples of grammar; the syntax and diction of song lyrics are, as in other forms of poetry, often different from that of spoken language in order to create effect or to fit the needs of rhythm and meter. Some songs, however, contain instances of difficult grammatical concepts that can be useful in the classroom. Tadej Braček makes a convincing argument for using pop lyrics to teach English grammar in
“Pop Lyrics for Grammar Teaching in a Primary Classroom” (2013). Braček uses the songs “What If” (Mac and Hector 2001) sung by Kate Winslet and the hip-hop song “I Wish” by Skee-Lo (Khan 1995) to teach conditional verb forms; he also notes that songs are useful for familiarizing students with unusual verb tenses and archaic forms of English verbs and pronouns, such as “thee” and “thou,” in older folk songs and ballads.